Difficulties Involved in Defining and Measuring Crime and...

This assignment will discuss the problems between crime and deviance, what counts as crime and deviance and how it varies with place and time. It will include the difference and similarities and give examples of defining crime and deviance. Finally the essay moves on to looking at how to identify why official statistics do not reflect in today’s society and may not be totally accurate. Crime is usually looked upon as an infringement of criminal law where as deviance has a vast and wider approach to crime and is consequently much harder to define. Crime is not a naturally occurring phenomenon it is manmade and more significantly, they are influenced by powerful groups within society. (Doherty, M.2005 page9) The simplest way of defining†¦show more content†¦Deviance may result in formal or informal punishment or stigmatisation (negatively viewed and scorned by others) for example Goths are seen as deviant as they go against social norms. (www.tutor2u.net) Crime is usually looked upon as a violation of criminal law whereas deviance has a wider approach to crime and is therefore much harder to define. Rape and murder are defined as criminal and deviant, so the problems that have escalated over time concerning crime and deviance are what one could define as crime may in another one’s mind be defined as deviant. Therefore it is true to say that not all crime is deviant and not all deviance is crime it could be neither or both (www.ruthssociology.com) Crime is a behaviour that is against the law, which in fact can carry a heavier punishment than the punishment of deviance itself. Having looked at the problems in defining crime and deviance, this essay will now move onto looking at the difficulties in measuring crime. Official crime statistics are collated by the government and compiled by the home office every 6 months, they gather the statistics from all the police forces in England and Wales for the previous year, so it can achieve a better understanding of the trends in crime. The home office looks at the different uses of official statistics, by monitoring trends, looking at different areas- for example is there likely to be more obscurity with gangs in under privileged areas, than in upperShow MoreRelated A Sociological and Psychological Assessment of Crime and Deviance3011 Words   |  13 PagesSociological and Psychological Assessment of Crime and Deviance   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The sociology of deviance is the sociological study of deviant behavior, or the recognized violation of cultural norms. Cultural Norms are societys propensity towards certain ideals; their aversion from others; and their standard, ritualistic practices. 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