For my second case study I have chosen to look into James Bulger’s case and trying to find
a link between his killers and the labelling theory as well as the casual factors like
socioeconomics, education and family.
The theory
The Killers – Socioeconomics, Education and Family
What are casual factors?
Socioeconomics
Clear links between low income and criminal activity has been found. Some commit crime as
they are jealous of others wealth. The government can introduce new legislations that
criminalises acts that were previously accepted.
Education
If not engaged or interested this can lead to truancy. They may then become involved in low
level criminal activity and youth nuisance. Persistent truancy leads to an increase risk of
poor academic performance. This is found to be hard to move away from criminal behaviour.
Both of James Bulger's killers had a lack of love and care from their parents, they allowed the
boys to do whatever they wanted and had no firm control. Their parents were separated so
there was no fatherly figure in their life, this itself is usually enough to cause a male to go off
the rails. Jon Venables suffered from learning difficulties and they both had a low school
attendance. Due to their parent’s flaws and absent father and them having little money the
pair began to shoplift. Their broken home influenced them to go rogue and eventually led to
James murder.
Jon Venables Recommits – Labelling
What is labelling?
Labelling sees crime as a result of people labelling an act or person as a criminal. An act is
not wrong or criminal unless society says it is. Acts are only criminal because society says
so, our reaction to crime is more important.
Three years after being released Jon Venables breached the terms of his licence. Once
someone has committed one offence they are often given the label of a criminal. Jon’s
mother’s house was constantly vandalised and the publicity of the murder and release stirred
up a lot of hate crime directed at them. Jon was so used to people calling him a criminal and
bringing up the murder he did not allow himself time to rehabilitate and therefor continued to
commit crimes when he was later released.
James Bulger ‘Victim of 2 child killers’ (1990 – 1993)
James Bulger was abducted, tortured and murdered by two 10 year old boys, Robert Thompson and
Jon Venables.
The Abduction and Killings
James disappeared from the new strand shopping centre in Bootle while shopping with his mother.
James went off without his mother and moments later was approached by two 10 year old boys,
Robert Thompson and Jon Venables. Two days after his abduction James’ body was found on a
a link between his killers and the labelling theory as well as the casual factors like
socioeconomics, education and family.
The theory
The Killers – Socioeconomics, Education and Family
What are casual factors?
Socioeconomics
Clear links between low income and criminal activity has been found. Some commit crime as
they are jealous of others wealth. The government can introduce new legislations that
criminalises acts that were previously accepted.
Education
If not engaged or interested this can lead to truancy. They may then become involved in low
level criminal activity and youth nuisance. Persistent truancy leads to an increase risk of
poor academic performance. This is found to be hard to move away from criminal behaviour.
Both of James Bulger's killers had a lack of love and care from their parents, they allowed the
boys to do whatever they wanted and had no firm control. Their parents were separated so
there was no fatherly figure in their life, this itself is usually enough to cause a male to go off
the rails. Jon Venables suffered from learning difficulties and they both had a low school
attendance. Due to their parent’s flaws and absent father and them having little money the
pair began to shoplift. Their broken home influenced them to go rogue and eventually led to
James murder.
Jon Venables Recommits – Labelling
What is labelling?
Labelling sees crime as a result of people labelling an act or person as a criminal. An act is
not wrong or criminal unless society says it is. Acts are only criminal because society says
so, our reaction to crime is more important.
Three years after being released Jon Venables breached the terms of his licence. Once
someone has committed one offence they are often given the label of a criminal. Jon’s
mother’s house was constantly vandalised and the publicity of the murder and release stirred
up a lot of hate crime directed at them. Jon was so used to people calling him a criminal and
bringing up the murder he did not allow himself time to rehabilitate and therefor continued to
commit crimes when he was later released.
James Bulger ‘Victim of 2 child killers’ (1990 – 1993)
James Bulger was abducted, tortured and murdered by two 10 year old boys, Robert Thompson and
Jon Venables.
The Abduction and Killings
James disappeared from the new strand shopping centre in Bootle while shopping with his mother.
James went off without his mother and moments later was approached by two 10 year old boys,
Robert Thompson and Jon Venables. Two days after his abduction James’ body was found on a
