Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
Realist theories of crime (Right realism (The causes of crime (Biological…
Realist theories of crime
Right realism
Sees crime, especially street crime, as a growing problem
The causes of crime
Biological differences: According to Wilson and Hernstein, crime is caused by a combination of biological and social factors
The underclass: Effective socialisation decreases the risk offending by teaching self-control and correct values. RRs see the NF as the best agency of socialisation
Rational choice theory: Clarke's rational choice theory assumes individuals are rational beings with free will.
Solutions to crime
Wilson and Kelling argue that we must keep neighbourhoods orderly to prevent crime taking hold.
They advocate "zero tolerance" policing
Crime prevention policies should reduce the rewards of crime and increase its costs.
Criticisms
Ignores structural causes of crime. It's concerned almost solely with street crime, ignoring corporate crime.
Over-emphasises control of disorderly neighbourhoods, ignoring underlying causes of neighourhood decline
Young argues that crime was already falling before ZTP came in.
Left realism
Causes of crime
Relative deprivation: When they feel others unfairly have more, they may resort to crime to obtain what they feel entitled to
Subculture: Criminal subcultures subscribe to society's materialistic goals, but legitimate opportunities are blocked, so they resort to crime
Marginalisation: Unemployed youth have no organisation to represent them and no clear goals - just a sense of powerlessness, resentment and frustration, which they express through criminal means
Solutions to crime
Democratic policing: Crime control must also involve a multi-agency approach, not just police
Reducing inequality: For LRs, the main solution to crime is to remove its underlying cause: social inequality
Criticisms
Marxists argue that it fails to explain corporate crime
It over predicts the amount of w/c crime
LR relies on quantitative data from victim surveys
Focusing on high crime inner city areas makes crime appear a greater problem than it is