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Crime control, surveillance, punishment and victims

Past-paper questions pack

Name
Class
Date set
Date due
Score/ 170

Questions are numbered; the mark schemes (the answer key) follow on separate pages so the question pages can be handed out alone. www.alevelsociologytutor.com

AQA AQA AS and A-level Sociology past-paper questions since 2016 · 14 parts · mark schemes follow the questions · www.alevelsociologytutor.com · Questions and mark schemes © AQA

1. June 2025 · Paper 3 · Q3 · 10 marks · AO1=3,AO2=4,AO3=3
0 3 Read Item A below and answer the question that follows. Item A The criminal justice system includes institutions that exist to detect crime. The criminal justice system is also responsible for punishing and rehabilitating offenders. The role of the criminal justice system may not always result in reduced crime. Applying material from Item A, analyse two reasons why the role of the criminal justice system may not always result in reduced crime. [10 marks]
2. June 2024 · Paper 3 · Q1 · 4 marks · AO1=4
Crime and Deviance 0 1 Outline two reasons why punishment may not be effective in controlling crime. [4 marks]
3. June 2024 · Paper 3 · Q4 · 30 marks · AO1=12,AO2=9,AO3=9
0 4 Read Item B below and answer the question that follows. Item B Realists see crime as a real and growing problem for society and highlight the damage crime causes to communities. Left realists argue that the causes of crime are structural and that an unequal society produces feelings of relative deprivation and marginalisation. They argue that one way to tackle crime is to reduce inequalities. However, right realists take the view that crime is caused by rationally self-interested individuals who choose to commit crime. Crime can be reduced by increasing the risks of committing crime. Applying material from Item B and your knowledge, evaluate the contributions of realist explanations of crime. [30 marks] Extra space
4. June 2023 · Paper 3 · Q1 · 4 marks · AO1=4
Crime and Deviance 0 1 Outline two reasons why surveillance may not reduce crime. [4 marks]
5. June 2023 · Paper 3 · Q3 · 10 marks · AO1=3,AO2=4,AO3=3
0 3 Read Item A below and answer the question that follows. Item A Some argue that social order is maintained in society by reinforcing social solidarity. Others argue that the ruling class maintain social order by controlling the working class. Punishment may help to maintain social order. Applying material from Item A, analyse two ways that punishment may help to maintain social order. [10 marks]
6. June 2022 · Paper 3 · Q2 · 6 marks · AO1=6
0 2 Outline three different ways that crime prevention strategies may reduce crime. [6 marks]
7. June 2022 · Paper 3 · Q3 · 10 marks · AO1=3,AO2=4,AO3=3
0 3 Read Item A below and answer the question that follows. Item A There are differences between social classes in levels of deprivation and access to resources. There are also higher recorded levels of violence committed by people from lower socio-economic backgrounds. There are reasons for social class differences in becoming a victim of crime. Applying material from Item A, analyse two reasons for social class differences in becoming a victim of crime. [10 marks]
8. November 2021 · Paper 3 · Q4 · 30 marks · AO1=12,AO2=9,AO3=9
0 4 Read Item B below and answer the question that follows. Item B Official crime statistics indicate that people from some minority ethnic groups are more likely to be arrested for and convicted of crime than the white ethnic majority. For example, Black people are more likely to be stopped and searched by the police. They are also more likely to be arrested and convicted of crimes or sent to prison. One view is that differences in crime rates between ethnic groups are the result of the way the criminal justice system labels and criminalises some minority ethnic groups. Others argue that there are real differences in criminality. For example, Left Realists highlight issues such as relative deprivation as a cause of crime and Right Realists argue there is a lack of social control in some groups. Applying material from Item B and your knowledge, evaluate the view that differences in crime rates between ethnic groups are mainly the result of the way the criminal justice system operates. [30 marks] Extra space
9. November 2020 · Paper 3 · Q2 · 6 marks · AO1=6
0 2 Outline three functions of the criminal justice system. [6 marks]
10. June 2019 · Paper 3 · Q2 · 6 marks · AO1=6
0 2 Outline three reasons why victims may not report crimes. [6 marks]
11. June 2019 · Paper 3 · Q3 · 10 marks · AO1=3,AO2=4,AO3=3
0 3 Read Item A below and answer the question that follows. Item A Crime reduction strategies make assumptions about why and how offenders commit their crimes. Such strategies also make assumptions about what crimes it is important to reduce and about the role or impact of criminal justice agencies. Applying material from Item A, analyse two reasons why crime reduction strategies may not always be successful. [10 marks]
12. June 2018 · Paper 3 · Q1 · 4 marks · AO1=4
Crime and Deviance 0 1 Outline two ways in which gender may influence the risk of being a victim of crime. [4 marks]
13. June 2017 · Paper 3 · Q4 · 30 marks · AO1=12,AO2=9,AO3=9
0 4 Read Item B below and answer the question that follows. Item B Societies attempt to prevent or control crime in various ways. These may range from simple prevention strategies to tough punishments aimed at deterring would-be offenders. They may also include policies to tackle the underlying causes of crime. One important type of crime control today is surveillance. This involves monitoring people’s behaviour. Surveillance may also include profiling people in terms of their gender, nationality or other characteristics to determine what level of risk they pose. Applying material from Item B and your knowledge, evaluate sociological contributions to our understanding of crime prevention and control. [30 marks] Extra space
14. Specimen set 1 · Paper 3 · Q3 · 10 marks · AO1=3,AO2=4,AO3=3
0 3 Read Item A below and answer the question that follows. Item A Situational crime prevention strategies aim to reduce the opportunity for crime. These strategies assume that the criminal makes a rational decision to commit crime based on perceived risks and benefits. One prevention strategy is to install a burglar alarm to reduce the risk of being burgled. Applying material from Item A, analyse two reasons why situational crime prevention strategies may not be effective in reducing crime. [10 marks]

Mark schemes

1. June 2025 · Paper 3 · Q3
Mark scheme June 2025 Paper 3 Q3
2. June 2024 · Paper 3 · Q1
Mark scheme June 2024 Paper 3 Q1
3. June 2024 · Paper 3 · Q4
Mark scheme June 2024 Paper 3 Q4
4. June 2023 · Paper 3 · Q1
Mark scheme June 2023 Paper 3 Q1
5. June 2023 · Paper 3 · Q3
Mark scheme June 2023 Paper 3 Q3
6. June 2022 · Paper 3 · Q2
Mark scheme June 2022 Paper 3 Q2
7. June 2022 · Paper 3 · Q3
Mark scheme June 2022 Paper 3 Q3
8. November 2021 · Paper 3 · Q4
Mark scheme November 2021 Paper 3 Q4
9. November 2020 · Paper 3 · Q2
Mark scheme November 2020 Paper 3 Q2
10. June 2019 · Paper 3 · Q2
Mark scheme June 2019 Paper 3 Q2
11. June 2019 · Paper 3 · Q3
Mark scheme June 2019 Paper 3 Q3
12. June 2018 · Paper 3 · Q1
Mark scheme June 2018 Paper 3 Q1
13. June 2017 · Paper 3 · Q4
Mark scheme June 2017 Paper 3 Q4
14. Specimen set 1 · Paper 3 · Q3
Mark scheme Specimen set 1 Paper 3 Q3