1.3 Patterns of crime: Ethnicity

How many times more likely are Black people to be stopped and searched than white people? (MoJ 2018)

9 times

How many times more likely are Asian/Mixed groups to be stopped ans searched than white people? (MoJ 2018)

2.5 times

Despite aprox. 87% of the population being White, what percentage of people who appear before criminal courts are White? (MoJ 2017)

70%

Despite aprox. 3% of the population being Black, what percentage of people who appear before criminal court are Black? (MoJ 2017)

9%

According to the CSEW which ethnic group are most at risk of victimisation?

Mixed

What percentage of reported hate crime is on the basis of race? (CSEW)

82%

Which ethnic group is most likely to re-offend (PRC)?

Black- 30%

How many times more likely are Black people to be convicted of possession of cannabis? (LSE Study)

Twice

What percentage of police officers are Black compared to 14% of the working population? (MoJ 2014)

6%

What is the unemployment rate among young black people?

35%

Unemployment of young Black men is how much lower compared to white men?

35% of young black men are unemployed compared to 13% of white

What verdict did the Macpherson Report reach about the Metropolitan Police following the murder of Stephan Lawrence?

Institutional Racism

Explain Merton’s strain theory

* Unemployment rates are higher for black men than any other ethnic group- so are more likely to face poverty
* As they don’t have the means to achieve the American dream they are frustrated
* They turn to unconventional means to achieve this goal e.g drug dealing as a stable income
* In turn they appear to be committing more crime

Explain Howard Becker’s Master status

* Begins with an individual committing a deviant act and as a result gaining a label, often media are more harsh in their description of BAME crimes


* In reaction to this label they take it on as part of their identity, due to internalisation it becomes their master status, over-riding their characteristics
* As their most apparent characteristic is deviant they go and commit criminal acts and some join criminal subcultures which further this label

Explain Paul Gilroy’s theory of institutional racism

* There is an under-rep of Black officers
* The nature of the job is dangerous, anti-social and often pushing macho values
* Due to anti-social hours most of their interaction is with other officers, talking about their arrests and the type of people they were
* As a result of having negative interactions with POC people and hearing that these are the groups not often arrested they target those individuals
* Due to being targeted they are more likely to find individuals who are committing criminal acts

Explain Jock Young’s theory of over-policing

* Young builds on Gilroy’s explanation stating that police target working class areas which is where BAME are most likely to be
* But that they also target Black people as they have racial bias, due to this targeting they are far more likely to find incriminating items
* Finding items means that more police believe that they are more criminal and if they do find items this is reinforced even more