OCR Psychology - Crime Prevention

What is Newman’s defensible space theory?

Area around housing that is clearly private

What does Newman argue about housing with little defensible space?

Residents are less satisfied + there are higher rates of crime

What were the IVs in Zimbardo’s study?

A car with the bonnet up and no plates placed in the Bronx (poor) + Palo Alto (rich)

What research method was used in Zimbardo’s study?

Covert observation

What did Zimbardo observe in the Bronx?

Within 10 mins people started stealing from the car + over the next two days 20 separate acts of vandalism and theft occurred

What did Zimbardo’s observe in Palo Alto?

Nothing for more than a week

What reduces the validity of Zimbardo’s observation in Palo Alto?

After a week he began to damage the car + the car was destroyed within 2 hrs as people who passed by replicated the behaviour

What is a conclusion of Zimbardo’s observation?

There is a lack of community cohesion in the Bronx which created a sense of anonymity which led to vandalism

What is the broken windows theory?

If one broken window remains un-repaired, vandals will break the remaining windows as the damage sends the message that there are no consequences + no one is in charge

What is zero-tolerance policing?

Relentless order maintenance + aggressive law enforcement against minor crimes

What are the advantages of ZTP?

It reduces crimes, e.g. between 1990 and 2009 homicide rates in NYC decreased by 82%

What are the disadvantages of ZTP?

Threatens the police-community relationship + certain groups can feel victimised

What were the 3 main sections of Wilson and Kelling’s article on broken windows?

Safe neighbourhoods, the changing role of police + maintaining order

What was Wilson and Kelling’s article on broken windows based on?

Kelling’s partcipant observation as he joined a foot patrol in New Jersey

How did Wilson and Kelling think safe neighbourhoods could be created?

Through police foot patrols who enforce rules, e.g, telling noisy teenagers to be quiet

According to Wilson and Kelling, what is police officers role?

To support the community, maintain order + not just catching criminals

What are conclusions of Wilson and Kelling’s article?

Foot patrols do not necessarily stop crimes but they do prevent it + officers should identify neighbourhoods where crime is increasing and enforce ZTP

Why is Kelling’s observation ethnocentric?

Took place in New Jersey, USA

What affects the reliability of Kelling’s study?

No inter-rater reliability as he was the only observer (no corroboration)

What is an application of Wilson and Kelling’s article?

Crime norms can be broken if things like graffiti are cleaned up + broken windows repaired

What affects the ecological validity of Kelling’s observation?

He interacted with the participants during the foot patrols + they could have changed their natural behaviour

What did Harcourt and Ludwig think?

The crime rates fell in NYC in the 1990s due to lower use of crack cocaine, not ZTP

What do Harcourt and Ludwig’s thoughts suggest?

A more holistic approach is needed for crime prevention

Why is ZTP socially sensitive?

It has violated civil rights of ethnic minorities + the poor (heavy monitoring)

How can pulling levers policing (deterrence) prevent crimes?

Key offenders are identified by officers, continuous communication is established, they are aware that they are being watched + there will be consequences if they commit a crime

Why would pulling levers policing work?

Operation ceasefire in Boston lowered youth homicide rates by 63%

How would target hardening prevent crimes?

This enhances the security of a building to make it a less attractive target through increasing defensible space / using CCTV

Why would target Harding work?

Poyner and Webb found that measures like entry phones + electric access to buildings can significantly reduce vandalism + theft to British homes