AC 4.1 evaluating the use of criminological theories in informing policy development

Question 1

drug therapy: policy aim

Answer 1

• to use neurochemicals ( dopamine to reduce criminality)
• Scerbo & Raine = Meta-analysis into anti-social adults a

Question 2

drug therapy: support

Answer 2

• 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

Question 3

drug therapy: criticisms

Answer 3

• may have adverse side effects

Question 4

eugenics: policy aim

Answer 4

• based on biological determinism
• improve biological fitness of the human race
• state must actively intervene to remove inferior traits

Question 5

eugenics: support

Answer 5

• 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%

Question 6

eugenics: criticisms

Answer 6

• biological determinism
  
  • correlation doesn’t equal causation
• social engineering

Question 7

psychoanalysis: policy aim

Answer 7

to access repressed thoughts that may be the cause of criminality

Question 8

psychoanalysis: strengths

Answer 8

• McLeod (2007) = criminals may be cured by making conscious, their unconscious thoughts and motivations

Question 9

psychoanalysis: limitations

Answer 9

• 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

Question 10

behaviour modification: policy aim

Answer 10

rehabilitate offenders by positive reinforcement of pro-social behaviours ( token economics)

Question 11

behaviour modification: strengths

Answer 11

• 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

Question 12

behaviour modification: weakness

Answer 12

• 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

Question 13

anger management courses: aim

Answer 13

• uses cognitive behavioural techniques to help violent offenders to manage their behaviour & so avoid reoffending

Question 14

anger management courses: strengths

Answer 14

• Novaco (1975) = inability to manage anger can lead to anti-social behaviour

Question 15

anger management courses: weaknesses

Answer 15

• other factors
  
  • such as low socio-economic status might mean that things like anger management don’t stop the cycle or reoffending

Question 16

penal populism (right realist): aim

Answer 16

policies that are popular with the public

Question 17

penal populism (right realist): strengths

Answer 17

• 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

Question 18

penal populism (right realist): weaknesses

Answer 18

• Bartol (1995) = prison is ‘brutal’, demeaning and generally devastating
• recidivism = reoffending rates
• suicides rates

Question 19

zero tolerance policing: aim

Answer 19

visible policing and investigation of every offence however minor in order to restore community cohesion and deters further offending ( maintain social order)

Question 20

zero tolerance policing: strengths

Answer 20

• 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%

Question 21

zero tolerance policing: weaknesses

Answer 21

• Garland (2001) = left realist: limits extent and impact of crime but doesn’t address social causes

Question 22

CCTV: aim

Answer 22

surveillance used to deter offending & by police as an investigative tool

Question 23

CCTV: strengths

Answer 23

• widely used

Question 24

CCTV: weaknesses

Answer 24

• 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

Question 25

Restorative Justice: Aim

Answer 25

reconciliation between victims and offenders in the presence of a trained mediator

Question 26

Restorative Justice: strengths

Answer 26

• Crime & Disorder ACt 1998
• percentage of victims who accepted an offer to meet was 30% in 2018-2019

Question 27

Restorative Justice: weaknesses

Answer 27

• relatively low uptake
• not always offered to victims

Question 28

Multi-agency approach: aim

Answer 28

emphasises cooperation and information sharing between state agencies

Question 29

Multi-agency approach: strength

Answer 29

allows offenders and victims to get a more tailored approach to support

Question 30

Multi-agency approach: weaknesses

Answer 30

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