The Distinction Between Crime and Deviance Essay - 1274 Words

Crime statistics exist entirely to measure levels of crime inside society; so, the purpose of this essay is to illustrate whether or not the statistical data on crime and deviance provides a true measurement of criminal occurrences in British society. The distinction between crime and deviance is going to be explored and a clear understanding of how they differentiate from each other will be gained. The terms Formal and Informal social control will be identified and their differences determined. In particular, official crime statistics will be analysed to gain an understanding of how accurate such data is in portraying the true figures of crime. Furthermore, key terms such as dark figure, reported crime and recorded crime will be†¦show more content†¦Hagan uses the term Consensus Crimes, as there is an overall consensus in society that these crimes are the most heinous. Hagan entitles the second category as Conflict Crime; these include crimes such as prostitution, drug abuse, or illegal abortions. Hagan believes that crimes in this category are treated less seriously by society, but are still crimes nonetheless (Sociology, 2014). Deviance is behaviour that violates the norms of society, such behaviour is highly condemned in society; those who act in such a manner are often referred to as deviants. However, Britain is such a culturally diverse country the concept of deviance can be somewhat complicated; what may be classed as deviant behaviour in one group may well be completely acceptable behaviour in another (Cliffnotes, 2013). Hagan also divides Deviance into two categories; Social Deviations are behaviours that affect how they are judged by others, betrayal or playing pranks for example may cause some form of disdain, but is not harmful to society. Hagan addresses the second category as Social Diversions; this term also gives reference to how society perceives others. Those who have a different dress sense for instance, give society a pe rceived notion of the behaviour that is associated with such fashion; it is perceived that Hoodies are associated with gangsShow MoreRelatedDeviance Is Not A Quality Of The Act1048 Words   |  5 PagesHoward Becker wrote that deviance is not a quality of the act the person commits, but rather a consequence of the application by others of rules and sometimes to an offender . The deviant is one to whom that label has successfully been applied; deviant behavior is people so label (Winfree and Abadinsky, p. 227, 2010). Deviance occurs when an individual performs a certain act, possesses certain characteristics, or has a certain belief that will generate a negative reaction from an audienceRead MoreChapter 6 Study Questions Essay1598 Words   |  7 PagesDefine deviance. 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