What does the Eduqas GCSE Sociology crime topic cover?

Examined on Component 2, the crime and deviance topic covers the definitions of crime and deviance and the social construction of deviance, the theories that explain crime (Durkheim's functionalism, Merton's strain theory, Albert Cohen's subcultural theory, the Marxist view and Becker's labelling theory), the data on crime (official statistics, victim surveys and self-report studies, and the dark figure), the social distribution of crime by class, age, gender and ethnicity, and social control including moral panics.

Which sociologists do I need for the crime topic?

Key named thinkers include Durkheim (crime as normal and functional), Merton (strain theory), Albert Cohen (status frustration and delinquent subcultures), Marx and Marxists (capitalism and the law), and Becker (labelling theory). You should be able to apply and evaluate each in the longer essays.

What is the dark figure of crime?

The dark figure of crime is the amount of crime that is not recorded in official statistics, because it is not reported to the police or not recorded by them. It means official crime statistics may measure how crime is reported and recorded rather than how much really happens, which is why victim surveys and self-report studies are used to capture some of it.

How is the crime topic assessed in Eduqas GCSE Sociology?

Crime and deviance is examined on Component 2, Understanding Social Structures, alongside stratification and applied methods. Questions range from short describe and explain items worth two to eight marks to extended discuss and evaluate essays worth up to fifteen marks that reward applying and evaluating the theories, naming thinkers and reaching a supported judgement.

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Eduqas GCSE Sociology: Crime and deviance overview

A complete overview of the Eduqas GCSE Sociology crime and deviance topic. Covers defining crime and deviance and the social construction of deviance, the theories (Durkheim, Merton, Cohen, Marxism and labelling), the data on crime, the social distribution of crime, and social control and moral panics, with the key thinkers and exam technique.

Generated by Claude Opus 4.813 min readC200Updated 2026-06-02

Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed

Jump to a section

Defining crime and deviance
Theories of crime
Data on crime
The social distribution of crime
Social control and moral panics
How to revise the crime topic

Crime and deviance is one of the topics on Component 2 of Eduqas GCSE Sociology (C200), alongside stratification and applied methods. It asks what crime and deviance are, why they happen, how crime is measured, who commits it, and how society tries to control it. This overview maps the topic and links to the dot-point answer pages.

Defining crime and deviance

Crime breaks the law; deviance breaks society's norms and is not always illegal. Deviance is socially constructed: what counts as deviant varies by time, place, culture and situation, which leads into labelling theory. See defining crime and deviance.

Theories of crime

Durkheim saw some crime as normal and functional; Merton's strain theory blames the gap between goals and means; Albert Cohen explained delinquent subcultures through status frustration; Marxists blame capitalism and the law; Becker's labelling theory focuses on social reaction. See theories of crime.

Data on crime

Crime is measured by official statistics (which miss the dark figure), victim surveys and self-report studies, each with strengths and weaknesses. No single source gives the full picture. See data on crime.

The statistics show patterns by class, age, gender and ethnicity, explained by socialisation, control, strain, subcultures and labelling, but the figures may reflect policing and labelling as much as offending. See the social distribution of crime.

Formal control uses laws and official agencies; informal control uses everyday pressure from family, peers and the workplace. The media can create moral panics, labelling groups as folk devils and amplifying deviance. See social control.

How to revise the crime topic

Attach a thinker to every idea. Durkheim, Merton, Cohen, Marx and Becker should appear in your answers.
Master the causes debate. Whether crime is structural or about labelling is a favourite for the fifteen-mark essays; learn both sides.
Be critical of crime statistics. The dark figure and labelling mean the figures are not a simple mirror of crime.
Practise evaluation. Set structural theories against functionalism and labelling and reach a judgement.

Test yourself with the crime and deviance quiz.

Sources & how we know this

Eduqas GCSE Sociology (C200) specification — WJEC Eduqas (2017)