What are crime and deviance, and how is crime measured?
The definitions of crime and deviance and how they vary by time and place, and how crime is measured through official statistics and victim surveys, including the problem of the dark figure of unrecorded crime.
A focused answer on crime, deviance and crime measurement for WJEC GCSE Sociology: the definitions of crime and deviance, how they vary, and measuring crime through official statistics and victim surveys, including the dark figure.
Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed
Have a quick question? Jump to the Q&A page
Jump to a section
What this dot point is asking
This dot point covers the definitions of crime and deviance and how crime is measured. You need to define crime (breaking the law) and deviance (breaking norms), explain how both vary by time and place, and explain how crime is measured through official statistics and victim surveys, including the problem of the dark figure of crime that never appears in the statistics. This is the foundation of the whole crime and deviance topic.
Crime and deviance
Crime and deviance vary
Measuring crime
The dark figure of crime
Try this
Q1. Give one example of an act that is deviant but not criminal. [Knowledge recall]
- Cue. Examples include queue-jumping, talking loudly in a library, or picking your nose in public: these break the norms of society but are not against the law.
Q2. Explain what is meant by the "dark figure" of crime. [Short explanation]
- Cue. The dark figure of crime is the large amount of crime that does not appear in official statistics, because many crimes are not reported to the police and some reported crimes are not recorded, so the true level of crime is higher than the figures suggest.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of WJEC exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
WJEC (Component 2)2 marksExplain the difference between crime and deviance.Show worked answer →
A short knowledge question (AO1). Reward a clear contrast.
Crime. Crime is behaviour that breaks the law and can be punished by the state.
Deviance. Deviance is behaviour that breaks the norms of society but is not always against the law.
Top marks. A clear definition of each, showing crime breaks the law while deviance breaks norms.
WJEC (Component 2)6 marksExplain why official crime statistics may not show the true level of crime.Show worked answer →
An explain question (AO1 and AO2). Reward developed reasons linked to the dark figure.
Unreported crime. Many crimes are not reported to the police, for example because victims feel ashamed, think it is too minor, or do not trust the police.
Unrecorded crime. Some reported crimes are not recorded by the police, so they do not appear in the statistics.
The dark figure. Together these create a "dark figure" of hidden crime, so official statistics understate the true level.
Top band. Developed reasons for under-reporting and under-recording, linked clearly to the dark figure.
Related dot points
- The patterns of crime and victimisation by social group, the link between social characteristics and crime statistics, and why these patterns must be treated as patterns in the statistics rather than facts about individuals.
A focused answer on patterns of crime for WJEC GCSE Sociology: who appears in crime statistics and who are the victims, by age, gender, class and ethnicity, and why these are patterns in the data, not facts about individuals.
- The main sociological explanations of crime and deviance, including the influence of inadequate socialisation, poverty and social conditions, subcultures, and labelling, set against biological and psychological explanations.
A focused answer on explanations of crime and deviance for WJEC GCSE Sociology: sociological explanations including socialisation, poverty, subcultures and labelling, set against biological and psychological explanations.
- Social control through formal agencies such as the police, courts and law, and informal agencies such as the family, peer group and media, working through positive and negative sanctions to maintain social order.
A focused answer on social control for WJEC GCSE Sociology: formal control through the police, courts and law, informal control through the family, peers and media, and how sanctions maintain social order.
- Forms of social differentiation and inequality beyond class: gender, ethnicity, age and disability, the meaning of prejudice and discrimination, and how the law seeks to promote equality.
A focused answer on other forms of inequality for WJEC GCSE Sociology: differentiation by gender, ethnicity, age and disability, the meaning of prejudice and discrimination, and equality law.
Sources & how we know this
- WJEC GCSE Sociology (Wales) specification (C200QS) — WJEC (2017)