CRIM1000 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Marital Rape, Social Control, Population Ageing
Defining Crime and Deviance
• Crime and deviance change over time
What is Deviance?
• Behaviour that elicits a social reaction by violating the standard conduct defined by society
• In some countries
o Spousal rape not a crime, just a deviance
Social Norms from most deviant to less:
1. Laws - written formal decree
2. Taboo - prohibition of socially offensive acts
3. Mores - strong conviction about right and wrong
4. Folkways - non-binding social conventions
What is Crime?
• Defined by the state and subject to sanction
• Homosexuality - once a crime but not always deviant
• Robbing a house
Different perspectives of crime
1. Sociological perspective - threatens the social order
2. Political perspective - defined by the powerful
3. Psychological perspective - maladaptive behaviour
4. Legal perspective - Enforced by police
Defining a criminal act
• Act and intent must be present to constitute a crime
o Actus - conduct that caused the crime
o Men rea - prescribed state of mind
• All adult criminally responsible, children under 10 are not mentally capable
Why and how do we measure crime?
• Understand the nature and extent of crime in society
• Track crime trends and new crimes
• Create policies
• How?
o Record crime rates, arrest rates, conviction rates and imprisonment
• 60% of assaults are unreported to the police (dark figure of crime)
Crime funnel
o Offence (1000)
o Report to police (410)
o Recorded by police (287)
o Charged (37)
o Proceed against at court (21)
o Found guilty (15)
o Prison (4)
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Document Summary
Defining crime and deviance: crime and deviance change over time. What is deviance: behaviour that elicits a social reaction by violating the standard conduct defined by society. In some countries: spousal rape not a crime, just a deviance. Social norms from most deviant to less: laws - written formal decree, taboo - prohibition of socially offensive acts, mores - strong conviction about right and wrong, folkways - non-binding social conventions. What is crime: defined by the state and subject to sanction, homosexuality - once a crime but not always deviant, robbing a house. Different perspectives of crime: sociological perspective - threatens the social order, political perspective - defined by the powerful, psychological perspective - maladaptive behaviour, legal perspective - enforced by police. Crime funnel: offence (1000, report to police (410, recorded by police (287, charged (37, proceed against at court (21, found guilty (15, prison (4)
