Crime and The law

• what are the 5 categories of crime

  1) non sexual crimes of violence (murder, assault)

  2) sexual crimes (rape, sexual assault)

  3) crimes of dishonesty (theft, fraud)

  4) damage and reckless behaviour (vandalism)

  5) crimes against society (drugs)
• what is the general trend of crime levels

  recorded crime levels are among lowest level since 1974
• what was the percentage change in average crime levels from 2021-2023

  5% decrease
• what is the most common category of crime

  crimes of dishonesty
• What is the iceberg effect

  not all crimes that are committed are reported.

  This could be because the crime is minor or they don't think the police will be able to do anything
• what percentage of crime is reported to the police

  police Scotland estimate that only 30% of crime is reported
• what is the most common demographic that commits crime

  80% of crime is committed by young men, aged 21-25
• name and describe 2 biological causes of crime

  1) MAOA (monoamine oxidase A, the warrior gene)

  this gene is passed down from parent to child and has been

  linked to psychiatric disorders and anti social behaviour

  2) testosterone, high levels of testosterone have been linked

  to higher levels of aggression and violence
• name and describe 2 economic causes of crime

  1) poverty, people that can't afford to feed themselves or their

  family may turn to crime to help get by. for example they

  may commit petty theft for food or money to be able to eat

  2) greed, this is when somebody has the desire to get more

  and more of something, often money, for example, many

  white collar crimes are committed by wealthy or middle class

  individuals
• name and describe 2 social causes of crime

  1) peer pressure, many young people can get involved in crime

  due to gang behaviour or being egged on, for example

  crimes such as vandalism and underaged drinking and often

  caused by peer pressure.

  2)drug abuse, substance abuse is linked to crimes of violence,

  people may also commit crime to fund addictions or

  because they act differently under the influence, for example

  70% of people accused of murder were drinking or on drugs
• name 3 types of consequences of crime

  1) physical impacts

  2) economic impacts

  3) social impacts
• name and describe 2 consequences of crime on victims

  1) physical impact, victims may suffer physical harm to

  themselves or their property. for example, a black eye or

  bruising.

  2)economic impact, victims may need to pay to replace stolen

  or broken items, they could also be unable to work and earn

  money due to their physical or mental injuries.
• name and describe 2 consequences of crime on perpetrators

  1) physical impact, if someone if found guilty of a crime they

  may have their physical freedom taken away from them by

  going to prison, they may also face mental health issues in

  prison, for example, 15% of prisoners have long term mental

  health issues.

  2) economic impact, perpetrators will have a criminal record

  which will make it harder to get a job once they are freed, for

  example, 70% of ex-prisoners struggle to find a job.
• name and describe 2 consequences of crime on families

  1) physical impact, crime can cause significant trauma to family

  members, especially children who may witness violence or

  be directly affected by the crime, for example, children who

  witness violent crime may develop chronic stress or mental

  health issues.

  2)economic impact, families may face a loss of income due to

  the loss of the main bread winner because of the crime, for

  example, families who lose their income have to rely on state

  benefits to live
• name and describe 2 consequences of crime on wider society

  1) social impact, people may feel scared for their safety, for

  example, more affluent people may move out causing

  pockets of poverty.

  2)economic impact, some business may be forced to close

  down or move out, for example, prices go up due to rising

  prices of running a business.
• what is the role of the procurator fiscal

  they decide if a case will go to court
• what crimes can the justice of the peace court deal with

  breach of the peace

  minor assaults

  minor road traffic offences

  petty theft
• what punishments can a justice of the peace court give out

  A Justice of the Peace court can impose prison sentences of up to 60 days and fines of up to £2,500.
• what crimes can the sheriff court deal with

  theft

  drug possession

  most assaults
• what are the 2 types of proceedings in a sheriff court

  Summary proceedings deal with less serious crimes. The verdict is decided by the sheriff, who can impose a maximum sentence of 12 months imprisonment or a fine not exceeding £10,000.

  Solemn proceedings deal with more serious crimes. The verdict is decided by a jury of 15. There is no limit to the fine a sheriff can impose but they can only impose a maximum sentence of five years. They can refer the case to the High Court if they feel a longer sentence is required.
• what crimes does the high court deal with

  murder

  rape

  armed robbery

  drug trafficking

  sexual offences involving children
• what punishments can a high court give out

  unlimited fines and unlimited prison sentence
• what are the 3 possible verdicts in a Scottish court

  guilty

  not guilty

  not proven
• what is the structure for an explain or a describe question

  PEE, point explain example
• what is the structure for a conclusion question

  in conclusion ( ) this is supported by source ( ) which says( ), this is evidenced by source ( ), which says ( ).
• what is the structure for support and oppose questions

  one reason to support their view is ( ), this is evidenced by source ( ), (link back to point)

  x2

  one reason to oppose their view is ( ), this is evidenced by source ( ), (link back to point)

  x2

  one of your choice
• what are the 3 main roles of the police

  1) protecting the public

  2) preventing crime

  3) detecting crime
• what are the 7 powers of the police

  1) Stop and question (suspect/witness) - specific or general Qs

  2) Search a person suspected of having offensive weapon, stolen property or drugs, or of being a terrorist (since 2001)

  3) Detain a person for 24 hours at police station for questioning without charge

  4) Arrest a person and charge them for a crime they have seen them committing or which they have reliable witness for,

  5) Enter a building with a warrant or without one if they hear a disturbance

  6) Use reasonable force in course of duties

  7) Fixed penalty notices (fines)
• 2 reasons why the police are effective

  1) average levels of crime have been decreasing since 1974

  
  

  2) 70% of the public are confident in the police
• 2 reasons why the police are ineffective

  1) there has been a rise in violent crime, especially knife crime in urban area

  2) police Scotland are experiencing staff shortages which prevents them from effectively tackling crime
• what percentage of crime are linked to alcohol

  75% of crimes
• why did the Scottish government introduce minimum alcohol unit pricing

  to make it harder for young people to get alcohol
• why did the government ban discounts on alcohol

  This was done to reduce purchases of alcohol and reduce crime levels at the same time as improving Scottish health.
• what was the legal limit for alcohol in your blood stream to drive changed to and from

  In 2014, the legal alcohol limit was reduced from 80 to 50mg in every 100ml of blood
• what are the 2 types of sentencing that a court can give out

  1) custodial sentences

  2) non-custodial sentences
• what are the 4 purposes of a prison

  1) punishment

  2) deterrent

  3) reform

  4) protection
• name and describe one reason why prisons are ineffective

  they are very costly, it costs £42,000 to keep a prisoner in prison and £3.4 billion is allocated to the justice system (including prisons)
• how much does it cost to keep a prisoner in jail for 1 year

  £42,000 per person, per year
• what are non custodial sentences

  Non-custodial sentences are punishments given by a court that do not involve imprisonment
• define a reserved matter

  laws that are under the control of Westminster but still affect Scotland e.g. firing nuclear weapons