Crime and Deviance

... Crime and Deviance All human life is governed by norms and values. Some of these are formally enforced by the criminal justice system (police, courts, probation service, and prisons) and others are enforced through informal social controls. (Family, friends, work colleagues and how they see themselves as individual). The informal control stops most people from stealing; only a few have to be subjected to formal controls, for some even this doesn't work. What is deviance? Deviance is to stray from the accepted path which most follow. In some cases this may involve criminal behavior but on many occasions it is just not conforming to what most people do. There is no "absolute" way of defining a deviant act. E.g. Nudity in your home or nude beaches is normal but not in a public place. Deviance is therefore "culturally determined" and cultures change over time between different societies. Attitudes to homosexual in Britain have changed

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