Right Realism

Question 1

What are the politics of Right Realism?

Answer 1

• Right-wing politics
• Conservative/New Right.
• Zero tolerance.
• Individual responsibility.

Question 1

What do realists try to focus on?

Answer 1

The reality of crime: real problems and solutions.

Practical measures to make crime less attractive = control, containment and punishment.

Question 2

Causes of crime, Biological Differences:

Answer 2

Low intelligence and personality traits such as aggressiveness means people are more prone to committing crime than others. E.g: testosterone.

Question 3

Causes of crime, socialisation:

Answer 3

Murray = underclass fail to socialise their children properly. Dennis + Erdos, dependency culture/overgenerous welfare state.

Seek immediate gratification.

Question 4

Causes of crime, rational choice:

Answer 4

Assumes individuals have free-will, crime is a choice based on a rational calculation of the consequences vs the rewards.

Wilson = costs of crime are low, so crime rates have increased (inadequate law enforcement).

Question 5

Solutions = situational crime prevention:

Answer 5

‘Target hardening’ measures such as CCTV/security guards, reduce opportunity and increase likelihood of getting caught.
E.g: Felson, reshaping physical environment to reduce luggage thefts. E.g: large sinks replaced by small basins, no homeless people.

Evaluation = Displacement Theory (crimes will move elsewhere), doesn’t consider irrational choice.

Question 6

Solutions = environmental crime prevention, sends out a signal and encourages more crime:

Answer 6

• Broken Window Thesis (Wilson and Kelling): signs of neglect leads to more crime. e.g: leaving a window unrepaired.
• Environmental improvement strategy = cleaning up neighbourhood, looks like people care.
• Zero tolerance policing. E.g: minor deviance, petty theft.

Evaluation = Displacement Theory, zero tolerance is hard to enforce.

Question 7

Solutions = increased social control:

Answer 7

• More responsibility for children = conforming to social norms, no deviance. May be issued with parenting orders.
• Community Protection Notices and Criminal Behaviour Orders. ZERO tolerance.
• Supervision. e.g: electronic tagging.
• Reducing benefits.

Evaluation = zero tolerance hard to enforce, ignores structural causes of crime, ignores corporate crime.