criminology 1.1 comparing criminal and deviance

Question 1

what does crime and deviance do

Answer 1

they can challenge or threaten accepted values and norms of behaviour

Question 2

what are values

Answer 2

guidelines for how we should live our lives, they tell us what is right and wrong, good and bad, E.G respect for human life

Question 3

what are norms

Answer 3

“specific rules or socially accepted standards that govern people’s behavior in particular situations”, these may differ between cultures, eg may be a norm to hold the door open for a person behind you

Question 4

what do norms do

Answer 4

-keep in check deviant behaviour

Question 5

what are two different types of norms

Answer 5

explicit norms (such as laws) and implicit norms (unwritten rules)

Question 6

when are the norms learned

Answer 6

when growing up in a particular culture

Question 7

what is the act of violating a social norm called

Answer 7

Deviance

Question 8

is crime a type of deviance

Answer 8

by definition, all crime is a type of deviance.

Question 9

is all deviance a crime

Answer 9

no not all deviance is a crime

Question 10

examples of deviance thats a crime

Answer 10

stealing a car

Question 11

example of nonillegal deviance

Answer 11

having tattoos all across your face is deviant as is against social norms however no law saying its illegal

Question 12

what are moral codes

Answer 12

are a set of basic rules, values, and principles held by an individual, group, organization or society as a whole.

Question 13

example of a moral code

Answer 13

a moral code may be written down E.GT the police code of ethics or teacher standards

Question 14

what is deviance

Answer 14

deviance is any behavior that differs from the norm/normal. it is behaviour that is unusual, uncommon or out of the ordinary in some way

Question 15

deviance can be unusual and good, whats an example

Answer 15

heroically risking ones life to save someone else

Question 16

Give an example of deviant behaviour that is unusual and eccentric.

Answer 16

Such as talking to the trees in the park, or hoarding huge amounts of newspapers.

Question 17

Give an example of deviant behaviour that is unusual and bad or disapproved of.

Answer 17

Such as physically attacking someone for no reason.

Question 18

What is a formal sanction?

Answer 18

Punishments for breaking formal written rules or laws. Imposed by official bodies e.g., courts, schools, etc.

Question 19

What is an informal sanction?

Answer 19

Disapproval is shown to a person for breaking unwritten rules, such as telling off or ignoring them.

Question 20

whats a positive sanction

Answer 20

Rewards for behavior society approves of, e.g., praise or medal, can be both formal and informal.

Question 21

What is social control?

Answer 21

all sanctions (formal, informal positive, and negative) in which society seeks to control our behavior and ensure we conform to its norms.

Question 22

eg of social control

Answer 22

speed camera, makes you not want to get fined(sanctioned) so you slow down

Question 23

What is the legal definition of criminal behaviour?

Answer 23

Any action forbidden by criminal law – usually involves actus reus and mens rea.

Question 24

what does actus reus mean

Answer 24

latin for guilty act

Question 25

what does mens rea mean

Answer 25

guilty mind

Question 26

mens reus + actus rea =

Answer 26

a crime, however there are exceptions

Question 27

whats an exception to mens reau and actus reas

Answer 27

-strict liability, in some cases mens rea (guilty mind) is not required, an act on its own can be enough to convict someone. an example could be negligence when health and safety laws are broken and a customer can get hurt, even though the person didn’t mean for it to happen

Question 28

what do some people think about crime

Answer 28

it can be socially defined and label it as a social interaction or a wrong against the community, if society has said an act is a crime it will become one

Question 29

what are differing views of criminal behaviour

Answer 29

people may have a diferant view on what is actaully a crime and makes you a criminal compared to legal definition, eg people going slightly over the speed limit and light drug users may not see themselves as criminals.

Question 30

what are criminal acts

Answer 30

criminal acts are ones that break the law

Question 31

what are the main two type of offences (seriousness)

Answer 31

-summary offences- less serious, tried in magistrates eg speeding
-indictable offences- more serious, tried in a crown court, rape, murder ect

Question 32

Acts that are criminal

Answer 32

-Violence against the person, e.g. murder, .
-Sexual offences, e.g. rape, sex trafficking .
-Offences against property, e.g. burglary, .
- Fraud and forgery, e.g. fraud/ponzi schemes.
-Criminal damage, e.g. arson.
- Drug offences, e.g. supplying or possessing
-Public order offences, e.g. riot

Question 33

State four formal sanctions

Answer 33

Custodial sentences, community sentences, police sanctions, other implications of criminal convictions.

Question 34

What are custodial sentences?

Answer 34

Court imposed imprisonment or detention in a young offenders institution

Question 35

What are community sentences?

Answer 35

Court imposed work, fines, courses, probation orders, restrictions, drug treatments and/or testing. Served outside of jail.

Question 36

what are fines

Answer 36

financial penalties, size of fine dependes on serouise of crime

Question 37

what is discharge

Answer 37

a conditional discharge involves offenders committing no further offences for a period, if broken court can impose new sentance

Question 38

what are police sanction

Answer 38

police can sanction offender without court for minor offences, such as cautions, conditional cautions and penalty notices

Question 39

what are some other implications of committing a criminal act

Answer 39

exclusion from occupation eg work
placement on sex offender list
travel ban/restrictions

Question 40

how can something be criminal but not deviant

Answer 40

-crimes that are not serious, for example possession of cannabis which is a crime, some do not regard it as a bad behaviour
-society can also often be divided on what is believed to be deviant or not

Question 41

how can something be deviant but not criminal

Answer 41

some acts that are see as deviant are not always a crime, EG homosexual acts are sometimes seen as morally wrong hence deviant but are not illegal