Theoretical perspectives and criminal statistics

Question 1

What is the Functionalist view of crime statistics?

Answer 1

• Accept crime statistics= useful in identifying patterns and trends
• Views crime as a young, working class, male phenomenon
• Merton- statistics are valid and reliable and are used to develop explanations of w/c criminality

Question 2

What is the New Right view of crime statistics?

Answer 2

• Accept the official picture of the ‘typical criminal’ from police reorded figures
• Laws are made to benefit society
• Explain criminality amongst the underclass
• Statistics overlook deeper cultural and moral problems

Question 3

What is the Marxist view of crime statistics?

Answer 3

• Recognise the systematic bias
• Althusser- stats have an ideological function
• Law inforcement reflects interest of the ruling class
• Gordan- w/c are criminalised
• Ruling class= less likely to be convicted
• Dark side of crime is invisible from crime stats
• Stats reflect inequalities and scapegoating- show how ruling class engage in manipulation

Question 4

What is the Feminist view of crime statistics?

Answer 4

• Smart- underplay the role of females as victims
• Until recently, police were reluctant to get involved in domestric crime and victims were reluctant to report it
• Critcise patriarchial nature of stats- benefits men
• Stereotypes are transmitted by law enforcement/punishment= women who conform are protected, transgress= punished

Question 5

What is the Left Realist view of crime statistics?

Answer 5

• Accept that official crime stats have some value and should not be rejected
• Accept the view that offenders are young, black, w/c males
• Believe official stats should be supplemented with victim surveys (highlights fear of crime)
• Rise in reported crime cannot be wholly explained by an increased willingness to report

Question 6

What is the Interactionist view of crime statistics?

Answer 6

• View crime stats as useless and a distortion of reality
• Numerical data tells us little about the mind of the deviant- more interested in WHY acts are viewed as more/less deviant
• Becker- stats are socially constructed- doesn’t tell us about the real level of crime + deviance is a product of labelling
• Cicourel- police are prone to judging people- labels affect offending rates