Social and Economic Factors in Conventional Crime Quiz

Crime and Ethnicity in South Africa

• Self-report studies indicate that the Indian ethnic group has the lowest crime rates in South Africa.
• Explanations for crime variance among ethnic groups may include socioeconomic status, community structure, and cultural factors.

Offenders vs. Law-Abiding Citizens

• Primary factor differentiating offenders from law-abiding individuals is often linked to socioeconomic conditions and environmental influences.

Female Criminal Behavior

• Females are more likely to excel in property crimes, such as shoplifting and theft, according to global research.
• The chivalry hypothesis suggests that female offenders receive more lenient treatment in the criminal justice system due to societal perceptions of gender roles.

Global Female Prison Populations

• Countries with similar female prison population percentages to South Africa include the United States and Brazil.

Legal Definitions

• A criminal is legally defined as an individual who has been convicted of committing a crime.
• The age limit for a juvenile, per the Correctional Services Act 8 of 1959, is generally defined as under 18 years.

Terminology in Juvenile Justice

• The term 'child' refers to individuals under 12 years old, whereas 'juvenile' encompasses those aged 12 to 17.
• The minimum age to be considered a criminal is typically set at 10 years.

Definition of Offender

• An offender is defined as a person who has committed an illegal act or crime.

Crime Rates and Ethnicity

• The ethnic group often identified as having the lowest crime rates based on self-report studies is the Asian community.
• Research by Richard Lynn attributes differences in crime rates between black and white nations to factors such as intelligence, sex hormones, and aggression.

Homicide and Socioeconomic Factors

• Jerome Neapolitan found that analyzing cross-national homicide rates showed significant links to factors like income inequality and urbanization.
• Disproportionate violence among African Americans in high-crime areas may relate to systemic socio-economic disparities.

Economic Inequality and Crime

• Economic inequality is positively correlated with higher murder rates within communities.
• Relative deprivation, stemming from lack of economic opportunity, is a key driver of crime in impoverished and unemployed populations.

Crime Correlation and Urbanization

• Gary Kleck and Ted Chiricos indicated a correlation between unemployment rates and property crimes.
• Rapid urbanization affects crime rates negatively, particularly among black communities, due to social disorganization and increased competition for resources.

Demographics in Prisons

• In 2014, the racial breakdown of sentenced offenders in South African prisons included a significant majority of black offenders, followed by colored, white, and Indian individuals.

Gender and Crime

• According to FBI Uniform Crime Reports, men commit violent crimes at a ratio of approximately 8:1 compared to women.
• The ratio of men to women committing minor crimes is about 3:1 according to self-report studies.
• Female criminals often receive lighter sentences than male counterparts, attributed to societal stereotypes and the chivalry hypothesis.

Legislative Considerations

• The draft Correctional Services Bill suggests that the age limit for a child in legal terms is under 12 years.
• Self-report studies primarily aim to gather anonymous data on individual criminal behavior for better understanding societal crime trends.

Theoretical Concepts in Crime

• The liberal feminist approach argues women face structured barriers, limiting their opportunity to engage in crime.
• Differential association theory posits that criminal behavior is learned through social interactions and environment.
• Criminally violent offenders are driven by aggression toward individuals, whereas culturally violent offenders’ actions are motivated by cultural or social influences.