Deviant subcultures and patterns/trends in youth deviance

Question 1

What are deviant subcultures?

Answer 1

Groups that develop norms and values that deviate from mainstream society

Question 2

What are delinquent subcultures?

Answer 2

Subcultures involved in deviant behaviour, such as joyriding, vandalism and anti-social behaviours

Question 3

What are criminal subcultures?

Answer 3

Subcultures that are actively involved in criminal behaviour, which may be organised, such as drug-dealing and protection rackets

Question 4

What are gangs?

Answer 4

A group of people who regularly associate together. Term is used by the media to refer to those who cause harm to society and are involved in persistent criminality, often including violence. Gangs often have a name, a territory, a leader, a hierarhcy and a set of rules

Question 5

What are spectacular youth subcultures?

Answer 5

Describes the highly visible subcultures of the 1950s-70s, such as the Teddy boys, mods, punks and skinheads. Involves flamboyant and instantly recognisable styles and confrontational attitudes

Question 6

What are anti-school subcultures?

Answer 6

Refers to groups of pupils who reject the norms and values of school and reverse them. Value trouble-making, being disruptive, truanting and academic failure/poor grades

Question 7

What has research found about social class and youth deviance?

Answer 7

• W/C youths are more likely to become involved in deviance and criminality than those from wealthier backgrounds
• Jacobson et al found multiple disadvantages and complex backgrounds in the majority of the 200 children/young people from their sample in custody (3/4= absent fathers, 1/2 live in deprived house)
• Farrington suggested that socio-economic deprivation was a key predictor of future criminality
• Unsure if w/c youths actually commit more deviance/crime or are just more visible and targeted by the police

Question 8

What has research found about gender and youth deviance?

Answer 8

• Criminality and deviance are largely male activities (police evidence)
• Home Office data= young men aged 10-17 were responsible for 20% of all police recorded crime in 2009/10 vs 4% of young women
• Offical crime data suggests peak offending age for females is 15 vs 18 for males
• Some evidence suggests female crime is on the rise (1994-2004 increase of 150%- women in prison)
• Muncie- small rises in recorded crime create a moral panic

Question 9

What has research found about ethnicity and youth deviance?

Answer 9

• Majority of crime is committed by white British youths (make up majority of population)
• Disproportionate number of African- Caribbeans are processed through criminal justice system
• Home Office stats show black youths accounted for 21% of youths in custody in 2012/13 (black less than 3% of population)
• Young black males are stopped and searched 7x more than white people (2009/10)
• Increase in Asian crime (7.1% of prison population in 2009/10- rose by 13% from 2005/6)
• Lea and Young- stats ignore point that most of UK is intra-racial (takes place within ethnic communities)- most crime by black youths is against other black youths (issue of street culture, poverty, deprivation)