1. Causes Of Crime Flashcards
What was the main cause of crime in medieval (c500-1500) England and factors for that?
Poverty- people now desperate enough to commit crimes……
Famine- people without enough food to eat & now desperate e.g great famine 1315-17.
Disease- e.g Black Death 1340s which left villages deserted and land unfarmed, leading to hunger and poverty, and more opportunities for theft and robbery.
Warfare-demands to pay for wars in taxes and destruction of towns&farmland by marauding armies who would steal food e.g Norman conquest + wars of roses.
High taxes- people can’t afford them & necessities
What were other causes of crime in medieval England
Access to dangerous weapons- made violent crime very common.e.g farming tools made up 20% all crimes 1300 - 1348.
Increase in trade & business- merchants + traders used roads&tracks more often encouraging the growth of highway robbery.
Main causes of crime in early modern(1500-1700?)/16&17th centuries
Poverty- same as medieval- growing pop(limited food supply&jobs), dissolution of monasteries(helped the poor with food etc, when Henry 8 closed them left many monks unemployed), bad harvests (food shortages&higher prices), costly foreign wars(high taxes), rack-renting, rising inflation.
Religion- following reformation Henry 8 introduced new set of treason laws to silence opposition- anyone who opposed the monarchy or supported the pope was guilty of treason, anyone that said kings beliefs went against the church was guilty also.
Much religious divide in this time so many religious crimes committed.
Main causes of crime in industrial Britain(1700-1900)18&19th centuries
INCREASING POPULATION - pop England&wakes from 16 million in 1800 to 42 million in 1900. Overcrowding in cities with POOR LIVING CONDITIONS meant life was difficult for people and so turned to crime out of desperation. Narrow twisting alleys also made it easy to evade capture.
POLITICAL UNREST- working class help protests demanding political, economic and social changes, often ending in criminal damage.
URBANISATION- growth of large towns & cities(overcrowding states earlier). Industrial & agricultural revolutions- increased use of machinery left many unemployed and forced to more to industrial towns. Industrial workers had higher wages and work all year round, not just seasonal.
Main causes of crime in modern era(1900-present) 20th&21st century
Poverty&deprivation -force people to crime.
Misuse of alcohol& drugs- crimes often committed under the influence.
Inner-city gang violence- gun&knife crime.
Ethnic&racial problems- increase in hate related crimes.
Changes in technology- more opportunity for crime e.g cyber and car theft.
Television- can glamourise criminal lifestyle.
