Youth Crime

ETHNICITY AND YOUTH CRIME

The statistics on crime indicate that ethnic minorities in the UK are hugely overrepresented in the CJS.Ethnic minorities make up about 12.5% of the UK population but commit over 30% of total crime.

PAUL GILROY- He claims that the idea that ethnic minorities commit much more crime is actually a myth.He claims that the myth has been created by the police and the media to suit their own purposes.Young black males in the UK have been negatively stereotyped as far back as the 1960s by the police and the media and the public have believed these stereotypes.For example- there was a moral panic about black muggers in the 1970s,created by the media and the police.The irony lies in the fact that there is no actual legal crime of mugging- the closest legal term is robbery and assault.Gilroy claims that politicians and the media used the term because they wanted to scapegoat and stereotype black males as potential criminals.They were happy to avoid stereotyping white males because young black males are far less likely to vote/take an interest in politics.

RACISM IN THE CJS- THE STEPHEN LAWRENCE MURDER- Stephen Lawrence an 18 year old black male was waiting at a bus stop with a friend who was also a black male.While they were waiting a group of 5 caucasian males approached them and attacked Stephen,they kicked and punched him.One of them numerously stabbed him then they all run away.Stephen managed to run 10 yards before he fell on the ground and bled to death.The police came however didn't seem interested in Stephen but his friend Dwayne.They assumed that Dwayne and Stephen were part of a gang and got into a fight,in which Dwayne managed to stab Stephen.

STUART HALL- The immigrants to the UK from the Caribbean and Asia arrived during the 1950s.They were encouraged to come over to the UK because of post-war full employment and massive labour shortage.The immigrants were willing to work hard but ended up working in the low paid manual jobs because they had very few educational qualifications.This all worked fine until the 1970s when there was a big recession.The first jobs to be cut were the low paid jobs mainly held unemployment amongst the ethnic minority groups and many black males tuned to crime as a survival strategy.This culture exists today in the poorest areas of the country.

LEA & YOUNG- They claim that Paul Gilroy is wrong about the police causing the overrepresentation of black males in the crime statistics.In over 90% of crimes,the crime is reported to the police by the public- less than 10% is detected by the police themselves.Therefore, the overrepresentation cannot be caused by the police behaving in a racist manner.They claim that the overrepresentation is simply caused because young black males commit more crime.

SOCIAL CLASS AND YOUTH CRIME

This works exactly the same as gender/ethnicity BUT we have to break it down into Functionalist/Marxist/Post-Modern explanations.Statistic on crime show that people from poorer backgrounds commit significantly more crime than people from richer backgrounds.We need to be able to explain various ideas on WHY?

FUNCTIONALIST EXPLANATIONS;ROB MERTON- American sociologist who uses the concept of 'American Dream' (the idea that anyone,regardless of their background can achieve success by hard work & talent).Failure to achieve the goals of success in life(money,happy family,successful career etc) causes an issue- for individuals,it causes a strain on individuals.Some people respond to this strain by committing crime;  INNOVATORS; Merton claims that these people realise they are not going to achieve the goals through the normal ways(hard work/talent) so innovative to turn to crime RETREATISTS; Some people turn their back on both the goals and accepted means of achieving them(hard work etc) and retreat into a world of drug abuse/alcohol abuse. CONFORMISTS; Most people in society are this- they accept that they are never going to achieve all the goals set by society so settle for achieving just one or two e.g.happy family/good career.They conform to the norms and values of society. DAVID MATZA; Subterranean Values- He believes that people who commit crime are no different to everyone else in society.People who commit crime are simply less effective at controlling their subterranean values.Everyone in society has some subterranean values- these are the values that we keep hidden below the surface e.g.aggression/greed/sexuality etc.Criminals allow their subterranean values to influence their behaviour and they commit violence or theft.WALTER MILLER; Focal Concerns- Miller believes that the working class have their own specific set of norms & values which effectively make them a subculture.They values things like fate,being street-smart,aggression and violence.Miller argues that people with these norms and values are significantly more likely to get involved in crime than people who do not have them.ALBERT COHEN; Status Frustration- Working class youths(particularly males) suffer from status frustration.They have failed at school so end up in low-paid manual jobs or unemployed,poor quality housing etc.When they compare themselves to the middle classes they see all around them,they feel inadequate- this causes a sense of frustration about their lives- many of them deal with this frustration by committing crime as part of a gang/subculture.

MARXIST EXPLANATIONS;LEA & YOUNG- They argue that their two main reasons why young people choose to commit crime; RELATIVE DEPRIVATION- Young inner-city males(particularly ethnic minority) feel relatively deprived- compared to those middle class people around them that they see living in affluence.They see the affluence all around them but have not way of gaining access to it. MARGINALISATION- They feel socially and politically marginalised- they feel they have no status and that no-one listens to them.The result of this is that a subculture develops which provides them with status and justifies their criminal acts.

POST-MODERN EXPLANATIONS;KATZ- argues that crime is seductive- young males get drawn into it simply because it it thrilling.That is why so much youth crime is not for financial gain- non-utilitarian crime.There is a simple pleasure in vandalism etc.Once a young person has tried this activity they are drawn or seduced into repeating the process.LYNG- Young males like to engage in 'edge work'- which he defines as placing yourself in situations of potential harm by flirting with danger.The rush or pleasure of experiencing danger is something that young males seek.An example of this is 'joyriding'.

Ethnicity and Youth Crime

Social class and Youth Crime