To What Extent Has Criminal Violence Changed In The Last Century In The UK - Essay Example

To What Extent Has Criminal Violence Changed In The Last Century In The UK? Introduction Violent crime is an offensive act in which an individual uses violence against the other to achieve the end desires which may include rape, robbery and murder. Violent crimes are classified into different groups including robbery, rape, assault and murder in which violence is a common denominator. Violent crimes have different endings including death, injury or permanent incapacitation of those involved due to deep tissue injuries and fractures. Changes in legal systems have categorized violent crimes as the most heinous as opposed to the crimes against property that was treated in similar regard in the past years (Hawkins, 2003). In the recent past, the United Kingdom has topped violent crime across the world according to the national crime data and the international watchdog bodies. Sociologists have attributed these figures to the nature of the English society and the high number of youths who engaged in uncontrolled drinking activities. One of the common drinking habits that have been attributed to violence is group or binge drinking which increases an individual’s development of irrational behaviors and violence. Despite the high global figures, the country has witnessed significant decline in violent crime in the recent past forcing social researchers to determine the changing dynamics of the society and how their impacts have led this decline. In this paper, violent crime in the United Kingdom will be discussed to identify the possible causes of the decline that has been witnessed in the recent past. Historical trend of violent crime in the UK The British crime survey was established in 1981 to provide an empirical data on crime in the United Kingdom as a whole by monitoring reported violent crimes in the police stations. Based on the reports published by the body over the years, criminal activities in the United Kingdom have remained on top of other industrialized countries like the United States. Despite the current gun debate in the United States over violent crime, the United Kingdom has remained with a fairly higher violent crime index despite the strict gun ownership regulations. It is estimated that there are 2000 violent crimes recorded per 100,000 of population in the United Kingdom, which shows that a bigger proportion of the population is prone to violence (Hawkins, 2003). The United Kingdom is followed by Austria and other Scandinavian countries which show that the violent crime rate in Europe is relatively high as compared to the United Kingdom. With the law becoming stricter on penalties for violent crime, the United Kingdom has witnessed a significant decline in the number of people arrested for participation in violent activities across the country. This decline has been attributed to a number of sociological and legal factors in the country that makes this kind of criminal offense heavily punished. Research on historical criminal violence in the United Kingdom between the 13th to the 20th century presented a picture of a completely anarchical society ruled and lived by the sword. During this era, criminal violence in the region was not the worst criminal activity and provided a window for criminals to engage in violent criminal acts. During the 11th century, the total violent crimes that were reported in England were more than 140 per year based on homicide reports received by the security apparatus in the region at that time. This was relatively high when compared to the London population at that time which was below 40,000 as compared to a highly populated cosmopolitan London of the 21st century (Hawkins, 2003). Types of violent crimes in the UK A crime is considered violent if the victim is threatened or harmed through a violent act in order of the perpetrator to achieve the criminal desires including rape, robbery and even murder. However, a violent crime that leads to death of the victim is called homicide and carries a maximum sentence under the United Kingdom criminal law. According to the homicide act of 1957, the United Kingdom has different set of homicide categories depending on the nature of murder, the intention and the process that led to the murder. As a result, the country have murder which is considered as killing someone with malicious intent, involuntary manslaughter which are considered as deaths caused by involuntary actions which can be attributed to negligence by the accused individual or engagement in dangerous activities that in one way or the other contributed to the death (Hawkins, 2003). Voluntary manslaughter is close to actual murder as the intent to kill may be available but the murder circumstances demonstrates partial defense in the case of the accused. The united kingdom law has different punishment for the three categories of murder in the country but homicide is initially treated as plain murder unless the accused can prove that the intent to kill was lacking (Lorenc, Petticrew, Whitehead, Neary, Clayton, Wright,Thomson, Cummins, Sowden & Renton, 2013).. In the United Kingdom, the extensive engagement in child abuse and maltreatment is also categorized as violent crimes especially if bodily harm is caused to the victim. Any individual with the legal responsibility of caring for a child will be held liable for such violent crimes especially if the actions are attributed to his/her actions and inactions in the face of the sufferings (International Business, 2013). This kind of violence is classified under family violence, a category of violence that has been attributed to a significant ratio of homicide reported in the United Kingdom. The abuse of elders under a caregiver is also considered as violent crime especially if the victim reports body injuries as a result of the actions of the caregiver. However, this rise has also led to the development of a trend that has worried the healthcare professionals tasked with the responsibility of caring for the elderly. Any intentional action that is committed with the desire to cause bodily harm to an elderly person under your care is considered as a violent crime under the domestic violence act in the United Kingdom. The rising cases of elderly violence and abuse has led to the emergence of lobby groups that have advocated for increased security for the elderly to eliminate the high cases of elderly murders and injuries reported in the country (Rubin, Gallo, & Coutts, 2008). Though the United States has for long been associated with increased gun violence due to the liberal gun ownership laws in the country, the United Kingdom has also registered some of the highest levels of gun violence in the continent. In 2011, a total of 150 gun deaths were reported in the country which translated to 0.23 gun deaths per 100, 000 population. The number of homicides in the same year as a result of gun violence was higher at 653, a lower number as compared to the previous years. This data demonstrates that despite the strict gun ownership laws in the country, the level of gun violence remains relatively high, further contributing to the high violent crimes in the country. The united kingdom legislature must therefore review the gun laws to identify the areas that have contributed to the high gun associated violence in the country despite the progress made to eliminate violent crimes in the country (Lorenc, Petticrew, Whitehead, Neary, Clayton, Wright, Thomson, Cummins, Sowden & Renton, 2013). Rape and sexual violence is the next category of violent crime that has remained significantly present within the United Kingdom as a result of a number of factors. Sexual violence is the forceful and unwanted entry into an individual with the intention of having canal knowledge of them with violence as the dominant factor. Sexual violence are legally classified into different categories and therefore accorded different punishments according to the legal statutes of the United Kingdom. Rape, sexual assault, forced marriages, harassment among other forms of violence is considered criminally punishable in the United Kingdom due to the possibility of death that they present. In most cases, victims have resisted advances from the perpetrators and this has led to violent actions which have caused massive injuries to the victims. In the event the a rape incident results into murder, the united kingdom law considers this as double crime which is punishable by maximum sentence in the country. Domestic violence that results into rape, harassment, injury and murder is also classified under sexual offense violence in the country and subjected to similar law (International Business, 2013). Changing trend in criminal violence in the UK Over the last century, statistics from the crime bureau have shown a significant change in the violent crime in the United Kingdom. As compared to the past years, the average number of violent crimes in the country has declined significantly with reports showing a yearly decline in all forms of violent crimes. According to reports by the United Kingdom peace index, the number of genocide cases reported in the country in 2012 dropped when compared to the figures from 2003. This demonstrates that the United Kingdom has witnessed a more peaceful episode in the recent past as compared to the previous years. According to research conducted by Cardiff University, the overall decline in criminal violence in the country was 12%, a value that demonstrated the level of societal maturity and respect for law in the country. England and wales recorded the significant decline in violence as illustrated by the graphs below, values that have been supported by research findings from other independent groups (Rubin, Gallo, & Coutts, 2008). Figure 1: changing trend in violent crime in the United Kingdom (Casciani, 2014) Adopted from http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-27119689 Sociologists and researchers have attempted to understand the underlying reasons behind the current downward trend to criminal violence in the country and this explains the high number of research dissertations on the topic. The decline in criminal violence in the United Kingdom that has been lauded as a positive sign of societal maturity has been associated to a number of social and economic factors and trends in the country. To understand the changes in criminal violence in the country, a discussion of the reasons that support the downward trend in violence is critical (Lorenc, Petticrew, Whitehead, Neary, Clayton, Wright, Thomson, Cummins, Sowden & Renton, 2013). Researchers from Cardiff University have collected data and analyzed in their evaluation of the factors that support the decline in criminal violence in the country. The less violent United Kingdom that has moved away from the traditional shadow of violence can be explained by a number of reasons. In most cases, overconsumption of alcohol has led to the development of irrational behaviors among the youths and this has been attributed to the increased violence in the country (International Business, 2013). However, the increased taxations that the government levied on alcoholic drinks led to an increase in alcohol prices which is believed to have lowered the overall level of alcohol consumption in the country especially among college going students. In sober state, most youths disengage from violent activities and tend to be more rational as compared to their intoxicated state. By increasing the cost of alcohol in the country and especially within the college canteens, the government eliminated the number one contributor of violence in the country among the youths. In some cases, the number of pubs in the neighborhood was reduced considerably and the available pubs introduced a tough policy on the age and occupation of the drinkers, further eliminating the cases of college students drinking problems (Hawkins, 2003). According to sociologists, the massive presence of binge drinking in the previous years contributed to a larger portion to violent crimes in the country. Most youths especially college students engaged in excessive drinking activities during the weekends and the police and hospital reports have attributed this to increased violence within and without the campus. Most drunk injuries reported and treated within the local hospitals were as a result of drunk and disorderly behaviors which increased the susceptibility of the youths to attacks and fights among themselves and with strangers (Rubin, Gallo, & Coutts, 2008). According to police unions, the decline in violent crime in the country especially homicide and domestic violence is as a result of the effective policing teams that have been built at the villages. These teams have adopted an active as opposed to a proactive approach to dealing with violent crimes, always initiating prevention protocols as opposed to handling actual offenders. To eliminate the tradition of violence within the country, the community policing program has adopted a rehabilitation program that seeks to bring together the minor violence offenders and rehabilitate them on the need to live peacefully with others. These approaches have also been supported by the tough gun policies that have been adopted by the government which have led to a decline in illegal firearms in the hands of criminals (International Business, 2013). According to Max Chambers, the head of crime and justice policy in the United Kingdom, the current decline witnessed in the country is also replicated in other countries across the globe which shows that sociological change is sweeping violent crime within our cities which cannot be attributed wholly to community policing programs adopted by the United Kingdom. To other analysts, a decline in hardcore drug use in the country has also contributed to the decline in criminal violence in the country. In the 1980s, the government oversaw a major illegal drug use crackdown in the country targeting cocaine and heroin users. Previously, researchers had attributed the increase in illegal drug use in the country to the high prevalence of violent crime in the country (Lorenc, Petticrew, Whitehead, Neary, Clayton, Wright, Thomson, Cummins, Sowden & Renton, 2013). Though this notion has been debated and opposed by some school of thought, it was believed that the leaded fumes from petrol engines increased the level of criminal violence in the country. The elimination of leaded petrol from the market has thus been attributed to the fall in criminal violence in the United Kingdom and in other parts of the world. Lead is a poisonous chemical that can cause injury to the bones, teeth, the kidneys and also affect the development and functioning of the nervous system. Excessive exposure to lead according to research increases a number of abnormalities in children and adults by lowering the IQ and increasing the development of aggressive and dysfunctional behaviors. According to Bernard Gesch, the process of understanding the violent crime wave that has affected the history and image of the United Kingdom must begin with the study of the implications of lead. In his studies on the effect of the environment and diet on criminals, Bernard identified lead poisoning as one of the chemicals that increases aggressive behaviors in individuals. This is because it is a potent neurotoxin that affects the normal functioning of the brain and rational reasoning in criminals. To this end, continued exposure to lead poisoning lead to bad decisions which affects the rationality of individual behaviors (International Business, 2013). Reporting of violent crime in the UK Due to the nature of violent crimes in the country and the history of victimization and targeting of the whistle blowers and witnesses, the country has developed an apt reporting system which seeks to protect the witness while ensuring that justice prevails for the victims. Reporting a crime to the police can be done in different ways, initiating the process by either calling the police station or going to the station in person (Lorenc, Petticrew, Whitehead, Neary, Clayton, Wright, Thomson, Cummins, Sowden & Renton, 2013). During the process of reporting crime, the police will engage the witness in a question answer session that will seek to authenticate his/her claim before making a determination to arrest the suspect. Though the information of the informant may be used as the primary source, the police must conduct further investigation on the matter before issuing an arrest order against the suspect. During the investigation, the claims of the witness will be examined based on the reports by other people who may be privy to the violent crime or are close to the suspect and may have information about his behavior and violent history. In the event that the victim reports the incident and was injured as a result of the violence, the police will provide direction for medical examination to ascertain the extent of the injury and the liability of the suspect. Other evidence such as clothing that was worn by the victim during the time of the crime may be needed as evidence to be used in the examination of blood samples and as admissible evidence before the court of law. The decision to pursue the report will be determined by the police upon further investigation and the corroboration of the claims made by the witness. In the event that the information provided and the evidence collected after further investigation by the police is not sufficient to warrant an arrest, the decision will be communicated to the victim or the witness (Rubin, Gallo, & Coutts, 2008). Managing violent crime in UK The approaches of violent crime management adopted by a country are essential in the mitigation of the challenge and the reduction of the prevalence. As a country that has been known historically for its violent past, the United Kingdom has adopted a number of approaches to eliminate violent crime in the country and reduce the incidence of homicide, murder and rape. One of the approaches that have so far been attributed to the reduced criminal rate in the country is the use of community policing. Through community policing, the United Kingdom has adopted a number of rehabilitation approaches that have targeted formed violent crime convicts. The convicts are rehabilitated and initiated into a life that is beneficial to them as a way of changing their criminal ways. This has enabled the country to reduce the violent crime cases in the country by over 12% and ensure the safety of visitors and tourists. The judicial system has also been reviewed and violent crime is today the worst crime in the country punished by maximum sentences as prescribed by the constitution (Rubin, Gallo, & Coutts, 2008). Conclusion In the early 20th century, the United Kingdom led as the most violent country due to the high number of homicides and murders that were reported in the country. This affected the image of the country and significantly retarded the tourism industry as the death of visitors and aliens in the country also remained high. However, changes in the country’s system have led to the emergence of a new trend that has witnessed a decline in violent crime in the country. This has been attributed to government approaches and the policies adopted which have led to an increase in alcohol price, cracked down on illegal drug use among others. References Casciani, D. Violent crime in England and Wales falls again, A&E data shows. Bbc. Available at: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-27119689 Hawkins, D 2003, Violent Crime: Assessing Race and Ethnic Differences, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. International Business, 2013, UK Servicemen ‘More Likely to Commit Violent Crimes’, International Business Times, 14. Lorenc, T, Petticrew, M, Whitehead, M, Neary, D, Clayton, S, Wright, K, Thomson, H, Cummins, S, Sowden, A, & Renton, A 2013, Fear of crime and the environment: systematic review of UK qualitative evidence, BMC Public Health, 13, p. 496. Rubin, J., Gallo, F. & Coutts, A 2008, violent crime: risk models, effective interventions and risk management, the national audit office. Read More