REVISION - CRIME, PUNISHMENT AND PROTEST INTRODUCTION Crime, Punishment and Protest covers a period of more than 2500 years. Although you will not need to remember

LONDON REVISION - CRIME, PUNISHMENT AND PROTEST INTRODUCTION Crime, Punishment and Protest covers a period of more than 2500 years. Although you will not need to remember masses of detailed information, you will need a broad understanding of the main changes - and the factors behind those changes - from one period to another. Key definitions: Law - the formal rules of a society or country, which all members are expected to obey, and which are intended to control the behaviour of individuals. Depending on the period or country being examined, laws are made either by various individuals or by larger political organisations or authorities. Crime - an action which breaks one or more of the laws of any given society. In many cases, most members of a society will agree that certain actions (e.g. murder) should be illegal. Sometimes, however, certain sections of a society might find some behaviour acceptable even though it has been defined as criminal by those with the power to make laws (e.g. kings or governments). Punishment - part of the process of law enforcement, and refers to the sanctions or penalties imposed on those who break the law (i.e. commit crimes). These can vary from fines, to imprisonment or to different kinds of physical punishments. Punishments can also have several different functions, ranging from revenge to reform. Protest - any action against or

  • Word count: 25987
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Sociology
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CRIME, PUNISHMENT AND PROTEST

CRIME, PUNISHMENT AND PROTEST EARLY MODERN BRITAIN, 1450 -1750 Why did attitudes to crime and punishment change? * Growth of population and towns: over the next 300 years, England's population - especially in towns - increased greatly. * Social and economic developments: From the sixteenth century, the larger landowners and wealthy merchants became extremely rich. * Property and power: as the wealth of landowners and merchants increased, they began to want a bigger say in the running of the country. They were also concerned to control crime and protect their property from the poor. * The spread of ideas: ideas about politics and religion were able to spread more quickly. The invention of printing, and an increase in the numbers of people who could read, meant important ideas reached down to the lower classes as well as those who traditionally exercised power. * Improvements in travel: the use of coaches and wider possession of horses also helped ideas to spread more widely and more quickly. There were many reports about the growth of crime. * Attitudes about crime and poverty: the upper and middle classes were also worried by the fact that, since the Middle Ages, feudal restrictions on travel for ordinary people had been lifted. What were the links between crime and poverty? * Many of the laws in this period were designed to contain the 'threat' which the

  • Word count: 9490
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Sociology
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Sociological Theories on Crime and Deviance

CRIME AND DEVIANCE DEFINING DEVIANCE Sociologists define deviance as behaviour that is recognised as violating expected rules and norms. Deviance is more than simple non-conformity; it is behaviour that departs significantly from social expectations. In the sociological perspective on deviance, there is subtlety that distinguishes it from commonsense understandings of the same behaviour. * The sociological definition of deviance stresses social context, not individual behaviour. Sociologists see deviance in terms of group processes, definitions and judgements, not just as unusual individual acts. * The sociological definition of deviance recognises that not all behaviours are judged similarly as all groups. What is deviant to one group may be normative (non-deviant) to another. Understanding what society sees as deviant also requires understanding the context that determines who has the power to judge some behaviours as deviant and others not. * The sociological definition of deviance recognises that established rules and norms are socially created, not just morally decreed or individually imposed. Sociologists emphasise that deviance lies not just in behaviour itself, but also in the social responses of groups to the behaviour. Sociologists distinguish between two types of deviance: formal and informal. Formal deviance is behaviour that breaks laws or official

  • Word count: 9112
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Sociology
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Offender Profiling Handout

OFFENDER PROFILING HANDOUT The following short articles formed part of a series, written to provide an introduction to offender profiling. There are summaries of offender profiling (1); profiling stranger rapists (2); identification of serial rape (3); false rape allegations (4); and geographic profiling (5). At the end there is a list of relevant published material. . Introduction to offender profiling Offender profiling has a number of synonyms, which in themselves tell a story. The earliest quoted examples of 'psychological' profiles include those of 'Jack the Ripper' and the 'New York Bomber'. The first was the opinion of a surgeon about the offender's sexual deviancy and mental health, which was based on the injuries suffered by the last of the Ripper's victims. The second was provided by a psychiatrist. It was based on a series of letters and bombs, and included a diagnosis of paranoia, together with a description of typical personal attributes of someone who was paranoid, and other information inferred from the letters and from both the construction and the siting of the bombs. Recently an American linguistic expert has highlighted discrepancies between Brussel's account of the profile and the information still available in the records of the New York Police Department. The profile in the book was apparently a retrospective profile: the original having been modified

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Sociology
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Describe law and order in London in the late 19th century

Question 1: Describe law and order in London in the late 19th century (15 marks) The industrial revolution (1750 - 1850) facilitated the development of manufacturing industries in which a vast number of people became employed. This influx of employees followed a high density of accommodation in towns and cities, which began to cultivate. The substantial number of jobs meant a low pay and the accommodation reached unhygienic conditions where up to seven people would live in one tiny room. The employment in Whitechapel became exceedingly competitive and numerous were unable to find employment, women eventually turned to prostitution with their money often spent on alcohol and accommodation. These conditions got worse with the unemployed turning to crime. Throughout each year, the classes of society became gradually distant until the middle class and lower class were separated in both sides of Whitechapel. Whitechapel in 1888 was not a typical London suburb; it was socially and economically different to the rest of the Victorian City. Infested in crime and poverty, most people who lived there were the working poor, people who would work occasionally and criminals, in fact an estimated 1500 prostitutes worked in Whitechapel from a Metropolitan Police survey. Prostitution was so common in Whitechapel that police on the beat often turned a blind eye towards it. Being a prostitute

  • Word count: 6237
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Sociology
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A Failing Justice System

A Failing Justice System The criminology system has many gaps in it. Because of too many factors affecting the system like genes, anatomy, surrounding environment, season, time; and the deficiency of laws, many felons get away with whereas many innocents go to penitentiaries. Therefore, a reform in this failing justice system is a must. By Oguzhan Atay 9/I Ms. Silvana Vazquez 29/04/2004 Table of Contents ABSTRACT 3 PROLOGUE 6 ON THE INSUFFICIENCY OF THE CURRENT CRIMINOLOGY 6 KNOWN AND UNKNOWN CRIME 6 HARM OF CRIME 7 FEAR FOR CRIME 8 GAPS IN THE SYSTEM 9 On The Defectiveness of Laws 9 Getting Away With It 11 Effects of Mass Communication Media on Criminal Justice 12 The Responsibility of Media 13 THE LITERARY RELATIONSHIP OF CRIME 13 CRIMINOLOGY AS THE BASE OF CRIME PREVENTION STRATEGIES 15 THE CRIMINAL ELEMENT 15 ) THE PHYSICAL-BIOLOGICAL-ANTHROPOLOGIC SIDE 16 a) Cartographic View 16 b) Body Types 17 c) Genetic Factors 18 2) THE PSYCHOLOGICAL SIDE 19 a) The General Point of View 19 b) Treatment 19 3) THE SOCIOLOGICAL SIDE 20 THE CRITICISM OF CRIME PREVENTION STRATEGIES 20 ON THE EFFICIENCY OF PRISONS; PUNISHMENT OR TREATMENT 20 EPILOGUE 21 WORKS CITED 22 ABSTRACT Criminology is the scientific study of crime and criminals. This branch of science is interested in the reasons that form crime and make people commit crimes. However, the more

  • Word count: 6127
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Sociology
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Is the judicial system racist?

Is The Judicial System Racist? Aims I am going to answer the question 'Is the Judicial System Racist' . I aim to find out the public's view on crime and which ethnic groups are believed to cause the most and why and if & how the stereotype affects the ethnic group. 2. I aim to find out if the outside and inside prison populations are proportional for the ethnic groups. 3. I aim to find out if Society's Racial Stereotypes affect the police force and jury's judgement. I chose this topic because I thought it would be an interesting to find out the publics view on crime, and their view on other members of the public's view on crime. I also thought there would be a lot of information I could access the statistics I needed on the web. The statistics would be up to date, official and clear as they would probably be on the governments website. Introduction In Britain today there are 55 million people, of this 5% are Afro Caribbean, and 2% are Asian. This would mean the prison population should be 2% Asian, and 5% Afro Caribbean, but it is not, the actual figures are 13% Afro Caribbean and 7% Asian. Why is the prison population not a reflection of the ethnicity of Britain? Is it because of society, the police, or the actual ethnic group? To find out what is the cause, I will carry out research of my own and use previously obtained figures. Method I will find my

  • Word count: 5580
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Sociology
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How Crime is Detected and Prevented

How Crime is Detected and Prevented In this essay I will describe and explain how different methods are used to detect and prevent crimes. The different types are Alcohol, Arson, Ballistics, Blood, Documents, Drugs, Explosives, Fibres, Fingerprints, Footprints, Glass, Hair, Paint, Plastic, Pollen, Soil and finally Teeth. ALCOHOL: When a person is suspected of being under the influence of alcohol, the police can test them with different types of machines. These machines are called breathalysers. The Lion Alcolmeter S-L12 is the most common of these. These machines test the breath for traces of alcohol. If the suspect tests positive, they will be detained until they are cleared. Other ways of detecting alcohol on a person are physical tests. The police will ask the suspect to perform certain actions such as walking in a straight line and following a finger with there eyes. ARSON: When the forensic gets to the scene he must be very careful. An arson attack would burn away most of the evidence so the forensic must be careful where he treads. They would look under furniture and cloth, as this would have protected any fingerprints or fibres lying there. One of the most important roles of the forensic scientist following an arson attack is to establish the chemical nature of the accelerant - the material used to start the fire. When the evidence has been

  • Word count: 4833
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Sociology
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Assess The Contribution Of Control Theory To Our Understanding Of Crime And Criminality

Student Number 72620 Degree Course Title BSc Policing and Police Studies Unit Title Issues in Criminology Question Title Assess the contribution of control theory to our understanding of crime and criminality Assess The Contribution Of Control Theory To Our Understanding Of Crime And Criminality Introduction Before evaluating the contribution of control theory, the understanding of crime and criminality needs to be explained. "What is crime?" "Who commits crime?" These are questions that we will address. Crime or unaccepted social behaviour stems back many years but it is the political element of introducing defined laws that has had a significant effect on the population. Criminality is the etiology of those that defy the laws and do not conform to social norms. Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679), Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) and Cesare Beccaria (1738-1794) were earlier influences from the eighteenth century and their thinking about crime gave birth to what is now known as the 'Classical School'. The classical thought did not put any emphasis on the individual and took everybody as being equal in his or her decision to act criminally. Other theories developed from this period and looked more into the individual and social causes. This was known as the positivist approach. Biological and psychological theories of criminality tended to take this approach. Emile

  • Word count: 4666
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Sociology
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My hypothesis is 'peoples fears of crime is not justified' I plan to find out if people are more afraid of crime than they should be and whether they are correctly informed about the rates of crime. I will also try

Social Science . Coursework Crime and Legal . Systems Sarah Mullen Contents Introduction I have chosen to do my course work on the subject of crime and legal systems. My hypothesis is 'peoples fears of crime is not justified' I plan to find out if people are more afraid of crime than they should be and whether they are correctly informed about the rates of crime. I will also try to find out if males or females from certain family types commit a larger percentage of crime. I have chosen this topic because I am interested in both sociology and crime so I feel this would be the perfect subject for me to study. Also I think other people will find this subject interesting to read about. I am optimistic that this subject will allow me to get a good range of information and results. I have several methods of investigation planned: * The first is a questionnaire (quantitative methodology). I think this will be useful because I will be able to find out other peoples views and opinions. Also it may be completed at the person's leisure. The problem with using a questionnaire is that some people might not be honest and I have no way of knowing if what they say is true. To overcome this problem I will send them anonymously so that people do not feel under pressure to answer in a certain way. I hope that if the questions are personal hopefully they won't mind

  • Word count: 4622
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Sociology
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