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Updated Mar 20, 2026
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Comprehensive AQA A-Level Crime and Deviance Revision Guide
Grack69
@grack69
1 / 10
Crime and Deviance Basics
Crime is straightforward – it's any behaviour that breaks society's laws. Deviance, however, is trickier because it's about behaviours that society considers abnormal or unacceptable, even if they're not illegal.
Think about it this way: wearing pyjamas to school is deviant but not criminal, whilst speeding is both criminal and deviant. The key difference is that deviance depends on social norms, which can vary between groups and change over time.
Social control keeps society functioning through both formal methods (like police and courts) and informal ones (like disapproval from mates or family). This dual system shapes how we behave every day.
Remember: What's considered deviant in one society might be perfectly normal in another – it's all about context and cultural norms.
Functionalist Theory - Durkheim's Perspective
Durkheim argued that crime is actually inevitable, relative, and functional for society. Sounds mad, but hear him out – crime serves three crucial functions that help society work properly.
First, crime reaffirms boundaries by showing everyone what's unacceptable. Second, it signals when social change is needed. Finally, it promotes social cohesion by uniting people against criminals.
Anomie occurs during periods of rapid social change when people feel disconnected from society's norms. During these times, deviance increases because the usual rules feel less clear or relevant.
Durkheim distinguished between mechanistic societies and organic societies . However, his theory struggles to explain why some groups commit more crime than others.
Key insight: Even 'bad' things like crime can serve positive functions for society – though this doesn't mean we should encourage it!
Functionalist Theory - Merton's Strain Theory
Merton's strain theory explains why people turn to crime when society promises success but doesn't provide equal opportunities to achieve it. Think of the 'American Dream' – everyone wants material success, but not everyone can get it legitimately.
When people face blocked aspirations, they adapt in five ways: conformity (accept both goals and means), innovation (accept goals but use illegal means), ritualism (reject goals but accept means), retreatism (reject both), and rebellion (replace both with new ones).
Innovation is where most crime happens – people want the lifestyle but can't achieve it through legitimate channels, so they turn to illegal activities like drug dealing or theft.
Critics point out that Merton can't explain crimes without material motives (like vandalism) and assumes all working-class people with blocked aspirations will commit crime, which clearly isn't true.
Think about it: How many crimes you see in the news are really about people trying to get money or status through illegal means?
Subcultural Theories
A.K. Cohen focused on working-class boys who experience status frustration when they can't succeed in middle-class education systems. These lads create their own subcultural values that flip mainstream society – celebrating toughness over academic achievement.
Cloward and Ohlin developed the concept of illegitimate opportunity structures. They identified three types of subcultures: criminal (organised illegal careers), conflict (violent gangs formed from frustration), and retreatist (drug users who've failed in both legitimate and illegitimate worlds).
Miller argued that working-class communities have six focal concerns – toughness, smartness, excitement, fate, trouble, and autonomy – that naturally lead to more criminal behaviour.
These theories excel at explaining group crime amongst young working-class males but completely ignore female criminality and assume neat distinctions between subcultures that don't exist in real life.
Reality check: Most people in working-class communities don't commit crimes, so these theories can't be the whole story.
Marxist Theory on Crime
Marxists argue that capitalism is criminogenic – it literally creates the conditions that cause crime. The system is built on competition, greed, and inequality, making crime an inevitable outcome.
Chambliss showed how laws protect ruling-class interests through examples like vagrancy laws, which forced poor people to work for low wages. Reiman demonstrated that the justice system treats upper-class crimes (like tax evasion) more leniently than working-class crimes (like theft).
The criminal justice system reflects class bias – white-collar crimes that cost society millions get lighter sentences than street crimes that cost hundreds. This isn't coincidence; it's how the system maintains capitalist power structures.
Bonger argued that capitalism's core values of selfishness and competition naturally produce criminal behaviour. When society rewards individual success over collective wellbeing, crime becomes a logical response.
Food for thought: Why do we get more upset about benefit fraud than tax avoidance, when tax avoidance costs the country far more money?
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The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
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This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
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Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
iOS user
Best app on earth! no words because it’s too good
Thomas R
iOS user
Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.
Basil
Android user
This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.
Rohan U
Android user
I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.
Xander S
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE Knowunity AI. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now
Paul T
iOS user
The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan S
iOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
Android user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
iOS user
Best app on earth! no words because it’s too good
Thomas R
iOS user
Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.
Basil
Android user
This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.
Rohan U
Android user
I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.
Xander S
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE Knowunity AI. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now
Paul T
iOS user
Comprehensive AQA A-Level Crime and Deviance Revision Guide
Grack69
@grack69
Crime and deviance aren't just about rule-breaking – they're fascinating areas of sociology that reveal how society actually works. Understanding different theories helps explain why people commit crimes, how society responds, and what this tells us about power, inequality, and... Show more
Crime and Deviance Basics
Crime is straightforward – it's any behaviour that breaks society's laws. Deviance, however, is trickier because it's about behaviours that society considers abnormal or unacceptable, even if they're not illegal.
Think about it this way: wearing pyjamas to school is deviant but not criminal, whilst speeding is both criminal and deviant. The key difference is that deviance depends on social norms, which can vary between groups and change over time.
Social control keeps society functioning through both formal methods (like police and courts) and informal ones (like disapproval from mates or family). This dual system shapes how we behave every day.
Remember: What's considered deviant in one society might be perfectly normal in another – it's all about context and cultural norms.
Sign up to see the contentIt's free!
Access to all documents
Improve your grades
Join milions of students
Functionalist Theory - Durkheim's Perspective
Durkheim argued that crime is actually inevitable, relative, and functional for society. Sounds mad, but hear him out – crime serves three crucial functions that help society work properly.
First, crime reaffirms boundaries by showing everyone what's unacceptable. Second, it signals when social change is needed. Finally, it promotes social cohesion by uniting people against criminals.
Anomie occurs during periods of rapid social change when people feel disconnected from society's norms. During these times, deviance increases because the usual rules feel less clear or relevant.
Durkheim distinguished between mechanistic societies and organic societies . However, his theory struggles to explain why some groups commit more crime than others.
Key insight: Even 'bad' things like crime can serve positive functions for society – though this doesn't mean we should encourage it!
Sign up to see the contentIt's free!
Access to all documents
Improve your grades
Join milions of students
Functionalist Theory - Merton's Strain Theory
Merton's strain theory explains why people turn to crime when society promises success but doesn't provide equal opportunities to achieve it. Think of the 'American Dream' – everyone wants material success, but not everyone can get it legitimately.
When people face blocked aspirations, they adapt in five ways: conformity (accept both goals and means), innovation (accept goals but use illegal means), ritualism (reject goals but accept means), retreatism (reject both), and rebellion (replace both with new ones).
Innovation is where most crime happens – people want the lifestyle but can't achieve it through legitimate channels, so they turn to illegal activities like drug dealing or theft.
Critics point out that Merton can't explain crimes without material motives (like vandalism) and assumes all working-class people with blocked aspirations will commit crime, which clearly isn't true.
Think about it: How many crimes you see in the news are really about people trying to get money or status through illegal means?
Sign up to see the contentIt's free!
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Subcultural Theories
A.K. Cohen focused on working-class boys who experience status frustration when they can't succeed in middle-class education systems. These lads create their own subcultural values that flip mainstream society – celebrating toughness over academic achievement.
Cloward and Ohlin developed the concept of illegitimate opportunity structures. They identified three types of subcultures: criminal (organised illegal careers), conflict (violent gangs formed from frustration), and retreatist (drug users who've failed in both legitimate and illegitimate worlds).
Miller argued that working-class communities have six focal concerns – toughness, smartness, excitement, fate, trouble, and autonomy – that naturally lead to more criminal behaviour.
These theories excel at explaining group crime amongst young working-class males but completely ignore female criminality and assume neat distinctions between subcultures that don't exist in real life.
Reality check: Most people in working-class communities don't commit crimes, so these theories can't be the whole story.
Sign up to see the contentIt's free!
Access to all documents
Improve your grades
Join milions of students
Marxist Theory on Crime
Marxists argue that capitalism is criminogenic – it literally creates the conditions that cause crime. The system is built on competition, greed, and inequality, making crime an inevitable outcome.
Chambliss showed how laws protect ruling-class interests through examples like vagrancy laws, which forced poor people to work for low wages. Reiman demonstrated that the justice system treats upper-class crimes (like tax evasion) more leniently than working-class crimes (like theft).
The criminal justice system reflects class bias – white-collar crimes that cost society millions get lighter sentences than street crimes that cost hundreds. This isn't coincidence; it's how the system maintains capitalist power structures.
Bonger argued that capitalism's core values of selfishness and competition naturally produce criminal behaviour. When society rewards individual success over collective wellbeing, crime becomes a logical response.
Food for thought: Why do we get more upset about benefit fraud than tax avoidance, when tax avoidance costs the country far more money?
Sign up to see the contentIt's free!
Access to all documents
Improve your grades
Join milions of students
Sign up to see the contentIt's free!
Access to all documents
Improve your grades
Join milions of students
Sign up to see the contentIt's free!
Access to all documents
Improve your grades
Join milions of students
Sign up to see the contentIt's free!
Access to all documents
Improve your grades
Join milions of students
Sign up to see the contentIt's free!
Access to all documents
Improve your grades
Join milions of students
We thought you’d never ask...
What is the Knowunity AI companion?
Our AI Companion is a student-focused AI tool that offers more than just answers. Built on millions of Knowunity resources, it provides relevant information, personalised study plans, quizzes, and content directly in the chat, adapting to your individual learning journey.
Where can I download the Knowunity app?
You can download the app from Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
Is Knowunity really free of charge?
That's right! Enjoy free access to study content, connect with fellow students, and get instant help – all at your fingertips.
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Students love us — and so will you.
4.6/5
App Store
4.7/5
Google Play
The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan S
iOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
Android user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
iOS user
Best app on earth! no words because it’s too good
Thomas R
iOS user
Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.
Basil
Android user
This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.
Rohan U
Android user
I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.
Xander S
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE Knowunity AI. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now
Paul T
iOS user
The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan S
iOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
Android user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
iOS user
Best app on earth! no words because it’s too good
Thomas R
iOS user
Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.
Basil
Android user
This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.
Rohan U
Android user
I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.
Xander S
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE Knowunity AI. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now
Paul T
iOS user