1. Realist Theories

2. Lesson Objectives
• Look at how Realist theories differ from other
explanations of crime
• Introduce Left and Right Realism
• Compare and Contrast LR and RR in terms of
explanations and solutions to crime
• Evaluate Realist explanations

3. Last Lesson Recap
• What are Neo-Marxist principles based on?
• How do they further previous beliefs on
crime?
• What is Voluntarism and how is it linked to
crime?
• Explain a fully social theory of deviance?

4. Realist Theories
• Labelling theory and critical criminology regard crime
as socially constructed
• Realists see crime as a real problem to be tackled, and
not just a social construction created by the control
agencies
• Argue there has been a significant rise in crime rate –
especially street crime.
• Are concerned about the widespread fear of crime and
impact of crime on its victims
• Other theories fail to offer realistic solutions to the
problem of crime.

5. We can divide realist approaches along
political lines…
Left Realists Right Realists

6. Right Realism
• Emerged in the 1970s and 1980s with the
political shift to the right (share New Right/
neo-conservative political outlook)
Margaret
Thatcher
Ronald Reagan

7. Right Realism
These governments
favoured rolling back the
welfare state together
with a strong commitment
to law and order.
They favoured a ‘zero tolerance’ stance on crime, with
increased use of prison (USA-the death penalty)

8. The causes of crime
• RRs reject the idea that structural and
economic factors e.g. poverty and inequality
cause crime (unlike which theorists?). They
point out that the old tend to be poor yet
have a very low crime rate.
• Crime is the product of 3 factors: biological
differences, Socialisation and the underclass,
and rational choice to offend

9. AO2:
Lily et al (2002) found
1. Biological Differences differences in intelligence
accounted for only 3% of
• Crime is caused by a the difference in offending
combination of biological and social factors
• Bio differences between individuals make some
people innately more strongly predisposed to
commit crime than others e.g. personality traits such
as aggressiveness, extroversion, risk taking, low
impulse control put some people at greater risk of
offending
• Hernstein and Murray (1994) main cause of crime is
low intelligence which they
also see as biologically determined

10. 2. Socialisation and the Underclass
• Primary Socialisation teaches
us self control, we internalise
moral values of right and
wrong. The best place for this
is the nuclear family.
• Murray: Nuclear Family being
undermined by welfare state
• What would they say about the
influence of lone parent families on
crime?

11. 2. Socialisation and the Underclass

12. 3. Rational Choice Theory (Clark, 1980)
Individuals are rational beings with free will
Deciding to commit a crime is a choice based on a rational
calculation of the consequences
If the rewards appear to outweigh the costs, people will be
more likely to offend. Crime rate is high because
perceived costs are low e.g. little risk of being caught and
lenient punishments
AO2: Conflicting views of
criminals choosing crime
vs. behaviour being due
to biology/ socialisation

13. • A similar idea to Rational Choice Theory is
Felson’s routine activity theory. This states
that for crime to occur there must be:
1.A motivated offender, a suitable target (victim
or property) and the absence of a ‘capable
guardian’ (e.g. policeman/neighbour)
2.Offenders are assumed to act rationally, so
the presence of a guardian is likely to deter
them (informal guardians more effective)

14. Which factor do you find most
logical?
Which can you apply to:
1.The London Riots
2.A young man robbing a Securicor van
3.Raoul Moat

15. So what methods do Right
Realists advocate in
tackling crime?
Summarise Page 94

16. Criticisms
• Ignores wider structural causes such as
poverty
• Overstates offenders rationality and how far
they make cost-benefit calculations- may
explain utilitarian crime but not violent crime
• Overemphasises biological factors

17. • Preoccupied with petty street crime and ignores
corporate crime (more costly and harmful to
public)
• Advocating a zero tolerance policy gives police
free reign to discriminate against ethnic minority
youth/homeless et. Crime becomes displaced in
other areas
• Over emphasises control of disorder, rather than
tackling underlying causes of neighbourhood
decline e.g. lack of investment

18. RR