Right Realism

What does Wilson and Hernstein claim as the reason that people commit crimes?

Some people are born with a predispiton towards crime

What is an example for Wilson and Hernstein about individuals that have an inclination towards crime?

• born with aggressive tendencies

• extroverted

• prone to risk-taking

According to Wilson and Herstein, why do people with this Biological inclination towards violence commit crime?

People are not socialised effectively - their predisposition is likely to be realised

According to Wilson and Herstein, why do people prevent the Biological inclination towards commiting crime?

Children are more likely to develop a conscience in nuclear families compared to single parent families - where effective socialisation is unlikely

What is Wilson and Hernstein’s solution for stopping crime?

Effectively socialisation can be diverted away from criminal behaviour

Who created the Biology explanation for crime?

Wilson and Hernstein

Why does Murray believe that people commit crime?

attributes to surge in crime to the existence of an underclass, separate from mainstream society

• not just financial disparities, but attitudes and values

What does Murray contend the growth of the underclass to?

Expansion due to the rise in single parenthood

• consequence of overly generous welfare systems

How does the Welfare System encourage single parenthood according to Murray?

Safety net

• encourages women to become pregnant, knowing the system would support them

• fathers often evade responsibility

What happens as a result of children growing up in single-parent households according to Murray?

Children lack male role models and are influenced by delinquent peer groups

• children of underclass go to have children and socialise them in the same way

What Solution could be suggested to prevent the growth in the underclass? (Murray)

Cut benefits: means testings

Who created the Underclass explanation for crime?

Murray

What does Wilson suggest as the explanation for an increase in crime and deviance?

Individuals contemplate crime - asses its benefits like financial gain and status against the risks

What does Wilson suggest as the problem which allowing the rational choice to occur?

Weak law enforcement and lenient punishment contribute to this problem

• informal social controls, like shame, have eroded

Why has the erosion of informal social controls increased the amounts of crime and deviance according to Wilson?

No longer strong enough deterrents to put individuals off making the ration decision to break the law

• communities suffer as crime weakens trust among neighbours

What could be suggested as a solution to Wilson’s rational choice theory?

Tougher sentencing

Who created the Rational Choice explanation for crime?

Wilson

Which theory did Cohen and Felson expand upon?

Rational Choice Theory - Wilson

What does Cohen and Felson describe as the 3 conditions for crime?

• Individuals motivation

• Opportunities and suitable targets

• Lack of deterrence for potential offenders

What does the Routine Theory by Cohen and Felson suggest about crime?

Most crimes are opportunistic rather than premediated

• driven by societal shifts

What is a suggested Solution for Cohen and Felson’s Routine Theory?

Increased policing

Who created the Routine Theory explanation for crime?

Cohen and Felson

What idea does Wilson and Kelling attempt to develop?

crucial to try to maintain informal social control in neighbourhoods

What do Wilson and Kelling suggest as a way to prevent crime?

Clamping down on the first signs of undesirable behaviour in a neighbourhood

What do Wilson and Kelling suggest as the chain of reaction which causes crime?

• Broken window (disorder goes untreated)

• Fear

• Law-abiding citizens will not feel safe and avoid

• Removes informal social control

• Leaves areas to criminals

What is a Solution to Wilson and Kelling’s Broken Window Theory?

Need both formal and informal control

• formal: laws, police

• informal: members of the public

Who created the Broken Windows explanation for crime?

Wilson and Kelling

What are the 4 Right Realist Solutions to Crime

• Increased Policing

• Tougher Sentencing

• Zero-Tolerance Policing

• Situational Crime Prevention Measures

Right Realist Solutions to Crime - Increased Policing

Stronger police presence as a deterrent to criminal behaviour

• advocate for more police officers on the streets

• improved community policies efforts to build trust and cooperation between law enforcement and communities

Right Realist Solutions to Crime - Tougher Sentencing

Support harsher sentences for offenders, including longer prison terms - deters potential criminals and to protect society by incapacitating dangerous individuals

• e.g. ‘three strike laws’ - California: significantly increases the prison sentences of a person who had previously been convicted of a violent crime

Right Realist Solutions to Crime - Zero-Tolerance Policing

Involves cracking down on minor offenses and disorderly behaviour to prevent the escalation of criminal activity - by addressing minor offences

• e.g. New York: Introduced giving police powers to arrest and charge - ‘squegge men’ (broken windows!)

Right Realist Solutions to Crime - Situational Crime Prevention Measures

Aims to reduce the benefits of committing crimes by making targets of crime harder to commit crime against or impossible

• e.g. ‘hostile architecture’: deters people from sleeping/congregating

What does the Right Realists view emphasis?

• Law and Order

• Individual Responsibility

• The need for Effective Crime Control strategies

What is the Impact on Policies for the Right Realist approach?

• Tough-on-Crime Policies

• Preventive Measures

What is the Right Realist Impact on Policies - Tough-on-Crime Policies

Leading to the implementation of stricter sentencing laws, mandatory minimum sentences, and increased police presence in high-crime areas

What is the Right Realist Impact on Policies - Preventive Measures

To address the root causes of crime and reduce recidivism

• e.g. early intervention programs & youth mentoring

What is the Impact on Law for the Right Realist approach?

• Harsher Sentencing

• Focus on Deterrence

• Emphasis on Victim’s Right

What is the Right Realist Impact on Law - Harsher Sentencing

Leads to laws that impose harsher penalties for criminal offenses

• e.g. longer prison sentences for repeat offenders

What is the Right Realist Impact on Law - Focus on Deterrence

Laws may prioritise deterrence over rehabilitation

• emphasising punishment to dissuade individuals from engaging in criminal behaviour

What is the Right Realist Impact on Law - Emphasis on Victim’s Rights

Leads to legal reforms that prioritise the rights of crime victims

• e.g. enhancing victim impact statements in court proceedings