Mini-Lesson

Crime & deviance

This mini-lesson covers crime and deviance: definitions, social control, functionalist (Durkheim, Merton, Cohen), interactionist (Becker) and Marxist theories, and the social distribution of crime.

Work through each screen, answer the questions as you go and collect ⭐ stars. Some questions are multiple-choice, some are sort-and-match games, and a few use simple research-methods maths (percentages and sample figures). Press Start when you're ready.

Crime · basics

Crime, deviance & social control

Crime breaks the law; deviance breaks norms and is relative.
Formal control = police, courts, prisons; informal = family, peers.

Spec note (please read): Pearson/Edexcel does not currently offer a GCSE Sociology qualification, and the code 1SC0 is Edexcel Combined Science, not Sociology. This lesson therefore teaches mainstream GCSE Sociology content (valid across boards) rather than a fabricated Edexcel spec. Check your own board's specification for exact wording.

Quick check

Crime or deviance?

?Talking loudly to yourself on a train breaks norms but no law. It is…

Crime · functionalism

Functionalist theories

Durkheim: crime is inevitable and functional (boundary maintenance); anomie.
Merton: strain theory — blocked goals cause crime ('innovation').
Cohen: status frustration → delinquent subcultures.

Sort it

Sort the theory

Tap a claim, then the perspective.

⚖️ Functionalist

🏭 Marxist

🏷️ Interactionist

Quick check

Whose theory?

?Which theorist explained crime as strain between goals and legitimate means?

Crime · labelling

Interactionism & labelling

Becker: deviance is a label, not the act itself.
Master status; moral panics; deviancy amplification.

Calculate

Your turn — percentage

✎In a survey of 250 reported offences, 180 agreed with a statement. What percentage agreed? Give a whole number.

%

Hint: percentage = (part ÷ whole) × 100 = (180 ÷ 250) × 100.

Crime · Marxism

Marxist theories

Capitalism is criminogenic.
Law enforcement is selective, favouring the powerful.

Calculate

Your turn — percentage change

✎Recorded thefts rose from 120 to 156 over ten years. Calculate the percentage increase. Give a whole number.

%

Hint: % change = (change ÷ start) × 100 = ((156 − 120) ÷ 120) × 100.

Match it

Match concept to theory

Tap a concept, then its theory.

Statement

Answer

Calculate

Your turn — response rate

✎A researcher posts 400 questionnaires and 260 are completed and returned. Calculate the response rate as a percentage. Give a whole number.

%

Hint: response rate = (returned ÷ sent) × 100 = (260 ÷ 400) × 100.

Crime · statistics

Patterns & the dark figure

Offending peaks in the teens/twenties; more male offenders in official stats.
The 'dark figure' — much crime is unreported/unrecorded, so stats are incomplete.

Calculate

Your turn — percentage

✎In a survey of 500 crimes reported to police, 45 agreed with a statement. What percentage agreed? Give a whole number.

%

Hint: percentage = (part ÷ whole) × 100 = (45 ÷ 500) × 100.

Quick check

Statistics

?The 'dark figure' of crime refers to crime that is…

Calculate

Your turn — sample size

✎A sampling frame lists 600 people. The researcher takes a one-in-five (1/5) sample. How many people are in the sample?

people

Hint: sample = 600 × 0.2.

Quick check

Social control

?Police, courts and prisons are examples of…

Recap

Crime & deviance — the big ideas

Definitions: crime (law) vs deviance (norms, relative); formal + informal control

Functionalism: Durkheim, Merton (strain), Cohen (subcultures)

Interactionism: Becker (labelling), moral panics

Marxism: criminogenic capitalism; selective enforcement; the dark figure

You've covered crime and deviance. Press Finish.

🏆

Mini-lesson complete!

⭐⭐⭐

You've worked through Crime & Deviance for GCSE Sociology (Edexcel-style). 🎉

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