Wilson right realism

• Broken Windows Theory by James Q Wilson and George Kellings

  Maintaining the appearance of the area, fostering pride in the local community, and targeting undesirable behaviors like antisocial behavior, begging, prostitution, and dive bars were key to reducing criminality
• Rational Choice Theory by James Q Wilson


  If the rewards outweigh the risks of being caught and the punishment received, people would be more likely to commit crime
• Implementation of Broken Windows Theory in New York

  Zero Tolerance policies on undesirable behaviors, gentrification of areas, and displacement of crime to other areas successfully reduced crime in New York
• James Q Wilson: 'James Q Wilson is one of the more influential voices in the development of right realist criminology with his volume of work and his collaborations with other right realists place him at the Forefront of right realist thinking'
• Rational Choice Theory by James Q Wilson


  Influenced many different crime prevention strategies, notably the use of harsher sentencing and environmental crime prevention
• Rational Choice Theory by James Q Wilson


  • Criminals make rational decisions to commit crime by weighing up the risks and rewards of their actions to come to a logical conclusion about whether or not to commit crime
• Wilson's focus on personal responsibility of individuals discounted the impacts of economic policies imposed by right-wing governments that created conditions for crime, such as cuts to the police force, Social Security, and increased unemployment
• Broken Windows Theory by James Q Wilson and George Kellings

  • Higher levels of crime in areas with signs of falling standards in appearance, such as broken and boarded up windows, overgrown gardens, graffiti, and discarded rubbish
• Application of rational choice to UK government's approach in policing COVID regulations

  Initially low fines led to low perceived risk, but with increased fines and public encouragement to report breaches, the situation became higher risk and low reward, theoretically ensuring less breaches
• Biological differences theory by Wilson and Hearin


  Crime being down to biological differences, with some individuals biologically predisposed to commit crime due to low impulse control, extroversion, and lower levels of intelligence
• James Q Wilson collaborated with

  George Kellings on Broken Windows Theory and later with Hearin focusing on biological reasons for criminality