Criminology Unit 2 - Criminological Theories Cheat Sheet (DRAFT) by miley

Norms, moral codes and values:

Norms

are social expect­ations that guide behaviour and explain why people act in a way that they do. Norms keep in check deviant behaviour. While it is expected behaviour, it could vary from one culture to another. For instance, in the UK we often wear dark sombre colours for a funeral but in China the colour of mourning is white.

Moral codes

are morals or good ways of behaving. Breaking a moral code would generally be considered serious in society, e.g. murder.

Values

are rules shared by most people in a given culture. It is what people feel should happen. They are more general than guidelines than norms e.g. most people would feel we should respect elderly people.

Cautions

are admini­stered by the police for minor crimes such as writing graffiti on a bus shelter. You have to admit an offence and agreed to be cautioned; otherwise you could be arrested for the offence. A caution is not a criminal offence.

Condit­ional cautions

are given by the police but you have to agree to certain rules and restri­ctions, such as receiving treatment for drug abuse or repairing damage top a property.

Penalty notices

for disorder are given for offences such as shopli­fting, possessing cannabis, or being drunk and disorderly in public. You can only get a penalty notice if you are 18 or older.

Informal sanctions:
- Frowning upon behaviour
- Name calling
- Ignoring behaviour
- Labelling behaviour
- Parents grounding a child

Formal sanctions:
- Fines
- Impris­onment
- Detention

Custodial sentences

are where you are immedi­ately sent to prison. There are mandatory and discre­tionary life sentences and fixed term and indete­rminate prison sentences.

Community sentences

can be a combin­ation order including unpaid work, probation, curfew and orders such a shaving drug testing and treatment.

Fines

are financial penalties; the amount depends on the seriou­sness of the offence and the financial circum­stances of the offender.

Discharge

can be either condit­ional, when if the defendant reoffends during a set time period the court can give an altern­ative sentence, or absolute, when no penalty is imposed as the defendant is techni­cally guilty but morally blameless.

Capital Punishment - The practice of

executing

someone as punishment for a specific crime after going through the legal procee­dings, or a legal trial. In the 18th century there were over 200 offences for which the death penalty could be given; The crimes included pickpo­cketing and shooting rabbits. The laws were often focused on the poor who were viewed as lazy and the cause of their own misfor­tune. This view faded as all people were given rights and freedoms, and the opport­unity to progress in society. Eventually capital punishment remained purely for the very serious crimes of murder and treason.
Laws against double jeopardy - The law regarding double jeopardy has changed over time. The law that prevented a person being tried again for the same offence was abolished for serious offences. The Court of Appeal may quash an

acquittal

and order a retrial. This change was necessary as the law at the time was inadequate to bring justice. Technology and medical knowledge also became more advanced, allowing for certainty of evidence.
Laws concerning prosti­tution - Legal but many of the connected activi­ties:

soliciting

in a public area,

kerb crawling

, or owning a

brothel

are illegal. Previously prosti­tution had a stigma attached to it and the women involved were thought to be immoral due to the idea of having sex for money. Many women became prosti­tutes because it provided them a source of income at a time when they had few other options for other jobs. Society's view, however, slowly changed; there are now calls for it to become decrim­ina­lised with approp­riate regula­tion. Society changed its view due to a decline in people believing in religion and an increase in moral tolerance.
Vagrancy -