AC 3.2

Question 1

Describe the contribution of Environmental design to achieve social control

Answer 1

▪ Involves what a neighbourhood looks like & how it is designed to
lower crime in the area.

▪ CPTED – based on the idea that crime happens due to the
opportunities presented by the physical environment. If you alter
the environment, crime should decrease.

▪ Crime can be reduced by: creating open spaces with strong lighting,
no blind spots, low level bushes, CCTV & surveillance.

▪ Gated lanes – gates installed at the entrance to rear alleyways in
order to deter burglars from using alleys to gain entry
to a property.

Question 2

Describe the contribution of Prison design to achieve social control

Answer 2

▪ Traditional prison design is the panopticon shape (all seeing).

▪ Allows the observer to view all prisoners without the prisoners being aware they’re being watched.

▪ Prisoners can be seen but cannot communicate with other
prisoners/prison officers.

▪ Other prison designs include supermax jails where people are
segregated by the crime they committed and their risk factor.

▪ New UK prisons have accommodation divided into smaller units for
easier management of inmates.

▪ Norway has designs that are like ‘holiday camps’ where prisoners live in houses with mostly free movement around the vicinity.

Question 3

Describe the contribution of Behavioural tactics to achieve social control

Answer 3

▪ Tactics used by agencies to change a person’s behaviour
to make them more socially compliant.

▪ ASBOs were introduced to limit & correct low level antisocial behaviour.

▪ CBOs are now used against anti-social offenders who have committed behaviour that has caused alarm and distress.

▪ If you have one of these orders, you would be banned from taking part in certain activities/going to certain places & have to try to change the behaviour through treatment programmes.

▪ Token economies are used to control behaviour by rewarding positive behaviour & punishing negative behaviour. Prisons use this often through rewards & sanctions for positive/negative behaviour.

Question 4

Describe the contribution of Institutional tactics to achieve social control

Answer 4

▪ Institutions have their own methods of controlling undesired behaviour through rules and punishments if these rules are broken.

▪ In prisons, you would not be following the rules if you: caused damage to the prison, ignored the instructions of prison staff or threatened/attacked someone else.

▪ In these situations, punishments are given such as cautions, privileges being taken away, extended prison time and being confined in your prison cell.

Question 5

Describe the contribution of Gaps in state provision to achieve social control

Answer 5

▪ Unreported crime: Police can only detect crime if it is brought to their attention and reported. This is why there is a ‘dark figure of crime’.

▪ If no crime is reported, punishment cannot be sought after and therefore criminality can continue.

▪ Examples of crimes with low reporting rates incl. domestic violence and white-collar crime.

▪ Budget cuts to the police can negatively impact convictions due to a lack of police officers on the ground & having to many cases to deal with effectively.

▪ Laws being implemented that can impact other laws impact i.e. Terrorists being unable to be deported due to Human Rights legislation.