criminology

social defintion

what society believes is wrong within a community. for example most people in the uk would believe it is wrong to have a sex with a 14 year old , but in other cultures in different countries it might not be seen as a problem because society doesn’t label it as one

legal defintion

In our society, it is the legal system which defines crime.for example behaviour that breaks the law and for which you are punished by the legal system.

actus reus

guilty act essentially means committing a crime m

mens rea

guilt mind essentially means having a motive to commit the crime

cautions

administrated by the police for minor crimes such as writing graffiti on a bus shelter. you have to admit to an offence and agree to be cautioned otherwise you could be arrested for the offence, a caution is not a criminal offence

conditional cautions

given by the police but you have to agree to certain rules and restrictions, such as receiving treatment for drug abuse or repairing damage to a property.

penalty notices

given for offences such as shoplifting, possessing cannabis, or being drunk and disorderly in public. you can only get a penalty notice if you are age 18 or over

custodial sentences

where you are immediately sent to prison there are mandatory and discretionary life sentences and fixed term and intermediate prison sentences.

community services

a combination order (sentence of the court that combines a probation order and a community service order) including unpaid work, probation, curfew and orders such as having drug testing and treatment

fines

financial penalties the amount depends on seriousness of the offence and the financial circumstances of the offender.

discharge

either conditional, when if the defendant re offends during a certain time period the court an give an alternative sentence or an absolute, when no penalty is imposed as the defendant is technically guilty but morally blameless

fatal offences

murder, manslaughter

non fatal offences

assault ,battery

offences against property

theft , robbery

sexual offences

sexual assault, rape

public order offences

riot, affray

drug offences

supply, possession

deviance

behaviour that goes against the dominant social norms of a specific group or society, which causes some kind of critical reaction or disaproval

define crime

act or omission that breaks the law and is punishable by law

norms

social expectations that guide behaviour and explain why people act in the way that they do. norms keep in check deviant behaviour while it is expected behaviour, it could vary from one culture to another for instance in the uk we wear sombre colours for a funeral but in china the colour of mourning is white.

moral codes

morals or good ways of behaving, breaking a moral code would be considered serious in society an example would be murder

value

rules shared by most people in a given culture it is what people feel should happen they are more general guidelines than norms for example respecting the elderly

informal sanctions against deviance

frowning upon behaviour

name calling

ignoring behaviour

formal sanctions against deviance

fines or even imprisionment may be appropriate for some deviant acts

define social construction

what society thinks of an object, event or person. how society responds and deals with the object, event or person. a social construct is usually accepted as natural by society

how age can affect the application of the law

the age of criminal responsibility in the uk is 10. this means that any child under the age of 10 cannot be arrested, charged or prosecuted for a criminal offence

an example of age

James bulger

how defence can affect the application of law

where someone has committed murder, but has a partial defence of diminished responsibility or loss of control, an alternative charge of manslaughter is made. the sentence is also reduced from mandatory life to discretionary life.

an example of how defence can change the application of law

Felicia boots admitted to killing her two babies due to postpartum depression and was sent to a psychiatric hospital for 2 years

how a persons past criminal convictions can change the application of law

if someone has past criminal convictions their criminal charger may be harsher compared to someone who has never committed a crime before.

how laws change from place to place and culture to culture

the same actions are not necessarily criminal offences in all places throughout the world, or even policed in the same way within England and Wales.

an example of laws changing form place to place

death penalty/ drugs / fem

where is the death penalty illegal

uk, Australia and canada

where is the death penalty legal

china, india and the us

where drugs is legal

Portugal

where FGM is legal

Ghana

why’d laws change firm place to place and culture to culture

cultural idealogies

social norms and values

development

status of women

religion why it changed form place to place

the laws of many countries are based on the religious culture of the country

why status of women change from place to place

in some cultures men have a different status to women. women are perceived to the subservient tom men and as a result, legal and societal rights may vary

why varying views on justice change from place to place

what is considered to be justice and an appropriate legal system can vary among different cultures.

why laws change socially and cultural shifts

as society evolves so do it values and norms. for example the marriage was introduced to reflect changing attitudes towards same sex relationships

political changes why laws change from place to place

shifts in political power can often lead to changes in legislation

public heath and safety challenges why law changes from place to place

laws are also updated to protect public health and safety

3 key events of homosexuality

1553 buggery act = criminalising sex between men death penalty

2010 equality act

2013 legalised same sex marriages

3 key events of women’s rights

1857 matrimonial rights = allowed women to seek divorce through civil courts

1967 abortion act

1970 equal pay acts

3 key events of smoking

1971 health warnings added to cigarette packs

2006 indoor smoking ban

2007 legal age turned from 16 to 18