UNIT 12 – Crime and its effects of society
Criminal behaviour theories and their effects
P4&M2 – Describe the effects crime has on communities and the individual. Analyse the
effects of crime on communities and the individual.
Graffiti is the most common criminal damage as people believe they will be able to get
away with it. For the council to remove graffiti around the United Kingdom is estimated to
be in the region of £1 Billion pounds. Not only could this money be used for more
serious issues but for a temporary time period it can ruin houses, children’s parks,
businesses and even uninhabited buildings which someone may be contemplating to
buy. People will be less likely to use these places and businesses could lose customers
and graffiti is usually done by a gang member. If the council refused to pay money to
remove the graffiti then it would lead to others thinking that because nothing has been
Broken Windows theory - The broken windows theory is a criminological theory which believes that
in order to maintain a peaceful, non-criminal environment they must fix the damage which has
already been done to stop others from thinking they can carry on with it. An example of this is a
building with a few broken windows. If the windows are not repaired, the tendencies for criminals,
vandals to break a few more windows is high. Eventually, it will lead to them breaking in and if the
building is unoccupied they may become squatters or light fires.
done about it they may as well create more. This is known as the broken windows
theory.
Residents should have the right to feel proud of their community, if an area has a litter
problem it is going to reduce or destroy the pride residents have of living there, or even
stop people from wanting to move in. residents of the littered area are highly unlikely to
go about picking it up, as a result of the not caring for their community, the wellbeing of
people suffers as well as the community spirit. Another type of anti-social behaviour
which causes a negative aspect for individuals and the community is excessive drinking
in public places and being a general nuisance. This type of behaviour can aggravate
individuals around them and cause many disruptions for example fights and foul
language in public. In extreme circumstances it can lead to the police arriving at the
scene which may put people off from coming to that area.
The public’s perception is based on two things, the media and their own experience of
crime. Media has a huge influence on crime in the 21st century. It is how the public stay
up to date with current affairs and the most recent news. Their role is to bring certain
issues to the attention of the public and they do this through the television, internet and
newspapers commonly. The only way for people to stay interested and up to date with
the news is by creating false or an exaggerated idea, this is called moral panic. The
media can also heighten or change and individual/ or group of peoples opinions about
an issue. This can be seen in the recent articles about the Islamic state alerts in the
United Kingdom and worldwide. It starts off with the issue gaining media attention, they
can then control what information is reported and amplifying it which can then alter the
public’s view and the problem may then increase. Another reason which can change the
public’s view on crime is by their own experiences, this is not only a victim but a witness
or an ex criminal/ someone who has served time or someone who takes part in petty
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