White and black respondents had very similar rates of offending
44% vs 43%
The notion that ethnic minorities commit more crime is a social construction
McPherson Report - result of Stephen Lawrence murder
Metropolitan police are 'institutionally racist'
'Collective failure'
Casey Report 2023
'Culture of bullying, racism, sexism, and misogyny' within the Metropolitan Police
Waddington
'Canteen Culture' within police forces promotes racism and stereotypes and this becomes normalised
Trade 'war stories' to help cope with the stress of the job
Abbas
Previous stereotypes of Asians as passive and law-abiding are changing into a culture of islamophobia after 9/11 and the London 2001 bombings
Led to 'racial profiling'
Scarman Report
There were the occasional 'bad apples' in the Metropolitan Police who were racist
Unrealistic to expect otherwise - simply a reflection of the population at large
Scraton
Ethnic minorities do commit more crime, but do so out of a 'culture of resistance' to the media using them as scapegoats
Origins in anti-colonial struggles - political act, not criminal!
Scraton is criticised by Lea & Young who accuse him of 'romanticising' crime and ignoring the very real harm to victims. Focus should be on victims instead. Also, if crime is an 'anti-colonial struggle' then why is most crime intraracial?
Venkatesh
Crime is a type of 'outlaw capitalism'
Economic exclusion has forced gangs into alternative ways of seeking success
Carlen
Sociologists have failed to research the relationship between women, ethnicity, and crime.
Ethnic minorities are more disadvantaged than other women so commit more crime due to radically impaired life chances.
Murray & Herrnstein
Low intelligence is linked to unemployment and welfare dependence, which they argue is more common in black families
Black people commit more crime due to the link between low IQ and crime.
Murray & Herrnstein were widely criticised for using IQ tests which favour white ethnic groups, and they have ignored the evidence that official statistics show social construction due to a racist justice system.
Glynn
Ethnic minorities do face racism but this racism does create a defiant reaction among some black males.