Crime and Deviance by A.R

Crime and deviance

Crime - Refer to acts that break the law

Deviance - Acts that do not conform to societys values and norms. ( different acts are regarded as deviant in different places) Eg Turning up naked for work is deviant but being naked on a nudist beach is acceptable. 

An act is regarded as deviant based on

• Place
• Society 
• culture
• period of time
• who commits

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psychological explanations

explanotions of crime and devince that look at comen personarity traits in criminals and deivents.

For example:

• being impulsive is an example of a personality trait that some psychologists have linked to criminal tendencies. impulsive people act without thinking. some people commit crime because they are impulsive and act on the spur of the moment

biological explanations

explanotions of crime and devince that look at comen biological traitsin criminals and deivents.

For example:

• Lombroso believed that crime could be explained in terms of genetically determined physical characteristics. in his view, some people were born criminals. could be indentified by various physical features e.g. large jaw
• some people are more likely to commit violent crimes because of the genes they have inherited

formal rules are written down. they have official status and negtive sanctions for breaking the,, penalties or negative sanctions are usually imposed on those caught breaking them.

informal rules are taken for granted rules or guidelines on how we are expected to behave in particular social settings and sisoutionts that we learn thorght socialtion.

Relative deprivation: individuals feel unfairly disadvantaged compared to others e.g Freinds who have more money and better things. This can lead to the person who feelx unfairly disadvantaged  to turn to crime to obtine thesse things.

• Labelling Theory :  When Labes given to groups/individuals that labelles them as criminal leads to the labed group to become criminal due to the self fullfilling prophecy.
• Media influence: media identifies "troublemakers", police "tackle group"= media amplification (more people caught during act)
• subculturel Theroy: when a group who's norms and vules inculde crime. Cuases a person to turn to crime due to the peer pressure to conform to the gourps own norms.
• Oppurtunity structure:  When a lack of leagel oppitunties to obtine somthing cuases them to turn to ileage means to get that thing. Or when a lack of leagle activites available in area cuases people to seek enjoyment in elige activitys .
• Inadequate socialisation: When a person turns to crime becuse of bad socialtion. That fact that the  Media glamorouses guns and crime can help infulence a person that is inadequtey socialised to turn to crime,

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