1 Crime and Violence: Forces for Good or Evil? Lecture Two The extent of violence

2 Recap “violence involves the infliction of emotional, psychological, sexual, physical and/or material damage” (Stanko, 1994:xiv). Biological Psychological Sociological

3 Levels of Analysis People Policies Practices Or Individual National Global

4 The act itself The relationship of the participants to each other The location of the act The outcome Social rules – because different rules apply in different situations Social roles – because who we are might determine how we act Social power

5 The violent act intentionally causing serious injury recklessly causing serious injury attempted murder murder sexual assault rape

6 British Crime Survey Official Statistics

7 34% of males born in 1953 had at least one conviction before the age of 40. 8% of females born in 1953 had a similar conviction before the age of 40. Just under 10% were convicted of violence and about the same proportion of burglary, theft of a vehicle or criminal damage. Violent crime accounts for 16% of all recorded crimes Over 600,000 reported crimes of violence per year.

BCS figures show a two per cent fall in violent crime - around 2.7 million incidents. Violent crimes against the person (which constitutes 80% of all violent crimes) rose by 28% from July to September 2002 compared to Sexual offences (5% of all violent crimes) rose by 26% in 2002 compared with the previous year.

9 The relationship of the participants to each other General offending detection rate was 23% in 2001/02 Stephen Jones ‘Understanding Violent Crime’ (p18) relationship details only for murder cases and offences involving firearms Home Office Research Study 196 ‘A Question of Evidence’ Rape Crisis claim over 90% of women knew the rapist

10 The Centre for Corporate Accountability deaths and almost 28,000 work-related injuries in 2000/01.

11 The outcome The Crime (Sentences) Act 1997 minimum sentences on offenders committing repeat, serious offences. Mandatory sentence of life imprisonment for anyone over the age of 18 convicted of a serious offence who has a previous conviction for a similar offence.