Class and Gender causes of crime essay

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Working class cause most crime

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usually associated with young unemployed males from

less well of backgrounds.

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National Prison Survey. 41% of those in prison,

unskilled or skilled manual labour

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Home Office report, 60% of robberies take place in 3

urban areas: Manchester,London,West Midlands

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Crime is higher in densely populated middle class areas

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More likely to commit violent crimes e.g robbery,

murder, rape.

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They need money. Lack of norms or parent influence.

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Violent crimes= more likely to be detected by police

Poverty cause crime

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Lack of education, and employment. Unable to fulfil

lives

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SPCR study in England+ Wales, newly convicted adults

18+, 63% were temporarily excluded from school

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43% permanently excluded from school

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Social Exclusion Unit, nearly 2 thirds youth offenders

are unemployed at time of arrest

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People in poverty become socially excluded, cant afford

to do things turn to drugs+ alcohol.

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Home office survey shows that almost seven out of ten

people arrested test positive for illegal drugs.

Working class do not cause most crime

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Becker’s Labelling theory, social groups create

deviance by making the rules whose infraction constitutes deviance.

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Those who make the rules; the upper class label lower

classes as poor and criminals, due to caring norms and expectations

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Even if they are not they begin to see themselves as

criminal

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Working class are seen as more likely to commit crime

(young black male stereotype

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Judges from upper classes, more likely to perceiver

working class as criminals, not focus on white crime

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People with money able to afford better defence

White Collar crime exists

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Marx, capitalism exploits the working class, law and

courts run by upper class

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Main focus on working class crime, upper class crime

less publicised

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White collar crime, cost UK economy 14 billion a year,

significantly more than blue collar

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Middle class crime varies from working class. Middle

class associated with fraud and financial crime, easier to disguise

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Laura Johnston, millionaire’s daughter, involved in

orchestrating looting during London

riots

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School teaching assistant, lifeguard also involved

Males commit more crime

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Women represent 5% of prison population

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Ministry of justice, men were responsible for 86% of

‘indictable offences’ in September 2012

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Homicide statistics, 2011/12 89% males out of 2012

suspects were found guilty, 11% out of 25 females

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Sex role theory, women and males are raised

differently, men expected to show masculinity through aggression.

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Women controlled expected to show compassion in

accordance to traditional role as mother

Women do commit crime

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rise in violent crime offenders in women

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2000-2010, women’s population increased 27%

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High correlation between drug use and female crime

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

offences

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90% women in cordenviec because of drug related crime

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Men stereotyped to commit crime, less focus on women

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Justice system less likely to put women in prison, use

alternative forms (children)

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