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WalesHistory

Changes in Crime and Punishment, c.1500 to the present day

5 dot points across 5 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How did crime and punishment change in the early modern period, c.1500 to 1700?

The new crimes of the early modern period (vagabondage, witchcraft, smuggling and heresy), the continuing reliance on amateur law enforcement, the harsher and more public punishments, and the influence of religion and economic change, c.1500 to 1700.
A focused answer on the early modern section of the WJEC Crime and Punishment thematic study, covering new crimes (vagabondage, witchcraft, smuggling, heresy), amateur law enforcement, harsher public punishments, and the influence of religion and economic change.
14 min answer →

How did crime and punishment change in the industrial period, c.1700 to 1900?

Crime and punishment in the industrial period c.1700 to 1900: the Bloody Code and its decline, the end of public execution and the rise of the prison (Pentonville and reformers such as Elizabeth Fry), transportation to Australia, and the creation of the first professional police force, the Metropolitan Police of 1829.
A focused answer on the industrial-period section of the WJEC Crime and Punishment thematic study, covering the Bloody Code and its decline, the rise of the prison and reformers, transportation to Australia, and the creation of the Metropolitan Police in 1829.
14 min answer →

How did crime and punishment change in the modern period, c.1900 to the present day?

Crime and punishment in the modern period c.1900 to present: new crimes (cybercrime, terrorism, hate crime, driving offences), the abolition of the death penalty in 1965, the move towards rehabilitation and alternatives to prison, and the modernisation of policing with science and technology.
A focused answer on the modern section of the WJEC Crime and Punishment thematic study, covering new crimes such as cybercrime and terrorism, the abolition of the death penalty in 1965, the move towards rehabilitation, and the modernisation of policing.
14 min answer →

How did law enforcement and the purpose of punishment change across the whole period?

The long-term change and continuity in law enforcement (from amateur constables and the watch, to the 1829 Metropolitan Police, to modern scientific policing) and in the purpose of punishment (from deterrence and retribution, through prison, to rehabilitation), and the factors that drove change.
A focused answer on the long-term change and continuity in law enforcement and the purpose of punishment across the whole WJEC Crime and Punishment study, and the factors (such as religion, government, attitudes and technology) that drove change.
14 min answer →

How does the Welsh perspective shape the story of crime and punishment?

The Welsh perspective on crime and punishment: the Rebecca Riots of the 1840s as a Welsh protest crime, the Merthyr Rising of 1831 and Dic Penderyn, the impact of poverty and industry on crime in Wales, and how the Welsh context illustrates the wider themes of change and continuity.
A focused answer on the Welsh perspective in the WJEC Crime and Punishment thematic study, covering the Rebecca Riots, the Merthyr Rising and Dic Penderyn, and how the Welsh context illustrates the wider themes of change and continuity.
13 min answer →