The role of violence in street crime
Since 2000, several reports have indicated that violent street crime in the UK is increasing, while research has shown that the character of these crimes is changing. Researchers at the University of Glamorgan interviewed offenders in prisons and young offenders’ institutions. They investigated a variety of violent offences, such as carjacking, street robbery, snatch thefts and certain kinds of aggravated burglaries, along with retaliatory, dispute-related, gang and disrespect violence. In particular, they looked at the role played by factors such as street culture.
Title: A qualitative study of the role of violence in street crime
Authors: Trevor Bennett, Fiona Brookman & Richard Wright
Number of pages: 15
Date published: November 2006
Availability: Download full report
Key Findings
Histories of offenders
- The mean number of previous arrests among offenders interviewed was estimated at 45, whilst one-third reckoned they had been arrested 50 times or more. The estimated mean number of previous convictions was 23, and more than a quarter said they had been convicted of 30 or more offences.
- Overall, 92% had used illegal drugs. More than half (59%) said they had used heroin or crack at some time in their lives, and for the majority of these, this was during their recent period of offending.
- An additional one-third of prisoners reported illegal drug use excluding heroin and crack.
Gangs
- About a quarter (23%) said that they were members of gangs or involved in them in some way.
- A further 11% said they sometimes offended in groups, but did not define them as gangs. In total, one-third said that they were involved in gangs or criminal groups.
Weapons
- More than a quarter (28%) said that they had carried a firearm of some sort, including air guns and replica guns. An additional 35% said that they carried some other weapon - usually a knife.
Motives
- Early analysis identified five main motives for street robbery:
- good times/partying
- keeping up appearances/flash cash
- buzz/excitement
- anger/desire to fight
- informal justice/righting wrongs
- More detailed analysis revealed a range of individual and social benefits, including status and respect within the peer group. Each could be understood in the context of an emerging street culture in Britain that in some ways resembles its American counterpart.
Drugs, violence and street culture
- Overall, some kind of drugs connection was mentioned in 60% of all robberies reported. There were four main kinds of drugs-related motive:
- to fund dependent drug use
- to pay for recreational drugs for partying
- being under the influence of drugs
- informal justice
- Some offenders went out alone with the intention to rob an easy target in order to buy drugs. Some robbed in groups or gangs for excitement, while others stole from individuals who had wronged them in some way, as a form of retaliation.
- Evidence collected so far suggests that being involved in street life and certain forms of street culture is an important factor in understanding violent street crime.
About the Study
This study, led by Professor Trevor Bennett of the Centre for Criminology, University of Glamorgan, involved semi-structured interviews with 120 offenders (89 male and 31 female) serving sentences for violent offences in prisons and young offenders’ institutions in England and Wales. The majority were aged 26 or over and white, with 10% defining themselves as black, 12% as mixed race, and just one as Asian.
Getting a copy
Download A qualitative study of the role of violence in street crime
Last update: Thursday, November 30, 2006