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CMY1503 Summary Notes
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CMY1503REACTION TO CRIME
UNIT 1.1
Fear of crime: Emotional response to crime that will differ from person to person.
Crime: Behaviour that shocks the sentiments found in all healthy consciences.
Vicarious Fear: Those who routinely observe/exposed to violence become fearful.
The Nature of Fear of Crime
Fear of crime is associated with:
weak ties to a community
a sense among residents that they cannot control what is happening in their
neighbourhood
a lack of powerful local organisations
the absence of knowledge about effective ways to prevent crime
a perception of disorder in the are
National Victim Crime Survey found that murder was cited as the crime people feared most.
(2003)
Factors causing Fear of Crime:
victimisation
risk of becoming a victim
anxiety about consequences of crime
feelings of helplessness to prevent crime
ability of the police to offer protection and enforce the law
To avoid dangerous situations people will:
stay home
stay out of dangerous neighbourhoods
move to neighbourhoods with low crime rate
spend money to make their environment safer
Responses to Fear of Crime:
target-hardening and designing out crime
promotion of personal safety initiatives
maintenance + development of existing crime reduction strategies/schemes
CCTV systems to be maintained and enhanced
promotion of good news stories
evaluation of national best practice
Fear can contribute to crime by undermining community solidarity and weakening social
control.
,UNIT 1.2
Formal social control: Formal control of deviant behaviour is exercised by the law through
statutes, rules and regulations.
Informal social control: Informal control occur during everyday interaction, is exercised by
a society based on rules that have not been clearly stated.
Informal social control theory: Emphasises the importance of a person’s social ties.
Mechanical solidarity: Unity within society based on shared values and norms.
Organic solidarity: Unity based on an interdependence of functions.
Defensible space: Space created by the subdivision and design of houses in such a way
that residents can distinguish fellow residents from strangers.
Formal and Informal Social Control
Formal control of deviant behaviour is expressed through laws.
Informal social control uses measures that cause shame and guilt.
Informal social control theory
When an individual’s relationship with society is poor, deviance and crime will be a
consequence.
Informal social control emphasises:
quality/strength of people’s social ties
importance of social relations
Women are treated more leniently by the criminal justice system.
Small towns and large cities
Stronger social control is one of the reasons why the crime rate in small towns is lower than
in big cities.
Urban communities
Migration from tribal villages to large cities reduces informal control over deviant behaviour
because people find themselves alone and under no control.
The defensible space model
Informal control of criminal behaviour can be enhanced through architectural design.
The area enclosed by an L-shaped building often becomes the focus of surveillance and
informal control by residents of the apartments that face the enclosed areas, especially when
the building is only a few stories high.
,UNIT 1.3
A person can act/respond as an individual, or a group of people can react collectively.
Pluralistic ignorance: A witness reasons that if no one is helping the victim, then the victim
really does not need help.
The Good Samaritan problem: Deals with a witness of a crime who unreservedly assists
the victim.
Individual response to crime
Protective neighbouring is more common among people who have higher incomes, own
homes and have lived in a community longer.
The most typical action taken by citizens in response to crime is to report it to the police.
Bystander response to crime
Two main responses when witnessing a crime:
Victim will ignore the situation
Victim will assist the victim
Diffusion of responsibility is one negative consequence when there is more than one
person.
The process of decision-making:
Victim must:
1. Define situation as an emergency that requires personal intervention.
2. Determine whether they have personal responsibility to act.
3. Decide what kind of assistance they can offer.
4. Determine how to implement the course of action.
Bystanders are more likely to intervene in an emergency between two people who do not
know each other.
, Unit 1.4
Community Crime Prevention Strategy:
action to prevent crime and violence and reduce public fear of crime
tool to bring together different role-players
means of developing local crime prevention partnerships
method to ensure management of crime prevention initiatives
way to id priority areas and tasks
Community prosecution: Approach to addressing crime and quality-of-life issues that
brings prosecutors together w/ residents in communities to id prob and solutions.
Restorative justice: Process in which hurts and needs of both victim and offender are
addressed in such a way they both heal.
Community crime prevention
The National Crime Prevention Strategy is a long-term plan that was introduced by the
government in 1996.
This plan emphasises the importance of the cooperation of all role-players in crime
prevention.
Crime prevention must be initiated at community level.
Basic elements of crime:
Those of the
offender
potential victim
environment where crime will be committed
To be able to plan a successful strategy:
The problems in the community must be identified by collecting info from the
community itself.
Identify the focus areas and the programmes that will address the problems
effectively.
Evaluate these programmes to ensure they are effective.
Role of CPFs
Assist identifying high crime spots, crime patterns and anti-crime priorities.
CPFs and community members should set crime prevention priorities together.
Mobilise community-based campaigns and activities.
Community participation and communication
Ensures that people are equal and active partners in the decision-making process/
Good communication among community members is vital to the successful implementation
of crime prevention programmes.
The most systematic method of gathering info from specific community is victim surveys.
Victim surveys are useful because they:
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