Deviant Question Paper

There are some groups in society who are more likely to be labelled deviant.
(a) What is meant by the term deviant ? [2]
(b) Describe two groups in society who are likely to be labelled as deviant. [4]
(c) Explain why some groups in society are more likely to have the power to label others as deviant. [6]
(d) Once a group has been labelled deviant, what are the likely consequences for them? [8]

Official crime statistics can be misleading and open to interpretation. One reason for this is the existence of the so-called dark figure.
(a) What is meant by the term the dark figure? [2]
(b) Describe two reasons why people fail to report crimes to the police. [4]
(c) Why do white-collar crimes often go unrecorded? [6]
(d) How far, and in what
ways, may the activities of the police influence official crime statistics? [8]

Labelling theory suggests that some groups in society are more likely than others to be seen as deviant.
(a) What is meant by the term deviant? [2]
(b) Describe two groups in society who are likely to have the power to label others as deviant. [4]
(c) Explain how traditional societies use informal social controls to deter deviant behaviour. [6]
(d) How useful is labelling theory in understanding deviance? [8]

Official statistics provide an inaccurate measure of the true extent of crime in society.
(a) What is meant by the term official crime statistics? [2]
(b) Describe two reasons why not all crimes that are committed in a society are recorded in the official crime statistics. [4]
(c) Explain why some groups are more likely than others to be represented in the crime statistics. [6]
(d) To what extent can criminal behaviour be explained in terms of social inequality? [8]
In modern industrial societies there are a variety of styles of dress, types of music, special language and attitudes that distinguish youth from older people and from children. This is known as youth subculture.
(a) What is meant by the term subculture? [2]
(b) Describe two influences on the way that young people view themselves.
[4]
(c) What factors explain the growth of youth subcultures in modern industrial societies? [6]
(d) How far do youth subcultures represent a threat to the dominant values of society? [8]

Official statistics suggest that most crimes are committed by young men between the ages of 14 and 25. Many come from disadvantaged ethnic minority groups.
(a) What is meant by the term ethnic minority? [2]
(b) Describe two reasons why many young criminals come from disadvantaged ethnic minority groups. [4]
(c) What factors may encourage young criminals to give up their criminal activity as they get older? [6]
(d) Assess the reasons why women appear to commit fewer crimes than men.