CRIME & DEVIANCE ETHNICITY & CRIME BOOKLET 15

What % of people do black people make up? What % of prisons do they make up?

Black people make up 3% of the population, however they make up 13.1% of the prison population

What % of people do asian people make up? What % of prisons do they make up?

Asian people make up 6.5% of the population, however they make up 7.7% of the prison population

Are white people under or over represented in all stages of the criminal justice system?

Under represented

What are the reasons for these statistics? What do they not tell us?

Black people are more likely to arrested than white people (for the same crime), due to the media, prejudice in society, institutional racism (the police can be racist), police focus on black people (typifications (cicourel) - stereotypes)

What did Durkheim say that linked to the idea of someone will be committing crime in every society?

"Even in a society of saints, there will always be sinners"

What is the main criticism of statistics?

They are socially constructed

Who are most likely to be stopped and searched by police?

Ethnic minorities

Before 2000, why would police stop people?

If they have "reasonable suspicion" of wrongdoing

However, what was introduced in 2000, which changed stops and searches?

The Terrorism Act 2000

Due to The Terrorism Act 2000, what changed about stops and searches?

Police could now stop anyone, for any reason they want

How times more likely are black people to be stopped and searched (than white people)?

7x more likely

How many times more likely are asian people to be stopped and searched (than white people)?

2x more likely

If police focus more on black and asian people commit crimes, what happens to white people crime?

They get away with their crimes

Statistics now show which culture are most likely to be stopped and searched than any other?

People of asian descent, such as muslims (typifications - stereotypes)

Phillips and Bowling stated these communities (asian) feel they are what?

Over policed and under protected

Why do the police focus more heavily on asian communities?

Due to 9/11, 7/7 bombings - both muslim communities

Why does the Asian community feel over policies and under protected?

When they are constantly being stopped - this reprieve their trust in the police, causes them to feel pestered by the police

What is an AO2 against this point?

This assumes that every member of asian communities are criminals/terrorists, this is NOT true

Is there any link between violence and the muslims religion?

NO

This opposes the beliefs of the Quran as it teaches peace and community, completely against violence

There are 3 possible trains for the disproportionate use of stop and search against ethnic minority groups

What are they?

1. Police Racism

2. Ethnic differences in offending

3. Demographic factors

What is a good example to use of police racism?

Stephen Lawrence

Who was Stephen Lawerence?

A black teenager who was murdered by a group of white men in 1993

What happened to Stephen Lawrence?

• he was waiting at a bus stop with this friends, was attacked by a group of white men

• he later died in hospital

How was Stephen Lawrence failed by the police? (institutional racism)

The police lacked any sympathy/care at the scene (they asked what he had done wrong)

They also ignored a witness statement which said it was a group of white men

What did the investigation of the police find?

There was institutional racism within the Metropolitan police

It was found there were deeply ingrained racist attitudes among individuals officers

The case was reopened. When and why?

Reopened in 2010, where all 4 men were arrested, as Stephen's hair was found on one of the pairs of jeans the attackers wore (so due to improvements in DNA testing, the attackers were arrested)

Phillips and Bowling say this institutional racism is due to what?

Many officers holding negative stereotypes about ethnic minorities

What "culture" what this down to?

"Canteen" culture among officers

What is canteen culture?

Sharing incorrect ideologies, prejudice views

What are the 2 types of discretion stops?

1. Low level discretion stops

2. High level discretion stops

What are "low level discretion stops"?

When police act on relevant information, for example the victims description of the offender (this is what should be happening, but doesn't necessarily)

What are "high level discretion stops"?

Police act without intelligence, use stereotypes (this is what shouldn't happen but does)

Which groups in society are most likely to be stopped?

Young people, unemployed, manual workers, and people who live in urban areas (inner cities)

What do you think are the reasons for this statement?

What do you think are the reasons for this statement?

"Studies suggest that the crown prosecution service (CPS) are more likely to drop cases against ethnic minorities"

The police are targeting ethnic minorities (jumping to conclusions), based on personal and institutional racism (canteen culture)

What are the 2 aspects that crime has to pass to be able to go to court?

• not in the public interest to go to court

• police are stopping without valid evidence

Who are judges normally?

White middle class, middle aged men - so they may be prejudice

How many % points higher do black offenders have of being imprisoned than white offenders?

3% points

How many % points higher do asian offenders have of being imprisoned than white offenders?

5% points

Why could ethnic minorities be more likely to be sent to prison?

Due to seriousness of the crimes or previous convictions

What are custodial sentences?

Sent to prison

How much more likely were black men to receive a custodial sentence?

5%

Find some up to date statistics of populations in English/Welsh prisons (ethnic minorities)

White 72%

Black/African/Caribbean/Black British 12%

Asian/Asian British 8%

Mixed/multiple ethnic groups 4%

Other ethnic groups 1.5%

How many times more likely are black people in general to be sent to prison?

53%

So overall, what % of the general populations in prisons are ethnic minorities? (England and Wales)

18%

Large scale migration happened in the 1950s, where was this from? What was this generation called?

From the Caribbean and India, known as the "wind rush generation"

Why were they called "the wind rush generation"?

This was the name of the boat they travelled on

Why did people migrate in the 1950s? How is this relevant to prejudice?

To help rebuild the nation after WW2, so there was no precipice as everyone was helping each other and working together

From the 1970s, which minorities has there been conflict between?

The police and the African-Caribbean community

What caused the 1981 Toxteth Riots in Liverpool?

The aggressive arrest of a young black man on July 3rd 1981, which was fueled by deep seated racial tension, high unemployment, and severe economic deprivation

What else happened around the 1980s? (link to who was in charge)

Margaret Thatcher shut down the mining industry - so black people were especially effected, meaning they were left unemployed (leaving them to turn to illegitimate means)

In the 1990s, which ethnicity did the media explain their a rise of crime in?

Asian gangs

Following what event caused tension and clashes between young asian people and the police?

9/11

Muslims people/Asian people were seen as the "enemy within" and were a threat to public safety - what does this mean?

They were seen as the enemy within society - this gave the rise to Islamophobia

Who were Left Realists?

• they like the Marxist ideologies

• they combine with interventionist views

• belive crime acts as a political standpoint

• MRS

• liken crime to modern day “robin hoods” - romantic

Who are the 2 Left Realists?

Lea and Young

Left Realists, Lea and Young argue that racism has led to marginalization, but what else?

Economic exclusion of ethnic minorities who face higher levels of unemployment, poverty and poor housing

Which ethnic minority would they agree are marginalized by society?

Black

How does the media link to minority groups committing crime?

The media puts an emphasis on consumerism which promotes relative deprivation by setting materialistic goals which minority groups cannot achieve legitimately

How else are these materialistic goals emphasized?

Music - young black people may see this as their only success

How can we AO3 this point about music?

This has changed in modern day society as there are more black positive role models

Who are some examples of black postive role models?

• Kamala Harris

• Baraca Obama

Do delinquent subcultures tend to produce higher levels of utilitarian or non-utilitarian crimes? Such as?

Utilitarian (get something from it), such as theft and robbery

Why could ethnic minority groups also result in non-utilitarian crime?

Ethnic minority groups are marginalized and have no organizations to represent their frustration (so commit crime such as violence and rioting)

What is an example of an organization who represents ethnic minority groups?

BLM - Black Lives Matter

How can we link this to Merton's Strain Theory?

The idea that everyone wants the American Dream but are unable to achieve this legitimately, so turn to illegitimate means through utilitarian crimes. This is specifically relevant to black communities as they have less access to employment and housing due to marginalization

Do Lea and Young recognize that police often act in racist ways? What does this result in?

Yes - resulting in unjustified criminalization of some numbers of minority groups

What statistics do Lea and Young take into account that defend the police?

90% of crimes are reported by members of the public rather than being discovered by police themselves

Left Realists see official statistics as reflecting real differences in offending between ethnic groups, who argues with this?

Neo-Marxists

Paul Gilroy and Stuart Hall et al

What do Neo-Marxists explain about stereotypes of ethnic minorities?

They are socially constructed to make people believe that ethnic minorities are more criminal than the majority population

What does ethnic minorities stereotypes being socially constructed mean?

Someone started this, been shared (on social media), this creates a moral panic, people then run with this idea

Who came up with the "Black Mugger"?

Hall et al

What was the "Black Mugger"? What was it fueled by?

Revolved around the growing conflict between the police and the Afro-Caribbean community

• fueled by selective crime statistics showing the black community being involved in offenses such as street robbery (mugging)

Who socially constructed these statistics?

The government

So the media reported on this and labeled the "black mugger", what did this cause?

A moral panic

Hall et al argued that there hadn't been an increase in "muggings", but what did this show?

This justified repressive and aggressive policing against the black community

Gilroy argues that the idea of black criminality is what?

A myth created by black stereotypes of African Caribbean and Asian people

Does Gilroy argue these ethnicities (black and asian) are more/less/the same level of criminals as other ethnicities?

The same (no more than any other ethnicity)

Gilroy believes that racist stereotypes come from where?

The police and criminal justice system

Gilroy believes that a racist society has roots of British Imperialism, what is this?

The idea that the British Empire owned a lot of the world, and were slave traders

How has British Imperialism influenced British people's views of ethnic minorities?

As Britain always has the power, they believe they have control over ethnic minorities, creating a belief that British people are better as they used to own/rule the countries - linking to ethnocentrism (judging other cultures by the British culture), because they are slave traders this creates an inferior identity for Black people

What does Gilroy explain working class crime is?

A political act of resistance to capitalism

What are some criticism of Gilroy?

How does where we live affect crime? Link to black youths

Neighborhood factors - explains greater involvement of black youths in street robbery

Would crime rates be higher in poorer or richer areas?

Poorer areas, where deprived young people came into contact with more affluent groups

AO3: Where white people living in these same deprived areas/conditions more or less likely to commit street crime?

More

If white people were more likely, does this mean ethnicity is or is not a factor towards crime?

NOT

BUT, poor people are more likely to live in deprived areas, due to what?

Racial discrimination in the housing and job market

What do you think are reasons for black people struggling to find housing or jobs?

Past stereotypes, lack of education/knowledge, prejudice, criminal record, people from middle/upper classes may not want to be around these minorities (drive them out/reserved for the upper class white people)

Are black or white offenders more likely to be arrested?

Black offenders

Why are black offenders "more visible" to the police?

They were known to have been excluded from school and associate with known criminals

What is racist victimization?

Where an individual is selected as a target because if they race, ethnicity or religion

Who was Anthony Walker?

A 17 year old Black teenager from Liverpool, murdered in July 2005, attacked with an axe whilst waiting for a bus with his girlfriend, attack was treated as racially motivated (perpetrators were convicted for murders)