Poverty and Crime in Britain

Abstract

The aim of this chapter is to outline discussions about poverty and crime in Britain. It emphasises the significance of some of the themes contained in the narratives reviewed in Chapters 2 and 3. First, although there are striking parallels between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries there are some newly emergent themes. Secondly, since the 1960s American thinking has had a profound influence on British policy-makers. Although, compared to the former, ‘race’ has not been as significant a factor for the latter, there are some similarities, particularly the influence of the behavioural perspective. The issue of family structure and the tendency to blame unmarried mothers for the crimes of unemployed males has also been at the top of the agenda.