Types of crime (violent crime, property crime, white-collar crime, cybercrime)

AQA

GCSE

Candidates must analyze the categorization and social construction of criminal typologies, distinguishing between violent, property, white-collar, and cybercrime. Study must evaluate the disparity between 'street crime' and 'suite crime' regarding policing, prosecution, and public perception. Crucially, candidates must assess the validity of Official Statistics versus Victim Surveys (CSEW) in measuring these distinct types, acknowledging the 'dark figure' of crime inherent in white-collar and domestic offenses.

Objectives

Exam Tips

Pitfalls

Key Terms

Mark Points

What You Need to Demonstrate

Key skills and knowledge for this topic

Award AO1 marks for precise definitions of Sutherland's white-collar crime versus corporate crime.
Credit responses that apply the concept of the 'dark figure of crime' to explain low reporting rates in cybercrime and domestic violence.
Candidates must link property crime to sociological theories of relative deprivation or strain theory.
Reward the explicit use of 'Item A' (if provided) to support arguments regarding trends in violent crime.

Marking Points

Key points examiners look for in your answers

Award AO1 marks for precise definitions of Sutherland's white-collar crime versus corporate crime.
Credit responses that apply the concept of the 'dark figure of crime' to explain low reporting rates in cybercrime and domestic violence.
Candidates must link property crime to sociological theories of relative deprivation or strain theory.
Reward the explicit use of 'Item A' (if provided) to support arguments regarding trends in violent crime.

Examiner Tips

Expert advice for maximising your marks

💡When discussing cybercrime, explicitly mention the difficulties in policing global digital networks.
💡For 12-mark questions, ensure a conclusion is reached regarding the 'extent' of the statement.
💡Use the 'PERC' structure (Point, Explanation, Reference to sociologist/theory, Criticism) for evaluation paragraphs.
💡Always distinguish between the volume of crime (property is highest) and the severity of crime (violent is most feared).

Common Mistakes

Pitfalls to avoid in your exam answers

Confusing 'white-collar crime' (individual gain) with 'corporate crime' (organizational gain).
Relying on 'common sense' explanations for crime rates rather than sociological concepts like labelling or subcultures.
Failing to critique the validity of police recorded crime statistics when discussing trends in property crime.

Key Terminology

Essential terms to know

Likely Command Words

How questions on this topic are typically asked

Identify

Describe

Explain

Discuss how far

Examine

Evaluate

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