Right Realism

Question 1

How do realists view crime?

Answer 1

As a real problem, especially for the victim, instead of a social construct.

Question 2

What do right realists believe?

Answer 2

• Other theories have failed to solve the problem of crime.

- Interactionists and New criminologists are too sympathetic to the criminal.

Question 3

What type of solutions are right realists mainly concerned with?

Answer 3

Practical solutions:

• best way to tackle crime is through control and punishment, rather than rehabilitation.

Question 4

What are the 3 causes of crime?

Answer 4

1) . Biological differences.
2) . The underclass.
3) . Rational choice theory.

Question 5

Who proposes that crime is caused by biological differences?

Answer 5

Wilson and Herrnstein (1985).

Question 6

What is the biological differences theory?

Answer 6

• Biological differences between people make some people innately more likely to commit crime.
• For example; aggressiveness, risk-taking, or low intelligence.

Question 7

Evaluate Wilson and Herrnstein’s theory?

Answer 7

1). Evidence is limited =

Lilly et al. found differences in intelligence accounted for only 3% of the differences in offending.

Question 8

Who proposed crime is caused by inadequate socialisation?

Answer 8

Murray (1990).

Question 9

How does Murray explain the increase in crime?

Answer 9

• Increase in welfare benefits have led to a rise in lone-parent families (as men no longer need to be responsible)
• Which fail to socialise their children as they are dependent on the state.

Question 10

How does the underclass lead to crime?

Answer 10

Absent of fathers, boys lack discipline and turn to street gangs to gain status through crime rather than supporting their families.

Question 11

Who proposes rational choice theory?

Answer 11

Wilson (1975).

Question 12

How does rational choice theory explain crime?

Answer 12

• People weigh up whether their criminality is beneficial, and compare it with the risks of getting caught.

Question 13

What are situational variables?

Answer 13

People choose the best time and place to commit crimes with the minimal risk of getting caught.

Question 14

Evaluate Wilson’s theory?

Answer 14

1). Its implausible for people to be rational thinkers when biology and socialisation determine their behaviour.

Question 15

How do right realists propose tackling crime?

Answer 15

They think its pointless to try to tackle underlying causes (biology and socialisation), so focus on punishment.

Question 16

What is Wilson and Kelling (1982) solution to crime?

Answer 16

Broken window theory =

• tackle small, minor crimes before they deteriorate, like fixing a window before the rest gets broken (zero tolerance policy).

Question 17

What is an example of zero tolerance policy?

Answer 17

• Tackling graffiti.

- Used in New York and it decreased crime and stopped areas deteriorating.

Question 18

How do right realists adopt the values of those that correspond with punishment?

Answer 18

Crime prevention policies should reduce rewards of crime and increase the risk of crime.

Question 19

What is the crime prevention policies adopted by right realists?

Answer 19

1) . Environmental crime prevention.

2) . Situational crime prevention.

Question 20

What is environmental crime prevention?

Answer 20

‘Broken window theory’ =

graffiti, begging, etc should be dealt with immediately to decline mores serious crimes from occurring.

• zero-tolerance policy.

Question 21

Evaluate environmental crime prevention?

Answer 21

Although there was a fall in the 1990s in New York, this may be due to an increase in the number of police officers and falling unemployment, not the policy.

Question 22

What is situational crime prevention?

Answer 22

• Target specific crimes in specific areas to reduce rewards and increase risk.
• ‘Target hardening’ –> increased locked doors, security guards to ‘design crime out’.

Question 23

Evaluate situational crime prevention?

Answer 23

1) . Can explain rational/opportunistic crimes but not white-collar/corporate crimes.
2) . Displacement =

people will move to different areas to commit their crimes, choosing different victims, times and places.

Question 24

What are the criticisms of right realism?

Answer 24

1) . Ignore wider structure causes; poverty, as they say it’s irrelevant.
2) . Overstates the offenders’ rationality before committing utilitarian crimes, doesn’t explain non-utilitarian crimes.
3) . Ignores corporate/white-collar crimes which are more costly and harmful to the public.