Right Realists on how crime can be reduced Flashcards
What do Right Realists say need to be increased when comitting crimes?
The costs of committing a crime
Who created rational choice theory?
Clarke
What does Clarke argue about people choosing to commit crimes?
It is a choice to commit crime
What does it mean for crime frequency if rewards outweigh the costs?
More people will commit crimes
What does it mean if the costs of committing crimes are low?
People are unlikely to get caught
What form of policing do Right Realists want to reduce crime?
Zero-tolerance policing
What does zero-tolerance policing mean?
Strict punishments for all forms of crime
Give an example of a crime that would receive a conviction in zero-tolerance policing
Littering
What will the rational choice of individuals be if zero-tolerance policing was implemented?
To not commit a crime
What do Left Realists argue zero-tolerance policing fails to address?
The underlying causes of crime
What did Left Realists Lea and Young argue causes crime?
Relative deprivation
How do Left Realists believe policies should be structured to reduce crime?
Make the working class feel less marginalised
What would Interactionists criticise about zero-tolerance policing?
Ethnic minorities are more likely to be receive punishments
What concept did the Interactionist, Reiner create?
Canteen culture
What does canteen culture say?
Police norms and values developed with their friends at their lunch break reflect their norms and values in their work
What types of norms and values are produced in canteen culture according to Reiner?
Racist norms and values
If racist norms and values are produced in canteen culture, who will police officers stop more often?
Ethnic minorities
What do Right Realists believe will occur if minor crimes are not punished?
Crime will increase
Which Right Realists developed the broken windows theory?
Wilson and Kelling
What does the broken windows theory say?
If someone breaks a window in an abandoned building and it is not repaired, others will come along and break other windows
What is the broken windows metaphor in the sense of littering?
If someone were to litter and it was not dealt with by the law, others would litter
What type of signal do crimes being left unattended to create in neighbourhoods according to Wilson and Kelling?
A signal telling the neighbourhood that crime is acceptable
What do Wilson and Kelling believe would happen if there was more social control in neighbourhoods?
There would be less crime
What small crime did New York police reduce in subway stations?
People who did not pay to get on the subway
How did reducing the crime of not paying to get on the subway reduce other crimes?
Lots of the people who were caught not paying had knives and guns on them and they were arrested
What do Wilson and Kelling argue can be done with informal social control?
It can be strengthened
What would it mean if there was strengthened informal social control when someone was trying to commit a crime?
There would be someone around who would deter them from offending
What would Functionalists agree on with Wilson and Kelling’s argument with broken windows theory?
If minor crimes go unpunished, then crime will increase
Which Functionalist created the concepts of anomie and value consensus?
Durkheim
What is anomie?
When people do not know what norms and values to follow
Why will there be increased anomie if minor crimes go unpunished?
People will be uncertain if they are illegal or not
What is value consensus?
When everyone in society agrees on the same set of values
Why will the value consensus be threatened if minor crimes go unpunished?
People will not know if values are the same anymore
What do Right Realists argue about guardians in relation to crime decreasing?
If there are more guardians in society, crime will decrease
Who created the concept of routine activity theory?
Felson
What does Felson argue routine activity theory explains?
Explains why people commit crime
What is the first element that Felson argues will influence people to commit a crime in terms of with the offender?
A motivated offender
What is the second element that Felson argues will influence people to commit a crime in terms of with the target?
There is a suitable target for the crime
What is the third element that Felson argues will influence people to commit a crime in terms of a guardian’s presence?
There is an absence of a guardian
Name 2 potential guardians in society
Neighbours, police officers
Name a formal guardian
Police officers
Name an informal guardian
Neighbours
What does Felson argue will happen with crime if there are more formal or informal guardians?
Crime will decrease
What would Postmodernists argue about Right Realist explanations of reducing crime?
They are outdated
What did the Postmodernist, Lyng say about why people commit crime?
It is to give them a thrill of either getting caught or getting away with it
What did the Postmodernist, Katz say about why people commit crime?
They are attracted to crimes by the seductive element of committing them
