The Home Office estimates that total cost of crime in Britain each year is £59.9
billion.
Drugs and alcohol are major factors in crime
Over 40% of offences are committed under the influence of alcohol.
Drug-related crime costs the country up to £18 billion a year.
But in 1997-8: only £1.4 billion was spent on tackling drug misuse.
- 75% on law enforcement
- 13% on treatment and rehabilitation
- 12% on education and prevention
YJB National stats (2007-8):
- More in older adolescents (16-18)
- More males
- Mostly white
- Youth offenders don’t tend to specialise in any one type of crime - do all
British Crime Survey: 44% reduction in crime since 1995 (falls in burglary and vehicle
theft).
Problems with BCS: (i) adults only (ii) not businesses.
Multiple problems faced
Offenders tend to be victims themselves
Social exclusion unit report on prisoners:
- 50% have history of running away from home
- One third were in care as children
- > 50% have no qualifications
- 65% numeracy skills < average 11 year old
- 80% worse writing skills
- 7/10 have 2 or more mental health disorders
Main theories
Psychological theories:
Psychoanalytical (Freud-maternal deprivation),
- Aichhorm (1925/1955): latent delinquency - underlying predisposition for
delinquency - partly innate, partly governed by early emotional relationships
- Bowlby (1944) - 44 thieves referred to his clinic (biased) - 39% of delinquents had
maternal separation, compared to 5% of non-delinquents. But criticised -
unrepresentative samples, poor control group matching, less reliable methods of
assessment
Learning theories (Bandura- delinquent parents)
, Control Theories: everyone has the potential to be a criminal - so why is that not
everyone commits crimes - moral development? Eysenck- some people are born with
cortical or autonomic nervous system which affects their ability to learn from/condition
to environmental stimuli
Biochemical/neurological:
Hippochen (1978) suggested defiency in vitamin B3 is a major cause of hyperactivity in
adolescents, which is linked to later delinquency
WHAT IS A RISK FACTOR?
- Increases your chances of an outcome
- Can come from something you do (smoking, drinking) or something you don’t do
(genes)
- Variables predicting onset, duration and severity of health or behavioural problems
- Direct(XY) / risk modifier ( less direct path from X to Y)
- Specific/ nonspecific
- Timing significant - poor parenting in childhood = poor attachment. Can be a
problem later in life.
- Protective factors?? Not much research
Types of studies
1) Prevalence: e.g. factor X in populations (substance abuse)
2) Retrospective: factor X in past (child abuse)
3) Controlled: factor X in offender populations vs. Non offending populations
4) Prospective: longitudinal ,cohort
Prevalence:
Dixon et al 2004
o Study Type: Prevalence ( with comparison group - controlled)
o Participants: 100 female juvenile offenders vs. 100 matched (age, SES)
comparison group.
o Selection: not described.
o Response: not described.
o Attrition: n/a.
o Predictors (IV): affective disorders and SZ, family adaptability and cohesion scale.
o Outcomes (DV): offender status
o Time period: N/A.
o Results:
o Conduct disorder, substance abuse, depression and PTSD all higher in
offenders
o Co-morbidity common (average 4 in offenders)
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller zoemoon. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $3.88. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
