Understanding Crime and Deviance

Defining Crime

• Crime harms individuals or society.
• There are harmful behaviors that are not criminal
• Victimless crimes, like drug use, can be harmful, but not criminal.

Criminology

• Crime is often equated with harm, although not always
• There are many behaviors that are harmful but not criminal.

What is Crime?

• In some systems, individuals take responsibility for seeking justice
• Gradually, behaviors harmful to society are categorized.
• The state is essential, defining actions as crimes that otherwise might be considered private disputes.

Objectivist-Legalistic Approach

• Crime is defined by law.
• Actions that violate social norms are assumed to cause societal harm.
• The question of why behavior is unacceptable is central.

Deviance

• Deviance is behavior not meeting social norms.
• Criminality can be viewed as a specific type of deviance.

Crime as Political

• Crime is a political concept, involving the creation and enforcement of laws.

Criminal Law in Canada

• Criminal code is the foundation of Canadian criminal law
• Courts have the power to decide if actions are criminal.
• There are political considerations and public pressures influencing legal decisions

Criminal Justice in Canada

• Criminal cases are governed by the Criminal Code of Canada.
• Civil cases follow different rules.
• Regulatory laws govern specific industries and behaviors.

Specific Examples

• The 1949 Canadian court decision about margarine highlights the politics of criminal law.
• The issue of violent comic books in the 1940s and 1980s demonstrates evolving moral issues and public perception.
• "Zombie Laws" are laws that exist but are not actively enforced

Crime and Social Reaction

• Deviance and criminality aren't inherent but socially constructed
• There are social processes in creating and redefining criminal behavior throughout history.

Police and Society

• Police policing practices have changed over time.
• Policing sometimes focuses on maintaining order instead of criminal intent.
• Police priorities are often determined by politics and public perceptions.

Moral Panics

• Media coverage of crime greatly affects public perceptions.
• "Moral panics" occur when concerns about crime escalate to unwarranted levels.
• Police involvement can be greatly influenced by moral panic.

Measuring Crime

• Police reporting practices, like the National Crime Reporting Survey (UCR), influence crime statistics.
• The most serious offense reported is prioritized.
• The accuracy and completeness of crime counts are a continuing challenge.

Victimization Surveys

• These surveys directly ask victims about their experiences.
• Surveys help to measure types of offenses
• Statistical and qualitative data about criminal patterns

Observational Accounts (Ethnography)

• Ethnography relies on detailed observation and participation.
• Research provides valuable insights into how crime and deviance are understood.
• There are benefits and challenges with this kind of study.

Policing Mental Health

• The approach to policing mental illness has changed and evolved.
• Concerns around public safety and de-institutionalization need addressing.

The Social Contract

• The Social Contract describes how people agree to surrender freedoms for social order and protection.
• State responsibility for law enforcement and justice originates from the social contract.
• Historical understandings of society and justice systems inform current processes.