Criminology - U2 - AC4.2 - Demographic Changes

Demographics and Crime

Criminologists use demographics (location, type of crime, offender/victim info) to understand why people commit or become victims of crime.

Crime and Social Factors

Data on age, race, gender, and social class helps create a fuller picture of crime patterns, causes, and solutions.

Immigration in 1945

In 1945, fewer than 20,000 non-white residents lived in the UK. Most immigrants were white: Irish (for economic reasons) and Jews (fleeing persecution).

Windrush Generation

In the 1950s and 1960s, immigrants from the Caribbean, Indian subcontinent, and Africa came to the UK seeking economic opportunities, often taking jobs British people refused.

Impact of Immigration

The UK became a multi-ethnic society, but immigrants often faced discrimination in housing, employment, and access to services.

Birmingham Survey 1956

A 1956 survey in Birmingham found only 1.5% of white British residents would offer a room to a Black tenant.

Legal Discrimination in the 1950s

Racial discrimination was legal during this period, making exploitation of immigrants common in housing and jobs.

Cultural Changes Since 1960s

Since the 1960s, there has been a decline in racial prejudice toward ethnic minorities.

British Attitudes Survey 1987 & 2017

In 1987, 39% of people admitted to racial prejudice. By 2017, this had decreased to 26%.

British Future Survey 2018

66% of over-65s in ethnic minorities believed racial prejudice in 2018 was lower than in 1968.

Why Attitudes Changed

The British Future survey found that school and workplace contact between ethnic groups was more influential than laws in improving race relations.

Race Relations Act 1965

Banned discrimination in public places and made the promotion of racial hatred a criminal offence.

Race Relations Act 1968

Outlawed discrimination in employment, housing, and public services.

Race Relations Act 1976

Extended protections to cover direct and indirect discrimination.

Equality Act 2010

Replaced previous race laws and combined them with protections against discrimination by sex, age, and disability.

Ongoing Discrimination

Discrimination has not disappeared — racism still affects non-whites, Muslims, white Eastern Europeans, Gypsies/Roma, and Jews.

Windrush Scandal 2018

In 2018, the UK government was accused of creating a “hostile environment” that wrongly deported members of the Windrush Generation who had lived in the UK for decades.