Starley Cross Community Safety Project
DEVELOPMENTAL CRIME PREVENTION
Developmental crime prevention refers the process of eliminating criminality via various interventions of an individuals development, at an early stage of their life (Tilley, 2005). Developmental crime prevention focuses on risk factors, from a young age, which may be associated with later criminality. Such factors can be catagorised into:
CHILD FACTORS
PEER FACTORS
COMMUNITY FACTORS
FAMILY FACTORS
SCHOOL CONTEXT
LIFE EVENTS
A difficult nature of the individual, a child’s behaviour, hyperactivity, impulsivity, aggression and low intellect. Writing from a interpretivists approach, and individuals criminality is based on themselves, and neglect the deterministic approach.
Parental behaviour, household substance abuse, parents poor at reading their children, lack of supervision, physical punishment and parents disengagement on children’s discipline. A dysfunctional family can have a highly negative affect to a child’s development, thus leading to crime in later life.
Poor performance in education, little motivation, the lack of ambition and aspiration, attendance, attending a dysfunctional school and bullying.
Life events received from individuals, likely to have a more negative impact on those of the lower class, like those in Starley Cross. Traumatic events, or less opportunities in engaging in activities.
Disadvantaged communities, area reputation, high crime rates, poverty, area associated with crime and fear of crime in communities. Certain communities tend to have higher crime rates than others.
Rejection from peers, peer pressure, delinquent peers and siblings. Peers, as being a similar age, can have a create impact on the development of individuals. Peer pressure involving criminal or anti-social behaviour, or peer pressure on bad habits associated with later criminal behaviour.
(Harper 2015)
In the Starley Cross area, I suggest the need for developmental programmes. Such programmes will aim to eliminate these risk factors, and prevent future offending. In doing so, services and resources should be available for disadvantaged individuals, intervening with the family and household, schools and wider society (Harper, 2015).
As the developmental control officer for the Starley Cross area, I aim to intervene with the development of these individuals and eliminate such risk factors, preventing criminal behavior for later-on years.
In aim of avoiding criminal behavior via developmental control, it is important to intervene with the socialisation of these individuals. Socialisation is defined as the process in which a person is taught the culture of their society, via various agencies, which affects how they behave in later life (Holborn and Steel, 2011).
AGENCIES OF SOCIALISATION INCLUDE:
(Bain 1994)
THE FAMILY
The family if a primary form of socialisation, in which offers the greatest impact to an individuals development. This is because, the family tends to be the first place a individual learns language, culture and values, and it also is the persons fist emotional tie (Bain, 1994). Writing from the functionalists theory, whom adopt a consensus approach to the family, they believe the family operates using positive functions in shaping the development of these individuals (Sakai, 1994).
However, conflict theorists neglect this consensus view. If the family is deemed to be problematic, then negative values and culture will be passed on instead. Problematic families, tend to be working-class, like the residents in the Starley Cross area. In their upbringing, these individuals tend be experience a sense of cultural deprivation.
Cultural deprivation is a theory, claiming those of the working class adopt more negative values and attitudes through the process of socialisation, and find difficulties in gaining ‘cultural capital’ (Lipton, 1962). Bourdieu defines cultural capital as positive values, intellect, language, lifestyle and success (Holborn and Steel, 2011). There is a strong link between being culturally deprived, and later criminality. I stress the importance of encouraging and enabling the residents of Starley Cross to receive this ‘Cultural Capital’.
Alongside cultural deprivation, low economical status negatively impacts a persons status. Low economical status, refers to a state of anomie. This relates to material deprivation, which is also strongly experienced by those of the working class. Material deprivation is defined as the process of being unable to afford goods and necessities in the family household (Hick, 2013). There is a strong link between poverty and crime, without dealing with poverty, you cannot deal with crime (Watson, 1999).
The family offer many functions through the process of socialisation, some positively and some negatively, which is often dependent on social class. Through developmental crime prevention, is it key to start with the family, only allowing positive functioning and eliminating the idea of cultural and material deprivation for families, and the upbringing of individuals in this area.
(Slideshare 2013)
EDUCATION
THE EDUCATION SYSTEM OFFERS MANY FUNCTIONS, SOME WHICH INCLUDE:
(Barkan, 2016)
Social integration refers to underprivileged groups, and the extent they feel a sense of belonging in society (Holborn and Steel, 2011). Education institutes, such as compulsory schooling, enables individuals from diverse backgrounds to integrate. This is a positive function performed in the education system, as it eliminates the process of social exclusion, and allows peaceful communication between different social groups. Marginalisation, the idea of being pushed to the edge of society (Holborn and Steel, 2011), and criminality can be related. The lack of a common culture can encourage a person to look for an identity and a sence of belonging elsewhere, for those of the working-class, this is likely to be in crime.
Education is a secondary form of socialisation. Writing from a functionalist approach, Durheim (1925) argues that education promotes social solidarity. Social solidarity is shared values and norms, offering a sense of belonging, and encouraging commitment to the society, for all individuals (Holborn and Steel, 2011). However, the successfulness of socialisation in the education system is dependent of the school. Educational institutes in lower class areas are less likely to adopt this positive function of education. Such as those in Starely Cross.
Social placement is the process of students receiving a label from the teacher. This label could be drive, bright and motivated, or to be educationally challenged. Depending on which label you are given, students will be taught at different levels. This process should prepare students, individually for their later stages in life (Barkan, 2016). Becker would name this process ‘the idea pupil (Holborn and Steel, 2011). Labeling theorists would argue, for those whom are not the ideal type, may feel a sense of social exclusion. Social exclusion in the education system, leads to low attainment. The lack of education achievement, can greatly impact criminality in later years.
Social and cultural innovation is another function offered in school. The process of culturisation, refers to the shared values and identify taught via the hidden curriculum. Socialisation is education works through a hidden curriculum. This is learning outside the formal curriculum, giving messages and lesson, in aim to shape a individuals behavior (Holborne and Steel, 2011).
THEORETICAL APPROACH
The life course theory can be defined as the social events and roles played by individuals in society over a time period (Giele and Elder, 1998). In relationship of developmental crime prevention, focuses on the development of offending and anto-social behavior, risk factors concering different groups of age, and the effect of life events through out a individuals development (Farrington, 2016). In Starley cross, I intend on intervening in social events, and ensuring roles played by the residents are positive functions for society, avoiding future criminality.
(Stephenson 2015)
