WJEC Eduqas GCSE Sociology Revision Guide

93 Ethnicity and crime Your revision for this topic will also help you to revise for stratification. It is helpful to think about the evidence about conviction and victimisation rates for ethnic minorities as life-chances. Link the ideas from different topics together. Knowledge check 1. Describe what is meant by ‘institutional racism’. (4 marks) 2. Explain why some ethnic minority groups have higher conviction rates. (8 marks) T h i n k l ink When answering a question about ethnicity, remember to consider whether gender, social class or age may be a factor. Consider this when looking at the AO2 Apply section on this page. Ben Bowling and Coretta Phillips published a study in 2002 ( Racism, Crime and Justice ) which had interesting findings. They found that cases against ethnic minority individuals were more likely to be dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service than those against white people. They argue that this is because the initial cases were based on stereotyping against ethnic minorities instead of evidence. Strengths of the view that the extent of ethnic minority crime is caused by stereotypes are: Stereotypes held by agents of social control, such as the police and courts, may lead to labelling and a self-fulfilling prophecy for some individuals from ethnic minorities. Studies by Gilroy and Hall support the view that stereotypes of ethnic minorities are common in society. Agencies of socialisation, such as the media, schools and the police may all be influenced by these views. The Macpherson Report was sponsored by the government. The report found that it was not the fault of individual officers but the whole organisation, which had a pattern of processes and thinking based on thoughtlessness, ignorance and prejudice. There are still concerns about this. Weaknesses of the view that the extent of ethnic minority crime is caused by stereotypes are: Entry to the police has become more difficult and the police are becoming better educated at dealing with ethnic minority groups. There may be other causes of higher rates of ethnic minority crime. Some ethnic minority groups are more likely to be living in poverty, which is itself more closely linked to crime. The New Right argue that there is a culture of poverty which includes crime as a social norm. Ethnic minorities are likely to be involved in crime if they live in poverty. Strengths of the view that the forces of social control continue to treat ethnic minorities unfairly are: A UN Report in 2018 found that black people were three times more likely to be tasered than white people. Exclusion rates from school are higher for some ethnic minority groups. In 2018, David Lammy MP produced a review which showed that black people were more likely to be sent to prison in the UK than the USA. The Windrush scandal (2018) has resulted in unfair treatment of many people who had a right to British citizenship. The harsh treatment received through the home office shows how the ‘hostile environment’ policy made life unfair for some British citizens based on their ethnicity. Weaknesses of the view that the forces of social control continue to treat ethnic minorities unfairly are: Stephen Lawrence’s murder led to the creation of the Independent Police Complaints Commission. Between 2007 and 2018 , the percentage of police officers from ethnic minority groups increased from 3.9 per cent to 6.6 per cent. This is a significant step forward and recruitment targets are higher still. Fourteen per cent of the population as a whole come from ethnic minority groups. It is difficult to discount the evidence that ethnic minorities receive harsher treatment, but awareness has been raised since Stephen Lawrence and efforts are being made to improve things. There are a number of organisations, such as the Runnymede Trust, which are having success with projects to improve the rights of ethnic minority groups. Make use of the words in this image in a discussion about racism in the UK.