Title: Crime

Candidate names : Briana Ennevor, Tajai Forrester, Kiara Christie and

Maurice White

Candidate Numbers:

School: Mico School of Continuing Studies

Centre:

Teacher: Mr. Andrew Hinds

 Contents
Section One

Introduction …………..…………………..1

Statement of Problem……………………..2

Aims and Objectives………………………3

Literature Review………………………….4-6

Section Two

Research Design…………………………...7-8

Sociological Perspectives………………….9

The Sample………………………………..10

Data Collection Instrument………………..11-14

Section Three

Presentation of Data……………………….15-20

Section Four

Analysis of Data…………………………..21

Discussion of Findings/Conclusion…………..

Bibliography………………………………

1
 Introduction

Crime is a wrong against the state. It is an offence, or wrongful act, done by an individual

that undermines the laws of a country or region. Sociology Themes and Perspectives views

social and economic institutions as tools struggled among groups or classes, used to maintain

inequality and the dominance of the ruling class. Marxist conflict theory sees society as

divided along lines of economic class between the proletarian (working class) and the

bourgeoisie (ruling class). The conflict theory is useful for understanding how social structure

affects children in the public school system.

Penwood high school, located in Olympic Gardens in Kingston, is a school lost in obscurity,

until recent years only coming to attention for some incidence of violence or the other.

Considering this, the silence now surrounding its name may be a good thing. But Penwood,

among the list of reclassified high schools, has changed both its classification and its nature.

Principal of the inner-city high school, Austin Burrell, is gleeful, because all that he has

dreamed about for his school is on the brink of coming true.

Their principal is full of hope. He is a general whose aim it is to win a war against violence,

against hopelessness, against failure, and the inner-city belief that nothing good can be

achieved by the poor. Crime has affected many lives, lives of which were friends and

relatives that attended Penwood High School. This research topic has piqued the

researchers interest as it relates to how it has impacted lives of people who are known to

them. It is important to shed light on this specific topic as it brings awareness and also

shows improvement to which the school has put effort for change and protection for the

students.

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 Statement of Problem
The Impact of Crime on students at Penwood High School in Jamaica

3
 Aims and Objectives
Aims

● To understand the negative impact on students at Penwood High School

● To uncover what causes crime at Penwood High School

● To ascertain the reason crime is affecting students at Penwood High School

● To understand how the Conflict Theory is manifested at Penwood High School

Objectives

● To understand the students point of view of crime at Penwood High

● To observe the institution and why crime is affecting the school

● Analyse how the school resolves the crime impact on the students at Penwood High

School

4
 Literature Review

In conducting research for this study, information was extracted from various articles along

with internet sources to access appropriate coherent data that supports the study. Penwood

High school, located at 8 Rhoden Cres Kingston, is one of Jamaica’s most violent inner city

schools due to its location, however, the school has its reputation of being distributed and

disturbed. Children who attend the institution mostly reside in inner communities or from

families in low-income homes are looked upon as unequal. The conflict theory can be

implemented where the theory emphasises the role of social inequality, competition for

resources, and class struggle in shaping the social order. The social disorganisation theory of

crime can be asserted that crime is most likely to occur in communities with low ties and

absence of social order, which is evident in the scenario. Social order is a necessary feature to

society, it sets linked social structures, social institutions and social practices which converse

and enforce ways of relating and behaving. The behavioural manner of the students at the

institution has been insubordinate. Many of the perpetrators of student-on-student crimes are

repeat offenders, some of whom have a history of bullying, vandalism, truancy, or some other

maladaptive behaviour. Interestingly, many of the stakeholders within the Jamaican education

system continue to turn a blind eye or, at minimum, pay scant attention to the destructive

behaviours of these students. Max Weber, the developer of the conflict theory, spoke on

inequalities within society, such as wealth, power, class, and how such inequalities impact on

individual life experiences and chances creating conflict between and within social groups.

Structural functionalism argues that deviant behaviour plays an active, constructive role in

society by ultimately helping cohere different populations within a society, this is a prime

5
example of the environment based upon bullying and offences which are the deviant

situations of the school surroundings. A crime is a deviance but a deviance is not a crime, this

simply means that most crimes were once a deviant situation that escalated to a wrong against

the state. The relative deprivation theory is a theory of interest when it relates to Penwood

High School. Ted Gurr, a professor of political science, argues that the level of poverty

within a given society can lead members of certain social groups to perceive their situation as

worse than the perceived situation of others, crime is often seen as an inevitable consequence

of inequality and poverty. Indeed, those with fewer financial resources and less access to

education have been linked with poorer health outcomes, higher unemployment, and other

negative indicators that could lead to criminality behaviours. Caribbean theorists, Jeremy

Bentham during the years 1748 - 1832 was the father of a moral theory “utilitarianism” also

known as hedonistic calculus, argues that actions should be judged right or wrong to the

extent they decrease or increase human utility or wellbeing. Individuals are expected to

balance the consequences of their behaviors prior to acting in order to maximize pleasure and

minimize pain. Jeremy Bentham pioneers in criminology express that rational punishment is

entirely to prevent further crime by reforming the criminal or projecting society and to deter

others from crime through fear of punishment. As it relates to our topic, crime affecting

Penwood High, the consequences faced upon the stabbing of young Nario Coleman, Oshane

Henry has pleaded guilty and the punishment the youth faced was withdrawal of his freedom

in perpetuity.

Anthony Harriott, a Jamaican criminologist, and Carolyn Gomes, a human rights advocate,

have provided perspectives on crime in Jamaica. Harriott emphasises that crime cannot be

understood without considering the country's historical and socio-economic context, pointing

to the legacy of colonialism, poverty, unemployment, and social inequality as contributing

factors. This can be seen in schools where children who are residents of inner communities

6
reflect the actions and information they've learnt in the communities. He calls for

comprehensive social and economic reforms to effectively tackle crime in Jamaica.

Carolyn Gomes, a Jamaican criminologist, believes that crime in schools is not solely due to

individual deviant behaviour but results from broader societal issues like poverty and

inequality. She emphasises the importance of addressing social determinants of crime and

promotes a holistic approach involving parents, teachers, communities, and policymakers.

Additionally, she highlights the need for schools to provide support and resources for at-risk

students through counselling, mental health support, and skill development opportunities.

Gomes urges a comprehensive and multidimensional approach to create safer and more

inclusive school environments. Carolyn Gomes utilises the structural theory, this theory

argues that poverty is embedded within the structure of society and is a result of systemic

factors. It focuses on how social, economic, and political institutions create and maintain

poverty. Structural theorists emphasise factors such as unequal distribution of wealth,

discrimination, and power imbalances as key drivers of poverty.

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 Research Design
The research into the impact of crime on students will be conducted at Penwood High School

located at 8 Rhoden Cres Kingston Jamaica. The research project will be in the format of a

questionnaire that will be conducted on February 20, 2024. In sociological research,

questionnaires are categorised under the quantitative method. It was Paul Felix Lazarsfeld

who established quantitative research by 1945. Psychology's quantitative research is the use

of statistical data and comparative methods to study social relationships and cultural

institutions. The approach is essential to our study, which emphasises

the need of providing meaningful answers to the crucial "Why?" through structured

interviews and group discussion. Quantitative research studies things that are quantifiable

measurable, allowing for statistical calculations that apply to the population that the data is

pulled from. The quantitative method of research was selected by the researchers as it is less

time consuming and is appropriate to the study being conducted as it allows for multivariate

analysis and informs the reader of the main causes of crime in Penwood being investigated.

Advantages of using a questionnaire is that they are a cost-effective data collection method

compared to interviews or focus groups. Additionally respondents often feel more

comfortable expressing their true opinions in questionnaires, especially when their anonymity

is guaranteed. Disadvantages expressed are that validity is reduced since respondents may

give faulty answers or have difficulty understanding each question based on its structure.

Questionnaires will be administered to 10 (ten) hierarchically selected students, each will be

asked preliminary questions. Information obtained from the research will be presented in the

form of graphs, in addition to a depth analysis of data collection.

Limitations experienced in this research process were minimal to an extent. The selected

participants completed the questionnaire with minimal issue, except seeking clarification on

8
certain questions and the distance to travel to distribute the questionnaires. The researchers

reflected that clarification was needed as students’ misinterpreted some of the questions

asked.

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 Sociological Perspectives
The quantitative method is preferred by positivists.The word positivism is defined as

“generally, any system that confines itself to the data of experience and excludes a priori or

metaphysical speculations. More narrowly, the term designates the thought of the French

philosopher” Auguste Comte" (1798–1857). It is related to this research as this method

assists the research owing to the fact that positivist methods are believed to be less biassed as

there is little involvement from the researcher this leads to accurate representation and

presentation of data.

Quantitative research plays a crucial role in our study as it provides a systematic and

structured approach to gathering and analyzing data. By emphasizing objective measurement

and statistical analysis, quantitative research enables us to draw conclusions based on

empirical evidence rather than subjective interpretations. This is essential in ensuring the

reliability and validity of our study findings. Additionally, the alignment of quantitative

research with positivism underscores the importance of using scientific methods to

understand social phenomena, further enhancing the credibility of our research. Overall, the

use of quantitative research methods strengthens the rigor and objectivity of our study,

ultimately contributing to a more comprehensive and reliable analysis of the subject matter.

One sociologist that used the positivist method of research in his study from the Caribbean is

Dr.Ramesh Deosaran. In his study ( Crime,Policing,and Security in the Caribbean).

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 The Sample

The aggregate technique was preferred for this research. The researchers choose aggregate

data, assess the fundamentals of social reality and social structure, and identify the main

research.

The advantages of this technique are that it has a wide range of sources, allowing researchers

to access data from multiple sources. This improved decision-making can lead to increased

efficiency, making the research easier. By aggregating data from multiple sources and

analysing it in real time, the researchers can make better decisions faster.

The disadvantage of this technique is that the data is widely used and not all the information

represented is factual. Limitations include drawing inaccurate inferences and false

conclusions, which is also termed an ecological fallacy. The other challenge is accurately

choosing data that is suitable for the topic being researched. The aggregate process has a wide

variety of platforms to access data, which makes it difficult to find the most suitable

information to assess.

The method was chosen on the basis that the respondents had to answer questions on the

questionnaire, allowing them to be relevant to the topic being investigated. Based on the

relevance of the questions, an accurate conclusion can be drawn from the statistics gathered.

In this sampling, only students at Penwood High School were involved. The sampling

included 15 individuals: ten males and five females. Five individuals were randomly selected

from 3 to 6 forms, each being asked a preliminary question to investigate if they resided in

inner city communities.

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 Data Collection Instrument
QUESTIONNAIRE

1. Gender

● Male

● Female

2. Age

● 12-14

● 15-17

● 18-20

3. How often do you attend school?

● Always

● Often

● Sometimes

4. Is crime a serious problem where you live?

● Yes

● No

● Sometimes

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5. Have you ever been a victim of crime in your school?

● Yes

● No

6. Do you feel comfortable reporting a crime/argument at your school?

● Yes

● No

● Sometimes

7. How often are there arguments between students at school?

● Everyday

● Weekly

● Other

8. Has the dispute of arguments and fights had an impact on your academic performance

● Yes

● No

9. Do you reside in a inner-city-community?

● Yes

● no

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 10. Does your community affect your attitude in school?

● Yes

● No

● Sometimes

11. Why do you think crime is affecting your school?

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________

12. Are you comfortable in your school environment?

● Yes

● No

Explain your answer:

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________

13. Have there been protocols put in place to prevent crimes at Penwood High?

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 ● Yes

● No

If yes what type of protocols

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

_________

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 Presentation of data
1. Is Crime A Serious Problem Where You live?

Fig.1

In figure 1, twenty-five percent (25%) students are impacted, twenty-five percent (25%) are

not and the remaining fifty percent (50%) stated sometimes that crime is serious in their

community.

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2.How Often are there arguments between students at school?

Fig.2

In figure two, It shows that fifty percent (50%) of students stated that it happens every day,

thirty- seven point five (37.5) stated that it happens weekly, and (12.5%) percent stated other.

3. Has disputes of arguments and fights had an impact on your academic performance?

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Fig.3

In figure three, it shows fifty percent (50%) of students are impacted and the remaining fifty

percent (50%) of students are not.

4. Does your community affect your attitude in school?

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Fig.4

In figure four, it shows that fifty percent (75%) are affected, twenty-five percent (25%) are

not, and the remaining twenty-five percent (25%) stated sometimes.

5. Are you comfortable in your school environment?

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Fig.5

In figure five, it shows that (87.5%) are uncomfortable and (12.5%) are comfortable in their

school’s environment.

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 Analysis of Data
In figure 1, the majority of the respondents are living in communities that crime is often a

serious problem. This issue may be attributed to the financial and living condition of the

residing parent in addition to being a victim of poverty. An equal number of respondents,

25% of whom are negatively living in communities with serious problems and the other 25%

who are residing in safe communities. Poverty may be subjected to those who are living in

crime rated communities which can affect how they perform in school academically or

behavior wise.

In figure 2, the majority of the respondents are exposed to altercations on the school

compound. This may be a result of poor communication skills. As most of the respondents

who reside in low-income communities they may occur with weak social ties and the absence

of social control. This is theorized by the social disorganization theory of crime. A lesser

number of respondents are exposed to altercations on the school compound weekly, this may

be due to the fact of the poor attendance of the respondents.

In figure 3, an equal number of students are impacted academically due to disputes of

arguments and fights. This may be due to the inability to focus and learn in a corrupted

environment. Half of the respondents are not affected by the disputes on the school’s

compound. This can be because of the inhabiting similar altercations from their community

and are accustomed to the behaviour.

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 Finding/Conclusion
The research conducted at Penwood High School sheds light on the huge impact of crime on

students within the school community. Through the use of quantitative methods and

sociological perspectives, we have gained insights into the complex links between crime,

community environment, and students' experiences.

It is evident from the data that a considerable number of students are living in communities

where crime is a major issue. This reality not only affects their daily lives but also goes into

their academic environment, leading to disruptions, conflicts, and ultimately, problems with

their educational attainment, also, the findings underscore the importance of addressing

underlying social and economic inequalities that contribute to the perpetuation of crime in

communities like those surrounding Penwood High School. Poverty, lack of social cohesion,

and absence of adequate support systems all play a role in shaping students' behaviours and

attitudes towards school.

The high level of discomfort expressed by students in their school environment reflects the

urgent need for interventions aimed at creating a safer and more nurturing educational setting.

This requires collaboration among school administrators, teachers, parents, community

leaders, and policymakers to implement universal strategies that address both the symptoms

and root causes of crime.

In conclusion, tackling the issue of crime at Penwood High School requires a versatile

approach that goes beyond disciplinary measures to surround social and economic reforms,

community engagement, and targeted support for at-risk students. By working together to

create a more inclusive and supportive environment, we can empower students to thrive

academically and contribute positively to their communities, ultimately breaking the cycle of

crime and inequality.

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