Realist theories of crime

Right realism

Sees crime (street crime) as a real problem that destroys communities and undermines social cohesion

Zero tolerance policies

Conservative politics

Biological differences (right realism)

Biological differences between people make some people more likely to commit crimes e.g. aggressiveness

Underclass theory (right realism)

Murray - the crime rate is increasing due to a growing underclass socialised into deviance as a result of the welfare state —> lone parent mothers can’t discipline sons

Rational choice theory (right realism)

Clarke - the decision to commit crime is a choice based on a rational calculation of the consequences

Felson - for a crime to occur there must be an motivated offender, a target and an absence of a capable guardian

Control theory

Hirschi - most people dont commit crimes as they have four controls in their lives:

1. Attachment

2. Commitment

3. Involvement

4. Belief

As people get older they gain these controls

Criticisms of right realist causes of crime

• Ignores wider structural causes such as poverty

• Overstates the offender’s rationality and the cost-benefit

• Over-emphasises biological factors

Wilson and Kelling

Broken Window theory - it is essential to maintain the orderly character of the neighbourhood e.g. litter picking and removing graffiti by having zero tolerance policing

Criticisms of zero tolerance

• Young - its success was a myth pedalled by politicians to take credit for falling crime rates

• Focuses on petty crime, ignores corporate crime

• Allows the police to discriminate against groups

• Leads to displacement of crime

Left realism

• Gradual change is needed

• We need explanations of crime that will lead to practical strategies to reduce it

Neo-marxism view on crime criticism

They romanticise WC criminals as Robin Hoods

Left realist causes of crime (Lea and Young)

1. Relative deprivation —> for Young it is the combination of RD and individualism

2. Subculture - criminal subcultures subscribe to mainstream goals and values but have to resort to street crime to achieve them

3. Marginalisation - marginalised groups don’t have any clear goals or organisations supporting them e.g. unemployed youths don’t have trade unions

Policing and control (left realism)

Lea and Young - the public must become more involved in determining the police’s priorities, communities need to make stronger connections with the police otherwise communities may feel alienated if they are being military policed

Tackling structural causes (left realism)

We must deal with inequality of opportunities and the unfairness of rewards —> becoming more tolerant of diversity and removing stereotypes

Left realist tackling crime AO3

• Accepts the authorities definition of crime —> ignoring corporate crime

• Interactionists argue that left realists use quantitative data instead of meanings

• Subcultural theories argues there is value consensus

• Not everyone who experiences relative deprivation commits crimes