1.3 Patterns of crime: Social Class

What common indicators of criminals are linked with low social class?

- School exclusion/ poor education
- Unemployment
- Benefit dependency

Crimes committed by the middle class are know as?

White collar crime

What is the main similarity between white collar crime?

Money/ Financially focused

According to Karstedt and Farrel what percentage of middle-class people have admitted to fraud/fiddling?

70%

What percentage of the working class admitted to fraud/fiddling?

52%

Areas of London with a 40% poverty rate have what crime rate? (Home Office 2017)

200%

What percentage of those brought before the court are benefit-claimants?

35%

What is the national percentage of benefit-claimants?

12%

What percentage of prisoners were unemployed before they went to prison? (MoJ 2016)

63%

What percentage of prisoners had no qualifications when entering prison? (MoJ 2016)

43%

By what percentage have white collar crime convictions dropped by? (ONS 2017)

26%

How many times more likely are poor people to be victims of crime? (CSEW 2011)

Twice

How much does corporate crime cost the economy each year? (London Evening Standard 2007)

£40 billion

Theft from shops is the most common convicted crime. What percentage of women and men commit it?

F- 34%

M- 14%

Explain Wilson and Kelling’s broken windows theory

* Crime begins with minor instances of deviance such as buildings being damaged or un-kept
* This grows into the community having ASB and this deviancy becomes criminal e.g use of drugs and alcohol
* The area becomes know for said behaviour and becomes a ‘no-go-area’ but becomes desirable for those looking to commit crime e.g drug dealers and prostitutes

Explain Taylor, Walton and Young’s Fully social theory of deviance

* It begins with a individual in a position of power/ authority wanting to make a change to laws/ policies
* In order for these laws or policies to be put into place the individual needs a group to blame, they believe that the group targeted and demonised are members of the working class
* The public turn on the individuals of this group and they become marginalised, causing them to be more likely to face poverty and need to find unconventional ways to survive

Explain Merton’s strain theory

* He refers to the American Dream when talking of the ideal life most aim to achieve
* Crime is said to occur when the conventional means can’t be achieved in the first place (Good education, high paying job)
* For the working class these means aren’t often there so they find unconventional ways, in order to still feel they have succeeded
* This leads to deviant careers e.g drug dealing and theft

Explain Bonger’s theory of capitalist values causing crime

* The values of capitalism promote crimes of want, need and frustration within the working class
* Due to poverty when those individuals find themselves unable to afford the basics they steal
* As well as theft for the basics there are also those who feed into the value of greed and steal luxury items or take on a criminal career
* Then there are those in poverty who are frustrated with their position and their inability to get out leading to violent crimes e.g assault