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Flashcards in Ethnicity, Crime and Justice Deck (33)
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1
Q

Why might official statistics not be a good measure of how much crime difference ethnic groups actually commit?

A

Black people and Asians: over-represented (CJS)
For example: Asians make up 6.5% of population, but 7.7% of prison population.

Stats don’t tell us whether members of one ethnic group are more likely to commit an offence in the first place - simply tell us about involvement with CJS.

2
Q

What do victim surveys tell us about ethnicity and offending?

A

Mugging: black people significantly over-represented.
Crime: intra-ethnic (takes place within rather than between ethnic groups).

3
Q

Briefly outline four limitations of victim surveys.

A
  • Rely on victims’ memory of events. Phillips and Bowling: white victims may ‘over-identify’ blacks.
  • Only cover personal crimes, which make up only about 1/5 of all crimes.
  • Exclude the under 10s: minority ethnic groups contain higher pop. of young people.
  • Exclude crimes by and against organisations (e.g businesses), so they tell us nothing about ethnicity of white collar and corporate criminals.
4
Q

Why might victim surveys be unrepresentative?

A

Only tell us about ethnicity of a small proportion of offenders, which may not be representation of offenders in general.

5
Q

According to Sharp and Budd, which ethnic groups are most likely to admit to offending?

A

Whites and ‘mixed’ ethnic origins: 40%
Blacks: 28%
Asians: 21%

6
Q

How do the findings of self-report studies challenge stereotypes about ethnicity and offending?

A

Challenge stereotype of black people as being more likely than whites to offend, though they support the view that Asians are less likely to offend.

7
Q

How do the various forms of data on offending contradict each other?

A

While official stats and victim surveys point to the likelihood of higher rates of offending by blacks, this is generally not borne out by the results of self-report studies.

8
Q

Briefly explain and give examples of how ethnic minorities are treated differently in the following stages of the criminal justice:

  • Policing
  • Stop and search
A

Policing:
- Phillips and Bowling: since 1970s - many allegations of oppressive policing of minority ethnic communities, including: ‘mass stop and search operations, paramilitary tactics, excessive surveillance, and a failure to respond effectively to racist violence.’

Stop and search:

  • Blacks: 7x more likely (than whites).
  • Asians: over 2x as likely.
  • Terrorism Act 2000: police can stop and search whether or not they have reasonable suspicion. Asians more likely to be stopped under act.
  • Phillips and Bowling: members of ethnic communities ‘over-policed and under-protected’ and limited faith in police.
  • Contemporary example: The Macpherson Report (Stephen Lawrence)
9
Q

Briefly explain and give examples of how ethnic minorities are treated differently in the following stages of the criminal justice:

  • Arrests and cautions
  • Prosecution and trial
A

Arrests and cautions:

  • England and Wales (2014/15) arrest rate: blacks 3x rate of whites. Once arrested, blacks + Asians less like to receive caution.
  • Members of BME groups more likely to deny offense + exercise right to legal advice.
  • Not admitting: can’t be let off with caution

Prosecution and trial:

  • Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) make decision to bring case to court and if prosecution is public interest.
  • CPS: more likely to drop cases against ethnic minorities.
  • Bowling and Phillips: evidence presented to CPS by police often weaker + based of stereotypes.
10
Q

Briefly explain and give examples of how ethnic minorities are treated differently in the following stages of the criminal justice:

  • Pre-sentence report
  • Prison
A

Pre-sentence reports:

  • Written by probation officers.
  • Risk assessment to assist magistrates in deciding sentence.
  • Hudson and Bramhall: PSRs allow discrimination. Reports on Asians - less comprehensive, suggested less remorse than white offenders. Place bias in context of ‘demonising’ Muslims (9/11).

Prison:

  • 2014: 5.5 per 1,000 blacks were in jail compared with 1.6 per 1,000 Asians and 1.4 per 1,000 whites.
  • Blacks: 4x more like to be in prison than whites.
  • Black and Asian: longer sentences
  • All BME groups: higher than average proportion of prisoners on remand (less likely to be granted bail while awaiting trial).
11
Q

Why did black criminality come to be seen as a problem in the 1970s?

A

Increased conflict between police and African Caribbean community and higher arrest rates for street crime.

12
Q

Why did Asian criminality come to public attention in the 1990s?

A
  • Media concerns about growth of ‘Asian gangs’.

- Clashes between police and Asian youths after 9/11 helped crystallise idea that Asians were an ‘enemy within’.

13
Q

According to left realists, what are the three factors that contribute to crime and how do these affect ethnic minorities?

A
  • Relative deprivation, subculture and marginalisation.
  • Racism has lead to marginalisation and economic exclusion of ethnic minorities, who face higher levels of unemployment, poverty and poor housing.
  • Media emphasis on consumerism promotes sense of relative deprivation by setting materialistic goals many members cannot reach by legitimate means.
14
Q

According to Lea and Young, why does police racism not fully explain the differences in crime statistics between different ethnic groups?

A

Over 90% of crimes known to police are reported by members of the public rather than discovered by police themselves. Can’t blame police under these circumstances.

15
Q

According to Lea and Young, what can be conducted from official crime statistics?

A

Stats represent real differences in levels of offending between ethnic groups caused by real differences in levels of relative deprivation and marginalisation.

16
Q

Briefly explain a criticism of Lea and Young’s views on police racism.

A
  • Arrest rates for Asians may be lower than blacks not because they’re less likely to offend, but because police stereotype the two groups differently:
    Blacks - dangerous
    Asians - passive
  • Stereotypes changed since 9/11 - rising criminalisation rates.
17
Q

According to Gilroy, why is black criminality a myth?

A

Reality: groups no more criminal than any other.

18
Q

According to Gilroy, how should ethnic minority crime be viewed?

A

.

19
Q

Briefly explain how ethnic minority crime may be a reaction to racism.

A

.

20
Q

Briefly outline Lea and Young’s three criticisms of Gilroy.

A
  • First generation immigrants (1950s+60s): law-abiding. Unlikely they passed down tradition of anti-colonial struggle to children.
  • Most crime: intra-ethnic, so can’t be seen as anti-colonial struggle against racism. Lea and Young: Gilroy romanticises street crime as revolutionary but its not.
  • Asian crime rates: similar to or lower than whites. If Gilroy were right, then police are only racist towards blacks and not Asians (unlikely).
21
Q

According to Hall et al, what were the social conditions of the 1970s and how did these cause a need for greater social control by the ruling class?

A
  • British capitalism: crisis
  • High inflation and rising unemployment were provoking unrest and strikes, conflict in N Ireland intensifying and student protests spreading.
  • R/c needed to use force to regain control.
  • However, force needs to seem legitimate or could make situation worse.
22
Q

How did the moral panic about the black mugger serve the interests of the ruling class?

A

By presenting black youth as threat to fabric of society, moral panic divided w/c on racial grounds and weakened opposition to capitalism.

23
Q

What other reason does Hall et al give for black males committing crime, apart from moral panic and policing?

A

Crisis of capitalism was increasingly marginalising black youth through unemployment and drove some into lifestyle of hustling and petty crime to survive.

24
Q

Briefly outline three criticisms of Hall et al.

A
  • Downes and Rock: Hall et al claimed black street crime wasn’t rising, but also that it was rising because of unemployment.
  • Don’t show how the capitalist crisis led to a moral panic, nor do they provide evidence that public were in fact panicking or blaming crime on blacks.
  • LR: inner-city residents’ fears about mugging aren’t panicky, but realistic.
25
Q

According to FitzGerald et al, how does neighbourhood help to explain crime among black youths?

A
  • Rates: highest in poor areas

- Very deprived young people gaining contact with more affluent groups.

26
Q

According to Sharp and Budd, why do some ethnic groups face a greater chance of getting caught for crimes?

A

More likely to commit crimes such as robbery, where victims can identify them, and to have been excluded from school or to associate with known criminals - raised visibility to authorities.

27
Q

Define racism victimisation.

A

When an individual is selected as a target because of their race, ethnicity or religion.

28
Q

Briefly outline the two sources of information on racist victimisation.

A
  • Victim surveys (CSEW)

- Police-recorded stats

29
Q

Which ethnic group is at greatest risk of being a victim of any crime?

A

Mixed ethnic (27.9%)

30
Q

What factors, other than ethnicity, may account for high proportions of minority ethnic groups being victims of crimes?

A

Violent crime: young, male and unemployed.

31
Q

According to Sampson and Phillips, what information is missing from statistics in relation to racist victimisation.

A
  • Tends to be ongoing.
  • Repeated ‘minor’ instances of abuse and harassment interwoven with periodic incidents of physical violence.
  • Long term psychological impact.
32
Q

Briefly outline some of the responses of ethnic minorities to victimisation.

A
  • Situational crime prevention measures e.g fireproof doors + letterboxes.
  • Organised self-defense campaigns (physically defending neighbours from racist attacks).
33
Q

How do racist attitudes affect the treatment of ethnic minority victims by the police?

A

Police often ignore racist dimensions of victimisation and failed to record or investigate reported incidents properly.

For example, Macpherson Enquiry: Death of Stephen Lawrence ‘marred by a combination of professional incompetence, institutional racism and failure of leadership but senior officers.’