Crime & Devince

Crime and Deviance

What is Crime?• Crime is usually associated with behaviour that breaks the

formal, written laws of any given society.

What is Deviance?• Deviance is behaviour which does not conform to the

dominant norms of a specific society.

Crime and Deviance

• Deviance- behavior that violates social norms or which is statistically different from the “average”

What is deviance?

• Deviance is any behavior, a belief, or condition that violates significant social norms in the society or group in which it occurs• deviance is a formal property of social situations

and social structure• deviance is a property conferred by audiences• deviance is relative and it varies in its degree of

seriousness

Activity 1• You have to decide and justify whether the following action is

criminal, deviant, or both!Action Criminal Deviant Criminal + Deviant Why?

Stealing a bottle of milk from a

doorstep

‘Burping’ after a meal

Drinking a bottle of vodka on the

bus

Keeping money you have been

given in error in change in a corner shop

It’s all in the culture!

•

Criminal Activities

Criminal activities are defined by the laws of a particular society.

Therefore, whether an action is seen to be criminal or deviant can depend on four very important factors:

• Time • Place • Social situation, and• Culture

Types of crime

• There are six main types of crime:• Crimes Against Persons• Crimes Against Habitation• Crimes Against Property• Crimes Against Morality• Modern Crimes• Consensual Crimes

Crimes Against Persons

• Also known as “violent crimes”• There are five major types that the FBI measures (Territo

2004):• Battery: Unlawful application of force by a person on another.• Homicide: The killing of one human being by another.• Hate Crimes: Can be defined as an offense motivated by hatred

against a victim because of his or her race, ethnicity, religion, handicap, or national origin.

Crimes Against Persons Con.’t

• The fifth type of crime against persons is assault.• Two different types (Territo 2004):• Attempted Battery: Engagement in conduct that comes reasonable close

to committing a battery, having the present ability to succeed in committing the battery, and intending to commit the battery.

• Intentionally Placing Another in Fear: The placing of another person in fear that he or she will receive an immediate battery; the victim must be in fact apprehensive; the conduct must be sufficient so as to create apprehension in a reasonable person; and the defendant had the intent to create that apprehension.

Crimes Against Habitation• These crimes are against the place where a citizen sleeps

regularly.• Two major types (Territo 2004):• Burglary: which is the breaking and entering of the dwelling

house of another in the nighttime with the intent to commit a felony therein.

• Arson: The malicious burning of a dwelling house of another.

Crimes Against Property

• These crimes include (Territo 2004):• Larceny: Taking and carrying away the personal property of

another with the intent to permanently deprive the owner of the property.

• Robbery: Same elements as Larceny but adds that the taking of property must be in the presence of the victim by the means of either violence or intimidation, or both.

• Embezzlement: Fraudulent conversion of the property of another by one who is already in lawful possession thereof with the intent to defraud the victim.

Crimes Against Morality• These crimes were not originally tried in the common-law

courts; instead they were ecclesiastical crimes, tried and punished by the Church of England. (Territo 2004)

• Includes:• Bigamy: Marrying another person while one’s spouse is still living.

Modern Crimes• The most frequent modern crimes include:• Computer Crime• Identity Theft• Stalking

Consensual Crimes• Also known as victimless crimes, because it is an act that all

involved parties choose to be involved.• These crimes include gambling, drug use, and prostitution.• However, some people argue that these crimes are not

victimless crimes, because social norms are violated. (Territo 2004)

5. Deviance and Social Context• Definitions of deviance must consider:• Culture• Time/Era• Gender

Social Control

• All societies have ways to promote order, stability and predictability in social life. Without social control, social life would be unpredictable, even chaotic.

• There are two broad types of social control:• Internal• External

InternalSocial Control

• Internal social control lies within the individual, and is developed during socialization. You are practising internal social control when you act according to your conscience (ie. you do something because it is the right thing to do).

• Most people act according to this internal social control (ie. they do the right thing) – most of the time.

ExternalSocial Control

• The process of socialization does not ensure that all people will conform all of the time. For this reason, external social control must also be present.

• External social control is based on social sanctions – rewards and punishments designed to encourage desired behaviour. • Positive sanctions (eg. smile of approval, awards,

raises) are used to encourage conformity. • Negative sanctions (eg. criticism, fines, imprisonment)

are intended to stop socially unacceptable behaviour.

Three views of deviance• Biological• Psychological• Sociological

• The biological and psychological perspectives locate deviance in the person, while sociological perspectives locate deviance in the act.

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Theories of Crime and Deviance

• Sociological theories of crime and deviance differ from other theories:• Sociological theories characterize deviance and crime as a

response to the society in which they occur.

• Psychological theories locate deviance and crime within the psyche or mind of the individual, as the product of inborn “abnormality” or of “faulty cognition processes.”

Theories of Crime and Deviance

• Biological theories locate deviance and crime within the biological makeup of the individual.