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Questions and Answers
What is the primary distinction made about correlation in relation to crime?
Which socio-demographic variable is NOT mentioned as a correlate of crime?
Which factor is stated as overrepresented in the criminal justice system according to the chapter?
What aspect does age correlate with in terms of crime?
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Which statement best describes the relationship between race and crime as presented in the chapter?
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Which model addresses the overrepresentation of Indigenous people in relation to historical factors?
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How many correlates of criminal behavior are examined in this chapter?
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What misconception does the chapter address regarding causes of crime?
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What factor specifically reduces violent delinquency in boys?
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Which group is less impacted by traditional gender roles in terms of violence?
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How does structural disadvantage affect violent crime differently between genders?
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What is a characteristic of 'Harmed and Harming Women' in Daly's pathways?
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In which category do women engage in survival strategies like prostitution and theft?
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What mainly motivates the criminal activities of Battered Women?
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Which type of women is not necessarily addicted or has extensive criminal histories but is linked to drug use and sales?
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Which of the following is NOT a pathway for women’s involvement in crime according to Daly's classification?
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What is the primary focus of the differential offending hypothesis?
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Which part of the differential treatment hypothesis relates to police focusing on specific social criteria?
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What demographic represents a significant percentage of the total population but a majority in federal corrections?
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What do structural theories emphasize as a significant cause of crime?
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What is the percentage of Indigenous male youth in custody and community services as of 2015-16?
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Which model explains the profound psychological impact of colonialism on Indigenous populations?
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According to the data, which province had the highest representation of Indigenous persons in custody?
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What phenomenon results from the systematic destruction of a group's identity due to colonialism?
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How does discretion and authority relate to policing in the differential treatment hypothesis?
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What social factors are often linked with increased police scrutiny in certain neighborhoods?
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One of the consequences of horizontal violence in First Nations is primarily due to:
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The historic trauma transmission model explains that acculturation can lead to which of the following?
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What does the differential treatment hypothesis suggest about structural inequality?
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Structural theories suggest that the functioning of which system significantly shapes crime statistics?
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What is one major characteristic of intra-class violent crimes?
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Which of the following is an aspect of the colonial model regarding Indigenous peoples and crime?
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What is a significant reason for the overrepresentation of Indigenous people in the criminal justice system?
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How does critical race theory relate to the outcomes in the criminal justice system?
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What does the term 'racialization' refer to?
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What impact do negative views of the police among Indigenous people have on the justice system?
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What percentage of inmates enter custody with substance abuse issues?
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What is the relationship between substance use and criminal behavior?
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What is one of the three factors that can lead to involvement in crimes?
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How does racialization affect economic and social dynamics?
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Study Notes
Introduction
- Correlates of crime are variables connected to criminal activity.
- A correlate accompanies another phenomenon and relates to it in various ways.
- This chapter explores six socio-demographic variables connected to crime: age, gender, ethno-racial background, drug and alcohol misuse, socioeconomic status, and spatial location.
- The chapter seeks to answer:
- Who is likely to be involved in crime?
- How is crime gendered?
- What role does age play in criminality?
- Is there a relationship between race and crime?
- Important note: Correlation does not equal causation, meaning the variables studied may not directly cause criminal behavior.
Correlation vs. Causation
- Correlation does not mean causation.
- Each correlate - age, gender, race, substance use, socio-economic status, and location - plays a complex role in influencing crime.
- A change in one correlate does not necessarily result in a change in crime.
Learning Objectives
- Describe the major correlates of criminal behavior.
- Explain age and gender trends in criminal behavior.
- Understand the relationship between race and crime.
- Explain why Indigenous people are overrepresented in the criminal justice system.
- Understand the colonial model, trauma transmission model, and critical race theory as they relate to Indigenous overrepresentation in the criminal justice system.
Women and Violent Crime
- Structural disadvantage has a stronger impact on male violent crime than female violent crime.
- Daly (1992) identifies five pathways for women's involvement in crime:
- Harmed & Harming Women: Victims of abuse, often with substance abuse issues.
- Battered Women: Violence within relationships is a key factor in their criminal activity.
- Street Women: Involve in survival tactics like prostitution and theft due to abuse and street life involvement.
- Drug-Connected Women: Linked to drug use and sales due to relationships with drug-involved individuals.
- Other Women: This category includes women who don't fit into the other four categories.
Race and Crime
- Two main hypotheses explain the overrepresentation of racial minorities in the criminal justice system:
- Differential offending hypothesis: Differences exist between racial groups in terms of crime frequency, severity, and patterns.
- Differential treatment hypothesis: Structural inequality in justice administration leads to disproportionate representation.
- Fitzgerald and Carrington (2011) outline three aspects of differential treatment:
- Targeted Attention: Police focus more on groups fitting specific social criteria, often disproportionately impacting minorities.
- Surveillance of Social Spaces: Greater police attention is paid to areas with high unemployment, poverty, and social disorder, which often include marginalized groups.
- Discretion and Authority: Police decisions regarding stops, searches, and arrests may be influenced by race or ethnicity.
Indigenous People and the Canadian Criminal Justice System
- Indigenous adults and youth are overrepresented in the criminal justice system.
- Indigenous adults make up 3% of the Canadian population, but 28% of adult males and 31% of adult females in federal corrections are Indigenous.
- Indigenous youth make up 3% of the population, but 31% of male youth and 44% of female youth in federal corrections are Indigenous.
Why Are Indigenous People Overrepresented in the CJS?
- Several explanations are offered for Indigenous overrepresentation:
- Cultural theories
- Structural theories, including:
- Colonial model
- Trauma transmission model
- Critical race theory
Structural Theories: Colonial Model
- Colonialism has had devastating psychological and social consequences for Indigenous populations.
- The resulting alienation can manifest in crime and high rates of violence within Indigenous communities.
Structural Theories: Historic Trauma Transmission Model
- Acculturation can lead to learned helplessness, resulting in self-blame, passivity, hostile behaviors, and a decreased sense of self, contributing to issues like suicide, violence, and crime.
Structural Theories: Critical Race Theory
- Critical race theory examines the role of racial subordination, racism, and discrimination within the justice system, exploring how race, gender, and class intersect.
- The concept of "legal indeterminacy" is crucial, highlighting that not all legal cases have a single outcome, leading to unpredictable consequences based on race.
Drug and Alcohol Misuse as a Correlate of Crime
- Illicit drug use is strongly connected to street crime.
- 75% of inmates enter custody with substance abuse issues, with 50% of federal inmates affected.
- There's a direct link between substance use and criminal behavior.
- Three factors contribute to this link:
- Efforts to support an addiction can lead to involvement in crimes (psychopharmacological).
- Substance abuse can lead to a reduction in inhibition and self-control.
- Substance abuse can lead to desperate actions for money to fund the habit.
Spatial Location of Crime
- Spatial patterns in crime and their correlates are important in understanding crime distribution.
- Some areas have higher rates of crime due to factors such as:
- poverty
- unemployment
- social disorder
- These factors can create a cycle of disadvantage, making certain areas magnets for crime.
Social Control Theory
- Social control theory posits that social bonds and connections help prevent crime.
- Strong social bonds, such as family, friends, and community involvement, can serve as deterrents to criminal behavior.
- Weak social bonds can increase vulnerability to criminal influences and decrease personal investment in conformity.
Age and Crime
- Crime rates tend to peak during youth, particularly adolescence and early adulthood.
- This is linked to the “age-crime curve,” which shows a rise in offending from childhood to young adulthood, followed by a decline as individuals age.
Gender and Crime
- Males are significantly more likely to commit crime than females.
- This disparity has been attributed to:
- biological explanations (hormonal differences)
- social and cultural factors (gender roles, expectations, and opportunities).
Gender, Identity, and Crime
- The impact of social structure on criminal behavior differs between boys and girls.
- Boys show higher levels of violent delinquency due to greater exposure to violent definitions and experiences, as well as lower emotional attachment to family.
- Direct supervision of friendships helps reduce violent delinquency in boys, but not in girls.
- Girls who accept traditional gender roles have lower rates of violence, but this factor does not affect boys.
- The experiences of intersectionality, including multiple social identities like race, class, and gender, play a complex role in shaping criminal behavior.
Conclusion
- Understanding the correlates of crime helps us identify factors that contribute to criminal behavior.
- This knowledge can help us develop effective crime prevention strategies, target interventions, and build a more just and equitable society.
- It's important to remember that crime is a complex phenomenon influenced by an interplay of factors, and no single correlate can fully explain it.
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Description
This quiz delves into the socio-demographic variables related to crime. Explore how factors like age, gender, race, substance misuse, socioeconomic status, and spatial location intersect with criminal activity. Understand the complexities of correlation and causation in crime statistics.
