social class and crime

Question 1

patterns of crime baised on social class

Answer 1

Only 15% of females and 13% of males who had been cautioned or sentenced for an offence had achieved 5 or more GCSEs (or equivalents) graded A* to C, including English and Maths. This is considerably lower than the all-pupil population (56%). The Prison Reform Trust 2016 also found that only a third of prisoners reported being in paid employment in the four weeks before custody, and 13% reported never having had a job.
More than half of young people who had been cautioned or sentenced for an offence were eligible for free school meals (FSM). This contrasts with the proportion of pupils in the all-pupil population where 26% were eligible for FSM. In addition, despite children in care making up less than 1% of the population, care leavers make up 25% of the prison population. This shows how the system often fails children in care.

Question 2

left realest lea and young

Answer 2

Left realists like Lea and Young suggest that the working class are more likely to suffer relative deprivation and marginalisation which may lead to more crime and the formation of subcultural responses. The working class are also more likely to be the victims of crime (BCS). To solve crime we need to reduce inequalities and improve policing.