AC 1.1 Compare Criminal Behaviour and Deviance

• Criminal behaviour


  A form of deviance that involves serious, harmful acts that are wrong against society. These acts are regarded as so disruptive that the state must intervene on behalf of society to forbid them and to punish them by law.
• 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 consequences that are detrimental in some way to the community at large or one or more people within it.
• Some acts are crimes in some countries but not in others
• Legal definition of crime

  Behaviour that breaks the law and for which you are punished by the legal system. A crime must have two elements: an actus reus, which means the guilty act, and a mens rea, meaning guilty mind.
• There are offences of strict liability that do not require a mens rea
• A defence such as self-defence could mean a person was not found guilty even if both actus reus and mens rea were present
• Types of criminal offences in the UK

  • Summary offences (less serious, tried by magistrates)
  • Indictable offences (more serious, tried in crown court)
• Non-court sanctions


  • Cautions
  • Conditional cautions
  • Penalty notices for disorder
• Court sanctions


  • Custodial sentences
  • Community sentences
  • Fines
  • Discharge
• Deviance


  Behaviour that goes against the dominant social norms of a specific group or society, which causes some kind of critical reaction or disapproval
• Types of norms, moral codes and values

  • Norms (social expectations that guide behaviour)
  • Moral codes (considered good ways of behaving)
  • Values (shared guidelines of what is right and wrong)
• Forms of deviance


  • Admired behaviour
  • Odd behaviour
  • Bad behaviour
• Some acts may be deviant but not criminal, some acts are classed as criminal but may not be deviant, and some acts are both criminal and deviant
• 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 such as frowning upon behaviour, name calling, ignoring behaviour, labelling behaviour, actions such as grounding/detentions