Right Realist Theory

What do Wilson & Hernstein argue about the causes of crime?

Crime is caused by a combination of biological & social factors: some people are more naturally aggressive & less intelligent, maeaning they are more likely to commit crime

What does Murray argue about the causes of crime?

The increase of the underclass & benefit dependency in today’s society has caused poor socialisation in children due to single parent families, so young males turn to street crime as a source of role models & status

How can Murray’s ideas about the causes of crime be criticsed?

Preoccupied with petty street crime that is less detrimental to society, ignores wider structural causes of crime

What does Clarke argue about the causes of crime?

Rational Choice Theory: decision to commit crime is a rational one based on the risks and rewards of a crime, if rewards are higher then they are more likely to commit crime

How can Clarke’s ideas about the causes of crime be criticised?

Conflicts with ideas about determined behaviour through biology/socialisation, overstates offenders’ rationality & how much they think about a crime, doesn’t explain non-utilitarian crime

What do the right realists’ solutions for crime involve?

Control, containment & punishment of offenders rather than focusing on underlying causes/rehabilitation

What is situational crime prevention?

Target hardening measures that make it harder to access possible targets (people/locations), decreasing how easy and stealthy it is to commit crime, includes CCTV, barbed wire

How can situational crime prevention be criticised?

Results in displacement of crime to other areas

What is environmental crime prevention according to Wilson & Kelling?

Maintenance of the orderly character of a neighbourhood (removing graffiti & vandalism) to discourage other people from doing it, zero-tolerance policy on antisocial/undesirable behaviour

How can environmental crime prevention be criticised?

Overemphasise control of disorder that has underlying causes, allows the police to discriminate against marginalised groups

What does Young argue about environmental crime prevention?

Zero tolerance policies widen the definition of deviance & justify the police’s existence in times of lower crime

What did Poyner & Webb find about environmental crime prevention?

After redesigns in the Birmingham Bullring shopping centre to set stalls apart & improve lighting, womens’ purse thefts fell by almost 70%