REALIST THEORIES OF CRIME Flashcards
what are the causes of crime according to right realists?
- biological differences
- socialisation and the underclass
- rational choice
what are biological differences?
- winston and herrnstein suggest crime is caused by a combination of biological and social factors.
- biological differences make some people more pre-disposed to commit crime.
- personality traits such as aggressiveness, risk taking, low impulse control create a greater risk of committing crime.
what is socialisation and the underclass?
- effective socialisation decreases the risk of offending. it teaches self control and internalisation of moral values.
- nuclear family is the best agency for this
- charles murray argues that crime is increasing due to growing underclass parents that fail to socialise their children properly.
- benefits lead to decline in marriage rates and growth in single parenting.
what is rational choice theory?
- individuals have freewill.
- ron clarke argues that the decision to commit crime is a choice based on a rational calculation of the likely consequences.
- right realists argue that perceived costs of crime are low which causes an increase in crime rates
– felson’s routine actively theory suggests that for crime to occur, there must be a motivated offender, a suitable target, and the absence of a guardian.g
criticism of right realist theories of causes of crime
- ignores wider structures such as poverty
- overstates offender’s rationality about how much they calculate the cost-benefit of crime
how do right realists seek to tackle crime?
- main focus is on control, containment, and punishment rather than eliminating the underlying causes or rehabilitating
- crime prevention policies should reduce the rewards and increase the consequences of crime.
what is zero tolerance ?
wilson and kelling’s article broken window theory suggest that it is essential to maintain the orderly character of neighbourhoods to prevent crime taking hold. any sign of deterioration should be dealt with immediately.
criticism of zero tolerance policy?
- preoccupied with petty street crime and ignores corporate crime
- gives the police free rein to discriminate against minorities youths etc.
- over emphasises control of disorder
- leads to displacement of crime to other areas
what are the causes of crime according to left realists?
- relative deprivation
- marginalisation
what is relative deprivation?
- for lea and young crime is rooted in relative deprivation
- although people are better of today they are more aware of relative deprivation due to media.
what is marginalisation?
marginalised groups lack both clear goals and organisations to represent their interests, causing frustration which can be expressed through crime.
how can crime be tackled?
- policing and control
- structural causes
how can policing and control be improved to tackle crime?
police depends on the public to provide them information about crimes. however the police are losing public support especially in the inner cities and among ethnic minorities and the youth. military policing alienates communities and people no longer trust the police
policing must deal with local issues and improve relations with local communities by spending more time
what’s the significance of tackling structural causes?
what is the community based approach?
- improve leisure activities
- reduce income inequality
- improve housing estates
- raise living standards
