Evaluation of Right Realism
Right Realism evaluation reveals both strengths and criticisms of this criminological approach. While it offers practical solutions to crime, it has been criticized for overlooking broader structural causes and oversimplifying criminal behavior.
Highlight: Critics argue that Right Realism ignores wider structural causes of crime, such as poverty, and overstates offenders' rationality in decision-making.
Some key points in the evaluation of Right Realism include:
-
Contradictions within the theory: The Rational Choice Theory (RCT) conflicts with biological and socialization explanations for crime.
-
Limited explanatory power: RCT doesn't adequately explain impulsive or violent crimes.
-
Overemphasis on minor offenses: Zero-tolerance policies focus heavily on petty street crime while ignoring more costly and harmful corporate crimes.
-
Potential for discrimination: Critics argue that zero-tolerance policies can give police free reign to discriminate against minorities, youths, and the homeless.
-
Displacement of crime: Rather than reducing overall crime rates, these policies may simply move criminal activity to other areas.
Quote: "Young argues that the 'success' of zero tolerance was a myth made by politicians and police that were keen to take credit for falling crime."
The effectiveness of zero-tolerance policies has been questioned. For example, crime rates had been falling in New York since 1985, nine years before the implementation of zero-tolerance policies, and similar declines were observed in other US states and cities without such policies.
Example: Lilly et al. found that IQ differences account for less than 3% of offenses, challenging the biological explanation of crime proposed by some right realists.
Critics also argue that Right Realism sociology crime and deviance approaches may lead to over-policing and the criminalization of minor deviant acts. This can result in a cycle where police define more behaviors as criminal to justify their existence, particularly in areas with low rates of serious crime.
In conclusion, while Right Realism offers practical solutions to crime, its approach has been criticized for oversimplifying the causes of criminal behavior and potentially exacerbating social inequalities through its policy recommendations.
