6.1 What are Crime, Deviance and Social Control?

2026 Syllabus Objectives

By the end of this subtopic, you should be able to:

6.1.1 The difference between crime and deviance:

  • Define crime and deviance
  • Explain the relativity of crime and deviance: how crime and deviance vary within and between societies, cultures, situations and across time

6.1.2 Formal social control:

  • Identify formal agencies of social control: the police, courts, armed forces, government, penal system
  • Explain how formal agencies control individuals and prevent crime and deviance

6.1.3 Informal social control:

  • Identify informal agencies of social control: family, education, workplace, peer group, traditional and digital media, religion
  • Explain how informal agencies control individuals and prevent crime and deviance

6.1.4 The effectiveness of agencies and methods of social control:

  • Evaluate the effectiveness of agencies and methods of social control in achieving conformity and preventing crime and deviance

6.1.5 Different types and examples of crimes:

  • Understand and provide examples of: violent crime, property crime, white-collar/corporate crime, expressive crime, instrumental crime, gang crime, green crime, global crime (e.g., organised crime), cyber crime, hate crime, domestic crime

6.1.6 Measuring crime:

  • Describe measurements of crime: official statistics, self-report studies, victim surveys (local and national)
  • Evaluate strengths and limitations of each measurement of crime
  • Explain the problem of unreported and unrecorded crime

Understanding Crime and Deviance 🔍

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Key Definitions

🔑 Deviance refers to any act that does not follow the norms and expectations of a social group. This is a broader category that includes behaviours disapproved of by society but which may not necessarily be illegal.

🔑 Crime involves acts that break a law set by the government or rulers. These are legally defined offences that can result in formal punishment.

The Relationship Between Crime and Deviance

Crime is a subset of deviance - most crimes are also deviant because countries make laws to criminalise behaviour they wish to prevent. However, the relationship is not absolute:

Deviant but not criminal:

  • Taking drugs that are disapproved of but not illegal
  • Cigarette smoking in public places (in most European countries)
  • Wearing inappropriate or shocking clothing
  • Behaving in a rude or offensive way

People may respond to these behaviours with negative sanctions such as disapproval or outrage, but they are not criminal offences.

Criminal but not necessarily deviant:

  • Speeding - driving faster than the speed limit is illegal, yet many drivers regularly break speed limits, suggesting it has become part of the social norm of driving
  • Outdated criminal laws that are rarely obeyed or punished

Important concept: Not all crimes are necessarily seen as deviant, and not all deviant acts are criminal.

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