Theories of Crime Causation

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Reporters:
Lawr Vinz Carillas

Franz Rozel Calunod

Rational Choice Theory

Rational Choice Theory holds that person will engage in

criminal behaviour after weighing the consequences and
benefits of his/her actions. Criminal behaviour is a
rational choice made by a motivated offender who
perceives that the chances of gain outweigh any possible
punishment or loss (siegel et al 2007).
"Rational Choice" theory, which is derived mainly from
the expected utility model in economics, has become a
"hot" topic in criminology, sociology, political science,
and law. The rational choice theory posits that one takes
those actions, criminal or lawful, which maximize payoff
and minimize costs (akers, 1990).
Routine Activity Theory
This theory was created by Lawrence E.
Cohen and Marcus K. Felson, based on
their 1979 publication of their seminal
article "Social change and Crime rate
trends: A routine Activity Approach." They
viewed that crime is a "normal" function of
the routine activities of modern living, that
is, offenses can be expected if there is a
motivated offender and a suitable target
that is not protected by capable guardians
(Siegel et al, 2007).
Routine Activity Theory also sometimes referred to as
lifestyle theory has been proven to be one of the more
useful theories for understanding criminal victimization
and offending patterns in the late 20th and early 21st
centuries. This theoretical explanation is primarily
focused on providing information regarding who is
more or less likely to be a crime victim. Routine Activity
Theory is most usefuland makes contributions to social
policy and by predicting conditions under which
victimization risks and enhanced and identifying
patterns of social events associated with criminal
incidents (Cohen and Felson, 2010)
Below is a illustration of Routine Activity Theory: