Factors affecting
Crime
Factors Affecting Crime
Government
Governments decided what was a crime. Who
was governing the country changed over time.
Roman Governors, Kings and in more modern
times a Prime Minister and Parliament. New
laws created new crimes and often, this made it
seem like crime had risen. During the 1700s the
law makers were rich landowners and they were
worried about crimes being committed against
their property by discontented tenants /
employees. Many law makers saw the working
class as a criminal class.
Religion
Between AD400 and 1750 religion had a huge
influence over what people saw as a crime. You
could be punished for HERESY (speaking out against
the accepted religion). Between 1500-1750 many
people were accused of WITCHCRAFT because they
didn’t follow the normal social rules or seemed
strange to others they lived near. People though
Witches worked for the devil and so were afraid.
Some people thought if you did not live a religious
enough life you were tempted into crime or the
devil tricked or tempted people into crime.
War
During war time crimes decreased as many
men were employed as soldiers. After wars
ended some soldiers were DEMOBILISED (put
out of a job) so they took to crime. Some
became Highwaymen (People who used
violence and fire arms to rob travellers) as a
way of making a living.
Factors affecting
Punishment
Factors Affecting Punishment
Effectiveness of Punishment
Many, particularly law makers, believed that the
more public and gruesome an execution was
the more effective it was. But during the 1800s
many began to believe that public hanging did
not work as a deterrent and the last public
hanging took place in 1868. Since the 1800s
people have been debating whether
RETRIBUTION (punishment given to avenge the
criminal act committed) is a more effective way
to punish people than REFORMING (help the
criminal resolve issues and integrate back into
normal society.)
Religion
Between AD400 and 1750 religion had a huge
influence over punishments. In the Middle Ages you
could be granted SANCTUARY or BENEFIT OF THE
CLERGY if you had committed a crime and these
could prevent you from being hung. You could also
be punished more harshly because of religion for
crimes like HERESY. Between 1750-1900 people like
ELIZABETH FRY tried to reform prisons and make
them a better place for offenders because of
religious moral motivation.
Social Change
Until the 1800s governments and the ruling
class did not believe it was their job to help
those less fortunate so they were likely to
punish those turning to crime because of
poverty more harshly. Today parents of
children who break the law e.g. refuse to
attend school can be punished.