What Is Crime?

Question 1

What are the 8 fallacies of crime?

Answer 1

1. Ingenuity
   - tendency to exaggerate offender cleverness -> increased technology = decreased crime skill
2. Juvenile gang
   - cohesive, ruthless groups of alienated youth -> realistically was structures
3. Pestilence
   - crimes from social ills -> unemployment, poverty and cruelty
4. Crime is getting worse
   - manipulative and persuading viewers to believe it’s increasing
5. Dramatic
   - massive media over-representation of dramatic crime
6. Cops and courts
   - overestimate the importance of police/courts/prisons in crime prevention -> most crimes go unreported
7. Not me
   - false image of crime leads to false image of oneself -> focused on crime you didn’t commit
8. Innocence of youth
   - portray young as innocent and when they commit they have been corrupted by adults

Question 2

Define the j-curve hypothesis

Answer 2

Majority conform to the rule, small number deviate slightly and fewer still deviate completely

Eg. 2000 motorcyclists at stop signs

       - 75% stopped completely 
       - 22% proceeded slowly but didn't stop 
       - 2% slowed slightly 
       - 0.5% didn't slow down

Question 3

What are the 4 frameworks of crime?

Answer 3

1. social construction
   - formal social control mechanism
2. Religion
   - religious rule
3. Nation state reflection
   - not immoral -> act of violating the law
4. Social/political theory

Question 4

Define the term ‘crime’

Answer 4

• acts of harm/violence
• disrespecting people/institutions
• definitions are inconsistent
• influenced attitudes by government and media