ASSESS THE VALUE OF THE RIGHT REALIST APPROACH TO CRIME AND
DEVIANCE
Right realists see crime, especially street crime, as a real problem in society. They identify
the four causes of crime as biological differences, socialisation and the underclass,
opportunity or neighbourhood and rational choice. Wilson argues that crime is partly the
result of biological factors. Biological differences such as aggressiveness, risk taking and
low impulse control make some people more predisposed to offending than others. Right
realists also blame low IQ as a cause of crime. Murray argues that the main cause of
crime is low intelligence. This shows that the biological characteristics that a person
possesses can lead to crime. Moreover, Right realists argue that an individualistic society
weakens social controls, allowing biological factors to dominate behaviour. This means
that there is likely to be less crime in a collective society since there is a strong social
control preventing biological factors from dominating behaviour. However, Right realists
are criticised for overemphasising the role of low IQ in causing crime. Lilly (2002) found IQ
to make 3% differences in offending thus showing that low IQ is not a main cause of crime.
In addition, Right realists identify socialisation and the underclass as another cause of
crime. According to Right realism, effective socialisation can reduce any biological risk as
it teaches self-control and moral values. Right realists thus believe that the nuclear family
is the best agent for socialisation. Murray sees crime as increasing due to the underclass.
The underclass are those at the lowest level of the class structure with a separate, deviant
subculture including a high rate of lone parent families. Essay assessing sociological
explanations of gender differences in the pattern of crime. 70% of young offenders come
from lone parent families. Murray argues that lone mothers are ineffective socialisation
agents and absent fathers means that there are no role models for boys thus they turn to
gang members for role models. This shows that the underclass can lead to crime as the
young boys aspire to be deviant like the members of the gangs who they look up to. In
addition, Murray blames the state's welfare system for allowing benefit dependency. This
means that welfare benefits are perverse incentives meaning that they reward the
underclass for their deviant behaviour. He thus proposes a cut on welfare benefits as a
way of tackling crime. However, Murray is criticised for being deterministic as he assumes
that all lone parent families give rise to criminals. In addition, some lone parent families
DEVIANCE
Right realists see crime, especially street crime, as a real problem in society. They identify
the four causes of crime as biological differences, socialisation and the underclass,
opportunity or neighbourhood and rational choice. Wilson argues that crime is partly the
result of biological factors. Biological differences such as aggressiveness, risk taking and
low impulse control make some people more predisposed to offending than others. Right
realists also blame low IQ as a cause of crime. Murray argues that the main cause of
crime is low intelligence. This shows that the biological characteristics that a person
possesses can lead to crime. Moreover, Right realists argue that an individualistic society
weakens social controls, allowing biological factors to dominate behaviour. This means
that there is likely to be less crime in a collective society since there is a strong social
control preventing biological factors from dominating behaviour. However, Right realists
are criticised for overemphasising the role of low IQ in causing crime. Lilly (2002) found IQ
to make 3% differences in offending thus showing that low IQ is not a main cause of crime.
In addition, Right realists identify socialisation and the underclass as another cause of
crime. According to Right realism, effective socialisation can reduce any biological risk as
it teaches self-control and moral values. Right realists thus believe that the nuclear family
is the best agent for socialisation. Murray sees crime as increasing due to the underclass.
The underclass are those at the lowest level of the class structure with a separate, deviant
subculture including a high rate of lone parent families. Essay assessing sociological
explanations of gender differences in the pattern of crime. 70% of young offenders come
from lone parent families. Murray argues that lone mothers are ineffective socialisation
agents and absent fathers means that there are no role models for boys thus they turn to
gang members for role models. This shows that the underclass can lead to crime as the
young boys aspire to be deviant like the members of the gangs who they look up to. In
addition, Murray blames the state's welfare system for allowing benefit dependency. This
means that welfare benefits are perverse incentives meaning that they reward the
underclass for their deviant behaviour. He thus proposes a cut on welfare benefits as a
way of tackling crime. However, Murray is criticised for being deterministic as he assumes
that all lone parent families give rise to criminals. In addition, some lone parent families
