Public Debates Over Criminal & Deviant Behaviour | Sociology for GCSE/IGCSE - Year 11 PDF Download

Media Coverage of Crime

Media Influence and Public Concern
The media mirrors public worries about crime but also amplifies these concerns through excessive reporting, a process known as deviancy amplification. By choosing which stories to highlight, the media shapes public debates and perceptions about crime and deviance, a concept called agenda setting. Television news and newspapers prioritize certain stories while omitting others, influencing what the public perceives as significant social issues.

News Values and Crime Reporting
Media gatekeepers, such as journalists, editors, and owners, use news values to decide if an event is newsworthy and aligns with their audience’s interests. Crime stories are deemed highly newsworthy, especially when they involve:

• Children, e.g., cases of child murder
• Violence, e.g., knife crime
• Celebrities, e.g., offenses like drunk driving or drug use
• Graphic imagery, e.g., terrorist attacks

Amplification of Crime Concerns
Studies reveal that violent crimes are disproportionately emphasized in news reports, leading to media amplification. This over-reporting exaggerates the prevalence of certain crimes and the risks faced by groups like women, children, and the elderly. Additionally, crimes committed by specific groups, such as ethnic minorities or young people, are often over-represented, resulting in negative stereotyping and labeling. This skewed coverage causes the public to overestimate the frequency of these crimes.

Raising Awareness Through Media

On the positive side, media coverage can increase awareness of specific crimes, leading to greater publicity and more effective interventions. Examples include:

• Local knife amnesties
• Campaigns like Reclaim These Streets, sparked by the 2021 death of Sarah Everard
• Social media appeals for witnesses

Concerns About Youth Crime

Teenage antisocial behavior is seen as a societal issue because it instills fear and disrupts community life. Vandalism and graffiti impose economic costs, while violence and teenage knife crime result in loss of life and profound impacts on victims’ families. Youth crime frequently dominates headlines, framing it as a pressing social problem requiring action from politicians and policymakers. Antisocial Behavior Orders (ASBOs) have been used for individuals over 10 to curb such behavior, but they can backfire, as some young people view ASBOs as a status symbol. Young offenders are often portrayed as society’s primary “folk devils,” fueling moral panic and making them scapegoats for broader social issues.

Sentencing

When someone is convicted of a crime, their sentence depends on the offense’s severity. Possible sentences include:

• A discharge for minor, non-indictable offenses like theft
• A fine
• A community sentence, which may involve restrictions like avoiding certain areas, wearing an electronic tag, adhering to a curfew, or performing community service
• A prison sentence for serious, indictable offenses like murder

Public concerns about sentencing policies include:

• Lack of transparency, such as confusion over early prisoner releases
• Perceptions that some sentences are too lenient
• Doubts about whether sentences effectively punish offenders or address victims’ harm
• Questions about whether vulnerable groups, like young people or those with mental health issues, should face imprisonment for non-serious or non-violent crimes

The Prison System and Treatment of Young Offenders

From a functionalist perspective, prisons reinforce societal norms by publicly punishing those who break them, acting as a deterrent and protecting the public. However, the prison system faces significant challenges, including:

• Overcrowding
• Reduced prison staff numbers
• High rates of mental health issues, including suicide and self-harm among inmates
• Challenges reintegrating ex-offenders into society
• Limited rehabilitation and high reoffending rates

Specific concerns about young offenders in the criminal justice system include:

• Deaths of young adults in custody
• Elevated rates of suicide and self-harm in young offender institutions
• High levels of violence in these facilities