AC3.2 - Describe the contribution of agencies to achieving social control Flashcards
(46 cards)
How can built up environments affect level of crime?
- By influencing potential offender e.g., presenting them with opportunities to commit crime
- By affecting people’s ability to exercise control over their surroundings
What is environmental design?
What a neighbourhood looks like and how it is designed so it has an impact on criminality
What is crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED)?
It is based in the idea that crime results partly from the opportunities presented by the physical environment. This being the case, it should be possible to alter physical environment so that crimes is less likely to occur. Crime can be reduced by: creating open spaces with strong lighting, especially in doorways to provide clear visibility. A lack of hiding places to enable people to see around corners and blind spots. Low-level bushes allowing clear visible sight lines
What are the four defensible spaces?
Territoriality, natural surveillance, safe image and a safe location
What is territoriality?
The environment encourages a sense of ownership amongst residents - the feeling its their territory and they control it. Certain layouts also give the message to outsiders that the area is for the use of private residents e.g., cul-de-sacs project a private image and encourage a sense of community
What is natural surveillance?
Features such as easily viewed entrance lobbies and street-level windows allow residents to identify and observe strangers. Cul-de-sacs allow residents to overlook each other’s homes. Whereas high-rise blocks often have concealed entrances that allow offenders to come and go unseen
What is a safe image?
Building designs should give the image of a safe neighbourhood where residents look after each other. A negative image means an area will be negatively labelled and targeted by offenders - broken windows theory
What is a safe location?
Neighbourhoods located in the middle of a wider crime-free area are insulated from the outside world by a moat of safety
What would functionalists say about defensible spaces?
Agree with the idea of defensible spaces and clear boundaries because it acts as boundary maintenance and reminds people of what is right and wrong
What would the broken windows theory say about defensible spaces?
By changing an area to make it cleaner, criminals will not be attracted to the area
What case study links to defensible spacess?
Damilola Taylor:
Found dead, bled out due to stab wound in leg in stairwell of a condemned housing estate. Nobody observed it, nobody cared for it so crime was more likely to occur there
What are indefensible spaces?
Where crime is more likely to occur, confused areas of public space such as anonymous walkways and stairwells. They belong to no one and are cared for by no one and are observed by no one
How does environmental design lead to social control?
- Broken windows theory
- Rich areas have less street crime
- Increasing sense of ownership of an area, offenders might be deterred because they know they are more likely to get caught
How does environmental design NOT lead to social control?
- Won’t resolve white collar crime, cyber crime or DV
- Crime will be displaced
- Broken windows theory
What are the types of environmental deisgn?
CPTED, gated lanes and prison design
What are gated lanes?
Gates are installed at the entrance to rear alleyways in order to deter burglars or other criminals from using them to gain unlawful access from the rear of houses. Government regulations came into force in April 1st 2006 giving local authorities power to erect gates on public highways to combat anti-social behaviour
What could gated lanes be used to prevent?
Drug dealing, assaults, theft, burglary
What did Sidebottom et al find about gated lanes and reduced burglary rates?
- Provide a physical barrier; thus increasing the effort required to commit crime
- Residents taking responsibility for closing fates increases guard ship and surveillance, being watched by residents
- Gates increased resident’s sense of territoriality, pride and belonging
- May reduce the rewards of crime it will be difficult to steal large objects if the offender has to clime over gates with item - deterrence
What is the Panoptican prison design?
- Each prisoner has an individual cell that is visible to the guards from a central watchtower
- The guards aren’t visible to the prisoner, therefore the prisoners don’t know if they are being watched but they do know they might be
- As a result they have to behave themselves at all times
How does the Panoptican design influence social control?
Surveillance turns into self-surveillance and discipline becomes self-discipline
What is Bastøy prison like in Norway?
Minimum security prison on an island. 300 people, 30 buildings, 70 staff. Recidivism rates 20 times lower than US. Farming, or training for a new trade. Visitors can sometimes stay over the weekend. Focus on rehabilitation. Reoffending rate is 20$ compared to 59% in UK but doesn’t achieve retribution
What is the American Supermax prison like?
Spend up to 23 hours a day in solitary confinement with little to no access to natural light. Inmates who experienced chronic disciplinary problems have little interaction with others
What are the two behavioural tactics?
ASBOs and criminal behaviour orders and token economies
What are ASBOs?
Brought in to deal with low level anti social behaviour such as vandalism, public drunkenness etc
