crime & ethnicity

What does over-representation mean?

When a group appears in crime statistics more than expected based on their proportion of the population

What is institutional racism?

Racism embedded in the culture and practices of institutions rather than individual prejudice

What did the Macpherson Report conclude?

That the Metropolitan Police are institutionally racist

Who argued policing disproportionately targets ethnic minorities?

Phillips and Bowling (2012)

What evidence supports claims of racist policing?

Black and Asian people are stopped and searched at much higher rates than whites

Who explains ethnic differences in crime through relative deprivation?

Lea and Young (1993)

What is relative deprivation?

Feeling deprived when comparing oneself to others who are more successful

What is marginalisation?

Exclusion from social

What type of crime do left realists associate with deprivation?

Utilitarian crime such as theft and robbery

What is economic exclusion?

Being locked out of legitimate employment and opportunities

Who argued black criminality is a myth?

Gilroy (1982)

What is the myth of black criminality?

The idea that black people are naturally more criminal is socially constructed

How does Gilroy explain ethnic minority crime?

As political resistance to racism and oppression

Why is Gilroy criticised?

Most crime is intra-ethnic and street crime is romanticised

Who studied moral panics about black crime?

Hall et al (1978)

What is a moral panic?

An exaggerated public fear about a perceived threat

What is a folk devil?

A group blamed for social problems

How did Hall et al explain black mugging?

As a distraction from capitalist crisis

Who linked crime to deprived neighbourhoods?

Fitzgerald et al (2003)

What did Fitzgerald et al find?

Poverty not ethnicity explains higher crime rates

Who argued black offenders are more likely to be caught?

Sharp and Budd (2005)

Why are ethnic minorities more likely to be caught?

Higher visibility crimes and police attention

What is victimisation?

The experience of being a victim of crime

Why is racist victimisation under-reported?

Distrust of police and fear of not being taken seriously