SY3 Right Realism

For Right Realists the solution to crime lies with Rational Choice Theory -arguing criminals will engage in crime if the benefits outweigh the costs.

increased affluence, crime rates have soared. Extending the Welfare State, lack of discipline in education and decline of the traditional family are seen as key factors behind crime increase.

Permissive attitudes allow self-indulgent and anti-social behaviour. Feckless parenting, absent fathers, lack of discipline in schools, liberal policies of the state have all served to ferment crime. The result has been spiralling volumes of incivilities.

Right Realists blame crime on inadequate or inappropriate socialisation by key socialisation agencies in society. The non-traditional family, especially single mothers, is viewed as a major factor along with lack of discipline in schools.

New Right theorist Charles Murray argues the underclass are particularly insufficiently integrated into society’s norms and values. He views the underclass as prone to: criminal tendencies, violence, illegitimacy and promiscuity, educational failure and welfare dependency.

- Reduce opportunities for offending.
- Increasing the costs to exceed the benefits.
- Crime control should also fall upon members of the community.
- Responsible parenting and 'active citizens' who challenge anti-social behaviour.

Broken Window Thesis:
unless ‘incivilities’ (litter, graffiti, noise levels, vandalism, etc.) are kept minimal, then wider anti-social behaviour and more serious crimes will follow.
*advocates that the police adopt a policy of ‘zero-tolerance’ for even minor crimes (as tried by the Mayor of New York).

- Number of young males (typically deviant)
- Cost/benefits of crime (Rational choice theory)
- Inadequate socialization into norms and values.
*To deal with this he advocates target hardening of deviant groups and areas through pro-active policing.

adopts a very poor view of humanity as willing to cheat to ‘get on’ and therefore some groups need to be controlled for their own good and that of society. Therefore, he argues, it is reasonable for law and order agencies to target the poor.

- It is influential on Government policy in both the USA and UK.
- For example 'zero tolerance' has been successfully adopted as a policy in New York. *
- Some argue it is a lack of investment in deprived areas rather than incivilities that cause crime to rise.
- It is easy to pick on scapegoats like single parent families.