crime and deviance

• what is green crime?

  crimes against the environment
• 2 problems in measuring green crime

  • corporations have power to conceal the damage they do to the environment, they are able to prevent green crimes from appearing in the statistics
  • laws relating to the environment are different between countries, there isn't one single universal definition
• 2 ways that the nature of capitalism may cause people to commit crime.

  - relative deprivation, consumerism by showing desirable lifestyles which may result in criminality

  - status frustration and feelings of alienation and powerlessness, results in deviant subcultures forming to relieve these feelings through violence, gangs and drug dealing
• 2 ways in which media representations of crime may not reflect reality

  • violent and sexual crimes are over-reported, these types of crime represent a significantly smaller percentage in the official statistics or victim surveys- the media exaggerates the risk of being a victim of crime, particularly true for women and those from higher status backgrounds
• 3 different ways in which crime prevention strategies may reduce crime.

  • zero tolerance policing - risks begin to outweigh the benefits of committing crime and so decrease the likelihood of crime
  • target hardening - increased surveillance deters people from committing crime, people are less likely to choose to commit a crime if they think they are likely to be caught
  • punishment - prevents individuals from being able to commit crime, prisons take individuals off the streets
• 3 reasons for gender differences in levels of recorded crime.


  • biological differences may result in men engaging in higher levels of violent crime, because males have higher levels of testosterone which is linked to aggression
  • women have fewer opportunities to commit crime, due to patriarchal control at home and in the workplace
  • chivalry thesis, the cjs treats women more leniently as it male dominated therefore record less offences
• 3 functions of the criminal justice system


  • to control the working class, the working class are more likely to be criminalised by the CJS
  • deter potential offenders from committing crime, example, punishments such as a prison sentence can prevent criminals from reoffending
  • protect the public. example, prisons exclude criminals away from the general public
• 2 reasons for social class differences in becoming a victim of crime (victimology)


  • POSITIVE VICTIMOLOGY - interested in how some people are more likely to become victims because of their actions or characteristics
  • CRITICAL VICITIMOLOGY - groups that are more likely to be oppresses like working class, ethnic minorities or woman are more likely to become victims
• positive victimology


  rich people wearing watches or people leaving expensive things in the car because of their characteristics, also are more violent
• criticism for positive victimology


  • criticised for blaming the victim.
  • focuses on visible crime like reported robberies and assaults
  • does not look at corporate crime
• critical victimology

  • influenced by feminism and marxism.
  • groups more likely to be oppressed = more likely to be victims (woman and working class)
  • Mawby and Walklate call it, "structural powerlessness"
• criticism for critical victimology

  • Tombs and Whyte say those in power fail to label suffers as victims
  • so refuse to acknowledge harm ad been done, or blame the victim
• 2 ways that the media may contribute to an increase in crime.

  how

  • causes moral panics
  • influences young people (secondary source of socialisation
• moral panics (cohen)


  risk of becoming a victim is amplified/over reported creating panic and outrage

  + poor behaviour from small group of bad students -> students labelled as threat to social order -> stigmatised -> self fullfilling prophecy ->join in to deviant behaviour -> increased level of deviance -> panic spreads
• criticisms for moral panics

  + McRobbie and Thornton think that the public is getting used to moral panis so people arent as likely to panic as in the past

  + Marxists argue moral panic used to distract everyone from problems in capitalistic society
• secondary socialisation


  + violent characters/ role models shown in films, games, rap music etc seen everyday so deviant behaviour is normalised

  + young people desensitised/ imitate behaviour.
• criticism for secondary socialisation

  + say influence of the media has been exaggerated

  + say if media did cause violent crime, all players would reenact onsreen violence. therefore eveidence of connection between the two is unreliable
• another way the media causes crime

  + left realists argue media is filled with luxury products which people cant afford but feel they should have ->resort to crime to attain it
• 2 ways that globalisation may influence crime in the UK.

  + has allowed transnational crime to grow

  + seen a rise in 'cybercrimes'
• transnational crime


  + Hall et al says crime has been globalised/grown internationally

  + crime committed operates in more than one country (mafias)

  + drug trafficking, money laundering, organ/human trafficking, sex trade and cyber crime

  + global criminal organisations have thousands of members worldwide
• problems with transnational crime


  +hard to police as it crosses borders around the world

  +hard for sociologists to study->secretive nature of organisations->have to use covert participant observation for effective results
• crime and deviance are inevitable and have benefits for individuals and for society.


  + functionalists say crime and deviance are useful an necessary in society

  + cohen says deviance maintains social order

  + merton says crime is a response to failing achieve societies cultural goals (5 responses)
• functionalists views on crime

  + say crime reinforces value consensus, people join together in outrage and disgust. differentiates between non-deviant and deviant behaviour (boundary maintenance)

  + Durkheim says deviance allows for social change, need to change to remain healthy and stable.

  + if society positively reacts to crime, starts process for the behaviour to be non deviant in future
• cohens 2 ways deviance maintains social order


  + Davis thinks prostitution is good because men can express their sexual frustration without threatening the nuclear family

  + deviant behaviour like civil disobedience and protests used as a warning device by society to identify problems
• merton's strain theory


  + states that crime is caused by the failure to achieve the goals of the American dream through legitimate means (so do either one of the 5 responses)
• cohens working class boys

  + working class boys fail to succeed in class in middle class enviros -> feel 'status frustration' -> form delinquent subcultures ->more likely to succeed, rise in status
• marxist criticism of functionalist view on crime

  + agree social order essential to keep order. Say capitalism requires social control over the population to prevent rebellion and revolution

  + say social control benefits ruling class, working class more likely to get criminalise. corporate crime ignored
• why is crime criminogenic (leads to crime)

  + by nature causes crime and poverty.

  + crime only way they can survive -> resort to crime to pay rent, obtain good and food

  + working class get frustrated (constant desire to make more money) leads to violence and fraud/blackmail among workers in the ruling class
• what do marxists say about laws and the ruling class?

  + say laws benefit the ruling class

  + reflection of the ruling class as they are responsible for rule making
• how do marxists say the law benefits the ruling class?

  + Gorden argues 'selective enforcement' - ignores the crimes of the ruling class

  + media gives impression that crimes are done by working class

  + ruling class ideology presents thiefs as threat to society through the media, corporate criminals not criticised by the media ->lenient treatment by legal system
• criticisms for marxism (traditional)

  + capitalism is criminogenic criticised by many -> crime in socialist societies and some capitalist societies have low crime rates (switzerland)

  +feminists say they ignore the patriarchy in rule creation and social control

  + left realists say they focus too much on corporate crime

  + say stealing doesn't cause much harm as working class are usually victims anyway
• who were lea and young?

  left realists
• what do left realists say about relative deprivation

  + leads to crime, solve problem by acquiring the resources to remove the feeling

  + 'consumer culture of britain ->makes people more "individualistic" + advertisement in media presents images of what they should have

  + criminal subcultures formed to combat relative dep
• what do left realists say about social inequality

  + social inequality must be fought to reduce crime

  + social agencies should aim to remove inequality
• criticism for left realists

  + Hughes says left realists don't explain why some people experience relative dep and others dont

  + lea and young don't have enough data to come up with a full theory on crime
• right realists theories on crime - 3 factors

  biology, lack of socialisation and rational choice
• biology, lack of socialisation and rational choice explained

  + wilson and herrstein- biology differences male someone more criminal: aggression and low intelligence

  + lower class are poorly socialised, lone parent families -> incomplete socialisation

  + Clarke believes decision to commit a crime based on rational calculation of consequences. If rewards outweigh costs ->people more likely to offend.
• criticism for right realism

  + biological differences rejected, percieved as racist

  + zero tolerance policing instead led to a rise in the prison population
• right realist solutions to crime

  zero tolerance- police lock in on undesirable behaviour (prost,drunkness)

  target hardening- makes it harder to commit crime, locks on doors

  wilson and kellings 'broken window' thesis- maintain neighbourhood reduces signs of criminality