Right Realist theories - Crime

Question 1

Wilson and Hernstein - biological differences leads to crime

Answer 1

Some people are naturally more likely to commit crime.
They say the main cause of crime is low intelligence

Question 2

Socialisation and the underclass leads to crime

Answer 2

• Criminals are people who haven’t been socialised properly.
  The underclass (intergenerational worklessness)
• They do not have the right norms and values in society which leads to crime.

Question 3

Rational choice leads to crime

Answer 3

• Criminals are rational actors.
• They have weighed up that the rewards out-weigh the risks.

Question 4

Short Sharp Shock - an example of rational choice theory.

Answer 4

• 1979 election, William Whitelaw announced he was going ahead with the Short Sharp Shock.
• Detention centres for teen lawbreakers no longer ‘holiday camps’.
• They would endure punishments, military drills and manual labour.
• Around 90% had no jobs at the time of offending; were there mainly for theft or stolen vehicles.
• Many of the kids with little of a future found the regime a relief from the outside world.

Question 5

Murray (the growing underclass)

Answer 5

• Giving people benefits encourages people to be on benefits.
• This led to a decline in marriage and growth of lone parent families. Women can live off benefits - men do not need to take any responsibility so no longer work.
• Lone mothers are ineffective socialisation agents - particularly for boys. Absent fathers = no role models.
• Turn to alternative (delinquent) models to gain status through crime.

Question 6

Policies Right Realists propose to tackle crime:

Answer 6

• Zero tolerance = deal with minor things very severely.
• Target hardening = should be greater use of prison, punishments that would be swift. Makes it harder to commit crime.
• Cut benefits

Question 7

BBC (2008)

Answer 7

Suggests that IQ does have some correlation with offending.
Criticism = Lily et al (IQ accounts for less than 3% of differences in offending)

Question 8

Criticisms:

Answer 8

• They assume all crime is done rationally - it could be done under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
• Tough punishments do not deter people from committing crime.
• Cutting benefits leads more people into crime because of poverty.