1.1 compare criminal behaviour and deviance

• Norms

  Specific rules or socially accepted standards that govern people's behaviour in particular situations
• Values


  General principles or guidelines for how we should live our lives. They tell us what is right and wrong, good and bad.
• Respect for human life is a value found in all societies
• Societies such as the UK and the USA place a high value on the duty of individuals to accumulate personal wealth
• Many traditional societies place a higher value on respect for their elders
• Norms of a given society are Linked to its values
• Moral code (or ethical code or code of ethics) is a set of basic rules, values and principles held by an individual, group, organisation or society as a whole
• example of moral code - The Police Code lays down principles such as accountability, integrity, openness, respect, honesty, objectivity and selflessness
• Deviance


  Any behaviour that differs from normal, is unusual, uncommon or out of the ordinary
• Deviance that is disapproved of is likely to lead to negative sanctions - punishments of various kinds
• Formal sanctions


  Punishments imposed by official bodies such as the police, courts, schools and other institutions for breaking formal written rules or laws
• Informal sanctions


  Punishments used where the rules are not formally written down, such as refusing to speak to someone, shunning them, a slap on the wrist
• Positive sanctions are rewards for behaviour that society approves of, such as medals for bravery or sporting achievement
• Social control


  Ways in which society seeks to control our behaviour and ensure that we conform to norms and behave as others expect us to
• Criminal behaviour is a form of deviance that involves serious, harmful acts that are a wrong against society
• Actus reus


  A guilty act
• Mens rea


  A guilty mind
• legal definition exceptions - Strict liability offences do not require mens rea, the wrongful act on its own is enough to convict someone
• Self-defence is an exception where assaulting someone is not a criminal act if the force used was reasonable
• differing views - The public often have a different view of what acts are really crimes compared to legal definitions
• law enforcement - Not all criminal laws are enforced, some come low on the list of priorities for police
• law making - Which actions get officially made legal often depends on who has the power to influence the law-makers
• law making - Laws are sometimes changed to reflect changes in public opinion, with some actions being decriminalised and others being redefined as crimes
• Not all criminal laws are enforced, some come low on the list of priorities for police. For example, white collar crimes are often complex, costly and time-consuming to investigate and prosecute. And police may feel enforcing laws against possession of soft drugs is both unpopular and a waste of time
• Not all acts that people think ought to be made into crimes have laws passed against them. Which actions get officially made legal often depends on who has the power to influence the law-makers, such as the media, campaigning pressure groups or big business
• Sometimes, laws are changed to reflect changes in public opinion, with some actions being decriminalised and other previously legal ones being redefined as crimes. For example, stalking did not become a specific offence until the Protection of Freedoms Act was passed in 2012
• Types of criminal offences

  • Violence against the person
  • Sexual offences
  • Offences against property
  • Fraud and forgery
  • Criminal damage
  • Drug offences
  • Public order offences
• Summary offences


  Less serious offences, such as speeding, tried by magistrates
• Indictable offences


  More serious offences, such as rape or murder, tried in a Crown Court before a judge and jury. The sentences that can be imposed are more severe
• Court sanctions


  • Custodial sentences
  • Community sentences
  • Fines
• Custodial sentences


  Imprisonment, or detention in a young offenders' institution. The length of the sentence can vary from a matter of days, up to life imprisonment for murder
• Community sentences


  Served in the community rather than in jail, including probation orders, restrictions such as curfews, attendance on anger management courses, mandatory drug testing and treatment orders and Community Payback (doing unpaid work in the community, eg. cleaning off graffiti)
• Fines


  The size of the fine depends on the seriousness of the offence, whether it is a repeat offence and the offender's ability to pay. Offenders may be allowed to pay in instalments
• Conditional charge


  Roles the offender coming to no further offence for a given period, if they commit an offence during this period, the court can impose a sentence for the original offence as well as for the new one
• Cautions


  Warnings that can be given by the police or Crown Prosecution Service to anyone aged 10 or over for minor crimes such as graffiti. They are intended for low-level, first-time offending. You must admit to the offence and agree to be cautioned
• Conditional cautions


  You have to stick to certain rules and restrictions, such as going for treatment for drug abuse. If you break the conditions, you could be charged with a crime
• Penalty notices for disorder

  Can be issued for minor crimes such as shoplifting or possession of cannabis. You won't get a conviction if you pay the penalty. If you disagree with the penalty notice you can go to court instead
• As well as the punishment imposed by the court, the offender will also receive a criminal record. Depending on the offence and the court's sentence, there may also be other implications such as exclusion from certain occupations, being placed on the Violent and Sex Offenders Register (VSOR), restrictions on travel, adoption, jury service and standing for elected office, and having to declare unspent convictions when obtaining insurance
• Most acts that get classified as crimes would be regarded as deviant, that is, as forbidden or unacceptable. Acts such as murder are more or less universally regarded as appalling and intolerable
• Not all acts that are classified as crimes are particularly serious, and some of them may be widely regarded as not even particularly deviant. For example, while possessing cannabis is a crime, some do not regard it as bad behaviour