Criminology Unit 2

• Moral panic


  A condition, episode, person or group of persons emerges to become defined as a threat to societal values and interests' (Stanley Cohen, 1973)
• Moral panic

  • Mods and Rockers (1960s)
• Impact of moral panic


  • Makes the public think the issue is worse than it is in reality
  • Brings about a more severe reaction to the issue and people involved
  • Creates an unreasonable desire for justice
• Public concerns about crime over time

  • Mods and Rockers violence
  • Terrorism (London, Manchester and Barcelona)
  • Knife-attack crime
• Terrorist act


  Rise in the threat level (severe to critical following the Manchester Attack in May 2021)
• Islamophobia


  A dislike of or prejudice against Islam or Muslims
• Generally, the public's perception is that crime is on the increase
• When the media report a high volume of crime stories, this impacts on the public - creates a false belief about the amount of crime
• Crime Survey of England and Wales 2017 reported that crime was decreasing
• Impact of public perception of crime

  • Anxiety and stress about becoming a victim of crime and the repercussions
• Stereotyping of criminals


  As a result of media reports, the public form stereotypes of criminals
• Stereotyping of criminals leads to a mistrust of those who fit within the stereotypical image</b>
• Stereotyping of criminals can cause anger, fear and harsher sentences
• The media has an impact on the levels of response and punishment of certain crimes


  The impact is to produce disproportionate sentences that fail to reflect the seriousness of the crime
• The response to crime


  Is to show that crime of this nature will not be tolerated and to set a deterrent punishment to prevent similar conduct
• Certain major criminal events are world changing, they produce new priorities and policies
• 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers in New York in 2001


  • Anti-Terrorism Crime and Security Act 2001 (allowed the bank accounts of suspected terrorists to be frozen)
  • Counter Terrorism Act 2008 (gives the police more powers to take finger prints and DNA samples)
  • Heightened security at airports, tube and train stations
  • Production of a counter-terrorism/prevent strategy to challenge extremism in all aspects of our lives
• The impact of 9/11 can be far-reaching: travel, education and curbing of Civil Liberties
• Social definition of crime

  • Crime is a label from 'social interaction' or a wrong against the community
  • If a society has said that an act is a crime, then it becomes one
  • Crimes have consequence that are detrimental in some way to the community at large or one of more people within it
• Some crimes are universally disapproved of in our society, especially sex offences (especially those involving children)
• Some acts are crimes in some countries but not in others, e.g. forced marriages exist in some countries like Bangladesh where children must become child brides
• Legal definition of crime


  Behaviour that would break the law and for which you are punished by the legal system
• Examples of illegal crimes

  • Theft
  • Fraud
  • Murder
• Elements of a crime

  • Actus Reus - the guilty act
  • Mens Rea - the guilty mind
• Offences of strict liability do not require a Mens Rea (e.g. food and hygiene regulations)
• Self-defence might mean a person is not found guilty
• Non-court sanctions against criminals


  • Cautions
  • Conditional Cautions
  • Penalty Notices
• Cautions


  Administered by the police for minor crimes, you have to admit an offence and agree to be cautioned, not a criminal conviction
• Conditional Cautions


  Given by the police but you have to agree to certain rules and restrictions, e.g. receiving treatment for drug abuse or repairing damage to property
• Penalty Notices for Disorder

  Given for offences such as shoplifting, possessing cannabis or being drunk and disorderly in public, only for those aged 18 or over
• Court sanctions against criminals

  • Custodial Sentences
  • Community Sentences
  • Fines
  • Discharge
• Custodial Sentences


  Immediately sent to prison, including mandatory and discretionary life sentences and fixed term and indeterminate prison sentences
• Community Sentences


  Can be a combination order including unpaid work, probation, curfew and orders, drug testing and treatment
• Fines


  Financial penalties, the amount depends on the seriousness of the offence and the financial circumstances of the offender
• Discharge


  Can be conditional (if the defendant reoffends during a set time period the court can give an alternative) or absolute (where no penalty is imposed as the defendant is technically guilty but morally blameless)
• Types of criminal acts

  • Fatal offences against the person
  • Non-fatal offences against the person
  • Offences against property
  • Sexual offences
  • Public order offences
  • Drug offences
• Fatal offences against the person

  • Murder
  • Manslaughter
• Non-fatal offences against the person


  • Assault, Battery, Actual and Grievous Bodily Harm
• Offences against property


  • Theft, Robbery and Burglary
• Sexual offences


  • Rape
  • Indecent Assault