Right Realism Flashcards
What is Right Realism?
Right Realism is the idea that people make rational choices when it comes to crime.
They believe in zero tolerance policing to reduce crime. It originated in the 1970s by James Q Wilson and Ernst Van Den Haag.
They have a negative view of human nature as they believe that people are naturally selfish and greedy.
Why do Right Realists think crime happens?
Socialisation
Rational Choice Theory
Biosocial Theory
What is Biosocial Theory?
Biosocial Theory is a theory created by Wilson and Herrnstein who say that crime is linked to biology.
For example, personality disorders and mental illnesses which lead to aggression or extroversion.
What is Socialisation?
Murray says that socialisation would prevent crime.
Socialisation can be interacting with your family or friends or going to school to interact with other people.
He believes that lack of socialisation means that youths turn to crime due to lack of a role model and not knowing right from wrong.
What is Rational Choice Theory?
Rational choice theory is the idea that criminals will participate in crime if the benefits outweigh the costs.
An example is burgling a house to steal valuable items for money, but you could be caught. The costs of crime can include prison, loss of job, loss of family. The benefits of crime can include money, possessions.
The theory of rational choice was developed by Clarke and Coleman in 1980s which has a lot in common with Jeremy Bentham’s philosophy in the 18th century. Clarke’s and Coleman’s solution to crime is to increase the costs of crime by having tougher punishments such as corporal or capital punisments like death sentence or harsh fines.
What do Right Realists believe are the solutions to crime?
Reduce opportunity for offending
Increasing the costs to exceed the benefits.
Crime control should fall upon the community.
Responsible parenting
Tougher punishments such as heavy fines, sentences, advocation of corporal and capital punishments such as death sentence.
What are the strengths of the solutions to crime?
New York cleaned up their subways which lead to a 50% decrease in homicide rates- James Q Wilson’s Broken Window theory.
Situational Crime Prevention was successful.
Increased use of imprisonment leads to a reduction in crime.
What are the weaknesses of the solutions to crime?
Marxists- overemphasis on control ignores poverty. Also feel that concentrating on minor offences ignores big offences.
Assumes offenders act rationally.
Interactionalism ignores free will.
Where zero tolerance is introduced, it shifts crime to other areas.
What is James Q. Wilson’s Theory?
James Q Wilson’s Broken Window theory is that if you remove signs of crime such as graffiti, litter and vandalism then more people will want to live there. However, it pushes the people that lived there before out which leads crime to move to another place and its a vicious cycle.
Wilson argues that there are three factors affecting long term crime which are the number of young males who are the typical deviants, costs/benefits of crime- Rational Choice Theory and inadequate socialisation into norms/values.
What is Ernst Van Den Haag’s theory?
He has a very poor view of humanity who are willing to cheat to ‘get on’ and so some groups need to be controlled for their own good.
He thinks it is reasonable for law and order agencies to target the poor.
He advocates tough punishments such as corporal and capital. He thinks it will act as a deterrent.
