Evaluation

Question 1

Evaluate the Top down Approach.

Answer 1

• Sample used to create top down approach is too small and unrepresentative - it was made using interviews from 36 killers in the US and 24 of them were serial killers
• It is argue that it is more theoretical as it is said to be based on hunch than reasoning - problematic as it lacks the background research to say why it works - it is subjective
• Says it is too simplistic as not every offender is just either organised or disorganised as a crime scene ca have a combination if organised and disorganised characteristics
• FBI methods believe it to be useful - gives real lofe application - validity

Question 2

Evaluate the Bottom up Approach.

Answer 2

• It is more objective than the top-down approach fue to advances in AI - investigatirs can quickly manipulate geographical data quickly to produce quantitative data - it is more grounded in evidence than theory
• Locations are important for the identification, yet there are other factors which need to be considered - the narrow focus may lead to incomplete profiles that are created using this approach
• Requires statistical info from previous crimes which is not always easy to gather

Question 3

Evaluate the Atavistic Form.

Answer 3

• It has racially discriminatory undertones - features include dark skin and curly hair often found among African descent
• Even if people have these feature it does not mean that they will offend - may be due to poor diet or lack of nutrition
• Leads to criminals being stereotyped as certain features go with certain crimes

Question 4

Evaluate Genetic explanations.

Answer 4

• Objective
• Reductionist
• Deterministic

Question 5

Evaluate Neural explanations.

Answer 5

• Objective
• Reductionist
• Deterministic

Question 6

Evaluate Eysenck’s theory of Criminal personality.

Answer 6

• Personality may have a genetic basis and therefore suffers biological determinism - the theory implies that behaviour is due to the activity of the nervous system - goes against judicial system
• He builds a premise that it is possible to measure personality through use of a psychological test - critics suggest that personality type is not reducible to this - theory is invalid as you can’t falsify it

Question 7

Evaluate Levels of moral reasoning.

Answer 7

• The level depends on the offence - those who committed crimes for finacial gain such as robbery were more likely to show preconvetional than those who convicted impulsive crimes like assault
• Kolhberg’s theory was based around data from boys only and is therefore gender biased

Question 8

Evaluate Cognitive distortions.

Answer 8

• Have practical application - the dominant approach to rehabilitation in sex offenders is CBT - encourages them to face up to what they have done and establish less distorted views of their actions
• This kind of explanation for behaviour is thought to be descriptive rather than explanatory - it describes a criminals mind - how hostile attribution bias can lead to offending behaviour but not how the distortions occur in the first place
• Minimisation is a coping strategy for crime tather than an explantion - they downplay their crimes to deal with guilt - minimisation is more to do with how they cope afterwards rather than explanation

Question 9

Evaluate Differential Association theory.

Answer 9

• Stereotypes people who come from impoverished areas as becomign unavoidable offenders - suggests that exposure to pro-crime values is sufficent to produce offending in those who are exposed to it
• Accounts for crime within all sectors of society from fraud to robbery - increases validity as it can be applied to all individuals

Question 10

Evaluate The Superego.

Answer 10

• Psychodynamic explanation is part of the unconscious and is therefore unmeasurable - it is subjective
• It suggests that girls develop a weaker superego than boys as they do not experience castration anxiety - suffers gender bias as it say that females are more prone to offening than males - however in the uk prison rates show that it is 20 times more men in prison than women - lacks validity - 2 points there
• Does not apply to everyone as people have experienced early childhood problems or maternal deprivation and have not gone on to offend
• Shows psychic determinism - childhood experiences are to blame for offending

Question 11

Evaluate Maternal Deprivation Theory.

Answer 11

• Not everyone who experienced maternal deprivation has later gon on to offend - not generalisable
• Can put responsibility for child development on mother - leading to blame etc - socially sensitive
• Shows psychic determinism - as it believes offending behaviour is due to childhood experiences

Question 12

Evaluate Custodial sentencing.

Answer 12

• It cannot be assumed that all offenders will react negatively to imprisonment - there will be a variation of experince in prisons wi the different regimes - some offenders will not see it as deterence
• Prisons can be universities for crime - therefore cusodial sentencing would not reduce recidivism it would increase reoffending
• Ofsted reported that offenders who attend meaningful vocational training in prisons were more likely to secure employment after release, lowering reoffending

Question 13

Evaluate Behaviour Modification.

Answer 13

• They are easy to implement as specialists are not needed - it is cost effective and easy to maintain once it has been set up
• Prisoners gain no insight inti the causes of their offending unlike other treatment - it encourages superficial learning and they cannot see the impact of their behaviours
• Token economies work inside the prisons but in the outside world law abiding behaviour behaviour isnot always reinforced or rewarded

Question 14

Evaluate Anger Management.

Answer 14

• Programmes are expensive to run as they require the services of highly trained specialists who are used to dealing with violent offenders - many prisons may not have the funds to run them
• Requires commitment from the prisoners and they must be willing to change their behaviour - not all prisoners are willing to do this
• Their angry behaviour is directed from ohsyical to verbal - this still may encourage violet tendencies behaviour - not effective

Question 15

Evaluate Restorative Justice Programmes.

Answer 15

• Depends on the extent to how remorseful prisoners feel for their actions - some may sign up to avoid prison for a reduced sentence
• Does not reveive public support - often regarded as soft options in which prisoner should receive the same degree of punishment to their crime
• May take away from the survivor of the crime and focus more on the prisoner