Trends in Crime

Class

• -The patterns of crime show working class commit much more crime than middle class.
• Reasons for this could include:
• Mertons strain theory
• Cohens status frustration
• Aaron & Cicourel research.
• Marxist crime reflecting inequality.

Gender

• -Men are responsible for 85% of all convicted crimes in the UK. Men are also more likely to be repeat offenders.
• Pollack - developed the chivalry thesis, saying the legal system treats women more favourably than men. Men have been raised to be chivalrous to men, so he suggests that male police officers are less suspicious of women.
• Heidensohn - said differences in crime between men and women is due to different circumstances and opportunities. Gender roles mean that men are more likely to be out of the house, so are more likely to get involved in crime.

Ethnicity

• -Black men is America account for 50% of convicted criminals, but only 20% of the population.
• Gilroy - is a marxist who suggests blacks do commit more crime. This is a resistance to inequality to police racism and oppression.
• Philips & Bowling - explained that the increased robbery by black men is due to poverty and social exclusion. Crime fixes both of these with status and material goods.