Age & Crime

Test yourself

Age and Crime

According to statistics there is a link between age and crime.

17 and below

Younger people tend to commit more crime especially if they live in urban areas where more opportunities arise for crime.
The peak age of crime is 17, when young people tend to be:
- Most motivated by material factors (such as obtaining the latest gadgets.)
- Easily influenced by their peers.

25 and over

After the age of 25 people tend to start working, having families and this could be why there is a steep decline in crime.

Youth and Crime

Young people engage in more risk taking behaviour (Lyng), are stereotyped by police and can be affected by poor socialisation.

'Edgework' (risk taking behaviour):

Lyng argues that young people are looking for excitement.
They engage in deviant acts because it provides a thrill.
This ‘buzz’ is caused by the rise in their adrenaline levels.
By having peer support they feel invincible and they feel that they don’t care whether they get caught.

Stereotypes (police and media):

Police have stereotypes about who can be criminal and who can’t.
One group that fits their profiling is young people.
This is why they are highly represented in the statistics as they are being targeted by the police and they are being constantly checked.

Socialisation:

Some people are not properly socialised through primary and secondary socialisation which has an effect on their behaviour.
Some others might have the wrong role models.

Socialisation cont.

Some children are socialised into believing in the following:
- Considering aggression as an important part of masculinity and being a man.
- Fatalism-nothing can be done to change how things are.
- Fighting and arguing are seen as normal.

Treatment of Young Offenders

There is a debate on whether young offenders should be sentenced or educated. Cohen's work on delinquent subcultures can be referenced.

Punishment over education

Arguments for sentencing youths:
- They need to be punished in order to learn that deviant acts come with a price.
- Punishment will help them learn the norms and values of society which will prepare them for reintegration.
- They have broken the written rules, so they should be sanctioned.
- Any danger to society should be dealt with.

Education over punishment

There are other people who believe that education and not sentencing is the best solution for young offenders because:
- Young people tend to re-offend.
- It is a big expense for the government that has to provide the facilities for them.
- Education helps them reintegrate into society, as they have the necessary skills to go back to work.

Education over punishment cont.

If young offenders are vulnerable, chances are that a punishment won’t help them get back on their feet, on the contrary, it might make them suffer emotional distress.
Research has estimated the percentage of young offenders that have difficulties with communication to be at least 60%.
The vast majority of young offenders suffer from emotional and mental health problems.

1The Sociological Approach

1.1Introduction to Sociology

1.1.1What is Sociology?

1.1.2Culture & Socialisation

1.2Sociological Approaches

1.2.1Marxism

1.2.2Marxism 2

1.2.3Functionalism

1.2.4Feminism

1.3The Consensus vs. Conflict Debate

1.3.1The Consensus vs. Conflict Debate

1.3.2End of Topic Test - The Sociological Approach

2Families

2.1Functions of Families

2.1.1Functionalist Views on Family

2.1.2Marxist Views on Family

2.1.3Feminist Views on Family

2.2Family Forms

2.2.1What is a Family?

2.2.2Nuclear Family

2.2.3Families in a Global Context

2.2.4The Rapoports & Family Diversity

2.2.5Causes of Family Diversity

2.2.6End of Topic Test - Family Forms

2.3Conjugal Role Relationships

2.3.1Conjugal Roles

2.4Changing Relationships Within Families

2.4.1Timeline

2.4.2Domestic Abuse

2.4.3Symmetrical Family

2.5Criticisms of Families

2.5.1Functionalist Views of Families

2.5.2Marxist Views of Families

2.5.3Feminist Views of Families

2.5.4Declining Marriage Rate

2.5.5End of Topic Test - Criticisms of Families

2.6Divorce

2.6.1Reasons For Rise in Divorce Rate

2.6.2Consequences of Divorce

2.6.3Functionalist Views

2.6.4Marxist Views

2.6.5Feminist Views

2.6.6End of Topic Test - Divorce

3Education

3.1Roles & Functions of Education

3.1.1The Functionalist Approach

3.1.2Evaluating Different Perspectives

3.1.3Types of School

3.1.4Alternative Education

3.1.5State & Private Schools

3.2Processes Within Schools

3.2.1Internal Processes

3.2.2External Processes

3.3Educational Achievement

3.3.1Measuring Educational Success

3.3.2Social Class & Education

3.3.3Social Class & External Factors

3.3.4Gender & Education

3.3.5Ethnicity & Education

3.3.6Parental Choice

3.3.7History of UK Education Policy

3.3.8Recent UK Education Policy

3.3.9End of Topic Test - Education

4Crime & Deviance

4.1The Social Construction of Crime

4.1.1Defining Crime & Deviance

4.1.2Sociological Explanations of Crime

4.1.3Interactionist Explanations of Crime

4.1.4Alternative Explanations of Crime

4.2Social Control

4.2.1Informal Social Control

4.2.2Formal Social Control

4.2.3End of Topic Test - Social Construction of Crime

4.3Criminal & Deviant Behaviour

4.3.1Explanations of Crime

4.3.2Social Class & Crime

4.3.3Gender & Crime

4.3.4Ethnicity & Crime

4.3.5Age & Crime

4.3.6Criminal Responsibility

4.3.7The Prison System

4.3.8Media Reporting of Crime

4.3.9Functionalist Explanations of Crime

4.4Data on Crime

4.4.1Measuring Crime

4.4.2End of Topic Test - Criminal & Deviant Behaviour

5Social Stratification

5.1Social Stratification

5.1.1What is Social Stratification?

5.1.2Functionalism

5.1.3Socio-Economic Class

5.1.4Socio-Economic Class 2

5.1.5Life Chances

5.1.6The Affluent Worker

5.1.7End of Topic Test - Social Stratifictaion

5.2Poverty as a Social Issue

5.2.1Defining Poverty

5.2.2Factors Affecting Poverty

5.2.3Explanations of Poverty

5.2.4Impact of Globalisation

5.2.5End of Topic Test - Poverty as a Social Issue

5.3Power & Authority

5.3.1Weber

5.3.2Sociological Perspectives

5.3.3Power Relationships

5.3.4End of Topic Test - Power & Authority

6Sociological Research Methods

6.1Research Methods

6.1.1Research Design

6.1.2The Scientific Method

6.1.3Other Considerations

6.1.4Primary Sources

6.1.5Secondary Sources

6.1.6Surveys

6.1.7Sampling

6.1.8Questionnaires

6.1.9Interviews

6.1.10Observation

6.1.11Statistics

6.1.12Case Studies

6.1.13Longitudinal Studies

6.1.14Ethnography

6.1.15Experiments

6.1.16Small Scale Research

6.1.17End of Topic Test - Research Methods

Jump to other topics