Crime and the Law

• Types of crime in Scotland and the UK

  • Anti-social behaviour
  • Theft
  • Burglary
  • Damage to property
  • Assault
  • Sexual assault
  • Human trafficking
  • Child abuse
  • Murder
  • Traffic crime
  • Drink and driving
  • Possession of drugs
  • Supplying and dealing of drugs
  • Domestic violence
  • Gun crime
  • Knife crime
  • Hate crime
  • Cybercrime
  • White collar crime
• There has been a steady fall in recorded crime Between 2002/03 and 2020/21
• The peak year for crime was 2004/05
• The lowest year for crime was 20016/17
• Crime rates between 2015 and 2021 have remained fairly constant
• Non-sexual crimes of violence decreased by 4%


  From 9,316 to 8,972
• Sexual crimes decreased by 2%


  From 13,364 to 13,131
• Crimes of dishonesty decreased by 19%


  From 111,409 to 89,731
• Fire-raising, vandalism etc. decreased by 10%

  From 47,731 to 42,964
• Other crimes increased by 10%


  From 64,589 to 70,737
• Offences recorded by the police in Scotland decreased by 4%


  From 250,662 to 240,174
• Miscellaneous offences decreased by 4%


  From 128,755 to 124,120
• Motor vehicle offences decreased by 5%


  From 121,907 to 116,054
• Cyber-crimes recorded by the police in Scotland increased by 95%


  From 7,240 to 14,130
• Cyber-crimes accounted for an estimated one-in-three sexual crimes (33%) in 2020-21, and around one-in-ten of both Non-sexual crimes of violence and Crimes of dishonesty (12% and 10% respectively)
• Recorded crime between 2019-20 and 2020-21 (from Scottish government)
• New figures from the Scottish government show that there were 9,842 recorded cases of violent crime in 2021-22, the highest level in more than a decade
• The number of sexual crimes recorded by police in 2021/22 stood at 14,556, a 15 per cent increase on the previous year
• Reports of rape and attempted rape were up 10 per cent on 2020/21, while sexual assault was up 31 per cent
• Care should be taken when drawing conclusions from crime statistics. Only crimes which are reported are recorded, not crimes which have been committed
• An increase in crime statistics may also reflect greater confidence in people that reporting crimes will lead to police action and criminal justice
• Factors in society that make some people more likely to commit crime

  • Poverty
  • Family background
  • Peer pressure
  • Use of alcohol/drugs
• Crimes such as theft occur more often in poorer areas and are committed more often by people from poor backgrounds
• Many people convicted of crimes have experienced problems in their childhood cause by family background, eg, where parents are dependent on alcohol or drugs, or where children are neglected
• Poor parenting for lack of discipline in society, which leads to criminal behaviour
• Peer pressure is also regarded as a social cause of crime, particularly amongst young people
• Drug addiction can cause crime
• Some 'white collar crimes' such as tax evasion and tax avoidance are tolerated in society because it is 'victimless' and nobody is harmed
• Biological causes of crime

  • Bio-chemical conditions such as hormone imbalance
  • Warrior gene (MAOA)
  • Neuro-physical conditions such as learning difficulties
  • Intelligence
  • Mental health issues
• People living in poverty may turn to crime to meet basic needs such as food and clothes, through theft or shoplifting, or falsely claiming state benefits
• Many 'white collar crimes' such as fraud, tax evasion and tax avoidance more common amongst higher income 'professional' groups
• Long-term impacts of committing crime

  • Loss of contact with family and friends
  • Isolation and mental health issues
  • Difficulty getting employment
  • Financial hardship
  • Humiliation or mental health issues
  • Loss of family support and friends
  • Loss of job and income
• Emotional impacts on victims of crime

  • Anger
  • Anxiety
  • Sorrow
  • Feeling vulnerable
  • Fear of leaving home
• Mental health impacts on victims of crime

  • Depression
  • Fear of going outside
  • Sleeping problems
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Physical impacts on victims of crime

  • Injuries requiring hospital treatment
  • Need for physiotherapy and counselling
• Financial impacts on victims of crime

  • Replacement of stolen items
  • Increased insurance premiums
• The effects are much worse if the crime involves violence
• Government statistics estimates the total costs of crimes against individuals to be approximately £55 bn
• Impacts on families of offenders

  • Drop in household income
  • Borrowing money
  • Stigma and humiliation
  • Difficulty maintaining family relationships
  • Mental health problems for children
• Solemn Procedure


  Concerns the most serious of crimes and usually would lead to a trial before a judge in the High Court or a Sheriff in a Sheriff Court. This type of trial requires a jury of 15 people to listen to the evidence and the arguments from the prosecution and from the defence and then vote on whether they think the accused is guilty or not. A simple 8-7 majority is enough to convict or find a person innocent.