Right Realism - Crime Flashcards
What does Wilson argue?
That rather than trying to tackle the causes of crime we should try to reduce the impact it has on people’s lives instead
What is the most important factor in preventing crime according to right realists?
That the risk to criminals increased by greater chances of detection
What is a similarity between left and right realism?
They believe in community control
How do right realists suggest crime can be reduced?
- stricter socialisation of young people
- control in communities + heavier policing
- reducing the opportunity for crime to be committed
What is routine activity theory?
Cohen and Felson:
- crimes are most likely to be committed when the day-to-day activities of potential offenders comes into contact with opportunities to commit crime
What is rational choice theory?
Cornish and Clarke:
- people are rational and make choices about their actions after weighing up the potential costs against the benefits. If someone chooses to commit a crime its because they believe the rewards to be bigger than the risk = increase the risk of being caught and make punishment harder
What does Clarke define situation crime prevention (SCP) as?
‘pre-emptive approach that relies, not on improving society or its institutions, but simply on reducing the opportunities for crime
What are the 3 key features of SCP?
- they’re directed at a specific crime
- they involve managing or altering the immediate environment of the crime
- they aim at increasing the effort and risks of committing crime and reducing the rewards
What is the designing out crime SCP?
Design buildings/developments to reduce crime e.g. good visibility
What does Fetson suggest about designing out crime?
The main bus terminal of New York was poorly designed, but reshaping the physical environment to ‘design out’ crime reduced luggage theft and drug dealing
What is the target hardening SCP?
Making crime more risky to commit so the rational choice is to not commit crime - through CCTV, burglar alarms etc
What is the Broken Windows theory provided by Wilson and Kelling?
Suggested that visible signs of decay create more crime in an area:
- this prompts ‘respectable’ members to leave the area meaning that more ‘troubled’ families move in
- residences have little respect for their surroundings so are more likely to abuse them
What is the concept of Zero-tolerance policing provided by Wilson and Kelling?
Reasoning that it is easier to prevent a neighbourhood’s slide into crime than trying to rescue it, the theory demands that even minor misdemeanours must be pursued with the same vigour as serious crimes
What is an example of the broken windows theory?
New Yorks ‘clean car programme’ - as soon as graffiti was seen on a subway train, it was taken out of service and cleaned = dramatically reduced graffiti
What is an example of zero-tolerance policing?
New York introduced this style of policing. Since 1993, major crime in the city has fallen by 39% and murder has fallen by 49%
