Environmental Approaches: The Criminology of Place and Time

Locating / Exploring Offenders

-       Shaw and McKay (1931)

• Location of offenders in Chicago
• Concentric zones – a way of dividing the city
• Zone 2 – poor area where there was most offenders
• Zone of transition – another name for zone 2
• Social disorganisation – because of high turnover within the area there is no coherent norms and values which explained the high levels of offenders.
• Cultural transmission theory – In zone 2, there became an acceptance that crime and deviance was acceptable.

-       Sutherland and Cressey (1966)

Introduced the concept of differential association – a theory that behaviour is learnt and justified by friends and family – If a person is exposed to crime and deviance, then people are more likely to commit crimes. There are 4 key factors that influence this:

• 1)    Frequency – the number of times you are exposed to crime and deviance
• 2)    Duration – the length you are exposed to crime and deviance
• 3)    Priority – at what state in your life, if young then it is more likely to influential than older
• 4)    Influence – The more influential the exposure the more it will take effect

This theory was a response to Shaw and McKay’s theory which was criticised for its vague nature.

-       Morris (1957)

• Local councils place delinquent families together making areas ‘high crime areas’
• An example of this can be seen in Croydon, London
• There is no evidence that people in delinquent areas have a coherent set of values that are any different from others

-       Baldwin and Bottoms (1976)

• Two estates separated by a duel carriageway
• One had a 300% higher rate of offenders and 350% higher level of crime than the other
• Researched ‘tipping’
• Tipping – local authorities were in charge of where people were put, law abiding citizens could move away whereas anti-social families were all put together.

-       W.G.Skogan (1983)

• USA study ‘fleshed out’ tipping
• Found that social control breaks down with deterioration of an area
• Control also breaks down from public use of alcohol and drugs
• Situation of disorder:
• 1) Undermines informal social control
• 2) Generates worries about neighbourhood safety
• 3) Causes law abiding people to move away

Social disorganisation – lack of shared values resulting in an increase in the number of offenders

Putnam – suggests that areas that have tipped lack close family and friendship and bonds (social capital) in order to feel integrated within the community

Wilson – Suggests that in areas that have tipped…