According to official statistics, there are some significant ethnic differences in the likelihood of being involved in the criminal justice system. Black people, and to a lesser extent Asians are over represented in the sample. For example black people make up just 12.8% of the population, but 11% of the prison population and Asians make up 4.7% of the population, but 6% of the prison population. By contrast, white people are under-represented at all stages of the criminal justice process. The Ministry of Justice states that members of the black communities are seven times more likely than white people to be stopped and searched , three and a half times more likely to be arrested, and five times more like to be sent to prison.
Using material from Item A and elsewhere, assess the value of the ‘chivalry thesis’ in understanding gender differences in crime. When looking at official statistics it is clear to see that there is a difference in the amount and type of crime that is committed by the two sexes. The chivalry thesis is the idea that the cause for this difference is the experience of women within the criminal justice system (CJS). The thesis argues that women are treated more leniently by criminal justice agents such as the police , magistrates and judges because men are socialised to behave in a ‘chivalrous’ way towards women. There are several differences in the amount of crime that men and women do.
What are the central assumptions of biological theories of crime? How do such theories differ from other perspectives that attempt to explain the same phenomena? What biological factors does this lesson suggest might substantially influence human aggression? Hormones. Testosterone has often been used to explain criminality, and how it affects crime rates between men and women, and men and other men.
Physical bullying declines with age and is the least common form (Olweus, 1993). In girls, covert bullying tends to increase in frequency in late primary school, whilst it increases in early secondary school amongst boys. It usually occurs within the same gender, that is 47% amongst boys and 48% amongst girls (Cross et al., 2009). However, 32% of boys and 28% of girls were bullied by both genders. Covert bullying was slightly higher amongst girls with overt bullying being higher amongst boys (Cross et al., 2009).
With all of these types of disadvantages on their side they tend to receive more time than non-minorities. Non-minorities tend to be able to get lawyer and property bonds. According to a research done on Latinos/as in the criminal justice system it provided 24 findings that the criminal and juvenile justice system discriminated against Latinos/as (Urbina, 2007). Sentencing is affected by ethnicity that benefits Caucasians over any other minorities and penalizes Latino defendants (Steffensmeier and Demuth 2000; see also Urbania 2003b). (Urbina, 2007).
Are official statistics a reliable source of information about crime in Britain? Official criminal statistics are defined as “Statistical data compiled by the police and the courts and routinely published by governments as indices of the extent of crime” (Munchie, 2001, p194). “The working class, the young males, and members of some ethnic minorities are all more likely to commit crimes than the middle class, the elderly, females and whites – according to official statistics”. (Haralambos and Holborn, 2004, p338). In assessing the question “Are official statistics a reliable source of information about crime in Britain?” several factors will be considered: including how the statistics are collected, the divide between males and females in crime statistics, the over representation of ethnic minorities and any problems in looking at the true extent of crime using statistics as an indicator for this.
The most important demographic characteristics of a juvenile murderer is age and gender (violence committed, 2015). Looking at the gender demographics, boys in late adolescence have a higher rate to be serious offenders than girls (Chaiken, 1995b) as cited in (violence committed, 2015). And this is because violent offences are committed much more by males. However, females do have a considerable involvement in serious offences (violence committed, 2015). The study conducted by (Fox, 1996) shows the pronounced increased role in male homicide problem, who are aged 14-24.
Around 10-15% of patients with Bipolar I Disorder commit suicide, with the risks being highest during episodes of depression or mixed mania (the state of simultaneous depression and mania) (Suicide Rate, 2007). Some studies believe the risk for suicide in Bipolar II Disorder patients is even higher than those who are suffering with Bipolar I Disorder or major depressive disorder. Patients who also suffer from an anxiety disorder also are at greater risk for suicide. Fast cycling, a more complex bipolar disorder variation does not appear to enhance the suicide risk in patients with bipolar disorder symptoms. Lots of pre- and early adolescent children with bipolar disorder are more severely ill than adults with the disease.
I believe that boys tend to be more aggressive than females. Most cultures throughout the world expect the men to be aggressive. Sometimes it is a way of survival, protecting the women from harm or finding food for them. Men also have 20 times more testosterone than women. (2010 Amanda Hermes Children's Exposure to TV Violence & Aggressive Behavior) Of course females are also aggressive, but their aggression tends to focus more on verbal and social assaults instead of physical violence.
Decreases in gun ownership over the 1990s can explain up to a third of the decline in ceime over the same period. Exposure to firearm violence approximately doubles the probability that an adolescent will engage in serious violence over the subsequent two years, so that effects of maltreatment are similar to those of exposure to gun violence” (“James Poterba 1”). One potential explanation for the large effects is that children who experience maltreatment start engaging in crime earlier, an explanation that appears to be supported by studies the authors highlight. Abused or neglected children are more likely to be arrested as both juveniles and adults.