GCSE sociology – Crime and Deviance revision

Why do we have rules? / To create social order and prevent chaos
How do we know what the rules are? / Socialisation – we are taught by our family (primary socialisers) then rules are reinforced by the secondary socialisers , media, peers, school, work
How are we encouraged to obey the rules? / Through sanctions. These can be rewards and punishments
What are formal sanctions? / These are ones that are written down. Eg, a formal punishment would be a jail sentence for breaking a written rule. Or, it could be a reward such as a certificate for following a written rule
What is an informal sanction? / These are ones that are not written down. For eg if you break an unwritten rule at home and come in late your informal negative sanction may be being grounded
What are the more modern ways of controlling anti social behaviour / CCTV, Tag, Community service
How does crime affect individuals? / People get scared and may alter their daily lives in order to avoid a situation or place. This could affect them long term by being fearful of going to work, school or out with their friends.
How does crime affect communities? / Communities may die if crime is too high. People may move out of the area resulting in fewer people to use the local facilities which in turn close down. This could lead to a ‘ghost town’ which is crime ridden
How does crime affect society? / It costs the tax payer for crime prevention, police action, re builds of areas that have been damaged. Insurance premiums may go up in an area resulting in lower income families not having insurance.
What is a deviant act? / An act that is considered to be against the norms of society but is not necessarily against the law
What is a crime? / An act which is against the law. It may not be considered deviant – for e.g., doing 33 in a 30mph area.
How do we measure crime? / Through official crime statistics, victim surveys and self report studies.
What are official statistics? / Figures of crime obtained by the police
what are self report studies / An anonymous questionnaire that asks individuals whether they have ever committed a crime and not been caught.
what are victim surveys / An anonymous questionnaire that asks individuals whether they have ever been a victim of crime and not reported it.
What is the British crime survey? / The results from a large scale victim survey and is supposed to give a more accurate picture of crime and it is anonymous
How reliable are statistics? / They are not. This is due to the amount of unrecorded and unreported crime. This is called the dark figure
What is deviancy amplification? / When the media exaggerate a crime in order to sell the story. Three criminals become ‘a load’ or ‘many’
How can the media affect criminal statistics? / The media can amplify crime which results in a higher police presence in a particular area. This will lead to a higher amount of arrests as there are more police officers. This is turn looks like there is an increase in crime when in fact it could just mean there have been more arrests.
What is the biological explanation of crime / An old theory which suggests you can tell someone is a criminal by looking at them.
What is the functionalist explanation of crime / The strain theory – This is when society puts pressure onto individuals to have certain material goods. In order to get these goods we are supposed to get a good education, then a good job and then buy the goods. Sometimes the ‘strain’ is too much or not achievable, perhaps the person hasn’t got a good education or good job, so they resort to crime. This explanation is aimed at juvenile or young people
What is the Marxist explanation of crime / They suggest that the working class commit crime as society instils greed and hostility into us via the media. We are constantly sold the idea of having the best and in order to get it we may resort to crime as we see no other way.
They also suggest that working class crime is not as bad as middle class crime – white collar crime. The middle class get away with it more as they can afford a barrister, know the system or they may own the company they are stealing from. The types of crime committed are usually computer crime, organised or professional crime such as drugs, occupational crime such as fraud or corporate crime such as ignoring health and safety standards in order to make a profit.
How does socialisation explain crime / Children learn and copy their parent’s behaviour. They are their role models. If the parents commit crime then the children will learn that it is what is expected.
How does relative deprivation explain crime? / Poverty leads to crime as people resort to crime in order to survive or have the goods that the media tells us we need to have in order to be successful
How do peer groups affect crime? / Individuals, especially teenagers, copy their friends behaviour in order to fit in.
Males commit the more crime than females – why? / Moreopportunities socialised differently, i.e. to be more aggressive, less social control. Another point to remember is that female crime is increasing and that statistics could be inaccurate. Female crime could be higher but due to the chivalry factor they may get off the crime as the judge feels sorry for them or feels that their children need a mum.
The working class commit more crime than the middle class – why? / Poverty, less strongly socialised, police label groups of people as criminals and are more likely to stop and search them. For e.g. Boys wearing hoodies are more likely to be stopped or suspected of a crime than a group of young men wearing a suit or jacket. Yet the suited males could be on their way to sell drugs.
Individuals from minority ethnic groups are more likely to commit crime – Why? / Discrimination from the police who ‘target’ these groups. Poverty due to poor education and therefore lower paid work. They may actually commit more crime.
Individuals aged between 14-24yrs are more likely to commit crime than any other age group – Why? / Individuals in this age group are less likely to have commitments, want excitement, bored as have no job or more affected by peer pressure and a desire to fit in.
Crime tends to be higher in inner city areas – Why? / Inner city areas are more likely to have more pubs and clubs which means there is more likely to be a higher police presence. In addition ‘problem’ housing estates are concentrated in the inner city which house working class people which link the 2 explanations.