AC 4.1 evaluating the use of criminological theories in informing policy development Flashcards
drug therapy: policy aim
- to use neurochemicals ( dopamine to reduce criminality)
- Scerbo & Raine = Meta-analysis into anti-social adults a
drug therapy: support
- Couppis (2008) : some offenders have increased dopamine and seek out such experiences again due to the feeling of reward
- Buitelaar (2003) : juvenile delinquents given dopamine antagonist showed decreased aggression
drug therapy: criticisms
- may have adverse side effects
eugenics: policy aim
- based on biological determinism
- improve biological fitness of the human race
- state must actively intervene to remove inferior traits
eugenics: support
- Osborne & West (1982) : compared the sons of criminal fathers and non-criminal ones
- 3% of sons with non-criminal fathers had a criminal conviction
- compared 40%
eugenics: criticisms
- biological determinism
- correlation doesn’t equal causation
- social engineering
psychoanalysis: policy aim
to access repressed thoughts that may be the cause of criminality
psychoanalysis: strengths
- McLeod (2007) = criminals may be cured by making conscious, their unconscious thoughts and motivations
psychoanalysis: limitations
- Blackburn (1993) = insufficient evidence of effective use with offenders
- Andrews et al (1990) = traditional psychodynamic therapies should be avoided within general samples of offenders
- creates power imbalance between therapist and client that could raise ethical issues
behaviour modification: policy aim
rehabilitate offenders by positive reinforcement of pro-social behaviours ( token economics)
behaviour modification: strengths
- Fo & O’Donnell (1975) = devised a ‘buddy system’ in which adult volunteers were assigned to a young offender to provide consistent reinforcement for socially acceptable ways of acting
- Hobbs and Holt (1976) = young offenders showed significant difference in positive reinforcement compare to a non-token economy control group
- Allyon & Milan (1979) = similar effect found in adult offenders
behaviour modification: weakness
- Hobbs & Holt = demonstrated only short-term effectiveness but limited impact outside of institution
- desirable behaviour can be faked
- Maya & Achtenburg (1974) = highlight an ethical issue - claimed behaviour modification is manipulative and dehumanising
anger management courses: aim
- uses cognitive behavioural techniques to help violent offenders to manage their behaviour & so avoid reoffending
anger management courses: strengths
- Novaco (1975) = inability to manage anger can lead to anti-social behaviour
anger management courses: weaknesses
- other factors
- such as low socio-economic status might mean that things like anger management don’t stop the cycle or reoffending
penal populism (right realist): aim
policies that are popular with the public
penal populism (right realist): strengths
- Cornish & Clarke (1986) = sentencing policy - soft social control
- harsher sentencing will deter offending
- punitive sentences = Criminal Justice Act 2003: mandatory life sentences for 2nd serious offence
- UK = crime rate falling
- prison population = increasing
penal populism (right realist): weaknesses
- Bartol (1995) = prison is ‘brutal’, demeaning and generally devastating
- recidivism = reoffending rates
- suicides rates
zero tolerance policing: aim
visible policing and investigation of every offence however minor in order to restore community cohesion and deters further offending ( maintain social order)
zero tolerance policing: strengths
- Cohen and Felson (1979) = ‘capable guardians’
- Wilson & Kelling (1982) = investigation of minor crimes deters more serious offending
- eg of use = - Liverpool between 2005-2008 overall crime fell by 25%
zero tolerance policing: weaknesses
- Garland (2001) = left realist: limits extent and impact of crime but doesn’t address social causes
CCTV: aim
surveillance used to deter offending & by police as an investigative tool
CCTV: strengths
- widely used
CCTV: weaknesses
- Cerezo (2013) = im Malaga , spain CCTV resulted in a small reduced in overall reported street crime but displaced much of it to nearby streets that didn’t have cctv
Restorative Justice: Aim
reconciliation between victims and offenders in the presence of a trained mediator
Restorative Justice: strengths
- Crime & Disorder ACt 1998
- percentage of victims who accepted an offer to meet was 30% in 2018-2019
Restorative Justice: weaknesses
- relatively low uptake
- not always offered to victims
Multi-agency approach: aim
emphasises cooperation and information sharing between state agencies
Multi-agency approach: strength
allows offenders and victims to get a more tailored approach to support
Multi-agency approach: weaknesses
if cooperation is not clear or there are conflicts of opinion it can cause the road to recovery to be longer and harder to navigate between
