4.1-poilcy Development-biological,sociolgical,indviualstic Flashcards
Policy development-biological theories
The theory:Biochemical- testosterone, substance abuse and deficiency in diet leads to criminality due to a change in the body/ brain
Drug treatments to control criminal/ anti social behaviour:
1. Antabuse is a drug for alcohol abuse to treat alcoholism. The drug prevents the body from breaking down alcohol so they feel very ill if they continue drinking.
2. Methadone used to treat an addiction to heroin. It is an alternative drug provided by medical practitioners so they don’t commit crime to pay for heroin.
3. Stilbestrol is a form of ‘chemical castration’ used to treat male sex offender Stilbestrol is a female hormone that suppresses testosterone reducing a males sex drive.
4. Sedatives and tranquillisers such as valium can be used to keep
violent prisoners calm.
The theory:Genetics- a criminal gene is inherited. Eugenics argues that the
‘criminal gene’ needed to stop being passed on as the human race was degenerating.
Eugenics- stopping the gene being passed on:
1. Compulsory sterilisation- forced abortion, preventing the right to marry and compulsory sterilisation ruled in 1927 by the US Supreme Court.
2.
Most extreme case was seen in Nazi Germany where 400,000 by targeting mentally and physically disabled. This also was seen in The Holocaust where the genocide of ‘inferior’ races was evident.
4.1-policy development-individual theories
Theory: Freud Psychoanalysis
Policy development: Lengthy crime control treatment which involves bringing unconscious and repressed emotions into the conscious mind to be resolved. Hypnosis and free association is used. (Aichhorn applied this to treat young offenders that had uncaring/ absent parents)
Theory:operant learning and token economies
Policy: economies to control behaviour (crime)
1. A list is drawn up from the institution of good behaviour. When they behave in the desired way they earn a token. These tokens can be exchanged for sweets, phonecalls, etc. This then makes good behaviour more likely and bad behaviour less likely.
Theory:Eysencks personality
Policy: Aversion therapy. Eysenck argues that criminals tend to be strongly extrovert and neurotic which makes them more resistant to learning through punishment.
Conditioning therefore needs to be stronger.
1. Offenders are asked to think about an unacceptable sexual fantasy until they are aroused.
2. A strongly aversive stimulus (one the individual would choose to avoid) is then introduced such as electric shock or nausea- inducing drug)
3. This is repeated many time until the offender associates the deviant arousal with the shock or drug af stops the offending behaviour.
4.1 policy development-sociological theories
Theory: Merton and subcultural
Policy development: Policies to tackle poverty such as benefits, fairer pay, job security.
Equal opportunities in school- treating working class pupils equally to reduce failure and status frustration
• Education in prison- to gain skills and knowledge to reduce reoffending.
Theory:labelling
Policy: Decriminalise offences such as cannabis to stop them being labelled a criminal and prevent further offending.
Diversion policies- using different responses such as anger management to prison.
Reintegrative shaming- labelling the action as a crime but not the person which means they aren’t labelled and don’t go on to cause more crime
Disintegrative shaming) Labelling both the act and the person as bad which can lead to further deviance.
Theory:right realism
Policy: SCP (Situational Crime Prevention) Reduces the opportunity to commit crime by increasing risks and making it more difficult and by reducing rewards. Based on rational choice theory that the offender weighs up risks and rewards. Focuses on target hardening such as locking cars, employing security guards.
Environmental crime prevention by fixing windows, and looking after the area so signs of disorder are minimised. ZTP (Zero Tolerance Policing)which is a tough stance against crime, even less serious crimes.
•
Penal populism and imprisonment- tough penalties such as prisons to incapacitate (take away freedom) and deter them from committing crime as the penalty is harsh.
Theory:left realism
Policy: 1. Policies to reduce inequality such as good jobs and housing for all to reduce relative deprivation which they argue is the main cause of crime.
2. Democratic policing- the police win back public support so they cooperate with crime management.
Makes domestic violence and hate crime a priority.
3. Multi agency approach- police work with social series, schools to identify youths at risk of being delinquent and aim to stop it before it starts.
