CRIM 101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Anomie, Symbolic Interactionism, Criminal Negligence
5 Jun 2018
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Lecture 9: Violent Crime and Sexual Offending
Multi-Causal Explanations
No single factor causes violence; rather, there are multiple factors that converge
● Biological and psychological factors (intelligence, hormones, maturity level)
● Personal history/personal experiences
● Socialization (family background)
● Community (violent crimes are more likely to take place in certain communities)
● Culture (some cultures are more tolerant than others towards the use of violence)
Trends in Violent Crime
● We should only talk about a “trend” if it lasts for 10 years or longer- year to year changes are
common but tend to average out with time
● According to the UCR the violent crime rates has been trending downward since 2001
The Frontier Phenomenon
● Police-reported crime statistics indicate violent crime rates are lowest in Eastern Canada
● Rates of homicide (and violent crime in general) go up as you move westward and northward
Canada (highest in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut)
● Could be attributable to variations in criminal justice policies and policing practices across Canada
● Could also e attiutale to a histoial ultue of iolees that eisted duig the settleet
of Caadas othe ad este foties, hee thee as a lot of ouge en, relatively little
la efoeet, ad a people ith gus.
Roer as a violet rie
● About half of all robberies do not involve a weapon of any kind, while robberies involving firearms
have been on a steady decline
● While numbers tend to fluctuate, approximately 75% of robbery victims do not suffer physical
injuries of any kind
● However, robbery invariably involves the threat of violence, real or implied (otherwise, most
victims would not hand over their money or valuable goods)
Robbery rates- up or down?
● Aodig to the UC‘, oe ates hae ee pluetig sie the s, eahig thei
lowest rate in 30 years in 2012
● According to the 2009 GSS, robbery rates increased between 1999 and 2009 (although the level
of violence involved in the robberies did not increase)
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● Rates are affected in these cases by those reported to the police and those reported by the victims
posterior to the crime (when approached by surveyors)
Assault Levels
● Assault Level 1- efeed to as oo assault. No eapo is podued, ad ood is seiousl
injured.
● Assault Level 2- involves either a weapon, or assault causing bodily harm (does not require a
weapon plus bodily harm)
● Assault Level 3- involves wounding the victim, maiming or disfiguring the victim, or endangering
the itis life soeties efeed to as aggaated assault.
● Assault vs Homicide: the victim survives in assault. If they die, it becomes a homicide.
Manslaughter
● Refers to the unintentional killing of a human being-in other words, without any premeditation
(planning), and without the intent to kill the victim
● Often, manslaughter involves a degree of negligence on the part of the offender- akin to criminal
negligence causing death
1st and 2nd Degree Murder
● First Degree Murder- required a high degree of planning and deliberation, and a high degree of
moral blameworthiness
● Second degree murder- an intentional killing, but without the same degree of planning,
deliberation, or moral blameworthiness as first degree murder
Subcultures of Violence
● Wolfgag & Feautis ok is a itegated, pshologial-sociological approach,
udepied Edi “uthelads otio that suultual alues ad os ae leaed though
the process of differential association.
● Wolfgang & Ferracuti set out to explain why comparatively few homicides are intentional or
premeditated.
● However, certain subcultures regard aggression and toughness as normal behaviour, and might
not consider acts of violence such as assault or even assault with a weapon to be illegal behaviour.
● Carrying weapons (and being willing to use them) would be considered normal.
● In subcultures of violence, certain reactions are expected- individuals might be quick to take
offense, or feel that they have to fight in order to protect their reputation.
Age and Violence
● Age is one of the strongest and most consistent predictors of violence
● “A disproportionately large share of violent offending involves those in the age range between
mid-adolescence and young adulthood
● Rates of violence increase between the ages of 12-17, peak at 18 and then decline
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Explanations for the Age-Violence Relationship
Suggested explanations for violence during adolescence include:
● Biological and psychological factors (e.g. hormone levels and maturity)
● Lifestyles (drinking, partying, going to the entertainment districts)
● Peer group and norm expectations
● Fewer work-related and family related responsibilities
● Most age out o desist as the gaduate, fid a jo ad get aied
Gender & Violence
● Along with age, gender is one of the most consistent and strongest predictors of violence
● Overall, men and women experience similar rates violent victimization
● While thee ae siilaities i tes of uatit of itiizatio, thee ae aked diffeeces
i tes of ualit of itiizatio
More likel to e vitis of…
Males
Females
● Homicide
● Attempted Murder
● Assault level 2 (assault with a weapon
causing bodily harm)
● Assault 3 (disfiguring, aggravated assault)
● Robbery
● Sexual Assault
● Assault level 1 (no weapon, no serious
bodily harm)
● Forcible confinement
● Criminal harassment
Situational Factors (Victimization more likely to)
Males
Females
● Involve a weapon
● Occur in public
● Involve offender who are acquaintances
● Occur in home
● Involve offenders who are current or
intimate partner
Race & Violence
● Young black males in Toronto are 4-5 times more likely to be victims of homicide than the general
public
● In Canada, Aboriginal people experience violent victimization at 3 times the rate of non-Aboriginal
people
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