Methods Of Social Control

Question 1

What are the four methods of social control?

Answer 1

1. Environmental
2. Behavioural
3. Institutional
4. Disciplinary

Question 2

What are the three types of environmental designs of social control?

Answer 2

1. CPTED
2. Prison designs
3. Gated lanes

Question 3

What does CPTED stand for?

Answer 3

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design

Question 4

What is CPTED?

Answer 4

The aim of CPTED is to reduce and remove the opportunity for crime to occur as it states that crime occurs as a result of the physical environment.

Question 5

What are the main principles of CPTED?

Answer 5

Physical security - helping to withstand attack; neighbourhood watch
Surveillance - CCTV can help catch criminals and identify them, and blank walls being avoided reduces graffiti
Movement control - restriction of access means that police could catch criminals quicker as there is little places to escape
Management of house - maintaining and up keeping it so all houses look well kept and looked after for example front gardens
Defensive space - having ownership of land which is clearly defined so people not what you can and can’t go on, trespassing

Question 6

How is CPTED effective in achieving social control?

Answer 6

Effective = deter crime, promotes safer residential areas, catch criminal behaviour quicker as it limits the areas they can travel, creates a sense of ownership, relates to functionalists views.

Question 7

How is CPTED not effective in achieving social control?

Answer 7

Maintenance of a house can attract criminals instead of deterring them as they look wealthy, authorities cannot measure effectiveness only communities can, crime will just take place in another area where CPTED has not yet occurred.

Question 8

What are the two types of prison designs?

Answer 8

1. Panopticon prisons

2. Supermax prisons

Question 9

What are panopticon prisons?

Answer 9

Panopticon prisons are designed with an all-seeing shape with the watch tower located in the middle of all prison cells.
This means that prisoners do not know when prison staff are observing them which means that positive behaviour is promoted because if wrong behaviour was displayed the prisoners could be punished.

Question 10

Advantages and disadvantages of panopticon prisons

Answer 10

Advantages = cheap, safe for officers, further sense of retribution, prisoners compelled to regulate behaviour, reduces negative behaviour.

Disadvantages = reduces the privacy of criminals, can be very boring for prison staff as always have to be watching, just because they display positive behaviour in prison it won’t change their views.

Question 11

What are supermax prisons?

Answer 11

They are only located in America in rural areas away from communities. The design emphasises on security and control to ensure the maximum security for the highest risk criminals - most hardened. Focuses on safety of public, staff and inmates.

Question 12

Advantages and disadvantages of superman prisons

Answer 12

Advantages = increases the safety of individuals as the isolation of criminals reduce the risk. Fear of punishment and coercion and CCTV means that prisoners are watched all the time.

Disadvantages = offer limited rehabilitation programmes which can increase mental health problems and means that they cannot change their behaviour. Inmates are alone for 23hours a day meaning that they don’t socialise so can never adapt.

Question 13

What are gated lanes?

Answer 13

They are gates installed in alleyways to deter burglars and criminals from gaining unlawful access to the rear of peoples homes.
Keys are given to the legitimate owners of the alleyway and it makes areas a safer place away from anti-social behaviour.

Question 14

Advantages and disadvantages of gated lanes

Answer 14

Advantages = prevents drugs addicts from loitering in alleyways; decreases the rubbish left in alleys; improves features of CPTED.

Disadvantages = expensive to maintain and initiate; only tackles small amounts of antisocial behaviour; nuisance as closes of vast areas of the city.

Question 15

What are the 2 behavioural methods of social control?

Answer 15

1. ASBO’s

2. Token economy

Question 16

What does ASBO stand for?

Answer 16

Anti-social behavioural order

Question 17

What are ASBO’s?
What do they restrict?
How long do they last?
What happens if people breach them?

Answer 17

An ASBO is a court order that is given by local authorities in order to restrict the behaviour of a person who cause harm and disruption to the public such as vandalism or playing loud music at night.

Can be given to those above the age of 10 and can restrict anti-social people from doing particular things such as going certain areas or meeting certain people and they can be banned from places.

Can last 2 years authorities will review people’s behaviour and if conditions are breached then added punishments can occurs such as imprisonments or fines.

Question 18

Advantages and disadvantages of ASBO’s

Answer 18

Advantages = aims to reform the anti-social behaviour by making them conform to following conditions; aims to deter crime and deviant acts; if breach then punishments occurs therefore deterring and coercing with fear of punishment.

Disadvantages = the amount of ASBOs given are dramatically increasing so a lack of fear of punishment; they are also breached a lot so end up with a criminal record therefore ineffective; also expensive to enforce.

Question 19

What is token economy?

Answer 19

A form of behaviour modification with the use of tokens and they are designed to increase correct behaviour whilst removing undesirable behaviour.

Tokens are exchanged for meaningful or privileged objects such as increased visit time.

Aim to encourage positive behaviour and to adapt actions to stop displaying deviant or criminal behaviour as tokens are lost for bad behaviour.

Question 20

Advantages and disadvantages of token economy

Answer 20

Advantages = behavioural approach is objective as it is easy to see relevant behaviour and when positive changes are made; avoids labelling; effective as rational choice theory is met as individuals will learn difference between right and wrong; simple to understand.

Disadvantages = fails to recognise individuality; only deals with the symptoms not the causes of crime; not realistic approach to real life situations and can be seen as dehumanising.

Question 21

What are the institutional methods of social control

Answer 21

1. Religion
2. Schools
3. Government
4. Prisons

Question 22

How do schools enforce social control?

Answer 22

Internalisation of social rules and morality = teach students right from wrong
Rational choice theory = rewards and sanctions
Tradition = respect, uniform, charity work etc.
Coercion = giving instructions to students eg. Raising voice if misbehaving
Fear of punishment = sanctions eg. Detentions or calling parents
Control theory = working with parents and sanctioning poor behaviour

Question 23

How do prisons enforce social control?

Answer 23

Internalisation of social rules and morality = use of rehabilitation programmes
Rational choice theory = used through token economy
Tradition = rehab aims to break tradition of criminal activities and improve behaviour
Coercion = verbal and physical force can be used by staff
Fear of punishment = extended sentences, removal of tokens, punishments
Control theory = combo of rehab and retribution

Question 24

How does the government enforce social control?

Answer 24

Internalisation of social rules and morality = use of media, CJS, schools to shape what’s right and wrong
Rational choice theory = punishments for poor behaviour through CJS
Tradition = traditional British values help socialise us
Coercion = laws coerce behaviour as it is a written record of what is acceptable
Fear of punishment = breaking government laws result in sanctions such as fines or imprisonment
Control theory = putting laws and policies in place for people to follow

Question 25

How does religion enforce social control?

Answer 25

Internalisation of social rules and morality = religious teachings of what’s right and wrong
Rational choice theory = discussion of rewards and punishments through heaven or hell
Tradition = Christmas, getting married or religious celebrations
Coercion = pressure to conform from family, parish or school
Fear of punishment = sinning or retribution from god
Control theory = religious teachings to shape behaviour and morals

Question 26

What are the disciplinary methods of social control?

What is discipline; rule making and staged/phased procedures?

Answer 26

Discipline = the practice of training people to obey rules or a code of behaviour by using punishment to correct disobedience.

Rule making = the process of setting out expected behaviour in institutions.

Staged/phased procedures = the idea of building upon disciplinary action and following procedures to discipline someone in an institute eg. A fine of breaking the law as a result of speeding.

Question 27

Advantages of disciplinary methods

Answer 27

Removing freedom and outside controls means that behaviour can be changed easily.
Rules outline the differences between what’s right and wrong as people make rational choices.
Staged procedures give people the chance to redeem themselves and follow socially excepted behaviour.
Means that appropriate sanctions can be chosen for the behaviour committed.

Question 28

Disadvantages of disciplinary methods

Answer 28

Rules can be ignored and aren’t always sanctioned consistently.
Once offenders return to the real world will they still follow the norms and values installed in prison??
Stages aren’t followed consistently so people can get away with more crimes in comparison that others.
Staged procedures don’t create the same fear of punishment.