Crime Prevention - Right Realist Strategies Flashcards
What is rational choice theory?
Argues people decide whether or not to commit a crime by weighing up the risk of getting caught
If the risk is low, then they are more likely to commit crime
What do right realists argue needs to be done to prevent crime?
To prevent crime we need to reduce the opportunity to commit crime through target hardening strategies and increase the risk of people getting caught
What are examples of target hardening strategies?
Anti-climb paint
Car steering wheel locks
Barbed wire
How can we increase the risk of people getting caught?
More CCTV cameras
More police on the streets
What is designing out crime an example of?
Example of situational crime prevention strategy which involves reducing the opportunity for crimes to be committed and increasing the risk of people getting caught
What are the criticisms of situation crime prevention?
Designing out crime doesn’t stop people committing crime it simply results in displacement - people commit crimes somewhere else with no surveillance
Situational crime prevention assumes criminals are rational - not all crimes are planned and calculated, ignores crimes of passion and alcohol fuelled crimes
What is environmental crime prevention developed from?
Developed from the ‘broken window’ theory
What does the ‘broken window’ theory argue?
Argues that if one window is broken and remains unfixed, soon all the windows will be broken and crime will take hold
What is zero tolerance policing?
Where the police clamp down on any signs of disorder straightaway
What are the criticisms of environmental crime prevention?
Selective policing
Zero tolerance policing could lead to more crime
Why is selective policing a criticism of environmental crime prevention?
The police target individuals who fit the typical delinquent - black, young, working class, deprived backgrounds
Misuse of zero tolerance resulted in black people being arrested for little or no reason
Why is the fact that zero tolerance policing could lead to more crime a criticism of environmental crime prevention?
Could lead to more crimes being committed by those regularly targeted by the police - they may form deviant subcultures with others in the same situation to express shared frustration and/or develop a self fulfilling prophecy
