Welcome to Criminal Psychology!
Hi there! Welcome to your study notes for Criminal Psychology. In this first chapter, Key Concepts, we are going to look at the foundations of how we define and measure crime. Don't worry if some of the terms seem a bit "legal" or complicated at first—we're going to break them down into simple pieces using everyday examples. Understanding these concepts is the first step to figuring out why people commit crimes and how society deals with them.
1. Different Types of Crime
In Psychology, we don't just say someone "broke the law." We categorize crimes based on what happened. The syllabus focuses on five main types you need to know:
• Violent Offences: These are crimes where physical harm is caused (or threatened) to a person.
Example: Assault or physical fighting.
• Drug-Related Offences: These involve illegal substances. This could be possessing them, selling them, or even crimes committed because of a drug addiction.
Example: Selling illegal drugs or stealing money to buy them.
• Acquisitive Offences: This is a fancy word for "getting stuff." These are crimes where the goal is to take money or property that doesn't belong to you.
Example: Shoplifting, burglary, or pickpocketing.
• Sexual Offences: These are crimes involving non-consensual sexual activity.
Example: Any sexual contact where the other person does not or cannot agree.
• Anti-Social Offences: These are "nuisance" crimes. They might not cause physical injury, but they cause harassment, alarm, or distress to others in a community.
Example: Vandalism (like graffiti) or playing extremely loud music late at night in a residential area.
Memory Aid: The "V.A.D.S.A." Mnemonic
To remember the five types, think of V.A.D.S.A.:
Violent
Acquisitive
Drug-related
Sexual
Anti-social
Quick Review: Which type of crime would "stealing a laptop" fall under? (Answer: Acquisitive, because you are acquiring/taking property!)
Key Takeaway: Crime is not one single thing; it is divided into categories like violent, acquisitive, and anti-social to help us understand the intent and the impact of the behaviour.
2. Crime as a Social Construct
This is a very important concept! A Social Construct is something that exists because society "made it up" or agreed that it exists. In other words, criminal behaviour isn't always something that is naturally "wrong"—it's something that a specific society decided should be against the law.
A. Deviation from Norms
To understand crime, we first need to understand Social Norms. These are the unwritten rules of how we are expected to behave in a group. When someone breaks these rules, it is called a deviation from norms.
Analogy: Imagine everyone in your school wears a uniform. If you show up in a dinosaur costume, you aren't breaking a law, but you are deviating from the norm. In the same way, some crimes are just behaviours that deviate so far from what society likes that we make them illegal.
B. The Role of Culture
Because crime is a social construct, what is "illegal" can change depending on your Culture. A culture is the set of beliefs and values shared by a group of people.
• Time: Laws change over time. For example, many years ago, it was legal to smoke in a cinema. Today, it is a crime in many countries.
• Place: Laws change from country to country. In some countries, it is a crime to drink alcohol; in others, it is perfectly legal.
Did you know?
In the UK, it used to be legal to drive without a seatbelt! Society’s views on safety changed, the "norm" changed, and then the law changed. This proves that crime is "constructed" by society.
Common Mistake to Avoid:
Don't assume that because something is "bad" it is automatically a crime everywhere. Remember that culture and time play a huge role in defining what a crime is.
Key Takeaway: Criminal behaviour is a social construct. This means it is defined by the social norms and culture of the people living in that time and place.
3. How Crime is Measured
If the government wants to know if crime is going up or down, they need to measure it. There are two main ways the GCSE syllabus wants you to know:
A. Official Statistics
These are the "government numbers." They are based on the crimes that are actually reported to the police and recorded by them.
• Pros: It gives a big-picture view of what the police are dealing with.
• Cons: It doesn't include the "Dark Figure of Crime." This is a term for all the crimes that happen but are never reported to the police (like someone being too scared to report a theft).
B. Self-Report
This is like a survey. Researchers ask people to honestly (and usually anonymously) list any crimes they have committed or been a victim of.
• Pros: It can uncover the "Dark Figure of Crime" because people might admit to things they didn't tell the police about.
• Cons: People might lie (to look "cool" or because they are scared of getting in trouble), or they might simply forget what happened.
Step-By-Step: Which measure is better?
1. If you want to know about serious crimes like car theft, Official Statistics are usually good because people report them for insurance.
2. If you want to know about "victimless" crimes like underage drinking or drug use, Self-Report is better because people rarely call the police on themselves!
Key Takeaway: We measure crime using Official Statistics (police records) and Self-Report (surveys). Each has strengths and weaknesses, and neither is perfect!
Summary Checklist
Before you move on to the next chapter, make sure you can answer these:
• Can I list the 5 types of crime (V.A.D.S.A.)?
• Do I understand that Social Norms and Culture decide what a crime is?
• Can I explain why Official Statistics might miss some crimes (The Dark Figure)?
• Do I know that a Self-Report is basically a survey about crime?
Great job! You've finished the Key Concepts for Criminal Psychology. Take a quick break before diving into the Theories!