Neoclassical School Of Criminology

1393 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Essay on neoclassical criminology

Criminology is the study of criminals and crime, but more importantly, why individuals commit a crime and why they behave differently in certain situations. When this is understood, methods of preventing and controlling crime are discussed and put into practice. There are several different theories explaining why people commit a crime, but the ones that I will be focusing on are the theories in the neoclassical school of criminology: Rational choice theory and the Routine activity theory. The aim of this essay is to attempt to discuss the contribution of the neoclassical school of criminology to crime and crime prevention through the use of explanations and critiques of the different theories.
The Classical school of criminology was a development …show more content…

The central claim of the approach is that if a crime occurs, the following three elements must be present; a person must be motivated to commit the offence; a vulnerable victim must be available; and insufficient protection to prevent the criminal offence. It also states that crime is normal and depending on the circumstances, crime will occur. The crimes that are considered to be crimes that are committed by regular people are: copyright infringement, related to peer-to-peer file sharing, employee theft and corporate crime. The routine activity theory is based on the assumption that crime can be committed by anyone given an opportunity and that victims are given choices on whether to be victims by mainly not placing themselves in situations where crime can be committed against them. Although this theory is controversial among criminologists who believe in the social causes of crime, a routine activity theory can help us understand crimes such as corporate crime, copyright infringement, etc. Crime occurs when offenders are at the same place as the target, without an effective guardian. If one or more of the controllers is present, however, the chances of crime are greatly reduced. The effectiveness of the people involved will depend, in part, on the tools they have available. Taking away or adding certain elements will alter the chances of

Show More
Related

  • Rational Choice Theory: Approach To Situational Crime

    1557 Words  | 4 Pages

    Situational crime prevention is an idea criminologists use in order to reduce the chances of crime initially taking place. This theory does not aim to punish criminals after the crime has taken place like the criminal justice system does, but however the opposite, it aims to reduce the chances of the crime taking place to start with. Ron Clarke (2005) describes this theory as an approach that aims to reduce the opportunities out there for crime, involving rational choice theory. Clark focuses on three methods within this theory, directing at specific crimes, altering the environment we live in and aiming to reduce the benefits of committing crimes.

    Read More

  • Case Study: Situational Action Theory (SAT)

    1223 Words  | 3 Pages

    Situational Action Theory (SAT) was developed by Wikström and Treiber (2009) as a means to determine why people commit immoral acts. The SAT model is a theory based out of criminology and suggests that people will be more likely to make moral decisions based on the “active fields” in which they live, operate, and are given opportunity to take action (Wikström, Ceccato, Hardie, & Treiber, 2010, p. 55). Wikström and Treiber (2009) postulates that all crime and violent crime are moral actions which are influenced by four key areas; the person, the setting, the situation and action taken as a result of their moral decision thus “all acts of violence can be explained within the general framework of a theory of moral action” (p. 76). SAT takes a generalized approach to explaining why people do or do not break moral rules, including both

    Read More

  • Oj Simpson Trial Case Study

    1725 Words  | 4 Pages

    When criminals think that the benefit of committing the crime will outweigh the cost if they get caught, they make a choice to commit the crime. There are two varieties of rational choice theory. One, situational choice theory, which is an extension of rational choice theory and two, routine activities theory or RAT, which states that the daily routine or patterns in ones’ activities make it much easier for an individual to become a victim of crime. The theory is, crime is more likely to happen when a criminal and their victim come together in the absence of authority (Schmalleger). A situation made easier to come by when the criminal knows the victim’s daily routines or patterns.

    Read More

  • Routine Activities Theory

    1788 Words  | 4 Pages

    Based upon the evidence provided on the six elements of a good theory, the Routine Activities Theory is a sound theory. These elements provide that the theory is scientific. The theory has brought together its three elements to help determine why crime occurs. Through research by multiple detached researchers, its hypotheses have been confirmed through tests and empirical evidence.

    Read More

  • The Good and Bad of R.A.T. Theory.

    1905 Words  | 4 Pages

    One of these theories is Routine Activities Theory. Routine activities theory was first articulated in a series of papers by Lawrence Cohen and Marcus Felson. Crime and victimization involve the intersection of three factors: targets, guardians, and motive. The following quote gives a description of these three motives.

    Read More

  • The Routine Activity Theory

    874 Words  | 2 Pages

    The routine activity theory looks at how humans live in a rhythm and how their activity can make them an easier target for criminal activity. According to Wheeldon (2011), three things that must be present for a crime to occur: a motivated offender, a suitable target, and a lack of guardianship. Using the routine activity theory, crime can be eliminated if one of these requirements are not met.

    Read More

  • Understanding Crime Through Routine Activities Theory

    1589 Words  | 4 Pages

    III. Summarization of Routine Activities Theory A. Definition of routine activities approach. According to Cohen and Felson (1979), routine activities approach relies on three main conditions to rationalize crime. These conditions need to coincide in the same space and time in order for a crime to occur: a motivated offender, suitable target and the absence of capable guardians to deter crime. The authors utilized human ecological theory to examine social structure, and how such coincidences take place and cause crime in daily life.

    Read More

  • What Draws The Line Between Good And Evil

    1700 Words  | 4 Pages

    Individuals have the power to make their actions and behaviors secret to anyone and still be considered normal. In Edmund’s study (2007), he talked about how Dr. Zimbardo’s experiment and tested how two different groups of individuals, are given roles that they must fulfill. People can change without others knowing they did. Studies have shown that people are willing to change their behavior in order to fit in. People change their behavior under three circumstances: motivated individual, lack of guardianship, and suitable target (Tillyer, 2011). In Flora’s study (2007), she talks about the routine activity’s theory. It explains why individuals are more likely to commit behaviors that they normally would not do. A motivated offender is where an individual sees an opportunity to commit a crime. Lack of guardianship is where a parental guardian or someone in charge is absent in a situation. Suitable target is where an offender finds an individual that is an easy target. When an individual has all three of these conditions, it makes it easier for them to commit a crime. The theory suggests that individuals are more likely to change their behavior.

    Read More

  • Rational Choice Theory: Merits and Limitations

    1183 Words  | 3 Pages

    The objective of this paper is to provide insight into Rational Choice Theory. This theory, highly relied upon by many disciplines, is also used to calculate and determine crime and criminal behavior. Through definition, examples and techniques utilized by criminologists, the reader will have a better understanding of the subject. By definition, criminology is the study of crime, criminal behavior, and how it pertains to the law. Criminology is considered a scientific technique.

    Read More

  • Conflict and Critical, Rational Choice Theories

    1141 Words  | 3 Pages

    Rational Choice Theory is the belief that man is a reasonable actor who decides means and ends, costs and benefits, and makes rational choices. Routine activity theory provides a simple and powerful insight into the causes of crime problems. At its heart is the idea that in the absence of effective controls, offenders will prey upon attractive targets. Social Control Theory gives an explanation for how behavior conforms to that which is generally expected in society. Social disorganization theory explains the ecological differences in levels of crime based on structural and cultural factors shaping the nature of the social order across communities. This approach alters the sociological studies on which is any of two or more random variables exhibiting correlated variation of urban growth to examine the concentration and stability of rates of criminal behavior. Strain Theory. Conflict theory explains the belief that individuals choose to commit a crime, which many po...

    Read More

  • Analysis of the Case of Andrea Yates

    875 Words  | 2 Pages

    Pratt, T. C. (2008). Rational Choice theory, criminal control policy, and criminology relevance. Policy essay, 43-52.

    Read More

  • Situational Crime Prevention Strategies

    2022 Words  | 5 Pages

    Ronald V Clarke originally developed the idea of situational crime prevention in the 1980’s (Brantingham & Brantingham 2005). This particular crime prevention theory addresses techniques that increase the effort required to commit the crime, increase the risks involved with committing the crime, reducing the reward gained by the offender after committing the crime, reducing the provocation between the offender and others and remove excuses (Brantingham & Brantingham 2005). Majority of crime is believed to be committed because there are no high risks of being caught and the rewards outweigh the risks (Brantingham & Brantingham 2005). Increasing the effort by controlling access to locations and target hardening can deflect many offenders, as more effort is needed to commit the crime (Brantingham & Brantingham 2005). Another main technique would be to increase the risks; this may be achieved by extending guardianship, creating natural surveillance or artificial surveillance such as CCTV (Brantingham & Brantingham 2005).

    Read More

  • The Routine Activities Theory

    1025 Words  | 3 Pages

    The routine activities theory is a logically consistent theory. Cohen and Felson defined the concepts they used, and the proposals they hoped to convey. Their proposal was as they defined that for a crime to occur you needed three elements (motivated offender, suitable target, and lack of a capable guardian), and that when those three elements come together to form routine activities. (Akers, 35). Each element is defined by Cohen and Felson and if one of the elements is not there then a crime will not occur. Although the logical consistency is generally great, the definition of motivated offender is too broad. However, it is not clear about who the motivated offender is. It could be a person who is already inclined to commit a crime or someone who is at the right place at the right time and given the opportunity.

    Read More

  • Social Disorganisation Theory And Strain Theory

    1235 Words  | 3 Pages

    Crime exists everywhere. It is exists in our country, in the big cities, the small towns, schools, and even in homes. Crime is defined as “any action that is a violation of law”. These violations may be pending, but in order to at least lower the crime rate, an understanding of why the crimes are committed must first be sought. There are many theories that are able to explain crimes, but three very important ones are rational choice theory, social disorganization theory and strain theory.

    Read More

  • Criminology: The Consensus View of Crime

    865 Words  | 2 Pages

    Criminology is the study of crime and criminals; a branch of sociology. More accurately, it is the study of crime as a social trend, and its overall origins, its many manifestations and its impact upon society as a whole. That makes it more a form of sociology than a law enforcement tool. But the trends it studies have a huge impact on the way the police do their jobs, the way society treats its criminals, and the way a given community goes about maintaining law and order. The writer will describe and give examples of the three perspectives of viewing crimes. The perspectives that will be highlighted are the consensus view, the conflict view or the interactionist view. Each perspective maintain its own interpretation of what constitutes criminal activities and what causes people to engage in criminal behaviors (Siegel, p.12).

    Read More

More about Neoclassical School Of Criminology

Open Document