Right Realists Flashcards
Right realists view
Crime is an ingrowing problem that undermines social cohesion.
Criticse functionalists and Marxists for failing to offer practical solutions and focus on this.
Right realists theorists
Hernstein
Murray
Wilson and kelling
Three main factors that cause crime
Biological differences
Inadequate socilisation
Rational choice - free will ( think rationally and reason)
Hernstein
Biological differences - more innate and commit crimes
Murray
Underclass is growing which increases crime rate.
Fail to socialise children adequately with collective conscience. e.g absence in fathers (no role model)
This overall threatens society’s cohesion and undermines values of hard work and responsibility. I
Rational choice theory
Assume individuals have free will and power of reason.
Outweighs whether reward of crime is worth the perceived costs, higher = more likely to offenders
How to tackle crime
Wilson and kelling
Advocate zero tolerance policy towards undesirable behaviour (prostitution). Highlights role of police to control individuals so that law abiding citizens feel safe
Crime prevention - reduce the rewards and increase costs of crime to offender. Use target hardening such as harsher prison to deter individuals making crime not worth it through rational choice
Wilkinson and kelling
Wilson and kelling - Broken windows focuses on neighbourhood to maintain order.
Prevent crime taking place by eliminating underlying causes of offending such as the sign of deterioration (graffiti) and dealing with it so that it does not attract criminals
Criticsms
Rationality to choose crime conflicts with view of crime being caused biology and socialisation
Ignores wider structural causes such as poverty
Overstates offenders rationality. Not applicable to violent crime as no benefits?
