What Are The Patterns of And Explanations For Crime and Deviance? (Copy)
O Level Sociology – Cheat Sheet
6.2 What are the patterns of and explanations for crime and deviance?
6.2.1 Patterns of Crime and Victimisation
| Factor | Trends in Crime |
|---|---|
| Age | Young people (esp. males aged 15–25) are more likely to commit and be victims of crime. |
| Social Class | Working-class people are more likely to be convicted, but white-collar crimes by upper classes are underreported. |
| Gender | Men commit more crime, especially violent offences. Women are more likely to commit petty crimes (e.g. shoplifting). |
| Ethnicity | Ethnic minorities are overrepresented in arrest and conviction rates; often due to systemic issues, not just higher offending. |
6.2.2 Age – Explanations for Crime and Deviance
| Explanation | Description |
|---|---|
| Police Targeting / Stop and Search | Young people more likely to be stopped, increasing recorded crime stats. |
| Self-Fulfilling Prophecy | Being labelled as “delinquent” leads to deviant behaviour. |
| Stereotyping | Youth seen as troublemakers, especially in media portrayals. |
| Gang Culture | Youth gangs offer belonging, identity, and power, especially in deprived areas. |
| Socialisation & Social Control | Weak parental control, poor school discipline may increase deviance. |
| Lack of Opportunity | Unemployment, boredom, and blocked success can lead to crime. |
| Status Frustration | (Subcultural theory) Youth who can’t achieve success through school/work turn to deviant subcultures. |
6.2.3 Ethnicity – Explanations for Crime and Deviance
| Explanation | Description |
|---|---|
| Institutional Racism | Systematic bias in policing and criminal justice (e.g. harsher sentencing). |
| Prejudice and Discrimination | Negative societal attitudes increase marginalisation. |
| Police Targeting / Stop and Search | Ethnic minorities are disproportionately stopped and searched. |
| Material and Relative Deprivation | Economic disadvantage leads to survival crime or frustration. |
| Stereotyping | Media and institutions portray minorities as more criminal. |
| Gang Culture | Offers identity, respect, or income in communities facing exclusion. |
| Status Frustration | Inability to succeed due to racism or poverty leads to alternative value systems. |
6.2.4 Gender – Explanations for Crime and Deviance
| Explanation | Description |
|---|---|
| Chivalry Thesis | Idea that women are treated more leniently by police and courts. |
| Culture of Masculinity | Male identity linked with toughness, aggression, risk-taking (esp. working-class men). |
| Socialisation & Social Control | Girls raised to be passive, closely monitored; boys encouraged to be assertive. |
| Misogyny | Some crimes (e.g. domestic abuse, harassment) rooted in gender-based hatred or power imbalance. |
| Stereotyping | Female crime underreported; male crime over-suspected. |
| Gang Culture | Males drawn to violent peer groups to prove masculinity. |
| Lack of Opportunity | Gender inequality in education/employment can lead to deviant routes. |
6.2.5 Social Class – Explanations for Crime and Deviance
| Explanation | Description |
|---|---|
| Social Exclusion | Poverty and marginalisation increase likelihood of crime. |
| Material and Relative Deprivation | Wanting what others have but lacking the means → crime as a solution. |
| Inadequate Socialisation | Dysfunctional families in deprived areas may not teach norms/values. |
| Lack of Opportunity | Class barriers to success push some to illegal means. |
| Status Frustration | Turning to deviant subcultures for respect and status. |
| Power Inequalities | Rich commit white-collar crime but often escape punishment. |
| Police Targeting / Stop and Search | Working-class areas policed more heavily, increasing arrest rates. |
6.2.6 Sociological Theories on Crime and Deviance
| Theory | Key Ideas |
|---|---|
| Postmodernism | Crime is diverse and reflects individual identity/choice; media and consumer culture blur moral boundaries. |
| Interactionism | Focuses on labelling and how definitions of crime are socially constructed. Moral panics exaggerate deviance. |
| Functionalism | Crime is inevitable and can be functional (Durkheim); Strain Theory (Merton) explains deviance from goal-blocking. |
| Subculturalism | Deviance arises when groups develop alternative values due to status frustration. |
| New Right | Crime is due to moral decline, poor socialisation, and the underclass. |
| Marxism | Crime reflects class conflict; laws protect the ruling class. White-collar and corporate crimes often ignored. |
| Feminism | Crime and justice system reflect patriarchal values. Highlights domestic violence, gendered policing, and victim-blaming. |
6.2.7 Strengths and Limitations of Explanations
| Factor | Strengths | Limitations |
|---|---|---|
| Age | Explains why youth are more visible in crime stats | Overgeneralises; ignores older offenders |
| Ethnicity | Reveals racism and inequality in justice system | Risks stereotyping ethnic groups |
| Gender | Highlights male dominance and underreporting of female crime | Ignores rise in female crime or women’s agency |
| Social Class | Shows link between poverty and deviance | Overlooks white-collar/corporate crime |
| Theories | Each offers useful insights (e.g. strain theory, labelling) | Most are biased or too narrow – ignore intersectionality or social change |