ethnicity and crime Flashcards
1
Q
EXAMPLES: Chris Kaba
A
- black man shot dead by policeman in south london
- officer said he fired as he wanted chris’s vehicle to stop
- officer believed there was a threat to life
2
Q
EXAMPLES: Mark Duggan
A
- 29 year old father of 6
- killed by tottenham police
- prompted protests and riots
- senior member of a violent gang
- V53 defended by police as a justified killing
3
Q
official ethnic prison population statistics
A
- black people cover 3% of the uks population, yet have a 13.1% prison population
- asian people cover 6.5% of the uks population, yet have a prison population of 7.7%
4
Q
how many (x) are black people overrepresented in crime?
A
- 7x more likely to be stopped and searched
- 3x more likely to be arrested
- 5x more likely to be in prison
- these stats relate to the activity of the CJS
- doesn’t reveal anything about offending behavior
5
Q
CSEW victim survey showcases / limitations
A
- shows that black people are overrepresented when victims are asked about the ethnicity of the offender
- rely on memory - victims often state the offender was black even if they are not sure
- only cover personal crimes
- exclude under 10s and white-collar crime
6
Q
self-report studies
A
- ask what crime the participant has committed
- home office has conducted 9 of these studies since the 1990s and they show that white/mixed ethnic groups are most likely to commit crime
- contradicts the stereotype of black people being more likely to offend
7
Q
how are the police accused of being oppressive?
A
- since 1970s there have been many allegations of oppressive policing of minority ethnic communities
- mass stop and search
- paramilitary tactics
- excessive surveillance
- armed raids
- deaths in custody
- failure to respond to racial violence and hate crimes
8
Q
why is stop and search a major problem
A
- MACPHERSON REPORT identifies s&s as the key factor in bad police relations
- ethnic minorities are more likely to be stopped and searched
- 2010-2014 police deployed tasers 38,000 times
- chances for involvement: asian least likely, followed by white, and black people were most likely
9
Q
explaining stop and search patterns
(MACPHERSON REPORT)
(PHILLIPS AND BOWLING)
A
- MACPHERSON REPORT 1999 concluded that institutional racism was widespread throughout the police force
- canteen culture - sums up attitudes that prevail within workers of an organization, despite these actions being disapproved by the organization that they work for
- PHILLIPS AND BOWLING - many officers hold negative stereotypes about ethnic minority groups
- this leads to more s&s of ethnic minorities
10
Q
ethnic factors relating to stop and search
A
- ethnic minority groups are overrepresented in the groups that are most likely to be searched
- however, young, male, unemployed city dwellers are more likely to be s&s regardless of their ethnicity
11
Q
ethnic differences which cause arrest rates and cautions
A
- the arrest rate for black people is 3 times higher than for white people
- ethnic minorities are less likely to receive a caution
- one reason is they are more likely to deny the offence and ask for legal advice
- not admitting the offence means you then can’t receive a caution - end up getting charged
12
Q
ethnicity and prisons
A
- black people are 4x more likely than white people to be in prison
- black/asian people are also more likely to have longer sentences
- ethnic groups are more likely to be on remand - less likely to be given bail
- similar patterns exist in the USA
13
Q
explaining the rise of offences
A
- post war migration from the caribbean
- 1972 report suggested black people were more law abiding than the general population
- little evidence of racial attacks
- 10 years on and a bad relationship between police and black people had formed
- the scarman report: the brixton riots caused by anger
14
Q
asian people and crime
A
- 1970s seen as very law abiding
- 1990s began to be seen as a problem
- clashes between police and asian youths in towns/cities in the north
- 9/11 and 7/11 meant muslims were seen as a threat to national security
- 2015 paris attacks
- manchester arena bombing 2017
- increase in islamophobia
- negative stereotyping of muslims
- more recently asian grooming gangs
15
Q
LEA AND YOUNG: left realism on ethnic differences in crime
A
- accept the differences in statistics as real differences
- crime is a product of relative deprivation, subcultures and marginalisation
- racism has led to the marginalisation and economic exclusion of ethnic minorities - this leads to higher levels of utilitarian crime (monetary gain)
- marginalisation leads to status frustration so can produce high levels of non-utilitarian crime (violence and rioting)
- media emphasis on consumerism also promotes relative deprivation - materialistic goals that ethnic minorities can’t achieve by legitimate means
