Crime and Deviance: Control, punishment, and victims

Question 1

Situational Crime Prevention: How does Clarke define situational crime?

Answer 1

A pre-emptive approach that relies not on improving society or its institutions, but simply reducing opportunities for crime.

Question 2

Situational Crime Prevention: what are the 3 key features of measures to prevent crime?

Answer 2

1: directed at a specific crime e.g. cameras - theft
2: they involve managing or altering the immediate environment of the crime e.g. alarms/alerts over tannoys
3: they aim at increasing the effort and risks of committing a crime and reducing the rewards e.g. alarm tags, padlocks, and barriers.
For example, target hardening measures such as locking doors and windows to increase the effort a burglar needs to make, or increased surveillance or security guards in shops.

Question 3

Situational Crime Prevention: how is situational crime theory and rational choice theory similar?

Answer 3

Rational choice theory: criminals weigh up the cost and benefits of a crime opportunity before deciding whether to commit the act.

Question 4

Situational Crime theory vs socialisation theories

Answer 4

this theory contrasts with theories of crime that stress ‘root cause’ such as criminals been socialised to behave the way they do. according to these theories, in order to beat crime we would need to transform the socialisation of large numbers of children in order to bring about a revolution. Clarke argues that these theories do not offer realistic views of crime prevention. He argues that the most obvious thing to do is to focus on the immediate crime situation. Most crimes are believed to be opportunistic, so opportunities need to be reduced.

Question 5

AO3: Situational Crime Prevention - Displacement

Answer 5

Displacement: it is argued that situational crime doesn’t reduce crime, but it displaces it. if the criminals are acting rationally, they will react to the hardening target by moving to where the target is softer.
Spatial Displacement: more crime takes place in other areas due to crime prevention e.g. cameras covering areas.
Temporal Displacement: the time of the crime varies e.g. day/night light/dark
Target Displacement: choose a different victim
Tactical Displacement: choosing a different method
Functional Displacement: committing a different type of crime.

Question 6

Situational Crime Prevention: Evaluation

Answer 6

situational crime prevention works to some extent in reducing certain types of crime. however, with most measures there will be some kind of displacement.
it tends to focus on opportunistic petty crimes. it ignores white collar crimes, corporate and state crime which is costly and harmful.
it assumes that criminals make rational calculations; however, it seems unlikely in many cases of violence and crimes committed under the influence of drink and drugs as they have impaired thinking which leads to decreased rational choice.