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Realist Theories of Crime - Coggle Diagram
Realist Theories of Crime
Right Realism
Evaluations
Solutions to Crime
Zero tolerance - every crime should be punished - new york city
Causes of Crime
There has been a significant rise in crime, causing communities to live in fear of crime.
. Other theories fail to create realistic solutions to crime.
. Realistic theories of crime emerged in response to neoliberalism in the 1980s (Margret Thatcher).
They are more 'pragmatic', as they ask governments can reduce crime here and now and work with
The New Right are composed of two key elements:
1. Neoliberalism
Laissez faire capitalism
. Markets should be competitive and free from government control.
¬ Privatisation/ no taxation on public expenditure
. Government has a role in creating new markets (Austerity), which then reduces public expenditure through spending cuts and tax increases.
2. Social Conservation
They believe in traditonal values - Local Governments Act 1988: schools cannot tech or promote homosexuality.
. Law and order: public order is maintained through fear of punishment with tougher prison sentences.
. Nationalism: Identification with your own nation to exclusion of other.
Biological Differences
Wilson & Herrnstein (1985)
Put forward a biosocial theory if criminal behaviour, saying that crime is caused by a combination of biological and social factors. The biological differences between individuals make some people innately more strongly predisposed to commit crimes than others.
Herrnstein & Murry (1994)
They argue that the main cause of crime is low intelligence, which they also see as biologically determined.
Evaluations
Socialisation and the underclass
Murry (1990)
Argues that crime rates are increasing because of a growing underclass who fail to socialise their children properly, and is growing as a result of welfare dependency.
Bennett et al (1996)
Argue that crime is the result of growing up surrounded by deviant, delinquent and criminal adults in a practically perfect criminogenic environment.
Evaluations
Rational Choice Theory
- weighing up pros and cons of committing a crime
Wilson (1975)
They put it as ‘if the supply and value of legitimate opportunities was declining at the very time that the cost of illegitimate opportunities was also declining, a rational teenager might well conclude that it made more sense to steal cars than to wash them’.
Felson (2002)
A similar idea is contained in Felson’s routine activity theory. He argues that for a crime to occur, there must be a motivated offender, a suitable target and the absence of a ‘capable guardian’. Offenders are assumed to act rationally so the presence of a guardian is likely to deter them.
Clarke (1980)
Argues that the decision to commit a crime is a choice based on a rational calculation of the likely consequences. If the perceived rewards of crime appear to be greater than those of non-criminal behaviour, then people will be likely to offend.
Evaluations
Left Realism
Solutions
Multi agency approach
Military policing
Tackle inequality
Government
causes
relative deprivation
young
Runciman
Subculture
Pryce
Marginalisation
Lee and Young
The Falling crime rate
Young
Anti-social behaviour
Young