Realist Theories of Crime

Question 1

Right realist: causes of crime

Answer 1

1. Inadequate socialisation: MURRAY - crime increasing due to mounting underclass who are defined by deviant behaviour due to dependency on the welfare state
2. Rational choice: CLARKE - individuals have free will and the power of reason therefore criminals have made a choice to commit a crime.
3. Biological differences: WILSON + HERRNSTEIN - some people are more predisposed to crime
   through personality traits such as aggressiveness, extroversion and risk taking along with low impulse control.

Question 2

Left realist: causes of crime

Answer 2

1. Marginalisation: marginalised groups lack the organisations to represent them, frustration is therefore cause = crime committed
2. Relative deprivation: LEA & YOUNG - deprivation leads to crime as people resent others having material goods which leads to them turning to illegitimate means to get them
3. Subculture: solution to relative deprivation. Crime closes the ‘deprivation gap’

Question 3

Right realist: how to tackle crime

Answer 3

Zero tolerance policing:
Policy to undesirable behaviour e.g. prostitution. Police should patrol streets and take a ‘short, sharp, shock’ approach
E.g. carry out stop and search on suspicious individuals

Broken window thesis:
WILSON & KELLING: neighbourhoods should be maintained in an orderly way + reduce any signs of crime immediately
E.g. littering, drug use, vandalism, homelessness = eradicated

Target hardening:
Making it harder to commit crime (e.g. locks) will reduce rewards or committing the crime
Act as a deterrent

Question 4

Left realist: how to tackle crime

Answer 4

Policing and control:
Improve relationship between police force and the community
By spending more time investigating crime and involve community in making policing policy

Tackling structural causes:
Tackle cause of poverty by reducing inequality of opportunity and discrimination and providing jobs for everyone
Less time / reason to commit crime

Question 5

Evaluation of Right realist

Answer 5

Deterministic or assume people in underclass are adequate socialised, and therefore commit crime.

Too deterministic - not everyone who has low intelligence commits crime. Asians are high crime, high achievers. Marxists - fails to explain the importance of material deprivation and social factors leading people to commit crime out of necessity. Does Not explain non violent utilitarian crimes

Criminals don’t always have choice, know the consequences but do not care. Overstates offenders rationality and how far they have cost - beneficial calculations. Does Not explain non-utilitarian crimes

Question 6

Evaluation of Left realist

Answer 6

people may still have goals, no explanation as to why crime is the outlet of their frustration as opposed to other behaviour e.g deviance

many material deprived people are law-abiding, many wealthy turn to crime

people not involved turn to crime, not all subcultures are criminal