social distribution of crime

Question 1

age

Answer 1

• peak crime age is 15-21
• age crime curve: criminal behaviour starts in early adolescence, increases until adulthood - decreases steadily until stopping

Question 2

Edinburgh study

Answer 2

• longitudinal study of 4300 people
• age 11-12 in 1998
• 50% of boys committed criminal offences

Question 3

status frustration: Cohen 1971

Answer 3

• no independence
• stuck between child and adult
• separate identity with peer groups than home
• peer groups encourage delinquency
• younger people feel frustration because of their societal place

Question 4

peer group status: Miller 1962

Answer 4

• male youths like the thrill of trouble
• autonomy - don’t like being told what to do
• young people believe they should be tough

Question 5

delinquency drift: Matza 1964

Answer 5

• teens lose their identity through frustration
• no set identity so they try different ones
• don’t commit to deviant behaviour - just drift in and out to test

Question 6

gender

Answer 6

• most crimes are statistically committed by males
• 95% prison is male - remainder is female
• females commit more property crime - males more violent crime
• homicides where the suspect is known to the victim - 67% suspect the partner

Question 7

sex role theory

Answer 7

• traditional norms and values lead to crime
• Pearsons 1937 - females care for children and emotional needs of husbands
• if women are home all the time how do they find time to commit crimes?
• women are more attached to family / community - stronger bonds less willing to break them

Question 8

gender and class deals

Answer 8

• class deals - women who work live better
• gender deals - women who marry rich gain material and emotional rewards
• class deal of female offenders - most are on benefits and live in poverty
• gender deal of female offenders - some abused by partners, broken family bonds and left with nothing

Question 9

patriarchal control

Answer 9

• heidensohn: women commit fewer crimes bc of patriarchal control
• greater control over women and more restriction
• at home - domestic role stuck inside
• in public - fear sexual violence so stay home
• at work - subordinate positions less able to commit white collar crime

Question 10

ladette culture

Answer 10

• pollak 1950
• men are more protective: less likely to convict women
• women get more lenient treatment

Question 11

hegemonic masculinity

Answer 11

• toxic masculinity
  Sutherland 1960: boys taught to be rough and fight n be delinquent
  R.W.Connel gender order theory
• legitimises mens dominant position in society

Question 12

subordinate masculinity

Answer 12

• men excluded from hegemony
• men who show physical weakness and more emotion - less tough