Clarke and Cornish expanded on Beccaria’s classical theory in their rational choice theory which like Beccaria, thought of criminals as rational people who seek to maximize their pleasure and minimize their pain (Cornish & Clarke, 1986/2011). Where these theories diverge, however, is that rational choice does not believe offenders are perfectly rational in their decision-making. In fact, this theory assumes that offenders have been exposed to many stressors and circumstances throughout their life that many other popular criminological theories address. According to other criminological theories, these different circumstances and stressors have usually made that offender more or less likely to commit certain crimes, and rational choice accepts many of these theories, but then states that the offender must still make the decision to commit the crime. There is a reason an offender who is highly predisposed to offending does not commit a crime every hour he his awake and that is because even this offender has a bounded rationality that defines the costs and benefits of crimes that include both formal and informal sanctions (Cornish & Clarke, 1986/2011).
The evolution of Beccaria’s classical theory into the broader theory of rational choice falls in line with many of the large criminal justice systems in the world. Beccaria is still correct in his rationalization that offenders are locked up for the primary purpose of protecting the rest of society from the offenses, and hopefully preventing those on the outside of the prison from committing similar offenses. What is unfortunate about human trafficking is that the U.S. has only charged 118 sex and labor traffickers for the year of 2011 (NCVC, 2012). While this number is a significant ...
... middle of paper ...
... their visa as well through their employment (Ham et al., 2013).
Unfortunately, this program placed more strain on the immigration officers as they had to decide whether to treat victims of trafficking as such, or enforce their duties in enforcing border laws and visa compliance. This study actually blurred the line between victim of trafficking and illegal non-citizen. While this program may have helped identify more potential victims of trafficking, it also may have put those victims in worse situations by treating them as illegal non-citizens (Ham et al., 2013). Therefore, border entry inspections may not be the best place to identify and assist victims of human trafficking as immigration officers have other competing interests to uphold. However, maybe a different divergent program can be implemented that would process potential trafficking victims differently.
According to the text, Rational Choice Theory is comprised of two main thoughts, and they are, although people consider and are fully aware of the repercussion of the crimes they are about to commit, they proceed with the act, the second thought is that people will chose to commit a crime if they believe the benefit is greater. (Vito, 2007). In an article titled “Choosing White Color Crimes”, the rational choice theory has always been the acceptable method of interpreting and sustaining programs that help to combat crime (Shover, n.d.). Criminologists, Derek Cornish and Ronald Clark, clarify the two categories of the decision making process, the first one being criminal involvement, and the second one being criminal event.
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.
“Human trafficking coerces and persuades their victims to cross national borders in search of new jobs and better opportunities and after that they are forced into some sort of labor bondage” (At Issue: Human Trafficking 1). Even though trafficking is a problem in almost every country; poorer countries have a bigger problem with it because they are more desperate for work. Just in 2000, the U.S. enacted their first federal anti-trafficking law, called the Victims of Trafficking Protection Act (At Issue: Human Trafficking 1). Trafficking has just begun to receive notice on how big of a problem it actually is. “Proponents of strict anti-trafficking initiatives say that laws and prevention against trafficking are necessary in order to stem the growing tide of large scale organized crime that profits off of smuggling and trafficking” (At Issue: Human Trafficking 1).
Rational Choice theory says that criminal behavior is not only a response to social pressures and upbringing, but it is also a choice. The offender’s choices may not always be rational and may draw on previously established beliefs about their opportunities to commit acts of violence. This theory focuses on the effectiveness of interventions to decide how to best reduce the benefits of crime and increase the cost of criminal action. Rational Choice theory is in the classical school, which is based on the idea that individuals choose to engage in crime (Gosselin, pp. 67-68, 2014).
Did you know that in 2014, shoplifting and worker’s theft cost the retail industry a loss of thirty-two billion dollars (Wahba, 2015)? According Wahba “a common misperception about shoplifting is that retailers can ‘afford’ the loss of a candy bar or a pair of jeans” (2015). This type of reasoning certainly does make more sense when explained through the context of a criminological theory. For example according to the Rational Choice theory individuals weigh the costs and benefits associated with a criminal and or deviant act and then make a conscious choice. Other criminological theories explain criminal and deviant behavior using a biological, psychological, social, conflict, or multifactor component. Taking that into consideration in this
The index crime I have chosen for this paper is murder. The theory I believe that best defines why people commit murder is the rational choice theory. The rational choice theory implies that people who commit this offense know that killing is wrong and that a punishment may follow if they are caught. They are fully aware of what they are doing and they deliberately plan and successfully murders someone. A perfect example of this theory is a serial killer, especially those that kill for the excitement of it.
Between 2007 and 2010 there were around 118 countries and 136 different nationalities that fell victim to traffickers (united nations publications, 2012). If we want to continue successful globalization patterns, we need to crack down on punishment for those who commit these crimes. In his article “A Decade in Review…” Luis CdeBaca states that prevention, protection, and prosecution are the key to stopping this global trend (CdeBaca, 2008). All three need to be implemented together and will not work independently. Preventing trafficking begins with prosecution of criminals. But often, prosecution can’t occur without witness testimony. This makes protection of victims essential in ending human trafficking. This along with more government involvement in labor law enforcement, we can bring justice to more victims. Government can check more into checking labor recruiting companies and potentially making more restrictive visas that allow people to cross borders more easily (CdeBaca,
Rational choice theory in Criminal Justice focuses on deterrence and how individuals are influenced by some type of factor that makes them engage in crime. This adds to conversation that criminologists started in the 1700’s because they were all about deterring criminals. They wanted the crime to fit the punishment which would deter other criminals from committing that same crime. Rational Choice Theory and Classical criminologists also believed that people committed crimes because they wanted to achieve their desired goals whether it would be for money or their sexual desires. This was based off of free will where people decided if they were going to commit a crime and what the consequences would be if they committed that crime.
Pratt, T. C. (2008). Rational Choice theory, criminal control policy, and criminology relevance. Policy essay, 43-52.
It is noticed that rational choice theory is a neo-classical economic plan that gives a hypothetical clarification for how people make choices when confronted with decisions. Moreover, this theory contends that an individual decides how an individual will act by adjusting the expenses and advantages of their choices. Due to its elegant clarification, the RCT has been broadly connected to the investigation of individual, social, and monetary practices in numerous settings. Knapp and Ferrante (2012) stated that adopted a rational choice viewpoint in his financial way to deal with wrongdoing and contended that a criminal augments their expected benefit from an illegal movement in excess of the anticipated expense of discipline.
Economists have explained the rational decisions that the actors of crime take and the causes and effects of crime. Over the past few decades economists have sought out models that explain the behavior and incentives for illegal behavior in society and why someone would opt to commit a crime over legitimate work. Economics has been useful in demonstrating strong correlations between the cost and benefit conditions in society and factors relating to the reported criminal rates through the use of rational choice theory and other models. The trends, individual motiv...
Criminals use the rational choice theory in society when they are trying to avoid any kind of pain and are in a mindset of looking for pleasure. Criminals find the easiest way to have fun and find a ...
Rational choice theory, also known simply as choice theory, is the assessment of a potential offender to commit a crime. Choice theory is the belief that committing a crime is a rational decision, based on cost benefit analysis. The would-be offender will weigh the costs of committing a particular crime: fines, jail time, and imprisonment versus the benefits: money, status, heightened adrenaline. Depending on which factors out-weigh the other, a criminal will decide to commit or forgo committing a crime. This decision making process makes committing a crime a rational choice. This theory can be used to explain why an offender will decide to commit burglary, robbery, aggravated assault, or murder.
Criminology is the study of why individuals engage or commit crimes and the reasons as to why they behave in certain ways in different situations (Hagan, 2010). Through understanding the reasons or why an individual commits a crime, one can come up with ways to prevent and control crime or rehabilitate criminals. There exist a large number of criminology theories, some link crime to an individual or person; they believe a person weighs the cons and pros and makes a conscious decision on whether to commit or not commit a felony. Others see the society as having a duty to make sure that its members do not engage in criminal acts by providing a secure and safe living place. Some claim that some people have hidden or dormant characteristics that determine their reaction or behavior when confronted or put in particular negative conditions (Akers & Sellers, 2012). By understanding and studying these theories, together with applying them to people, psychologists and authorities can prevent criminals from committing or repeating crimes and aid in their rehabilitation. As many theories have emerged over time, they continue to be surveyed and explored, both individually and in combination in order for criminologists to develop solutions and eventually reduce the levels and types of crime. The most popular criminology theories emphasize on the individual, positivist and classical traits. This paper will explore the classical theory, which is among the earliest theories in criminology.
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, example and techniques utilized by criminologists, the reader will have a better understanding of the subject.