VELANO, AREANNE, A.

October 23, 2023

CCR2-B3
Theories in Crime causation

ACTIVITY 3:
CRIME AND VICTIM PRECIPITATION THEORIES
The societal effect of crime is complicated and complex. For the creation of efficient
crime prevention and criminal justice programs, it is necessary to understand the causes of
criminal behavior and its effects. In my essay, I will explain to you the three key criminological
concepts: victim precipitation, general deterrence, and the incapacitation theory.
What is Victim Precipitation, exactly? This is a criminological concept that implies the
victim's behavior or actions may contribute to the occurrence of a crime. In other words,
victims sometimes contribute to the commission or severity of a crime. Contrary to popular
assumption, crime victims are not entirely innocent and innocent. Active victim precipitation
(actively provoking the offender) and Passive victim precipitation (their traits/vulnerability
increase the risk of being a victim) are two of the many different types and elements of victim
precipitation. The General deterrence is the next subject. The basic idea behind it is to apply
punishment to prevent potential criminals from committing crimes. General deterrence is the
theory that people will be less likely to commit crimes if they see the punishments imposed
out to those who break the law. Certainty (the punishment for a crime must be perceived as
inevitable), Severity (punishment is sufficient to fit the crime; harsh penalties are thought to
discourage criminal acts), and Swiftness (the punishment should follow the commission of
the crime promptly; delays in punishment reduce its deterrent effect) are the primary elements
of general deterrence. Now, let's dive into the last topic, the Incapacitation theory. This theory
in criminology suggests that the best way to lower crime is to physically restrict or disable
criminals. This can be done by locking them up in jail, using things like electronic monitoring,
or putting them under house arrest. There are three main ideas in this theory. The first one is
called "offender removal," which literally means sticking the lawbreakers in prison, so they
can't commit more crimes while they're locked up. Then there's "crime reduction," which aims
to stop offenders from doing more crimes during their time in confinement, hopefully bringing
down the overall crime rate. Lastly, there's the idea of giving longer sentences to keep
offenders incapacitated.
In conclusion, the concepts of victim precipitation, general deterrence, and the
incapacitation theory offer unique perspectives on the field of criminology and contribute to a
holistic understanding of crime and the development of more effective crime prevention and
criminal justice policies.