Crime and law- Modern studies

• Explain a biological reason why people might commit crime- brain structure


  Some people might have a malformed or damaged brain. If their amgydala, which controls impulses and emotions is damaged, it could lead them to want to commit crime to satisfy it and 'feel alive
• Example of a biological reason why people might commit crime- brain structure


  An example of this is when Professor James Fallon investigated brain scans and found that people who are serial killers or psychopaths all have similar patterns or damage to their amygdala.
• Explain a biological reason why people might commit crime- genetics


  Some people might have a particular gene that tells their body to be more aggressive. This can lead to crime because they might be more likely to react violently to something.
• Example of a biological reason why people might commit crime- genetics


  An example of this is the MAOA or "warrior gene" which tells the human body to produce higher levels of hormone like testosterone and can lead to someone feeling more aggressive and violent.
• Explain a social reason why people might commit crime - Peer Pressure

  People might feel forced into committing crimes because their friends put pressure on them to do it. It can lead to crime because people might feel that they have to commit the same crimes as their peers to fit in or seem cool.
• Example of a social reason why people might crime- Peer Pressure


  An example of peer pressure causing crime is the murder of Latisha Frazier, who was killed by a group of friends. Only one of them, Johnnie Sweet, was upset with her, but he peer pressured four other people into helping him murder Latisha and get rid of the body.
• Explain a social reason why people commit crime- Social Exclusion


  This means that they feel that society has no place for them, and that they might as well give up on it. It can lead to crime because socially excluded people might join gangs to find a sense of family or respect.
• Example of a social reason why people commit crime- Social exclusion


  An example of social exclusion causing crime is in the documentary Mario and Nini, where two young boys who are always being told off in school and made to feel unwanted end up joining a gang. They say that making people fear them makes them feel good and that being in a gang makes them feel part of a family.
• Explain an economic reason why people commit crime- greed


  Some people might feel they deserve more money than they have and they might feel that legal methods simply don't give them that money. They may also desire more money than they would have access to using legal means
• Example of an economic reason why people commit crime- greed

  An example of a crime caused by greed was the Wells Fargo case in 2016. A number of the banks employees created a huge number of accounts for customers that the customers didn't know anything about. This helped them hit targets for bonuses and earn huge amounts of money. The customers were then charged for not using accounts that they had no idea existed.
• Explain an economic reason why people commit crime- poverty


  Some people might not have enough money to feed themselves or their families. They may feel that they have no choice but to turn to crime in order to make ends meet.
• Example of an economic reason why people might commit crime- poverty


  An example of crime caused by poverty is that shoplifting is on the rise in the UK because increasing poverty. Many people shoplift to feed themselves or their families. Others don't shoplift themselves, but knowingly buy shoplifted goods because they cannot afford to buy authentic items
• Explain a consequence of crime for perpetrators sentence


  This means that they can receive a prison sentence or some other form of punishment. This is designed to punish them for committing a crime and deter them from committing another one sentences can either be custodial a prison, sentence or non-custodial non-prison based.
• Example of consequences of crime for perpetrators sentence

  One example of this are the typical punishments for armed robbery which is life in prison and carrying a knife which is two years in prison. This is because armed criminals robbery is seen as much more serious and so carries a heavier sentence
• Explain a consequence of crime for perpetrators lack of future prospects


  This means that a perpetrator of a crime might find it harder to get work because of the criminal record, but they also may lose friends as they may not want to be associated with a criminal, the driving license (for driving offences ) and years of their life spend in prison.
• Example of a consequence of crime for perpetrators lack of future prospects


  One example of this is that there are many jobs that do not have anyone with a criminal record, and a recent study has shown that some people with criminal records find it so hard to get a job that they end up living in poverty.
• Explain a consequence of crime for victims economic impact


  This means that a victim of a crime might suffer significant financial costs. We may need to replace things that have been stolen fix damage or pay for lawyers to take someone to court.
• An example of a consequence of crime for victims, economic impact


  One example of this is the economic impact of the home burglary which is significant ,costing £2300 on average ,this covers replacing things that have been stolen as well as repairing damage done by burglars
• Explain a consequence of crime victims, physical impact

  This means that many crimes such as violent crimes like abuse and assault physically impactor victims. These physical impacts can be long-term such as broken bones or cuts and bruises or long-term, like scars or an inability to walk.
• Example of a consequence of crime for victims, physical impact

  One example of this is the rise in acid-base attacks in London in recent years, they can leave the victims with scarring, blindness and disfigurement
• Explain a consequence of crime for families loss of a parent


  This means a child may lose their parent because they were a victim of murder or because they were a perpetrator who received the wrong prison sentence. This can lead to a lot of trauma especially if the loss occurred at a young age.
• Example of a consequence of crime for families loss of a parent


  One example of this is the impact having a parent in prison can have on children, which is that it can leave them feeling abandoned, unable to their parent for a long time, and angry and unable to connect with their parent.
• Explain a consequence of crime for families family stigma


  This means that families might find that people don't trust them or think that they are " guilty by association " because they have a family member in prison. People may look down on them to think that they are more likely to commit a crime.
• Example of a consequence of crime for families family stigma


  One example of this is the way that people can " write off " children of offenders because of what their parent has done. They may feel that the child is more likely to end up in prison or not try as hard in life.
• Explain a consequence of crime on communities social division

  This means that communities start to distrust and fear one another. This can lead to arguments and tension, and even make people afraid to leave their homes. People may move out of the area because of the social division,
• Example of consequences of crime for communities social division


  One example of this is the fear of crime, which is particularly serious for over x 75 yea olds. Over half of people in this age group are afraid to leave their house after dark because of crime.
• Explain a consequence of crime for communities cycle of crime

  This mean that communities might find crimes increases over time and keeps getting worse. This might be because crime is pushing people into poverty and they are committing crime to survive, or it could be because they are taking revenge for previous crimes, particularly in gang situations.
• Example of a consequence of crime for communities cycle of crime


  One example of this is the gang violence in London. Killing linked to gang violence have more than doubled in the last five years, from 17 in 2014 too 44 in 2018 and 42 in 2019.
• Explain a power of police stop and search

  This means that police officers can stop members of the public, and if they have reasonable grounds to suspect that they are unlawfully carrying something. They can search for this item. If a person agrees to be searched, this is called " consensual search", and if they do not agree to be searched this is called a " statutory search".
• Example of a power of police stop and search

  One example of when someone might be stopped and searched is if they are rubbing away from a crime scene, or if the police have been tipped off that the person is carrying something illegal such as drugs or weapons.
• Explain a power of police executing search warrants

  This means that police officers can forcibly enter someone's home to search for something if they have a search warrant. This is a document signed by shares which has specifically what they are looking for and where they're going to look for it.
• Example of power of police exacting search warrant

  One example of this is when the police might use a search warrant if they suspected that a drug dealer was operating out a particular house. They may get a warrant to search that house for illegal drugs, rather than having to ask to search, to avoid tipping off the suspect.
• Explain the effectiveness of the police protect the public

  This is because they have increased public trust and reduced crime to its lowest level since 1914. 55% of adults in Scotland said that they felt police were doing an excellent or good job.
• Example of effectiveness of the police protect the public

  One example of this is the number of homicides in Scotland has decreased by 21% in the last decade.
• Explain the effectiveness of the police reduce crime

  This is because they run a lot of workshops and publicity campaigns to help people keep their homes safe and try to stop crime from happening in the first place. They also run a campaign to warn young people about the dangers of being involved in knife crime.
• Example of the effectiveness of the police reduce crime

  One example of the number of break - ins to homes, decreased from 24,000 crimes to just over 16,000 in the last seven years, and the reduction in knife crime by 69%.
• Explain a role of the police protect the public

  This means that they try to keep the people safe through policing events . There are large groups of people such a sport matches. They do this to try and put off criminals and control groups to maintain order and police also patrol areas that may be targeted by terror, such as concerts
• Example of the role of the police protect the public

  One example of this is policing football matches, where officers try to keep rival fans separate, break up any violence, and move people along if they are likely to cause trouble. If violence occurs, the police will respond swiftly to try and keep people from getting hurt.
• Explain the role of the police prevent crime

  This means that they and stop crimes from happening in the first place. They do this by making people aware of how to keep theme selves safe, by talking to schools, telling people how they can keep themselves safe and by trying to stop people becoming criminals.
• Example of the role of the police prevent crime


  One example of this is talking to pupils in schools about crime. This could be about staying safe online or trying to educate them about the dangers of crime. At holy rood high school, our campus police officer is called PC Adam Hughes.