Crim Unit 2 AC1.1 & AC1.2

What is deviance?

Behaviour that violates society’s norms and values

Three ways behaviour can come across as deviant.

• unusual and good (e.g. risking own life to save someone)

• unusual and eccentric (e.g. having 100 cats)

• unusual and bad (e.g. assaulting someone)

What are the deviant terms?

• value

• norms

• moral code

What does value mean?

The general principle or guidelines for how we should live our lives. They tell us right and wrong, good and bad.

What does norm mean?

Specific rules or socially accepted standards that society governs the behaviour in a particular behaviour.

What does moral code mean?

To describe a set of basic rules, values, and principles held by an individual group, organisation, or society as a whole.

What potential reaction/actions are taken by society in response to deviant acts?

• social exclusion

• Ignoring the behaviour

• Labelling

• Fines

• Imprisonment

• Being grounded/detention

• Name-calling

• Work reprimands

How do we respond to deviant behaviour?

Formal Sanctions: ones imposed by official bodies, for breaking the formal written laws.

Informal Sanctions: breaking rules that are not written down, is shown by their disapproval in informal ways.

Positive Sanctions: rewards for good behaviour that society approves of.

Social Control: all sanctions are forms of social control. This is how society seeks to control our behaviour and ensure that we conform to it's norma and values and behave how others expect us to.

Social definition of crime.

Society says it is- then it is.

We gain a better understanding of criminal behaviour by considering how it is defined socially.

Legal definition of crime.

Behaviour that breaks the written laws.

Must include Mens Rea (guilty mind) and Actus Reus (guilty act)

What is strict liability?

A criminal act that doesn't include the Mens Rea (guilty mind). This does make crime more complex, doesn't mean they can get away with it.

Examples of strict liabilities

Stationary rape- can be a strict liability if the offender believes their partner is over or the legal consenting age.

Selling alcohol to minors- if the offender believes the minor is over the buying sue for alcohol.

Types of criminal acts and examples.

Fatal offences against a person: murder, manslaughter.

Non-fatal offences against a person: assault, battery, actual and grievous bodily harm.

Offended against property: theft, robbery, burglary.

Sexual offices: rape, indecent assault.

Public order offences: riots, affray, violent disorder.

Drugs offences: possession of a controlled drug or possession with an intent to supply.

What potential actions/reactions are taken by society in response to criminal acts?

• improved security and awareness

• Improvement

• Bans and restriction

• Fines

• Creation of the new law

• Increase government spending

What does social construction mean?

Something that has been made or defined by society, rather than simply occurring naturally.

What are some examples of laws changing culturally?

• Drug usage

• Polygamy

• Adultery

• Homosexuality

Legalisation of drugs in Portugal

They have decriminalised possession of drugs for personal use. Meaning its been reclassified as a misdemeanour, or minor offence.

What are some of the drug limits in Portugal?

• 2g of coke

• 25g of pot

• 1g MDMA

The drug usage in Portugal

• 5.1% uses drugs

• 0.4% uses cocaine

• 0.6% uses pills.

Different cultural law examples.

• polygamy- illegal in Turkey and Tunisia, legal in India and Malaysia.

• Adultery- illegal in Taiwan and Philippines, legal in the USA and UK

• Cannabis- illegal in USA and UK, legal in Canada and Portugal.

• Homosexuality- illegal (to promote) in Russia and Uganda, legal in Europe and USA.

Examples of laws that change over time.

• gun laws

• homosexuality

• laws related to children

• capital and corporal punishment

Changes in the law over time: gun laws

• The 1987 Hungerford Massacre- Michael Ryan shot and killed 16 people.

• The 1996 Dunblane Primary School Massacre- Thomas Hamilton shot 18 people, including himself.

Which law did the Hungerford Massacre lead to?

The Firearm (Amendment) Act 1988, banning semi-automatic and pump action rifles and shotguns.

What did the Dunblane Massacre led to?

It lead to the creation of the Snowdrop Campaign, made by the victims’ families, gained 750,000 signutures.

Which law did the Dunblane Massacre lead to?

It lead to the Firearm (Amendment) Act of 1997, banning all handguns above .22 calibre.

Changes in the law over time- Homosexuality.

all homosexual acts between men were made a crime in 1885. However homosexual acts between males aged 21 or over were legalised in England and Wales in 1967.

What helped homosexuality become legal?

The Wolfenden Report

When was the Wolfenden Report written?

it was written in 1957, by John Wolfenden.

What is the Wolfenden Report?

It is a government set up committee to consider reform of the law, after over 1,000 gay soldiers were arrested, by 1954.

Changes in the law over time- Children.

They realised the dangers of putting children in dangerous workplaces, also recognises their vulnerability.

Laws regarding Children.

• Compulsory schooling- 1880, allowed all children to go to school.

• Child protection and Welfare Legislation- 1989, lays down the basic human rights.

Changes in the law over time- Physical punishments.

It was typically physical punishment for punishing criminals.

What punishment was for Capital Punishment?

Hanging.

What punishment was for Corporal Punishment?

• flogging

• branding with hot iron

When was Capital Punishment abolished?

It was abolished in 1965, the last person to get hanged was Derek Bentley, who was hung in 1953.

When was Corporal Punishment abolished?

It abolished gradually. in 1881, flogging in the arms forced was illegal and all together it was abolished in 1967.

Why is abolishing Physical crime good?

• It breached human rights

• nothing could’ve been done if there was a correction in a miscarriage of judgement.

• as a result it declined violence in a long-term.

Differential enforcement of the law- Moral Panic

“011 Tottenham Riots, caused moral panic across the UK, affecting the sentencing of those involved.

• a 23-year-old man was sentences to 6 months in prison for stealing a £3.50 water bottle.

• a 17-year-old received a 12 month ban on social media and 3 month overnight curfew

Another example of Moral Panic.

Corona Virus

• Fines up to £10,000 for meeting with a group of more than six people

• £500 fine for failing to present a negative PCR test when entering a UK airport.

Enforcement of the law- Gender

Vanessa George- 124 counts of making and distributing indecent images of children as a manager of nursery.

she was sentenced to 7 years compared to the only male member, who received 9 years.

Enforcement of the law- Class

Gary Barlow- rumours he had invested 26 million into a tax relief scheme, the news received little coverage and Barlow got away with being able to pay it back, no prison time.

Enforcement of the law- Ethnicity

Brock Turner- a white, middle class was convicted for raping an unconscious girl. The media referred to him as an ‘all American swimmer’ and ‘college athlete’, which changed the way he was viewed and his sentencing.

Cicourel

Focused on juveniles and found that the way a particular juvenile was viewed by officials had a significant impact on how that individual was dealt with. The decision on whether or not to bring an individual to court was influenced by the probation officers view of the ‘typical delinquent’.

Chambliss Et. Al

Studied the middle-class ‘Saints’ and working-class ‘Roughnecks’ and found that the Roughnecks had the law enforced against them more strictly than the Saints when the same crime was committed.

Pilianvin and Briar

Found situational factors - class, age, gender, ethnicity, time of day/night and attitude towards police officers - played an influential role in decisions to stop and/or arrest an individual.