Right Realism

• • Individual - society is not responsible for the fact that you’re a criminal
  • Mainly concerned with practical solutions to reduce crime - through punishment not rehabilitation
• Crimes are a product of 3 factors:

  1. Biologically different
  2. Inadequate socialisation
  3. Crime is a rational choice
• Biologically different ( William and Hernstein ) - Sheldon and Lombroso
• Inadequate socialisation - Murray

  RR see

  1. the nuclear family as the best agency of socialisation but are being undermined by generous welfare benefits ( M ), fathers no longer remain in the home and take responsible to for supporting the family as the welfare state do it for them.

  • Lack of father figure for boys means a lack of discipline and role model as they do not see a man who works hard for his family.
  • Boys will then turn to delinquent role models in street gangs and will gain status through crime rather than supporting their families.
• Crime is a rational choice

  •  deciding to commit a crime is based on rational calculation of the consequence - weighing up risks/costs to the rewards/benefits, if it does, people will be more likely to offend, Clarke and Wilson ( criminals see little risk of being caught and do not expect to receive severe punishments even if they are convicted. )
• If house has security ( guardian ), more likely to burgle the house next to it without the security, know and displacement - the crime won’t stop, it will just move so it can be performed.
• What is the Felson’s Routine Activity?

  For crime to occur, 3 factors are necessary

  1. Motivated offender
  2. Suitable target
  3. Absence of capable guardian - presence is likely to deter the crime, sees offenders as acting rationally. ( police officers, CCTV etc. )
• Advantages of RR

  Several studies support RCT 

  • Rettig gave students a scenario of an opportunity to commit a crime - degree of punishment did determine whether they chose to commit the crime.
• Advantages of RR

  Feldman found that people made rational decisions; if rewards were high and risks low, they said that the crime was worth committing

  Bennett/Wright interviewed convicted burglars, considered potential reward, the difficulty of breaking in and risk of being caught. Risk was the most important decision influencing their decision to break in.
• Advantages of RR

  Right realism may explain some opportunistic petty crimes

  • Flood-Page et al support link between single parent background and the increased likelihood to criminality
• Disadvantages of RR

  Rettig and Feldman’s research were experiments, results may not apply to real offenders, lack of population validity

  Bennett and Wright studied unsuccessfully burglars, do successful burglars think in the same way?
• Disadvantages of RR

  Not all crimes are the result of rational decisions, violence is often impulsive.
• Disadvantages of RR

  Offenders under the influence of drugs/alcohol may also be unlikely to calculate the risk and benefits before offending.