Factors affecting

Crime

Factors Affecting Crime

Government

Governments decided what was a crime. Who

was governing the country changed over time.

Roman Governors, Kings and in more modern

times a Prime Minister and Parliament. New

laws created new crimes and often, this made it

seem like crime had risen. During the 1700s the

law makers were rich landowners and they were

worried about crimes being committed against

their property by discontented tenants /

employees. Many law makers saw the working

class as a criminal class.

Religion

Between AD400 and 1750 religion had a huge

influence over what people saw as a crime. You

could be punished for HERESY (speaking out against

the accepted religion). Between 1500-1750 many

people were accused of WITCHCRAFT because they

didn’t follow the normal social rules or seemed

strange to others they lived near. People though

Witches worked for the devil and so were afraid.

Some people thought if you did not live a religious

enough life you were tempted into crime or the

devil tricked or tempted people into crime.

War

During war time crimes decreased as many

men were employed as soldiers. After wars

ended some soldiers were DEMOBILISED (put

out of a job) so they took to crime. Some

became Highwaymen (People who used

violence and fire arms to rob travellers) as a

way of making a living.

Factors affecting

Punishment

Factors Affecting Punishment

Effectiveness of Punishment

Many, particularly law makers, believed that the

more public and gruesome an execution was

the more effective it was. But during the 1800s

many began to believe that public hanging did

not work as a deterrent and the last public

hanging took place in 1868. Since the 1800s

people have been debating whether

RETRIBUTION (punishment given to avenge the

criminal act committed) is a more effective way

to punish people than REFORMING (help the

criminal resolve issues and integrate back into

normal society.)

Religion

Between AD400 and 1750 religion had a huge

influence over punishments. In the Middle Ages you

could be granted SANCTUARY or BENEFIT OF THE

CLERGY if you had committed a crime and these

could prevent you from being hung. You could also

be punished more harshly because of religion for

crimes like HERESY. Between 1750-1900 people like

ELIZABETH FRY tried to reform prisons and make

them a better place for offenders because of

religious moral motivation.

Social Change

Until the 1800s governments and the ruling

class did not believe it was their job to help

those less fortunate so they were likely to

punish those turning to crime because of

poverty more harshly. Today parents of

children who break the law e.g. refuse to

attend school can be punished.