REVISON for test

Control, Punishment and victimisation

CONTROL

Informal and formal control refers to how behaviour is regulated through norms, sanctions, laws and institutions.

Hirschi

Social control theory argues that strong social bonds (attachment, commitment, involvement and belief) prevent offending. Crime occurs when these bonds weaken.

Heidensohn

Feminist theory of control explains why women commit less crime. Women face greater social control in the family, community and workplace, reducing opportunities for offending.

Reiner

Concept of “canteen culture” within the police. Informal police values such as suspicion, macho masculinity and conservatism influence who is targeted and how police exercise social control.

Foucault

Argues modern society has shifted from sovereign power (public punishment) to disciplinary power (constant surveillance). The panopticon symbolises how people regulate themselves because they may be watched.

Garland

Culture of control describes how late modern societies have become more punitive, using surveillance, risk management and incapacitation to maintain order.

PUNISHMENT

This refers to how societies respond to crime through sentencing, prisons, deterrence and rehabilitation.

Durkheim

Functionalist view of punishment. Punishment reinforces collective conscience and social solidarity. Retributive justice was common in traditional societies; restitutive justice is more common in modern societies.

Marxists (Rusche and Kirchheimer)

Punishment reflects the economic needs of the ruling class. Prison systems and harsh punishments support capitalist interests by controlling the labour force and disciplining the working class.

Foucault

Punishment has become more psychological than physical. Discipline is exercised through institutions such as prisons, schools and hospitals.

Garland

Mass incarceration and “penal-welfare decline”. Governments use incapacitation and surveillance rather than rehabilitation, especially in the US and UK.

Cohen

The “net-widening” effect. Community controls like ASBOs, tagging and probation increase the number of people under state surveillance instead of reducing punishment.

Right Realists (Wilson and Kelling)

Broken windows theory links punishment and control. Zero-tolerance policing maintains order and prevents further crime.

Left Realists (Lea and Young)

Punishment should address the root causes of crime. They support community policing and rehabilitation rather than purely punitive measures.

VICTIMISATION

Sociologists study patterns of victimisation, who is most likely to be victimised and how society responds.

Walklate

Victimisation is socially constructed. Focus is often on the victim’s behaviour rather than the offender’s actions, particularly in cases of sexual violence.

Mawby and Walklate

Repeat victimisation: a small number of people experience a large proportion of crimes. Victimisation follows patterns of inequality.

Cohen

States use victim narratives to justify tough control measures, often exaggerating threats (moral panics).

Christie

Concept of the ideal victim. Certain victims are seen as more legitimate (weak, innocent, blameless) while others are not taken seriously.

Left Realists (Lea and Young)

Identify the social distribution of victimisation. Working-class, young and minority groups are more likely to be victims. They emphasise the real fear and impact of crime in disadvantaged communities.

Critical Criminologists

Focus on how the powerful avoid victim status. State crimes, corporate crimes and environmental harms often produce victims but go unrecognised in official statistics