sociology patterns of crime

Official Crime Statistics

Official figures of the number of crimes and offenders

dark figure of crime

the unknown number of crimes not included in official statistics

Self-report studies

research that asks people what crimes or deviant acts they have committed

white collar crime

non-violent crime committed by middle-class people for finial gain, such as fraud, embezzlement, bribery and identity theft.

Victim Surveys

research that asks people what crimes they have been victims of

corporate crime

crime committed by corporations or organisations, usually in pursuit profit for the corporation rather than the benefit of individuals.

state crime

Criminal acts committed by the state and government officials in the pursuit of their jobs as representatives of the government.

Moral Panic

exaggerated social reaction to deviance, creating a demand for action against it

juvenile delinquency

deviant acts by young people that would be treated as crimes if they were older

blue collar crime

Crimes that are committed by the working classes

Socialisation

the process by which individuals learn the norms and values of a social group.

Relative deprivation

the feeling of having less than others with whom a comparison can legitimately be made.