a rule not formally written down and may be ‘unspoken’
who has an influence in making the law
the law-makers, the media, campaigning pressure groups and big business
what is the purpose of the homicide act 1957
to provide social defences for murder
what is the main reason for the change in law regarding drug possession in portugal
to reduce drug-related costs
what is the purpose of the children act 2004
to protect children’s welfare
what activities used to be illegal in the uk but are now legal
sunday trading and homosexuality
who were the main campaigners that brought about changes in gun laws in the uk
the snowdrop campaign and the gun control network
what percentage of criminal acts did lombroso claimed could be accounted for by atavistic characteristics?
40%
how many individuals did lombroso examine for his study on criminality?
383 dead criminals and 3839 living ones
according to william sheldons somatotype theory, how many body types are linked to criminal behaviour?
3
Imagine a character in a fitness app who is trying to identify their body type for a personalized workout plan. They notice they have wide hips and narrow shoulders (pear-shaped), a noticeable amount of fat on their body, and quite slim wrists and ankles. Which somatotype does this describe?
extreme endomorph
what is deviance with examples?
a deviant act is one which goes against the expectations of society. mention norms, moral codes and values
what is odd behaviour?
being different by living outside of social norms
what did price and whatmore find in their study regarding xyy and crime?
some links between xyy and property crime
which theory is not listed as one that demonstrates criminal behaviour can be traced back to genetics?
strain theory
what do studies on identical twins support the idea of in relation to genetic predisposition to criminal behaviour?
some people may be more genetically predisposed to criminal behaviour from inherited genes
what do adoption studies provide support for?
genetic explanations for criminal records
describe one genetic theory of criminality?
a 1929 study of 30 pairs of twins by the german physician johannes lang found that while 10 of the 13 mz twins studied had served time in prison, the concordance rate for DZ twins was 2 of the 17 twins studied
explain how laws are applied differently according to the circumstances in which actions occur?
the age of criminalresponsibility is a factor: in england and wales this is 10 years of age. children below this age cannot face prosecution. however, those aged 10 or above can face criminal charges
explain how laws are applied differently according to the circumstances in which actions occur?
partial defences to murder such as diminished responsibility or loss of control will not result in a murder conviction but one of manslaughter. where a partial defence is not available the conviction will be murder
explain how laws are applied differently according to the circumstances in which actions occur?
if a defendant has the actus reus and the mens rea of a crime they will be guilty. however, in circumstances where a person has a defence such as self-defence, consent or automatism they will not be liable. in such circumstances the verdict will be not guilty
explain how laws are applied differently according to the circumstances in which actions occur?
the circumstances of a person‘s past criminal convictions may mean that they face a criminal charge whereas those without any previous conviction may be able to receive a caution rather than be charged
explain how laws are applied differently according to the circumstances in which actions occur?
a person’s past offending is taken into account with regard to sentencing. someone with many convictions may be given a harsher sentence than a first-time offender
explain how laws are applied differently according to the circumstances in which actions occur?
if a person is subject to a conditional discharge or a suspended sentence their sentence may be harsher than an offender who is not subject to those orders
briefly describe one physiological theory of criminality?
as a result of meticulous examination of photographs showing the front, side and back view of 4000 scantily clothed men, sheldon put forward that there were three fundamental body types
briefly describe one physiological theory of criminality?
sheldon used a sample of photographs of college students and delinquents rated on a scale of 1 (low) to 7 (high) on their resemblance to mesomorphy. the results showed that the delinquents had a higher average mesomorphy rating than the college students (4.6-3.8)
which part of the brain is associated with balance, coordinate and control of voluntary movement and fine muscle control?
cerebellum
which lobe of the brain is responsible for problem solving, emotional traits, reasoning (judgement), speaking, and voluntary motor activity?
frontal lobe
what did scarmella and brown find out about testosterone levels and aggression levels in most men?
testosterone levels do not greatly affect aggression levels
how common are crimes caused by brain injury or disease?
they are rare
what functions are associated with the temporal lobe?
understanding language, behaviour, memory, and hearing
what has been strongly linked to violent crime?
crack cocaine
what conclusion did bowlby draw from his study?
there is a correlation between maternal deprivation in infancy and subsequent criminal behaviour in adolescence
according to bowlbys research, what percentage of juvenile delinquents in his sample suffered from maternal deprivation?
61%
what is the role of the superego in freuds structure of the mind?