CRIME AND DEVIANCE - right realism
- Created by: hayleyroberts00
- Created on: 17-12-18 18:38
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- Right Realism
- Causes of crime
- Biological difference
- Herrnstein and Murray (1994) - low intelligence, biologically determined.
- Personality traits - aggressiveness, extroversion, risk taking and low impulse control.
- Rational choice theory
- Individuals have free will and the power to reason.
- Ron Clark - decision to commit crime is a choice based on rational calculation of likely consequences.
- Perceived cost of crime are low - why crime rate has increased - little risk of getting caught and punishementsare lenient.
- Felson - routine activity theory - for crime to occur there must be motivated offender, suitable target and absence of 'capable guardian' (policeman, neighbour).
- Criticisms
- ignores wider structural causes e.g. poverty
- overstates offenders rationality and how far they make cost-benefit analysis - may not explain impulsive, violent crime.
- view of criminals as rational actors freely choosing crime conflicts claim that their behaviour is determined by biology and socialisation.
- over-emphasises biological factors - Lilly et al - IQ differences account for less than 3% of differences in offending.
- Biological difference
- Tackling crime
- main focus is on control, containment and punishment rather than eliminating the underlying causes of offending or rehabilitation.
- crime prevention policies should reduce rewards and increase cost of crime e.g. target hardening
- target hardening - greater use of prison and ensuring punishments follow soon after the offence to maximise their deterrent effect.
- Zero tolerance
- Wilson and Kelling (1982) - Broken Windows - essential to maintain orderly character of neighbourhoods to prevent crime
- Any sign of deterioration must be dealt with immediately.
- An urban myth?
- Jock Young - success was a myth peddled by politicians and police keen to take credit for falling crime.
- Crime rate in NY - already falling since 1985 - 9 years before zero tolerance.
- Success of zero tolerance was product of police's way of coping with decline that had already occurred.
- other criticisms.
- preoccupied with petty street crime and ignores corporate crime.
- Give police free rein to discriminate against minorities, youth, homeless etc.
- over-emphasises control of disorder, rather then tackling causes of neighbourhood decline such as lack of investment.
- Zero tolerance and target hardening lead to displacment.
- Wilson and Kelling (1982) - Broken Windows - essential to maintain orderly character of neighbourhoods to prevent crime
- Causes of crime
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