Crime and law

• One way to explore the extent to which crime is a problem is by looking at official crime statistics to record increases and decreases in certain types of crime across the country
• Certain types of traffic crimes such as speeding and using a mobile phone whilst driving are still common offences, highlighting the extent of the traffic crime problem in Scotland
• A 2022 report on a trial temporary 20mph speed limit in Dumfries town centre has found the general view of the public is that it is not enforced. In the majority of areas surveyed, speeds had not reduced significantly and on average remained above the new 20mph limit
• Sexual crime in Scotland has increased by 96% over the past 10 years from 13,131 to 15,049. These crimes are now at the highest level seen since 1971
• Anti-social behaviour is also still a major problem in England and Wales, highlighting that some public order offences, such as vandalism and fighting are affecting society
• According to the UK government, local people polled by Public First in December 2021 blamed anti-social behaviour as the main reason why their area was a worse place to live versus 10 years ago
• In England knife crime is reaching an epidemic level, showing the extent to which this is a real problem
• The recent police recorded crime figures published by the ONS showed a 21% increase in the number of knife and offensive weapon offences recorded from 37,706 in year ending September 2021 to 45,639 in year ending September 2022
• Fraud is a crime that is on the increase across the UK. The scale of credit card, identity and cyber-fraud makes it the most prevalent crime, costing up to £190bn a year
• It has even been called a "national security issue" by a think-tank called the Royal United Services Institute
• Mobile banking apps can be particularly vulnerable. As much as £15.7 million was reported lost to mobile banking fraud in the first half of 2022, according to UK Finance
• Crime has been on a downward trend in Scotland since 2006-07. This continues a decreasing trend in recorded crime in Scotland, from a peak in 1991 when crime reached a record high of 572,921
• Overall recorded crime is at one of the lowest levels since 1974, showing that the police are effective in tackling crime. In 2021-22, there were 286,464 recorded crimes in Scotland
• Knife crime in Scotland has dramatically decreased. A decade ago Glasgow was known as the murder capital of Europe with its rates of knife crime
• The Scottish government changed the way they deal with the issue, focusing on treating it as a healthcare problem and tackling the root causes of why people carry knives in the first place
• In 2004/5 there were 137 murders in Scotland involving the use of a blade or sharp implement. By 2017/18 this had more than halved to 59
• Between 2020-21 and 2021-22, the number of Road traffic offences recorded by the police decreased by 4% from 116,197 to 111,987
• Over the longer term, there was a decrease of 62% since 2013-14, showing that there is a positive long term trend of this category of crime getting lower
• Types of crime


  • White Collar Crime (fraud, embezzlement, money laundering)
  • Blue Collar Crime (assault, robbery, murder, knife crime, public order offences)
• Blue Collar Crimes


  • Public Order Crimes (underage drinking, binge drinking, being drunken and disorderly, breach of the peace, dog fouling, littering)
  • Anti-social behaviour (vandalism, graffiti)
  • Non-sexual violent crime (assault, robbery, murder)
• In 2021-22, approximately one third of all crime in Scotland was a crime of dishonesty
• Over 1000 officers from Police Scotland received public order training in the run up to the COP26 summit in Glasgow
• In March 2021, MSPs approved new Hate crime legislation for Scotland, which for the first time includes "stirring up hatred" as an offence
• Nature (Biological)


  Explanation that some people are 'born into crime'
• Nurture (Social)


  Explanation that circumstances people are born into can lead to crime
• Cesare Lombroso was a 19th century Italian prison doctor who studied the prisoners he worked with and concluded that people who commit crime were in some way different physically and/or mentally
• Mental illness, including personality disorders


  Biological factors that can cause crime
• Sex


  Males are statistically more likely than females to commit crime, especially younger males. The peak age for committing crime is 19 and 20 for males
• Genetic make-up

  Genes can be hereditary and make individuals more likely to commit crime. The XYY chromosome and the MAOA "warrior gene" have been linked to more aggressive behaviour
• Family Relationships

  If a child is brought up in a family with poor parenting and/or parental problems, they are more likely to be involved in crime as they get older
• The number of people contacting the NSPCC with concerns about drug and alcohol misuse among parents went up by 66% between April 2020 and February 2021
• Peer Pressure

  The pressure to 'go with the crowd' can lead teenagers to become involved in anti-social behaviour and less serious offending
• Violent Television and Films

  Watching a lot of violent television as a child may affect the way a person thinks and behaves later in life, leading to desensitisation to violence and a 'mean world syndrome'
• Influence of Alcohol and Drugs

  People are more likely to commit crime when under the influence, as their inhibitions are lowered
• In the 2019 Scottish Prisoner Survey, 40% of prisoners reported being drunk at the time of their offence
• Poverty

  Urban areas with higher poverty rates tend to have higher crime rates, as those with fewer opportunities may turn to crime to try and better their life
• In May 2023 approximately 21% of households in Scotland were living in relative poverty
• Greed

  One of the main catalysts of white collar crime, as people are driven to commit offences for financial gain
• Impact on a community

  Crime can damage community spirit, cause people to avoid going out, and affect the prospects and reputation of an area
• Impact on a victim

  Crime can have a significant impact on victims, both physically and emotionally