Crime - Right Realist theories of crime Flashcards
what do right realists believe about crime
right wing perspective that tough control & punishments are key in stopping crime
why do people commit crime - biological factors
herrnstein & wilson - biological differences between individuals makes some more predisposed to crime
whats an example of biological factors making people commit crime
warrior gene - low activities of the MAOA gene found hypersensitivity and react more aggressively in defence to negative experiences. 20 or more violent crimes found low activity of MAOA. Also, those with MAOA-L gene paired with mistreatment in childhood were correctly predicted to commit crime
whats an evaluation of biological factors
marxists - fails to explain the importance of material deprivation/social factors that lead to crime
doesnt explain non-violent utilitarian crime
why do people commit crime - inadequate socialisation
murray - crime is increasing due to mounting underclass who are defined by deviant behaviour. generous welfare leads to dependency culture. (single parents families specifically mothers)
whats an example of inadequate socialisation causing crime
‘good boys’ and ‘bad boys’ absentee fathers found a link between crime. a father disproving from crime and showing interest in son acted as critical social control, countering negative influences from criminal peers , detering boys from crime as they fear loosing this support. 55% of good boys lived with their fathers 80% of which said they were close, whereas only 4% of bad boys had a dad living at home
whats an evaluation of inadequate socialisation
deterministic in assuming if you’re inaedequately socialised youd be a criminal
and assumes all people who are underclass are inadequately socialised
good boys bad boys doesnt explain if mothers are absent
why do people commit crime - rational choice theory
clarke - decisions to commit crime is based on rational calculation of consequences - criminals have full autonomy. if the percieved rewards of the crime outweight the costs, people more likely to offend
what are examples of crimes that rewards outweigh the costs (rational choice theory)
percieved costs - a small fine, minimal prison time
percieved rewards - money, status, wealth.
e.g skipping train or bus fare, drug selling
whats an evaluation of rational choice theory
doesnt explain big crimes like murder that may not offer big rewards
overstates criminal’s rationality & how far theyve calculated cost vs benefit before comitting crime - some people commit crime irrationally
solutions to crime - enrivonmental crime prevention
idea that physical signs of disorder or crime give the impression that theres low social control/enforcement, which attracts and encourages criminal activity in some areas
solutions to crime - enrivonmental crime prevention - whats the zero tolerance policy
adopted in new york in 1994 - idea that police strictly enforce every feature of law including paying particular attention to minor activities like littering, begging, graffiti and other antisocial behaviour, handing out strict penalties for anti-social behaviour - in liverpool, violent crime fell by 38% over the three years it was introduced
solutions to crime - whats an evaluation of zero tolerance policies
good - they worked
bad - gives more labelling power to the police & can be expensive
solutions to crime - whats wilson and kellings broken window thesis
its essential to maintain orderly characteristics of a neighbourhood, reducing any signs of crime immediately. cues of neighbourhood decline e.g graffitti and broken windows give impression theres low control, easy to commit crime w/out being caught
solutions to crime - whats situational crime prevention, target hardening
if its made harder to commit crimes, itll reduce the rewards and act as deterrent
