Realist Approaches to Crime Flashcards
Right Realism - explanations for crime - Bernstein and Wilson
argue biological differences between individuals make some individuals more predisposed to crime. E.g: personality traits such as aggression and low impulse control signify people who are at greater risk of offending, or low intelligence is a contributing factor
Right Realism - explanations for crime - Murray
poor socialisation - crime is increasing due to the mounting underclass defined by their deviant behaviour
Right Realism - explanations for crime - Clarke
rational choice theory - the decision to commit crime is based on a rational calculation of consequences. if perceived rewards outweigh costs, people are more likely to offend
Right Realism - tackling crime - zero tolerance policy
a zero tolerance policy to undesirable behaviour, such as prostitution, begging and drunkenness. police should patrol the streets and take a ‘short, sharp, shock’ approach and carry out stop and search on suspicious characters
Right Realism - tackling crime - Wilson and Kelling
the broken windows thesis - it is essential to maintain orderly characteristics of neighbourhoods and reduce any signs of crime immediately
Right Realism - tackling crime - target hardening
if you make it harder to commit crime (e.g: by locking doors), this will reduce the rewards and act as a deterrent
Left Realism - explanations for crime - relative deprivation
Lea and Young argue relative deprivation leads to crime because people who are deprived represent others having more material goods than them, this resorting to illegitimate means to achieve the same level of materials
Left Realism - explanations for crime - subcultures
Lea and Young
subcultures form as a collective solution to relative deprivation and some may turn to crime in order to close the ‘deprivation gap’
Left Realism - explanations for crime - marginalisation
marginalised groups lack clear goals and organisations to represent them, which leads to frustration and resentment. in turn, they express this frustration through criminal acts such as violence and rioting
Left Realism - tackling crime - policing and control
policing must be made accountable to local communities, and need to improve their relationship with such communities by spending more time investigating crime, and involving the community in making policing policy
Left Realism - tackling crime - tackling structural causes of crime
reduce inequality of opportunity, discrimination and provide jobs for everyone
