4.1 - Asses The Use of Criminological Theories In Informing Policy Development Flashcards by Evie Grace

BIOLOGICAL THEORIES INFLUENCING POLICIES

What do these theories argue?

Crime is caused by physical abnormalities - this has led to policies aimed at changing the way a criminal’s brain or body works.

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BIOLOGICAL THEORIES INFLUENCING POLICIES

BIOCHEMICAL PROCESSES

Substance abuse can lead to ?

Violent offences

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BIOLOGICAL THEORIES INFLUENCING POLICIES

BIOCHEMICAL PROCESSES

Substance abuse can result in addicts committing crimes to –?

Pay for their addictions.

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BIOLOGICAL THEORIES INFLUENCING POLICIES

BIOCHEMICAL PROCESSES

Drug treatments - alcohol abuse

Antabuse

Prevents body breaking down alcohol and gives unpleasant “hangover” symptoms if they drink.

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BIOLOGICAL THEORIES INFLUENCING POLICIES

BIOCHEMICAL PROCESSES

Drug treatments - heroin addiction

Methodone

Prevent/used as alternative for withdrawal symptoms.

Reduces crime by providing a legal, controlled substitute so addicts do not have to commit crimes to raise money to fund their addictions.

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BIOLOGICAL THEORIES INFLUENCING POLICIES

BIOCHEMICAL PROCESSES

Drug treatments - male sex offenders

Stilbestrol

Female hormone which reduces sex drive.

Side effects - breast development and psychiatric disorders.

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BIOLOGICAL THEORIES INFLUENCING POLICIES

BIOCHEMICAL PROCESSES

Drug treatments - keeping violent prisoners calm

Sedatives and tranquilisers - Valium and Librium

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BIOLOGICAL THEORIES INFLUENCING POLICIES

BIOCHEMICAL PROCESSES

There is evidence to suggest that if a persons diet is modified it can change —?

Anti-social behaviour.

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BIOLOGICAL THEORIES INFLUENCING POLICIES

BIOCHEMICAL PROCESSES

Diet - Gesch et all

231 male young prisoners.

Group 1 - daily vitamins and mineral supplement
Group 2 - placebo

Number of disciplinary incidents dropped by 35%.

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BIOLOGICAL THEORIES INFLUENCING POLICIES

BIOCHEMICAL PROCESSES

Virkkunen et all - diet

Violent offenders had lowered serotonin levels.

Can be treated by a diet rich in serotonin such as salmon or tuna.

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BIOLOGICAL THEORIES INFLUENCING POLICIES

BIOCHEMICAL PROCESSES

Schoenthaler - Diet

Reduced sugar diet - reduced anti-social behaviour by 48%

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BIOLOGICAL THEORIES INFLUENCING POLICIES

BIOCHEMICAL PROCESSES

Diet - Vitamin B3

Used to treat some forms of schizophrenia

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BIOLOGICAL THEORIES INFLUENCING POLICIES

BIOCHEMICAL PROCESSES

Diet - removal of artificial colourings

Tartrazine - effect on hyperactivity.

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BIOLOGICAL THEORIES INFLUENCING POLICIES

BIOCHEMICAL PROCESSES

What is the aim of surgery?

To alter criminals’ brains and bodies so they do not reoffend.

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BIOLOGICAL THEORIES INFLUENCING POLICIES

BIOCHEMICAL PROCESSES

Surgical castration

Used on sex-offenders in Denmark and USA. Results have been mixed.

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BIOLOGICAL THEORIES INFLUENCING POLICIES

BIOCHEMICAL PROCESSES

Lobotomy

Cuts connections between frontal lobes and the thalamus - used to treat schizophrenia, sex offenders and violent criminals.

It can have serious side effects and is nor performed often now.

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BIOLOGICAL THEORIES INFLUENCING POLICIES

BIOCHEMICAL PROCESSES

Crowd control and public order offences

Controlling groups by using chemical substances.

Tear gas - caused uncomftable sensations - vomiting, breathing problems and disorientation.

It can cause lung damage and death.

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BIOLOGICAL THEORIES INFLUENCING POLICIES

EUGENICS

What is eugenics?

Believe that there is a “criminal gene” that can be inherited.

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BIOLOGICAL THEORIES INFLUENCING POLICIES

EUGENICS

What did eugenicists believe?

The human race was degenerating because the poor were breeding at a higher rate than the upper classes.

This caused poverty, insanity and criminality.

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BIOLOGICAL THEORIES INFLUENCING POLICIES

EUGENICS

Osborn and West

40% of boys whose fathers had criminal records also had a criminal record themselves.

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BIOLOGICAL THEORIES INFLUENCING POLICIES

EUGENICS

Why was compulsory sterilisation introduced?

For criminals with mental illnesses and learning difficulties.

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BIOLOGICAL THEORIES INFLUENCING POLICIES

EUGENICS

How many countries was compulsory sterilisation successful in following the campaigns set by eugenicists?

Several.

Example - US Supreme Court 1927 - this could be used on the “unfit” for the “protection and health of the state”.

BIOLOGICAL THEORIES INFLUENCING POLICIES

EUGENICS

Nazi racial purity party

They wanted to purify the “Aryan master race” eliminating those unfit to breed.

400,000 people sterilised

BIOLOGICAL THEORIES INFLUENCING POLICIES

DEATH PENALTY

This is the most extreme form of biologically driven policy.

Amnesty International - 2016 1,032 people were executed.

BIOLOGICAL THEORIES INFLUENCING POLICIES DEATH PENALTY UK death penalty statistics

D.P was temporarily abolished and murder rate did not dramatically rise, so was permanently abolished in 1969.

BIOLOGICAL THEORIES INFLUENCING POLICIES DEATH PENALTY USA death penalty statistics

Murder rate is lower in the states that do not have the death penalty than those that do.

INDIVIDUALISTIC THEORIES INFLUENCING POLICIES What is psychoanalysis based off?

Freud's theory of personality.

INDIVIDUALISTIC THEORIES INFLUENCING POLICIES What does psychoanalysis see as a cause of criminal behaviour and why?

A weak superego as the person is unable to resist their urges and their conscience is not stopping them from committing a crime.

INDIVIDUALISTIC THEORIES INFLUENCING POLICIES Explain the treatment of psychoanalysis

Patients verbalise thoughts through different methods so the repressed thought which may have led to the criminal behaviour can be accessed. This allows the thoughts into the unconscious mind where they can eb dealt with.

INDIVIDUALISTIC THEORIES INFLUENCING POLICIES Explain the 4 problems with psychoanalysis?

Can be a lengthy process often lasting years. Eysenck - only 44% of patients treated showed improvement compared to 72% treated by GPs or hospitals. Costly Can be harmful as it creates an imbalance between the therapist and patient.

INDIVIDUALISTIC THEORIES INFLUENCING POLICIES What did Freud use on his patients?

Hypnosis and free association

INDIVIDUALISTIC THEORIES INFLUENCING POLICIES Aichhorn (psychoanalysis)

Uncaring parents - failed to develop loving relationships - normal socialisation not taken place - did not develop a superego. Rejected harsh conditions of prisons and believed they should be positive and happy places. Similar to Bowlby.

INDIVIDUALISTIC THEORIES INFLUENCING POLICIES Operant learning and token economies What is meant by token economy?

- Institution draws up a list of desirable behaviour - When the offender behaves in the desired way, they receive a token - This token can then be exchanged for rewards.

INDIVIDUALISTIC THEORIES INFLUENCING POLICIES Operant learning and token economies Is this effective? - positive

Some studies have shown an improvement in behaviour using the system. Prison Reform Trust - ensures a more disciplined and controlled environment which is safer for staff and prisoners.

INDIVIDUALISTIC THEORIES INFLUENCING POLICIES Operant learning and token economies Is this effective? - negative

Once reinforcement stops (left from prison) the good behaviour disappears.

INDIVIDUALISTIC THEORIES INFLUENCING POLICIES Operant learning and token economies Fo and O'Donnel

Devised a buddy system in which adult volunteers were assigned to young offenders to give them reinforcement of good behaviour. Positive impact on those who had committed serious crimes but the results for those who ad committed minor offences were mixed.

INDIVIDUALISTIC THEORIES INFLUENCING POLICIES AVERSION THERAPY What is aversion therapy?

Linked to Eysenck's personality theory and is used to treat sex offenders. INDIVIDUALISTIC

INDIVIDUALISTIC THEORIES INFLUENCING POLICIES AVERSION THERAPY How does aversion therapy work?

- Offenders asked to think about an unacceptable sexual fantasy until they are aroused. - A strongly aversive stimulus is then given to them (electric shock or drug that makes them feel sick) - Repeated until the offender starts to associate the arousal with the stimulus and hopefully stops the behaviour.

INDIVIDUALISTIC THEORIES INFLUENCING POLICIES AVERSION THERAPY Is aversion therapy effective?

Very limited success, usually only short-term.

INDIVIDUALISTIC THEORIES INFLUENCING POLICIES AVERSION THERAPY What was it used for in the past?

In past used to try and "cure" gay people - which has been heavily criticised as an abuse of their human rights.

SOCIOLOGICAL THEROIES INFLUENCING POLICIES MERTON AND SUBCULTURAL THEORIES What did Merton believe?

Main social goal is to gain wealth. The poor have blocked opportunities to achieve this so many turn to illegal stuff such as theft to obtain this.

SOCIOLOGICAL THEROIES INFLUENCING POLICIES MERTON AND SUBCULTURAL THEORIES How could society be made more equal?

- Policies to tackle poverty - Equal opportunities in school - Education in prisons

SOCIOLOGICAL THEROIES INFLUENCING POLICIES MERTON AND SUBCULTURAL THEORIES Are anti-poverty policies effective?

Positive effect - societies that spend more time on welfare imprison fewer people.

SOCIOLOGICAL THEROIES INFLUENCING POLICIES LABELLING THEORY What does this theory suggest?

Crime is the result of a self-fulfilling prophecy which happens when someone is labelled as a criminal.

SOCIOLOGICAL THEROIES INFLUENCING POLICIES LABELLING THEORY What policies has this influenced?

- Decriminalisation - Diversion policies - Reintegrative shaming - Disintegrative shaming

SOCIOLOGICAL THEROIES INFLUENCING POLICIES LABELLING THEORY Have these policies been successful?

Yes with dealing with minor crime and young offenders and has stopped them from turning to deviant careers.

SOCIOLOGICAL THEROIES INFLUENCING POLICIES RIGHT REALISM Right realists see crime as a x?

Rational choice

SOCIOLOGICAL THEROIES INFLUENCING POLICIES RIGHT REALISM What three control and punishment and punishment policies do right realists give?

- Situational crime prevention - Environmental crime prevention - Penal populism and imprisonment

SOCIOLOGICAL THEROIES INFLUENCING POLICIES RIGHT REALISM What is meant by the policy Situational Crime Prevention

- Increase risks or difficulties of committing crime. - The will make rewards seem less worth a risk. - Target hardening - e.g adding extra locks to doors, CCTV and anti-terror barriers.

SOCIOLOGICAL THEROIES INFLUENCING POLICIES RIGHT REALISM Is Situational Crime Prevention effective?

It can cause displacement meaning crime will move to a different area. - w/c areas may be targeted or vulnerable people like the old or disabled.

SOCIOLOGICAL THEROIES INFLUENCING POLICIES RIGHT REALISM What is meant by the policy Environmental Crime Prevention?

- WILSON AND KELLING - the broken windows theory. Run down neighbourhoods will give criminals the impression no one cares for them attracting offenders and crime as they believe their offences will not get investigated. Therefore the neighbourhood will become a high crime area.

SOCIOLOGICAL THEROIES INFLUENCING POLICIES RIGHT REALISM Environmental Crime Prevention - What do Wilson and Kelling propose to tackle this?

- Improve environment by repairing damage - Zero tolerance policing

SOCIOLOGICAL THEROIES INFLUENCING POLICIES RIGHT REALISM Environmental Crime Prevention - is zero tolerance effective?

- DOES NOT deal with structural problems like poverty - Crime fell in NY after it was introduced but other factors could have impacting that - Can lead to targeting of ethnic minorities