INEQUALITY , CRIME

AND VICTIMIZATION
INTRODUCTION TO CRIMINOLOGY
DEM 1253
 INTRODUCTION
Crime is a crucial problem for society for many years.
Therefore it has become a necessity for criminologists
to find the causes for criminal behaviour and
understand why some people resorting to crime.
Some criminologist link physiological factors such as
gender and race with crime and criminal behaviours.
 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
GENDER AND CRIMINAL
BEHAVIOUR
Men committed more crimes than women do.
According to a study carried out by the office of National
Statistics of America, it was reported 80% of criminal
acts were perpetrated by males.
This has been a general consensus all around the world.
In Malaysia, statistics in 2012 shows that there were 68
443 prisoners in Malaysian prisons.
61 451 were male prisoners while 6992 were female
prisoners.
This shows that are more male criminals than female
criminals.
 WHY THERE ARE MORE MALE
CRIMINALS THAN FEMALE?
a) Biological differences.
Estrogen in women protects physical health and mental well being. It
moves women toward developing harmonious relationships, staying
connected, and toward a preference for avoiding conflict.
While testosterone in men is a fast-acting, aggressive hormone and
driver of sex. Men have 10 to 100 times more testosterone than
women, enabling men to engage in interpersonal conflict and
competition.
b) Sex role theory.
The sex role theory argues that boys and girls are socialised differently,
therefore resulting in boys becoming more delinquent.
c) Masculinity.
 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RACE
AND CRIMINAL BEHAVIOURS.
According to Cesare Lembroso there is a strong link between race and crime
by saying many of the characteristics found in savages and coloured races
are also found in delinquents.
In America for example, statistics have shown higher rates of arrest and
imprisonment for people of the African American origin.
In Malaysia, according to a report from Utusan newspaper in 2005, there
were 316 Indian prisoners in Penjara Simpang Renggam, Johor.
This amount is made up of 45% from the total amount (702) of prisoners in
the said prison.
Indians are more prone to commit crime because of unemployment and
poverty.
Source: http://210.187.28.204/Journal/BI/riseofcrime.pdf
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOCIAL
CLASS AND CRIMINAL
BEHAVIOUR.
When studying social class and criminal behaviour, the
social class can be categorised into 3 types
A. White collar workers = higher social class.
B. Blue collar works = manual labour / lower social class.
C. unemployment = Individual who do not work/ cannot
find work.
.The reason for all three classes to commit crime is
money. However their justification might be different
 Usually an opportunist
White collar Taking advantage of their circumstances
for personal gain
class e.g: Fraud, embezzlement, breach of
trust

Commit violent crime

Believe have nothing to lose if they
Blue collar failed and will gain everything they
succeed
class e.g: theft, burglary, assault , vandalism
and etc.

Unemployme Also commit violent crimes

nt classs But as worse as blue collar class
 VICTIMIZATION AND GENDER
Gender and Victimization Males are more likely than
females to be the victims of violent crime. Men are
almost twice as likely as women to experience robbery.
Women are six times more likely than men to be victims
of rape, domestic violence, and sexual assault.
From the facts above, we can deduce that women is
more likely to be victims in sexual related crime.
While men are more prone to be a victim when it
involves violent crime.
 VICTIMIZATION AND RACE
In America, African Americans are more likely than
whites to be victims of violent crime because of income
inequality.
Racial and minority group members are often forced to
live in deteriorated urban areas beset by alcohol and
drug abuse, poverty, racial discrimination, and violence.
Their lifestyle places them in the most at-risk population
group.
VICTIMIZATION AND SOCIAL CLASS
The poorest Americans are also the most likely victims
of violent and property crime.
People who live in a poor neighbourhood is more likely
to be a victim of crime.
Wealthy people spends a lot of money for security and
safety. Not likely to be a victim of crime.
 THEORIES OF VICTIMIZATION
There are 4 theories:
A. Victim Precipitation Theory
B. Lifestyle Theory
C. Deviance Place Theory
D.Routine Activities Theory
VICTIM PRECIPITATION THEORY

ACTIVE victims act provocatively, use threats or righting

words, or even attack first.

PRECIPITATI
ON
PASSIVE occurs when the victim exhibits some personal
characteristic that unknowingly either threatens

PRECIPITATI
or encourages the attacker.
related to power - if the target group can
establish themselves economically or gain
ON political power in the community, their
vulnerability will diminish
 LIFESTYLE THEORY
Crime is not a random occurrence, but rather a function
of the victim's lifestyle. People who belong to groups
that have extremely risky life
Example: homeless, runaways, drug users - are at high
risk for victimization; the more time they are exposed to
street life, the greater their risk of becoming crime
victims.
 DEVIANCE PLACE THEORY
Deviant Place Theory The greater their exposure to
dangerous places, the more likely people will become
victims of crime and violence. Deviant places are poor,
densely populated, highly transient neighbourhoods in
which commercial and residential property exist side by
side.
 THE ROUTINE ACTIVITY THEORY
Our daily and routine activities, also known as our lifestyle, can sometimes put
us in a vulnerable position.
The routine activity theory is a theory of crime based on behavioural patterns of
individuals and the situational factors surrounding the crime, such as when it
occurred and with whom.

Essentially, routine activities theory states that a crime will occur when three
conditions are met:
A. The presence of a potential and motivated offender who is willing and seeking
to commit a crime.
B. The presence of vulnerable and suitable targets, either person or property.
C. An absence of capable and willing guardians to protect, supervise or ward off a
potential offender.