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There are different ways crime and deviance are perceived in various places and periods. The two main questions about criminal and deviant acts are what constitutes such an act and whether it should be punished. Then, there emerge other important subsequent questions about punishment or its alternatives. If punishment is not the most suitable way to deal with a crime, how should one treat the criminal and stop them from committing violent or destructive acts? If punishment is deemed an effective deterrent measure, how exactly should criminals be punished? Some major attitudes towards crime, deviance, and punishment formed several criminological theories. The current essay examines Durkheims theory of functional crime and observes the recent news story about the increased number of stabbing cases among teenagers from its perspective.
Before analysing the news story, it is necessary to give a brief overview. It is dedicated to the revealed record annual death toll from teenage homicides that have amounted to 30 in London in 2021 (Rawlinson, 2021, para.1). Several recent cases, including the deaths of teenage boys in Croydon and Yiewsley, were stabbing incidents that made society pay more attention to the knife crime issue. Many campaigners observe that stabbings have become a normalised way for teenagers to resolve conflict situations (Rawlinson, 2021, para.3). The Ben Kinsella Trusts (anti-knife crime charity) chief executive Patrick Green (cited in Rawlinson, 2021, para.4) comments that a popular view on knife crime as a part-and-parcel of growing up is completely unacceptable. The campaigner questions whether the existing knife crime prevention measures are sufficient and adequate and urges the government to implement a long-term and systematic response (Rawlinson, 2021). The shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper agrees that further action is needed from government to tackle the knife crime epidemic (Rawlinson, 2021, para. 8). In brief, the story addresses an urgent societal problem of knife crimes increased rate among teenagers in London.
The news story can be analysed from the perspective of Durkheims criminological theory. It is based on the notion of functional crime that is inevitable and necessary within modern societies (Durkheims criminology an introduction, slide 2). According to Durkheim, such crime performs at least one of the three functions: 1) moral boundary setting, 2) collective identification through othering, and 3) functional rebellion (Durkheims criminology an introduction, slides 10-12). When the crime rate increases significantly, it is a sign of an unhealthily weak collective conscience (Durkheim & dysfunctional crime, anomie & urban social disorganisation, slide 2). It is caused by an excessive level of individualism or lack of social integration and moral regulation (Durkheim & dysfunctional crime, anomie & urban social disorganisation, slide 2). These are the central notions and ideas presented in Durkheims criminological theory.
Now that the news story and the criminological theory are briefly described, it is possible to perform a proper analysis. The first noteworthy observation about the story is that it does not comment on one particular criminal case but dozens of similar ones committed within one year, which forms an alarming tendency. The increase in illegal activities signals the existence of major social problems. If one looks at the record death toll among teenagers in London through the lens of Durkheims theory, one can conclude that collective conscience seems too weak in British society. It means that people are not provided with enough opportunities and motivation for social integration, which may distort moral attitudes and weaken the corresponding regulations. Even though modern society does not require extremely close ties among its members for survival as it did centuries ago, some amount of social integration is still vital. Therefore, this news story can be used to warn of the declining social order and the need to strengthen social ties within British society.
Secondly, one should note that the article looks at the death toll among teenagers one of the vulnerable social groups. The implication is that they lack strong and healthy social ties and suitable role models within their family, neighbourhood, school, and other social communities. Moreover, their parents and educators fail to provide a good moral upbringing or protect them from destructive and deviant influence. The chair of one of the social programmes, MyEnds, aiming to tackle knife crime in London, Anthony King, agrees with that (cited in Rawlinson, 2021, para. 14). He believes that the major reason for the increased stabbing cases among teenagers is the breakdowns in education and at home (cited in Rawlinson, 2021). The campaigner also notes that it leads to young peoples exclusion (cited in Rawlinson, 2021). Thus, one can conclude that social integration is especially low among teenagers.
Thirdly, as was mentioned above, weakened social integration may lead to the distortion of moral principles. Therefore, the knife crime cases described in the news story may not only signal it but also perform a moral boundary-setting function. It is long accepted and legally enshrined that killing is a destructive and morally unacceptable act that should be punished. However, there is a certain grey area of morality, the social impact of which can be controversial. While one cannot generally call stabbings an example of it, the analysed news story seems to show that some people may view them as such. As Green notes (cited in Rawlinson, 2021), the danger of knife crimes seems to be underestimated in Britain, especially in conflicts among teenagers. Thus, the campaigners urge the government and all social institutes that deal with children and teenagers to ensure that knife crimes are seen as morally wrong and effectively prevented when possible.
There is also a possibility that, in some cases, stabbings among teenagers perform as functional rebellion. Teenagers who lack knowledge of healthy and effective communicative strategies see no options to resolve conflicts or channel their emotions other than attack the opponent physically. Apart from being minors, such teenagers may also belong to other socially vulnerable groups based on their familys income, ethnicity, or race. Therefore, they might experience extra pressure or discrimination from peers. Society must identify these problems and provide teenagers with sufficient educational opportunities, including conflict management and social protection from all forms of discrimination.
The public response to the recent stabbing cases shows that they identify similar sources of the problem as Durkheim. According to his theory, the increased crime rate may be caused by poor informal control and social disorganisation (Durkheim & dysfunctional crime, anomie & urban social disorganisation, slides 6-7). Therefore, the stabbings problem should be addressed on several levels: within the family, social and educational institutes, and the government. The shadow home secretary, Yvette Cooper, sees the root of the problem in insufficient and inefficient governmental response to handling knife crimes and the criminal exploitation of children and teenagers (cited in Rawlinson, 2021). She believes more neighbourhood police, stronger laws, and support for social instates providing the youth services and early intervention work are necessary (cited in Rawlinson, 2021, para. 8). Increased legal prevention and control measures would highlight the unacceptance of knife crimes, and social work will help young people to see other options for conflict management or to break free from criminal exploitation. Moreover, it is important to utilise media to provide useful information and prevent them from fuelling the conflict.
The government must also raise awareness of the problem among educators and parents whose involvement is vital for solving this issue. Anthony King urges them to contact each other and different social organizations if they notice their students or childrens suspicious and dangerous behaviour, such as knife-carrying (cited in Rawlinson, 2021, para. 15). Pastor Beryl St Jamess observations may also urge parents to understand the seriousness of the situation. She works near the first killing scene and admits receiving a call from a parent who found a knife in their childs room (cited in Rawlinson, 2021, para. 12). It means that the case was not an accident, and if the social ties among parents, educators, social organizations, and government more decisive, some of the further stabbing incidents could have been prevented. Thus, raising awareness and contacts among parents, teachers, and social workers would strengthen social integration within the London community and help people handle the problem more effectively. All the mentioned measures will improve social organisation and informal control.
To conclude, Durkheims theory allows one to make several observations regarding the social impact of the recent dramatic increase in stabbing incidents among teenagers in London. Firstly, these events can signal weakened collective conscience in British society, which entails the lack of social integration and moral regulation. Secondly, it primarily affected a socially vulnerable group the teenagers and demonstrated that the existing preventive and regulatory measures related to knife crimes are insufficient, inadequate, or useless for teenagers protection. Specifically, poor informal and social disorganisation are identified as major sources of the issue. As functional crimes, these stabbing incidents might perform a moral boundary-setting function and remind society that knife crimes are not acceptable. Moreover, knife crimes may be seen as a form of functional rebellion against discrimination or oppressive governmental policies in some cases.
Reference List
Durkheims criminology an introduction (n.d.) [PowerPoint presentation], CRM1272: Explaining Crime. Your University.
Durkheim & dysfunctional crime, anomie & urban social disorganisation (n.d.) [PowerPoint presentation], CRM1272: Explaining Crime. Your University.
Rawlinson, K. (2021) Two more stabbings bring London to its worst ever teenage homicide death toll, The Guardian: UK news, 31 December. Web.
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