Week 3: Reviving Classical Theory

Question 1

What are Classical Theories?

Answer 1

• Argue that individuals choose to engage in crime based on a rational consideration of the costs and benefits associated with crime
• Dominated theory during the late 1700s and much of the 1800s

Question 1

What are Neo-Classical Theories?

Answer 1

• They see criminal behaviour as determined by a variety of individual and social factors
• These theories are deterministic theories and have dominated theory since the late 1800s

Question 2

What is the Rebirth of Neo-Classical Theory?

Answer 2

• Resurgence in the late 1960s
• Measure certainty/severity of punishments
• Cross-sectional studies (individual perceptions of deterrence)
• Experiential effect (previous experience highly influences expectations of getting caught again)

Question 3

What is the Deterrence Model of Crime?

Answer 3

• Argues that people are rational and pursue their own interests, attempting to maximize their pleasure and minimize their pain

Question 4

What is the Impact of Deterrence Theory?

Answer 4

• Has had an enormous impact on contemporary crime control policies
• Became popular in the 1970s with Gary Becker’s work

Question 5

What are the two types of Deterrence?

Answer 5

• Specific deterrence
• General deterrence

Question 6

What is Specific Deterrence?

Answer 6

• Refers to the idea that punishment reduces the crime of those specific people who are punished
• Evidence has shown that increasing swiftness/celerity of punishments does not reduce subsequent offending

Question 7

What does Braithwaite argue about Punishment?

Answer 7

• Punishments that isolate people from society increase future crime, while punishments that are reintegrative decrease future crime

Question 8

What does Sherman argue about Punishment?

Answer 8

• Effect of punishments are dependent on the extent to which punishments are administered in a fair and respectful manner

Question 9

Why would Punishment not Deter People from Future Crime?

Answer 9

• Many offenders may not be rational (often impulsive and high in negative emotionality)
• Punishment may increase strains, reduce social control, and increase the social learning of crime

Question 10

What is Rational Choice Theory?

Answer 10

• Crime is seen as a rational choice
• Behaviour can be deterred through fear of punishment

Question 11

What are the type of Criminals in Modern Choice Theory?

Answer 11

• Seek excitement and thrills
• Have low stake in conformity (little to lose)
• Are risk-taking
• Many are rational and will be deterred by severe punishment

Question 12

What do Criminals Chose Crime Based on?

Answer 12

• Personal Needs (water, foot, etc.)
• Situational Factors (Natural disasters, etc.)

Question 13

What does Crime Depend on?

Answer 13

• Chances of getting caught
• Anticipated punishment
• Need for gain

Question 14

What are Offence Specific Situations?

Answer 14

• Offenders are selective about specific crimes (opportunity, guardianship, etc.)
• Some crimes are more attractive than others (what are advantages/disadvantages about particular type of crime?)

Question 15

What are Offender Specific Situations?

Answer 15

• Offenders evaluate their own skills for crime
• For ex. white-collar crime, serial murder, money heist, terrorism, identity theft, etc.

Question 16

What are Personal Factors Affecting Criminal Behaviour?

Answer 16

• Perception of future earnings from crime
• Perception of legitimate income opportunity
• Knowledge of “successful” criminals
• Experience and perception of risk of getting caught (learning)
• Personality and lifestyle (Less self-control, under stress)

Question 17

What does the Decision to Commit Crime Depend on?

Answer 17

• The location (The ability to avoid detection)
• The target (No one home, cash in till, etc.)
• The available means and techniques (Skills and tools needed for the job)

Question 18

What is Bounded Rationality?

Answer 18

• Rationality is constrained by the limits of time, ability and the availability of relevant information

Question 19

What Impacts Rationality?

Answer 19

• Self-control, moral beliefs, strains, emotional states, associations with delinquent peers, etc.

Question 20

What are Formal Costs of Crime?

Answer 20

• Legal criminal justice punishments
• The main focus of Deterrence theories

Question 21

What are Informal Costs of Crime?

Answer 21

• Disapproval from parents, friends, etc.

Question 22

What are the Moral Costs of Crime?

Answer 22

• Guilt and shame that one experience

Question 23

What does Cornish and Clarke Argue about Crime as a Rational Choice?

Answer 23

• It is necessary to adopt a “crime-specific focus”
• Should focus on particular types of crime rather than examining all crime in general
• The costs and benefits associated with different crimes vary

Question 24

What is Criminal Involvement?

Answer 24

- Heavily influenced by pervious learning and experience over substantial periods of time that are influenced by background factors (ex. Individual traits and social and demographic characteristics) - Most crime theories focus on criminal involvement

Question 25

What are Criminal Events?

Answer 25

- Heavily influenced by the immediate situation and the selection of a target based on costs and benefits

Question 26

What was Wright and Decker's Study on Armed Robbers in Action?

Answer 26

- A study with eight-six current armed robbery in St. Louis focus on their thoughts and actions during a robbery

Question 27

Who were the Participants win Wright and Decker's Study?

Answer 27

- Black - Males and females - Adults and juveniles - Successful and unsuccessful - Experienced and inexperienced - High and low-rate offenders

Question 28

What did Participants Spend their Money on in the Wright and Decker's Study?

Answer 28

- Desperate partying (gambling, drug use, heavy drinking etc.) - "Status enhancing" items (clothing to project an image) - Daily living expenses (food, shelter, and child-care items, drugs, etc.)

Question 29

What are the two Competing Demands that Robbers face when selecting a Target?

Answer 29

1. Immediate action 2. Caution in selection of target

Question 30

What are the two Decisions that Robbers have to make when Searching for a Target?

Answer 30

1. Suitable area - Physical Barriers (for ex. access to car) - Psychological Barriers (fear of unknown areas) - Sporting venues and entertainment districts Brough more targets 2. Specific victim - appear to have cash - Often go after those at ATM's - Prefer whites (perceived to be less likely to resist)

Question 31

What are the two Methods Robbers use to Approach a Victim?

Answer 31

1. Stealth or speed to sneak up - Lurk in background and strike out of nowhere so little chance of evasive action 2. Manage a normal appearance - Fit into the social setting to get close enough for a surprise action

Question 32

What are two Strategies Robbers used to Rob their Victims?

Answer 32

1. Simply ordering victims to hand over possessions 2. Taking possessions without waiting for what was offered (many preferred this for fear of victim had a concealed weapon)

Question 33

What are the two Methods used by Robbers to Mentally Handle the Prospect of Getting Caught?

Answer 33

1. Cognitive techniques to neutralize the capacity of threatened sanctions to deter an intended offence 2. Refused to dwell on chance of being caught while committing the offence

Question 34

What are the Criticism of Rational Choice Theory?

Answer 34

- Criminals often commit crime with little planning and little consideration for costs and benefits and not in their self-interest - Cornish and Clarke argue that even impulsive acts reveal some consideration for the costs and benefits of the act