Download Understanding Criminal Behavior: Rational Choice Theory & Economic Perspective and more Slides Criminology in PDF only on Docsity! “Rational Choice” Theories and Situational Crime Prevention “Rational Choice Theory” Economics (language, theory) “Expected Utility” = calculation of all risks and rewards Note: This is much broader than deterrence Includes risks not associated with criminal justice Same assumptions as deterrence theory Human nature = rational, calculating, hedonistic This is because “economic theory” (supply/demand, rational consumers) has same “classical school” roots Criminal Involvement Choices to become involved in crime, to continue in crime, and to desist from crime Each (involvement, continuance, desistence) need separate explanation Involvement decisions are multistage and multi- factor, extending over long time periods Example of factors that explain initial involvement: Background Factors temperament, intelligence, cognitive style, sex, class, education, neighborhood, broken home… Previous experience Direct and vicarious learning, moral attitudes, self- perception, foresight and planning Solutions evaluated Degree of effort, amount/immediacy of reward, likelihood and severity of punishment, moral costs Criticisms What happened to our “rational” offender guided by “free will?” In their models, rational thinking and free will are very constrained/limited Not much different from other theories of crime Borrow liberally from learning theory, psychology, social control theory… At what point does their theory cease to be a “rational choice” model and start to become a learning, social control, IQ theory of crime? Evaluating Rational Choice Empirical Support? Criminal Involvement Ethnographic research suggests limited (if any) rational reasoning or weighing of costs/benefits. Criminal Event Ethnographic research somewhat supportive, but many crimes suggest limited appraisals. Parsimony and Scope? Policy Implication? Routine Activities Theory Cohen and Felson (1979): “Crime and Everyday Life” Crime as the Convergence in Time and Space of Three Factors 1. Motivated Offenders (typically ignored) 2. Suitable Targets 3. Lack of Capable Guardianship Scope: “Direct-Contact Predatory Crimes” Felson in 1990s extended to white collar crime, drug crime Motivated offenders taken for granted Assumption is that they are always present Criticized for this (really a theory of crime?) Really explains “victimization” or the “criminal event” Similar to Cornish and Clarke in that respect Evaluating Routine Activities Theory Empirical Support Household activity ratio related to crime Criminal “Hotspots” within high crime areas Prison Studies (% time outside of cell) Victimization Studies Criticism? Confirming common sense. Environmental Criminology and Situational Crime Prevention and Environmental Criminology An umbrella term (catch-all) to describe opportunity theories that focus on the criminal event (e.g., routine activity theory) Situational Crime Prevention A policy implication of routine activities/RCT (not a specific theory) Policy Implications Deterrence vs. Environmental Crim In deterrence theory, if the CJS (e.g., threat of arrest/imprisonment) is not effective, the only other option is incapacitation. This has been the preferred U.S. strategy Environmental Criminology suggests that we can remove or limit the opportunity to offend This has been the preferred strategy in the UK Benefit of this approach over incapacitation??
