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Issue Description
Media reports concerning violent crime and the rhetoric of “Broken Britain” are now worryingly familiar, but just how serious is the UK’s crime problem? This books examines different types of crime, including anti-social behaviour, gang culture and the use of weapons, and how these can best be tackled. Crime in the UK also looks at types of crime particularly associated with young people, and whether this group is unfairly blamed for much crime in our society.
The information comes from a wide range of sources and includes government reports and statistics, newspaper reports, features, magazine articles and surveys, literature from lobby groups and charitable organisations.
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Key Facts
- According to the British Crime Survey (a big annual survey of experience of crime involving about 40,000 respondents), overall crime rates have fallen by around 40 per cent over the past decade. Violent crime has, however, failed to fall as quickly as other crime. (page 2)
- Young men aged between 16 and 24 have the highest risk of being a victim of crime – 13 per cent (British Crime Survey 2007-08). (page 4)
- 7% of men have a high level of worry about violent crime, compared with 19% of women. (page 6)
- 55% of young people surveyed as part of an NCB report strongly agreed and 33% agreed that the media should cover more positive stories about young people. (page 11)
- Of 1,001 young people polled by the Barrow Cadbury Trust, 83% said that getting work experience and having good job opportunities is a key factor in helping young people move away from crime. (page 12)
- When asked to what extent they agreed or disagreed that children are increasingly a danger to each other and to adults, 37% of those surveyed said that they agreed. 12% strongly agreed. (page 22)
- Better parenting is the top thing (58%) the public say would do most to reduce crime and 58% of the public think that Friday night is the most important time for youth facilities to be available. (page 23)
- 68% of crimes are punished with a fine. 13% of offences receive a community sentence. Only 7% receive a prison sentence. (page 24)
- Gun crime represents only 0.4% of all recorded crime in England and Wales. (page 29)
- On 3 August 2007, there were 80,319 people in jail in England and Wales. Our rate is far higher then our European neighbours – in fact, it is now the highest imprisonment rate in Western Europe. It outstrips Saudi Arabia, Rwanda, China and Myanmar (Burma). (page 39)
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Table of Contents
Chapter One: Crime and Violence
Does Britain need fixing?, Violence in street crime, The right to fight, Fear of crime or anxiety about a changing society?, Weapons and the law, Anti-social behaviour.
Chapter Two: Youth Crime
Police ‘should break up gangs’, Coping with kidulthood, Gang membership, Get rid of ‘gangs’, Gun and knife crime survey, Youth justice, Too young to be a criminal, Young people, crime and public perceptions, The fear of young people damages us all.
Chapter Three: Dealing with Crime
Engaging communities in fighting crime, Crime, sentencing and your community, Community sentencing, More offenders serve community punishments, Offenders to wear high-visibility jackets, Going ballistic, Restorative justice, The danger of Tasers, Thousands of new Tasers for the police, ‘Reclaim the streets’ plea by new think-tank report, Stop and search, Rights on arrest, How ASBOs help, Prison sentences ‘too soft’, More knife crime offenders jailed, Prison – why should I care?
Key Facts
Glossary
Index
Additional Resources
Acknowledgements
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The Study Guide for: Crime in the UK - Volume 177
Each book in the Issues series has a study guide. These four-page guides provide a variety of discussion points and other activities to suit a wide range of ability levels and interests.
Publisher: Independence Educational Publishers
Price: £1.95
ISBN: 978 1 86168 517 9