The document discusses reasons for overrepresentation of ethnic minorities in crime statistics. It questions whether ethnic minorities truly commit more crimes or if statistics provide an inaccurate picture due to factors like institutional racism and stereotyping. Some reasons given for higher crime rates and convictions among ethnic groups include evidence of racism within police culture and practices, unfair targeting of minorities in stop-and-search policies, and socioeconomic challenges like poverty that are more common in minority communities. The case study of Stephen Lawrence, a black teenager murdered in 1993, illustrates failures in the police investigation potentially due to racism and stereotyping.

1. Learning objective:
To identify/describe/explain
the reasons why ethnic
minorities are over
represented in crime
statistics

2. Key question:
• Do people from ethnic minorities actually
commit more crime?
• And
• Do the official crime statistics give a true
picture of the level of crime committed by
ethnic minorities?

3. Main explanations for level of crime
and convictions among ethnic groups
• There is evidence of institutional racism and a
canteen culture
• Police mishandle enquiries e.g. the murder of
Stephen Lawrence
• Some sociologists believe that ‘stop and search’
policy unfairly targets and labels black men.
• Ethnic minorities are more likely to face poverty and
live in urban areas.
• Media may reinforce stereotypes e.g. Fear of
terrorism
• Police are mainly white & middle class men who
discriminate against ethnic minorities

4. Case study
• Stephen Lawrence
• He was stabbed to death at a bus stop in
1993. He was 18
• 2 men have been convicted of his murder
after 18 years.
• The police were accused of failing to look for
Stephen’s killers because of institutional
racism and stereotyping

5. Read about Stephen Lawrence on page 45 of the
white textbook

6. Lord McPherson who carried out the Stephen
Lawrence Enquiry concluded that the police
service was full of institutional racism and
a canteen culture.
Copy out the definition of institutional
racism on page 112
Copy out the definition of canteen culture

7. Exam questions
1. Explain what is meant by labelling 4 marks
Labelling is …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
For example ………………………………………………………………………........................................................................................................……………………..
This means that ………………………………………………………….........................................................................................……………………………………………
2. Explain what is meant by prejudice 4 marks
3. Explain what is meant by racism 4 marks
4. Describe one way in which governments have attempted to reduce racist behaviour in society and explain how successful this has
been. 5 marks
Governments have attempted to reduce racist behaviour by (The Race Discrimination Act/anti bullying projects in schools/The Equality
Law 2010/police
training)......................................................................................................................................................................................
This means that ....................................................................................................................................................................................................
This has been successful because .........................................................................................................................................................................
But there is
still ......................................................................................................................................................................................................
5. Discuss how far sociologists would agree that some ethnic groups appear to commit more crime than others because they are
stereotyped. 12 marks
Some sociologists would agree that ………………………………………………………………….whilst others disagree and think that ……………………………
One reason why ethnic minorities appear to commit more crime is due to (write about how ethnic minorities are more likely to face
‘stop and search’ and be targeted and arrested by the police who stereotype them through police
statistics)...........................................................
However, some ethnic minorities commit more crime because (write about how ethnic minorities are more likely to face unemployment
and poverty which means they could commit crime)
Another reason why ethnic minorities appear to commit more crime is due to (write about how institutional racism in the police is a
factor for stereotyping and include the Stephen Lawrence case as an example
here) ........................................................................................
However, ethnic minorities also face stereotyping from the mass media through (write about how the media is likely to over exaggerate