prevention and control: Flashcards
(18 cards)
how do right realists think that crime can be prevented?
situational crime prevention
environmental crime prevention
how do left realists argue that we can tackle crime?
social and community crime prevention projects
Argue that both offenders and victims of the crimes are found in more disadvantaged communities. By dealing with the social inequalities that lead to crime, it will reduce the crime rate.
Targeted interventions such as pre-school classes, parenting classes and family and relationship counselling could prevent crime by improving socalisation. Youth clubs promote a sense of community.
how can left realists create a sense of community? 1st way?
community projects
perry pre school projects - Weikart
intervention projects
Troubled families programme - claimed to have successfully turned 116,654 families around
they want to counteract feelings of marginalisation
how can left realists create a sense of community?
through police accountability - kinsey, lea and young - Improve clear up rates, investigate crime, deter offenders to restore confidence
police relations
make people feel like they can rely on the police
what is the evaluation of left realist crime prevention strategies?
‘Soft of crime’ – too much focus on the cause of crime and ignore the role of the offender choosing to commit crime.
Only tackles crime committed by working class, ignores white collar and corporate crime.
Majority of people living in a deprived area do not commit crime.
Marxists – does not tackle the structural inequality inherent in capitalist society.
Who argues we should use situational crime prevention?
Right Realist Ron Clarke
what are the two ways in which situational crime prevention strategies can be carried out?
designing out
target hardening
what is designing out?
means that some features of an area are re-designed in order to make it impossible common associated crime. E.g. sloping seats on bus shelters to prevent people sleeping on them or ‘homeless spikes’ outside of shopping centres.
Felson calls this hostile architecture
The Port Authority bus terminal in New York City was poorly designed and provided opportunities for crimes – for example the toilets were a good place to steal luggage, deal drugs and engage in homosexual sex. Re-shaping the physical environment to ‘design out’ crime led to a large reduction in crime. For example, replacing the large sinks which homeless people used for washing reduced the numbers of homeless people hanging around the bus station.
Felson - hostile architecture
The Port Authority bus terminal in New York City was poorly designed and provided opportunities for crimes – for example the toilets were a good place to steal luggage, deal drugs and engage in homosexual sex. Re-shaping the physical environment to ‘design out’ crime led to a large reduction in crime. For example, replacing the large sinks which homeless people used for washing reduced the numbers of homeless people hanging around the bus station.
What is target hardening?
decreases the opportunity for crime with measures like window locks, shutters, car security features, CCTV.
Cornish and Clarke - notices
Pease - bars, bolts, barriers
Cornish and Clarke: Notices
Cornish and Clarke’s work is rooted in rational choice theory and situational crime prevention. They emphasize the role of notices (such as warning signs, deterrent messages, and informational cues) in influencing offenders’ decision-making. Their research suggests that clear, well-placed notices can effectively reduce crime by increasing the perceived risk of detection or the perceived effort required to commit an offense. Notices act as a psychological deterrent, reinforcing formal and informal social controls.
What did Pease say about ‘bars, bolts and barriers’
Pease explores situational crime prevention by examining how physical security measures (such as bars, bolts, and barriers) can reduce criminal opportunities. The study highlights that while these measures can be effective in deterring crime, they may also lead to displacement, where offenders shift their criminal activities to less-protected targets. Pease argues that a well-implemented security approach should focus on making crime more difficult, riskier, and less rewarding for potential offenders.
Evaluate Situation crime prevention:
It pre-emptive
Displacement theory – doesn’t reduce crime but just moves it to somewhere else.
Some of SCP methods prevent activities that would not be seen as criminal e.g. rough sleeping.
Marxists point out that these measures control the working class but not the ruling class. It ignores white collar and corporate crime.
SCP doesn’t pay enough attention to catching criminals or punishments to deter criminals.
what is environmental crime prevention?
By improving the local area and dealing with low level criminal activity such as vandalism, graffiti and loitering.
Builds on broken window theory
Wilson and Kelling
What are the two policies linked with environmental crime prevention?
environmental improvement - aims to deal with low level crimes such as grafitti and vandalism
zero tolerance
Evaluate environmental crime prevention:
Deals with the symptom not the cause of crime.
Targets working class people and street crime rather than corporate of white collar.
Displacement theory.
what do feminists say about prevention and control?
Focus on protecting women from being victims
1991 rape in marriage made illegal due to feminist campaigners – protecting women from being victims.
Sure start maternity grants for women in poverty – encourages them to seek help rather than commit crime.
To prevent crime:
Talk openly about DV
Recognising that violence against women stems from patriarchy – men need to under go ‘re-socialisation’
Controlling crime:
Changes in the CJS – i.e. police to protect women
DV and rape to be taken seriously i.e. more women’s refuges needed.
Increase the reporting of crime against women – greater trust with the CJS need to be created.
Harsher sentencing
focus on reducing female crime:
- to prevent crime:
tackling poverty
controlling crime:
- local authorities to support women
what do postmodernists say about prevention and control?
Society is too fragmented to have one standardised way to prevent and control crime.
More informal localised arrangements for preventing and controlling harms caused by crime and disorder are needed.
Crime prevention: is now customised based on specific needs i.e. private security and surveillance.
Controlling crime: by restricting certain groups of people to certain areas i.e. the homeless – controlling where crime takes place.
They also argue that sentencing should be done on an individual basis rather than having a ‘set’ number of years for each type of crime.
Greater focus on localised policing i.e. each district in the UK has its own custom polices to prevent and control crime based on the needs of their area. Evidence of people with mental illnesses getting lenient sentences and the help they need rather than being sentenced to so many years in prison.
