Impact Of Crime On Individuals Flashcards
Introduction
Crime is defined in the Oxford Dictionary as any act or omission which constitutes an offence and is punishable by law. Crime generally falls into two major categories of crime against a person (including murder and assault) and property crime (including robbery, arson and trespassing). Crime clearly has an impact on the offender, impacting them in terms of employment, finance, reoffending, and housing, however this is by no means the only impact of crime on individuals. Crime also impacts the families of offenders, impacting children, families finance and the families of female offenders. Most importantly, crime has an impact on the victim, affecting them physically, financially and emotionally.
Offender (KNOWLEDGE 1)
One area of impact that has received little attention is the impact of crime on the offender. Committing a crime can have huge personal consequences.
According to an Audit Scotland Report in 2013, reoffending is a continuing problem in Scotland. 30% of people convicted in 2009/10 were re-convicted within one year, and in 2010/11, more than 1 in 5 people convicted (9,500) had 10 or more previous convictions. The Scottish Government estimates that the total economic and social costs of reoffending are about £3 billion a year.
Offender (KNOWLEDGE 2)
Knowledge
Offenders suffer from a lack of employment opportunities. If you are a convicted criminal you must reveal your criminal past when applying to certain jobs (working with disabled, elderly, mentally ill people or under 18), as identified by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act. It was estimated that 7 out of 10 employers wouldn’t employ a convicted criminal.
Offender (KNOWLEDGE 3)
Knowledge
The Prison Reform Trust and UNLOCK (the National Association of Reformed Offenders) published Time is Money in 2010, and found that one-third of prisoners did not have a bank account, that 50% had been rejected for a bank loan. They also discovered that 37% of prisoners had borrowed money from their families.
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Offender (evaluation)
In evaluation this is important because there is clear impact of crime on the offender, as they suffer financially, are more likely to recommit crimes and suffer from a lack of employment opportunity. However, this is not as important as the impact of crime on the victim, as the victim suffers far more from the crime committed by the offender than the offender does themselves.
Family of the offender (KNOWLEDGE 1)
OS—Crime can also have punitive consequences for families outside prison.
Knowledge
Anti-social behaviour is common from children who have parents who are prisoners, and they suffer from mental health problems up to three times the rate of other children who do not have a parent in prison. Children are also at greater risk of substance misuse and and of imprisonment themselves in later life.
Family of the offender (KNOWLEDGE 2)
Knowledge
70% of families experienced a drop in weekly income following the imprisonment of a family member. For 25% of households, the reduction was not more than 50%, for 30% it was between £51 and £100 while for 17% of families the drop was more than £300 per week. For 46% of households this was because of the loss of the partner’s contribution.
Family of the offender (KNOWLEDGE 3)
Knowledge
The imprisonment of women ha a particular impact on children and families. In Scotland, only 17% of fathers looked after their children while the mother was in custody. Children may go into formal care or the care of another family member, which can mean moving from house to house, and the possibility of a separation of siblings.
Family of the offender (evaluation)
To summarise, crime clearly impacts on the families of offenders, with children suffering from mental health problems, the family’s finance suffering and a change in family structure with the imprisonment of women. However, this is not as important as the impact of crime on the victim, as clearly the victim suffers far more consequences from the crime itself, and experiences the consequences directly, than the offender’s family.
Victim (KNOWLEDGE 1)
OS—There is a huge impact of crime on the victim, including a physical, financial and emotional impact.
Knowledge
According to the Scottish Crime and Justice Survey of 2012, injuries were sustained by victims in almost three fifths (58%) of violent crime. 60% of injuries sustained were in the form of minor bruising, and 33% received scratches. It was also identified that 26% were sustained in the form of severe bruising.
Victim (KNOWLEDGE 2)
Knowledge
The United Nations Secretary-General’s study on Violence against children estimated that between 240,000 to 963,000 children are exposed to domestic violence each year. These children are at significant risk of harm to their social, emotional and physical development. Some end up in a cycle of violence, becoming perpetrators themselves.
Victim (KNOWLEDGE 3)
Knowledge
Victims also respond emotionally to crime, especially in violent crimes which have been found to bring out deep reactions in these victims of crime. Scottish Women’s Aid in 2012 identified that victims/survivors of domestic abuse can experience emotional affects such as anxiety, depression and lowered levels of self esteem.
Victim (evaluation)
In evaluation, crime clearly has an impact on the victim, who experiences a physical impact, and can experience social and economic impact due to violent crimes like domestic abuse. This is clearly the most important way crime has an impact on individuals, as they are impacted directly across all aspects of their lives, and the effects stay with them for longer and are more significant than the impact of crime on the offender and the family of the offender.
Conclusion
In conclusion, crime has a significant impact on the offender, who suffers because of the crime they committed financially, are more likely to reoffend and suffer from a lack of employment opportunities, however there are other ways crime has an impact on individuals.
Crime also has an impact on the family of the offender, with children suffering from mental health problems, the family’s finance suffering and a change in family structure with the imprisonment of women.
However, crime clearly has the most significant impact on the victim, who experiences direct physical impact, and problems in their social lives due to crimes such as domestic abuse. They experience the impact of the crime first hand, unlike the families of offenders who see a knock on effect from their family member’s crime, and a more serious impact than the offender who committed the crime, showing how this is the most important factor.
