Crime and deviance 4 and 9 Flashcards
what do realists argue?
crime is a real problem that needs to be tackled
* there has been a significant rise in the crime rate
* are concerned about the widespread fear of crime and its impact on victims
* other theories fail to offer realistic solutions to the problem of crime- they propose practical policies to reduce it
how did realism emerge
in the 1970s and 1980s in the polictical context of a shift to the right in politics
what are the realists approches and their differnces?
right realists- share the new right/neo-conventional political outlook supporting policies like getting tough on crime
left realists- socialists who favour diff policies for reducing crime
right realist explanation of crime
what do they say about crime and what are the three factors that produce crime?
its a real growing problem that destroys communities undermining social cohesion
1. biological differences
2. socialisation and the underclass
3. rational choice theory
right realist explanation of crime
how are individual biological differences the cause of crime?
they make some people innately more predisposed to commit crime than others
* personality traits like aggressiveness and risk taking put some people at grrater risk of offending
* as low intelligence is biologically determined this also plays a part- argued by murray
right realist explanation of crime
how does socialisation and the underclass explain crime?
effective socialistion dcresreases the risk of an individual commiting crime (self control and internalising right and wrong)- nuclear family= best agency of socialistion
* murray- crime rate is increasing because of a growing underclass- defined by their deviant behaviour and inadequate socialisation
right realist explanation of crime
whay is the underclass growing?
welfare dependency- the welfare state is overgenourous resulting in people becomign increasingly dependent of the state
* this has led to the decline of marriage and growth of lone parent families as women and children can live off of benifits etc
* most lone parent households are headed by lone mothers who are believed to be ineffective socialistion agents for boys
* fathers being absent means boys lack paternal discipline and appropriate role models
right realist explanation of crime
how does the lack of male role models contribute to crime?
- young males turn to other deliquent role models on the street and gain status through crime rather than supporting family through a steady job
right realist explanation of crime
what does rational choice assume?
individuals have free will and the power to reason
right realist explanation of crime
how do rational choice theorists like ron clarcke explain crime?
- the decision to commit crime is a choice based in rational calculation of the likely consequences
- if rewrads of crime outweigh the costs or if rewerds of crime appear greater than those of non criminal behaviour= more likely to offend
right realist explanation of crime
what do they say as a collective on rational choice theory as an explaination?
the percieved costs of crime are low explaining why the crime rate has increased
* there is often little risk of being caught and punishments are leinent
right realist solutions to crime
how should crime be tackeled according to them and what is their main focus?
using practical measures to make crime less attractive rather than trying to deal with its causes as these cannot be easily changed
* control,containment and punishment of offenders
* polices- should therefore reduce the rewards and increases the costs of crime
right realist solutions to crime
what are the two examples?
target hardening- make it harder for crimes to be commited by locking doors windows increasing cctv etc
zero tolerance
right realists- crime prevention and control
what is situational crime prevention according to ron clarke?
a pre-emptive approach- relies on reducing opportunites for crime
* the best thing to do as a solution to crime is focusing on the immediate crime situation
right realists- crime prevention and control
what are the three features of measures aimed at situational crime prevention?
- directed at specific crimes
- involve managing or altering the immediate environment of crime
- aim at increasing the effort and risks of commiting crime and reducing rewards
right realists- crime prevention and control
what is felsons exmape of scp?
bus terminal in nyc- it was designed in a way providing opportunities for deviance
reshaping its physical environment redcued this
* e.g large sinks were replaced with smaller ones to prevent the homeless from bathing in them
right realists- crime prevention and control
what is environmental crime prevention?
based on willson and kellings- broken window theory- these are signs of disorder and lack of concern for others
* leaving broken windows unrepaired, tolerating aggressive behaviour sends signal that nobody cares
* in neighbourhoods like this there is absenc e of both police control and community control
* this results in the neighbourhoods decline= people move out= magnet for deviants
right realists- crime prevention and control
what is willson and kellings other solution to crack down on disorder?
zero tolerance policing- police must adopt this
* they must proactively tackle even the slightest sign of disorder even if it is not criminal
* this will halt neighbourhood decline and prevent serciour crime
right realists- crime prevention and control
what is the evidence of the success of zero tolerance?
clean car programme in nyc- cars were taken out of service immediately if they had graffiti on them only returning when they were clean
* result- graffiti was largely removed from the subway
what are th ebasics to left realism?
similar to marxists as they
* they see society as unequal- capitalist
* but they believe in gradfual change rather than revolution
* we need explanatiobs of criem that will lead to practical stratergies for reducing it now ratger than waiting for revolution
