Working class cause most crime

- usually associated with young unemployed males from less well of backgrounds.

- National Prison Survey. 41% of those in prison, unskilled or skilled manual labour

- Home Office report, 60% of robberies take place in 3 urban areas: Manchester,London,West Midlands

- Crime is higher in densely populated middle class areas

- More likely to commit violent crimes e.g robbery, murder, rape.

- They need money. Lack of norms or parent influence.

- Violent crimes= more likely to be detected by police

Poverty cause crime

- Lack of education, and employment. Unable to fulfil lives

- SPCR study in England+ Wales, newly convicted adults 18+, 63% were temporarily excluded from school

- 43% permanently excluded from school

- Social Exclusion Unit, nearly 2 thirds youth offenders are unemployed at time of arrest

- People in poverty become socially excluded, cant afford to do things turn to drugs+ alcohol.

- Home office survey shows that almost seven out of ten people arrested test positive for illegal drugs.

Working class do not cause most crime

- Becker’s Labelling theory, social groups create deviance by making the rules whose infraction constitutes deviance.

- Those who make the rules; the upper class label lower classes as poor and criminals, due to caring norms and expectations

- Even if they are not they begin to see themselves as criminal

- Working class are seen as more likely to commit crime (young black male stereotype

- Judges from upper classes, more likely to perceiver working class as criminals, not focus on white crime

- People with money able to afford better defence

White Collar crime exists

- Marx, capitalism exploits the working class, law and courts run by upper class

- Main focus on working class crime, upper class crime less publicised

- White collar crime, cost UK economy 14 billion a year, significantly more than blue collar

- Middle class crime varies from working class. Middle class associated with fraud and financial crime, easier to disguise

- Laura Johnston, millionaire’s daughter, involved in orchestrating looting during London riots

- School teaching assistant, lifeguard also involved

Males commit more crime

- Women represent 5% of prison population

- Ministry of justice, men were responsible for 86% of ‘indictable offences’ in September 2012

- Homicide statistics, 2011/12 89% males out of 2012 suspects were found guilty, 11% out of 25 females

- Sex role theory, women and males are raised differently, men expected to show masculinity through aggression.

- Women controlled expected to show compassion in accordance to traditional role as mother

Women do commit crime

- rise in violent crime offenders in women

- 2000-2010, women’s population increased 27%

- High correlation between drug use and female crime

- 2010, 24% women in prison were serving it for drug offences

- 90% women in cordenviec because of drug related crime

- Men stereotyped to commit crime, less focus on women

- Justice system less likely to put women in prison, use alternative forms (children)

	Created by Nerhys almost 11 years ago

Scottish Highers Advanced Higher Modern Studies (Context B: The causes and Effects of Crime in the UK) Note on Class and Gender causes of crime essay, created by Nerhys on 23/12/2013.