Lea and Young

• Claims

  • realism theory, Left Realism
  • people turn to crime because they see themselves as unfairly disadvantaged
  • 2 ways to solve crime: change the relationship between the police and the public and deal with the inequality in society
  • to reduce crime there needs to be a practical measure and a change to a more caring society
• Components

  • relative deprivation: people feel they are deprived when compared to others
  • marginalisation: social exclusion relegates groups to the fringes of society so they feel as though they do not have a chance
  • subcultures: groups can't make the money to fulfil their wants so turn to crime
• Credibility

  • uses the Crime Survey of England and Wales to see how crime affects individuals
  • aims to provide a solution to crime
  • doesn't explain how to realistically reduce crime
  • focuses on inner city, high crime areas and economic crime
• Application

  • London Gangs: Dem Africans and Get Money Gang are young, socially deprived boys who see no other option than joining a gang
• Refuting Evidence

  • would be expected that women commit more crimes than men (not true: approx. 85k men in prison, only approx. 3k women in prison)
  • 2012: government made a reform by directly-electing police and crime commissioners but there was no evidence to show that the relationship between the police and the public improved
• Supporting Evidence

  • Merton: Strain Theory
  • Matthews 1992: improve leisure facilities, reduce inequality, improve housing estates, raise living standards, reduce unemployment, and create jobs with prospects would lead to a reduction in crime