Ethnicity And Crime

Question 1

What are the 3 main sources of statistics on ethnicity and crime?

Answer 1

1) . Official stats.
2) . Victim surveys.
3) . Self-report studies.

Question 2

What do official stats show about ethnicity and crime?

Answer 2

Ethnic differences in the likelihood of being involved in the CJS.

Question 3

What statistics support official stats uses on ethnicity and crime?

Answer 3

Blacks =

• 7x more likely than whites to be stopped and searched.
• 5x more likely to be in prison.

Question 4

What do victim surveys show about ethnicity and crime?

Answer 4

Shows the crimes BAME are more likely to commit, as it asks victims to name the ethnicity of the criminal.

Question 5

What statistics support the use of victim surveys in determining BAME crimes?

Answer 5

‘Mugging’ = black people more likely to be identified as offenders.

Question 6

What do self-report studies show about ethnicity and crime?

Answer 6

Ethnic differences in rates of offences.

Question 7

What statistics show the use of self-report studies on ethnic differences in crime?

Answer 7

Graham and Bowling (1995) =

• blacks and whites = almost identical rates of offending.

Question 8

Evaluate each source of statistics for ethnicity and crime?

Answer 8

1) . Official statistics =
- could just show BAME are more likely to be prosecuted of an offence.
2) . Victim surveys =
- rely on the honesty of the respondent, also a low attrition rate.
3) . Self-report studies =
- rely on honesty of individuals.

Question 9

Is the evidence on ethnicity and offending consistent?

Answer 9

No =

• official stats + victim surveys = higher rates of black offending.
• self-report studies = lower rates of black offending.

Question 10

What are the different stages of the CJS that BAME experience racism?

Answer 10

1) . Policing.
2) . Stop and search.
3) . Arrests and cautions.
4) . Prosecution and trial.
5) . Sentencing and prison.

Question 11

Who says there has been many allegations of oppressive policing of ethnic minorities?

Answer 11

Phillips and Bowling (2007).

Question 12

What are some examples of racist policing Phillips and Bowling use?

Answer 12

1) . Mass stop and search operations.
2) . Paramilitary tactics.
3) . Excessive surveillance.
4) . Armed raids.
5) . Police violence and deaths in custody.

Question 13

What concept is similar to Phillip and Bowling’s claim?

Answer 13

Lea and Young’s military policing (which shouldn’t be used).

Question 14

How many times more likely are black people to be stopped and searched, compare to white people?

Answer 14

7x.

Question 15

How many times more likely are Asians to be stopped and searched?

Answer 15

3x –> under the Terrorism Act 2000.

Question 16

What are the 3 explanations for these stop and search patterns.?

Answer 16

1) . Ethnic differences in offending =
- some ethnic groups are more likely to offend.
2) . Police racism =
- police more likely to discriminate in ‘high discretion stops’ (police act without information).
3) . Demographic factors =
- BAME have a high proportion of groups most likely to be stopped (young, unemployed and urban dwellers).

Question 17

Which historical event relates to the evidence of police racism?

Answer 17

The Macpherson Report (1999) =

• institutional racism in met police.
• so infused that nobody notices.
• follows Stephen Lawrence death.

Question 18

What is the arrest rate for blacks?

Answer 18

Over 3x than the rate for whites.

Question 19

Why are blacks and Asians less likely to receive a caution once arrested?

Answer 19

Because they are less likely to admit the offence, so they are more likely to be charged.

Question 20

What prosecution service decides whether a case brought to the police should be prosecuted?

Answer 20

Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

Question 21

Is the CPS more likely to proceed cases against BAME?

Answer 21

No,

• more likely to drop cases against them.

Question 22

Are BAME more likely to be found guilty than whites.

Answer 22

No.

Question 23

Why are BAME cases often elected from Crown Court trials, rather than magistrates’ court?

Answer 23

Because =

• less likely to plead guilty due to mistrust of magistrates.
• less likely to trust the police, so don’t accept a plea.

Question 24

Why do BAME cases often appear more severe than whites?

Answer 24

Because they are often elected from Crown Courts =

• they impose harsher sentences.

Question 25

How does the prosecutions and trials of BAME contribute to polices stereotypes?

Answer 25

Police think their crimes are more severe =

• so typify them more.
• causing a deviance amplification spiral (labelling).

Question 26

What percentage of male BAME are more likely to plea not guilty in Crown Courts?

Answer 26

52%, compared to whites of similar cases.

Question 27

Which ethnic group has the highest proportion of prison sentences?

Answer 27

Black, compared to whites and Asians.

Question 28

What did Hood (1992) find about sentencing of blacks?

Answer 28

Even with seriousness and previous convictions are taken into account =

• black men = 5% more likely to be jailed.

Question 29

How many times more likely are blacks to be in prison?

Answer 29

5x.

Question 30

Are BAME more likely to serve longer sentences?

Answer 30

Yes.

Question 31

Are BAME more likely to be granted bail when awaiting trial?

Answer 31

No.

Question 32

What historical events show racist police attitudes?

Answer 32

1) . 1968 –> Enoch Powell “rivers of blood” speech =
- immigration = crisis in society.
2) . 1981 –> Brixton riots =
- police “swamped” Brixton, by standards caused a riot as whites were picking on blacks.
3) . 1980s –> The Scarman Report =

• few bad apples (no institutional racism).
• need more non-white officers.

4) . 1993 –> Stephen Lawrence =
- Macpherson report = met police is institutionally racist.

Question 33

What are the 2 explanations for the ethnic differences in offending?

Answer 33

1) . Left Realism (LR).

2) . Neo-Marxism.

Question 34

According to LR, how has racism caused BAME crimes?

Answer 34

Led to (i) relative deprivation and (ii) marginalisation of BAME.

Question 35

How has relative deprivation led to BAME crimes?

Answer 35

Racism results in unemployment and poverty =

• BAME can’t gain consumerised materials legitimately.
• so resort to utilitarian crimes to cope.

Question 36

How has marginalisation led to BAME crimes?

Answer 36

Racism results in unemployment =

• as BAME struggle to find jobs, they are excluded to poverty.
• may join a deviant subculture to deal with this exclusion and relative deprivation.
• criminality creates a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Question 37

What do Lea and Young say about police racism?

Answer 37

• It can’t be the sole explanation of BAME crimes.

- It doesn’t explain the higher convictions of blacks than Asians (they’d have to be really selective).

Question 38

What statistics support lea and Young’s argument that police racism can’t be an explanation of BAME crimes?

Answer 38

90% of crimes are reported by the public rather than discovered by the police =

• shows relative deprivation and marginalisation are more valuable explanations of ethnic offending.

Question 39

What is Lea and Young’s conclusions about the causes of ethnic differences in crime?

Answer 39

1) . Statistics reflect the reality of ethnic differences in crime.
2) . These are caused by differences in relative deprivation and marginalisation.

Question 40

What perspective rejects the LR view?

Answer 40

Neo-Marxism =

• statistics don’t reflect reality.
• statistics are a social construct.

Question 41

Why does Gilroy say black criminality is a myth?

Answer 41

• Based on racist stereotypes.

- BAME are no more criminal than anyone else.

Question 42

How does Gilroy say black criminality is based on a social construct?

Answer 42

• CJS acts on racist stereotypes.
• Minorities are criminalised.
• Therefore, appear in greater number in the official crime statistics.

Question 43

How does the Interactionist perspective relate to neo-Marxism?

Answer 43

Criminalisation of minorities creates a dark figure of crime, which creates a deviance amplification spiral (police act on it) and this further labels minorities as criminal.

Question 44

What does Gilroy mean by ‘crime as political resistance’?

Answer 44

• Crime = political resistance against racist society.
• Roots from earlier struggles against British imperialism.
• Used the same defensive mechanisms in racist Britain.
• But their political struggle was criminalised by the state.

Question 45

What view is similar to Gilroy’s?

Answer 45

Critical criminology =

• that w/c crime is an act of resistance to capitalism.

Question 46

How does Hall et al. say capitalism ‘policed their crisis’?

Answer 46

1970s = capitalist crisis of high unemployment =

• moral panics of a young black “mugger”.
• even though their was no increase in this crime.

Question 47

According to Hall, why did the media create a moral panic of a young black “mugger”?

Answer 47

1) . Acted as a scapegoat =
- distracted the public’s attention from the real issue in society –> unemployment caused by capitalism.
2) . Divided the w/c on racist grounds =
- this weakened opposition to capitalism.

Question 48

How did the moral panic create more black crimes?

Answer 48

It marginalised them =

• increased unemployment.
• so drove some to commit petty street crimes.

Question 49

How is Hall et al. criticised?

Answer 49

1) . Say black crime wasn’t rising, then saying it was due to unemployment.
2) . Don’t say how the crisis led to a moral panic.
3) . Don’t say whether the public actually blamed crime on blacks.

Question 50

What is meant by intra-ethnic?

Answer 50

Crimes committed within an ethnic group (e.g. black on black).

Question 51

What are 3 reasons why ethnic minorities are more likely to be victims of crime?

Answer 51

1) . Institutional racism =
- police more likely to typify them as aggressive, so treat them accordingly.
2) . Poverty =
- 2x more likely to be unemployed.
- 3x more likely to be unemployed (more likely to be victims as more vulnerable).
- may live in criminalised areas.
3) . Discrimination =
- moral panics = stereotype them as dangerous (especially Muslims).
- creates more hate crimes (actually rising).

Question 52

What is an example of a crime committed against an ethnic minority?

Answer 52

Stephen Lawrence (1993).