Right Realist views of Crime and Deviance

Question 1

What are the 3 causes of crime?

Answer 1

1. Biological differences
2. Socialisation and the underclass
3. Rational choice

Question 2

How do biological differences cause crime?

Answer 2

• Biosocial theory of crime
• Some people are more predisposed to crime through personality traits such as aggressiveness, extraversion and risk taking along with impulse control.
• This mixed with poor socialisation or lack of role models leads to criminal behaviour.

Question 3

How does socialisation and the underclass lead to crime?

Answer 3

• Crime rates are increasing due to the growing underclass of people who are dependent on the welfare state.
• This underclass fails to adequately socialise their children.

Question 4

How does rational choice lead to crime?

Answer 4

• Individuals have free will and the power of reason, therefore criminals have made a conscious choice to commit a crime.
• If the perceived cost of committing the crime is outweighed by the benefit then people will be more likely to offend.
• The current costs of crime are too low which is why the crime rate has increased.

Question 5

How do right realists believe we should tackle crime?

Answer 5

• They don’t believe that it’s beneficial to tackle the causes of crime as they’re difficult to change, instead we should be looking at making criminal behaviour less attractive to people.
• E.g. target hardening / zero tolerance policy.

Question 6

What are some evaluations of right realists’ views of crime and deviance?

Answer 6

• Ignores wider structural causes of crime.
• Overstates rationality of the criminals –> doesn’t explain violent or impulses.
• Contradictory between rationality and bio-social causes of crime.
• Ignores corporate and white collar crimes.