Crime, deviance and social control — IGCSE Sociology (0495) questions by topic

Definitions of deterrent, self-report studies, rehabilitation and victim surveys anchor this topic, so precise terminology matters before any extended writing begins; other items ask you to describe crimes linked to particular settings or explain gaps in reporting to police.

State, describe, explain and to-what-extent are the leading command words here, spanning marks worth 35 in total, with the to-what-extent essay weighing status frustration and similar explanations of criminal behaviour against each other. This page holds 12 genuine questions from 2023 and 2024 sessions, so practise building definitions into two distinct, developed points and let instant marking flag where a point stayed underdeveloped or list-like.

What examiners look for

Reports state that the best labelling definitions covered two aspects: a person or group being named or stereotyped, and that stereotype then provoking a reaction.
Examiners accepted a wide range of urban crimes, including shoplifting, mugging, gang crime, vandalism, white-collar or corporate crime and bank robbery.
A recurring criticism is that candidates rarely referenced classic victim surveys, such as the Islington Survey or well-known feminist surveys, when explaining how such surveys measure crime.
Examiners repeatedly found that answers made several points on why crimes go unreported but left them only partially developed and list-like.
Strong answers on status and criminal behaviour drew on Cohen's status frustration alongside other explanations, developed with detail on both sides of the debate.