AC1.1
Criminal Behaviour
Social Definition
Legal Definition
Formal sanctions against criminals
Variety of criminal acts
Actions that are legalised and official in nature and enforced by authoritative forces or agencies of the criminal justice system (police, courts).
Court sanction
Non-court sanction
A more serious punishment held in a court with a judge and jury.
Custodial sentences, community sentences, fines and discharges.
A punishment to an incident settled outside court.
Cautions, conditional cautions and penalty notices.
A deliberate act that causes physical or psychological harm, damage to or loss of property, and is against the law.
Actions that cause harm and violate social norms.
Violence, sex or drugs but also discrimination, road rage, undeclared work and burglary.
Deviance
Norms, moral codes and values
Informal and formal sanctions against deviance
Forms of deviance
Values show what people and communities hold as important.
Norms say what has to be done in order to realise a person's values.
Values include honesty, integrity, kindness, courage, confidence etc.
There are two main types of deviant behaviour: formal and informal deviant behaviour. Formal deviant behaviour refers to actions that violate formal laws, whereas informal deviant behaviour refers to actions that violate social norms. Both formal and informal deviant behaviour can result in negative consequences.
Formal sanctions are written and have official consequences of obeying or disobeying the law. Informal sanctions are actions taken by peers, family members, co-workers, religious leaders, or anyone else. Such sanctions are applicable as consequences of obeying or disobeying cultural norms.