ethnicity and crime

What do official statistics show about black people and crime?

Black people are more likely to be stopped, arrested, and imprisoned compared to other ethnic groups.

What is one explanation for higher offending among black people?

Some sociologists argue it is due to actual higher offending, linked to factors like poor educational achievement, dysfunctional family structures, and racist media stereotypes.

What is an alternative explanation for higher crime statistics among black people?

Some sociologists argue that black people only appear more criminal because of discrimination in the criminal justice system and wider society.

How do Lea & Young explain why black people appear more criminal?

Differences in statistics reflect discrimination in wider society. Utilitarian crime responds to material deprivation, while non-utilitarian crime arises from frustration. They argue police racism is not the main cause since 90% of crimes are reported by the public.

What is Gilroy’s explanation for apparent higher crime among BME groups?

BME people do not commit more crime; higher arrest rates result from racist policing and stereotypes. Resistance to oppression in Britain was criminalised, even though similar resistance in former colonies was justified.

How do Hall et al explain black crime in the 1970s?

The media created a moral panic about black ‘mugging’ to distract from capitalist crisis. Black people were victims of capitalism, which also made them less likely to get jobs, potentially leading to crime.

How does education explain higher crime rates among black people?

Poor educational achievement among Black Caribbean pupils makes it harder to find legitimate, well-paid jobs, leading some to turn to illegal employment (e.g., drug trade) or crime due to relative deprivation.

How does family structure explain crime among black people according to functionalists?

A higher rate of lone-parent families in the black community may lead to inadequate socialisation, so children are not taught norms and values, including that crime is wrong.

How does the media contribute to higher crime among black people?

Media stereotypes reinforce the idea that black people are more criminal, which may lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy where black individuals commit more crime in response to societal expectations.