realist approaches to crime Flashcards
what are right realist views on crime?
real problem for society - see the cause of it as partly biological and social factors and focus on deterring offenders
what are left realist views on crime?
crime is caused by relative deprivation, subcultures and marginalisation and a solution of crime is to reduce social inequality
what are the biological factors for crime - right realism (Hernstein and Wilson)?
some individuals are more predisposed to crime - personality traits such as aggression and low impulse control puts individuals at a higher risk of criminal behaviour - Lombrosso
how does poor socialisation influence criminality - right realists (Murray)?
crime rate increases because of the growing underclass who fail to socialise their children properly
what is rational choice theory - right realists (Clarke)?
if perceived rewards outweigh the costs, then individuals are likely to offend
how does relative deprivation influence criminality - left realists (Lea and Young)?
people who are deprived resent those having more material goods than them, thus resorting to illegitimate means to gain material goods
how does marginalisation influence criminality - left realists?
lack clear goals and organisation to represent them, leads to frustration and resentment which in turn they express their frustration through criminal acts such as violence and rioting
what are subcultures - left realists?
form a collective solution to relative deprivation
what is the zero tolerance policing - right realists?
police should monitor the streets and take a short, sharp, shock approach and carry out a stop and search on suspicious individuals - subjective, this idea is also culturally biased
What do Wilson and Kelling argue - right realists?
broken windows thesis - it is essential to maintain order in neighbourhoods and reduce any signs of crime immediately
what is target hardening - right realists?
by making it more difficult to commit crime, this will reduce the rewards and act as a deterrent
what is policing and control - left realists?
Policing needs to improve their relationships with local communities and spend more time investigating crime and involve the local community
how are structural causes of crime tackled - left realists?
reduce inequality of opportunity, discrimination and provide jobs for everyone
