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Rational choice in criminology
Rational choice theory criminology paper
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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. One aspect in the Rational Choice theory that relates to deterrence and classical theorists is Routine Activity theory. Routine Activity Theory is when people are victimized because of everyday interactions. These three factors that cause people to be victimized include people that seem vulnerable enough to be victimized, places where there aren’t a lot of police activity and proper guardianship are places where people will most likely be victimized, and when a person wants to commit or is thinking about committing a crime, that person will most likely commit that crime. This theory is based off of people’s rational choice to and their free will to commit a crime. Classical criminologists like Cesare Beccaria, believed that people who made rational choices to commit a crime, their punishment should …show more content…
Cesare Beccaria who was coined the father of criminology, helped form the way our criminal justice system today in the way that we look at deterring criminals and reducing crime. The Rational Choice Theory added to the conversation started by Classical Criminologists as it relates to reducing
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.
A person might find him- or herself interested in discovering what it is that makes a criminal take the path that he or she does. Is it a personal choice? Coincidence? Circumstance? What exactly is it that starts an individual down a pathway that leads to a criminal life or leads them down a path towards "normal" life within the law? Criminology, or the study of the scientific factors behind criminal behavior, points to the answer of that. As is typical with most sciences, however, there is no one, conclusive answer to all or any of these questions. The field of criminology is loaded with a variety of theories, each with a probability of being true, but none is believed to be the standalone explanation of the total science of the study of criminal behavior.
Rational Choice Theory - Rational choice theory, as defined by the textbook, is "A perspective on crime causation that holds that criminality is the result of conscious choice. Rational choice theory predicts that individuals will choose to commit crime when the benefits of doing so outweigh the costs of disobeying the law" (Schmalleger 76). It is an economic principle that assumes that individuals always make prudent and logical decisions that provide them with the greatest benefits or satisfaction and that are in their highest self-interest. It should also be noted that most mainstream economic assumptions and theories are based on rational choice theory. According to the lawdictionary.org, rational choice theory "attempts to explain social phenomenon in terms of how self-interested individuals make choices under the influence of their preferences. All parties try to maximize their advantage, and to minimize their disadvantages" (lawdictionary.org). An example of rational choice theory would be a person stealing money from a company that they work for, with the intent of having the benefit of getting rich at no cost. The person believes that he or she will not get caught, thus not having to pay any costs, making it a rational decision or choice in their
Criminological theories interpret the competing paradigms of Human Nature, Social Order, Definition of Crime, Extent and Distribution of Crime, Causes of Crime, and Policy, differently. Even though these theories have added to societies understanding of criminal behaviour, all have been unable to explain why punishment or treatment of offenders is unable to prevent deviancy, and thus are ineffective methods of control. The new penology is a contemporary response that favours the management of criminals by predicting future harm on society. However, all criminological theories are linked as they are a product of the historical time and place, and because of their contextual history, they will continue to reappear depending on the current state of the world, and may even be reinvented.
The study of criminology involves many different theories in which people attempt to explain reasoning behind criminal behavior. Although there are many different theories the focus of this paper is the comparison and contrasting sides of The Differential Association Theory (DAT) of Edwin Sutherland and the Neoclassicism Rational Choice Theory. The Differential Theory falls under Social Process Theories which focuses on sociological perspective of crime. The Rational Choice Theory falls under Neoclassicism which believes that criminal behavior is ultimately a choice.
Akers, Ronald L. "Deterrence and Rational Choice Theories." Criminology Theories Introduction and Evaluation. 2nd ed. New York: Roxbury, 1999. Print.
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.
Criminology based off of and later modernized to a more important career. Criminology began in Europe between the late 1700’s and early 1800’s (Sanders, 2014). Cesare Beccaria and Jeremy Bentham were theorists on crime and punishment development in the classical school of criminology founders (Sanders, 2014). The classical school of thought believed that crimes were committed through free will (Sanders, 2014). As criminology modernized many revis...
Pratt, T. C. (2008). Rational Choice theory, criminal control policy, and criminology relevance. Policy essay, 43-52.
In the United States there are all types of crimes starting with rape, robbery, assault, Burglary and grand larceny. These crimes are all over the country but to understand and reduce these crimes it would take a criminologist to identify and apply theories in order to comprehend crimes committed. There are many theories criminologists’ uses. One theory used is called the concept of rational choice theory.
The classical school of criminology is based on the Philosophy of the Enlightenment. People are generally considering what they can benefit after they have committed a crime, they have their free will to choose to commit or not, after balancing the chance of being caught, individuals will decide on to commit or not. Delinquency is an immoral form of behaviour which will weaken the society. To prevent crime, Taylor, Walton and Young (1973) highlighted the following to punish the criminals, they say the punishment is act as deterrent by encouraging the individual to follow the law, punishment must be proportional to the interest violated by crime itself, and certainty and swiftness of punishment is measured to be an effective punishment comparing to the severity of the
5). The classical school of thought focuses on free will as the guiding force behind why people commit crime. Under this theory human beings are all deemed to be free thinking spirits and a bit hedonistic. In order to study and observe the causes of crime the classical theory suggests that criminologist should follow a path of analytic
An Italian social thinker Cesare Beccario developed the Choice theory. His utilitarian approach powerfully influenced the criminal justice system and was widely accepted throughout Europe. By the 19th century its popularity started to decline (P. 84). Beginning in the late 1960, Criminologist once again began to embrace classical ideas, producing books and monographs expounding the theme that criminals are rational actors who plan their crimes, can be controlled by the fear of punishment, and deserve to be penalized for their misdeeds (P. 84).
Critical perspectives on discipline, social control, and punishment are studied within the field of critical criminology. It assumed that human beings are both determined and determining creatures (Bohm and Vogel, 2011). In the process, they create institutions that they are capable of changing the structure (Bohm and Vogel, 2011). Critical Criminology assumes that society is based on conflicts between competing interests groups. The root of criminology can be traced back to the mid-seventeenth century. It gives homage to Cesare Beccaria, an Italian jurist and author of On Crimes and Punishments, and Jeremy Bentham a conflict criminologist who wrote Theoretical Criminology. Bentham argued that crime is an outcome of political conflicts between
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.