Routine Activities and Rational Choice Theories

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Routine Activities andRational Choice Theories
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Routine Activities Theory

• Direct contact predatory violations
• Illegal activities feed off of legal activities

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Three Necessary Conditions for Direct Contact
Predatory Crime

• Suitable target
• Lack of capable guardianship
• Motivated offender - assumed

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Criminal Motivation Assumed

• Motivation is ever-present
• Variation in suitable targets and capable
  guardianship explains crime patterns

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Explaining Crime Patterns

• Increase in household burglary 1950-1980
• Robbery victimization peaks at night

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Target Suitability
Amount stolen per 100 spent
Motor vehicles and parts 26.44
Electronic appliances 6.82
Large, durable goods 0.08
Furniture 0.12
Source Cohen and Felson, 1979
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Household GuardianshipBurglary/Robbery Rates
(per 1,000)
Age Number in Household Number in Household Ratio
Age One Two Ratio
18-35 .20 .095 2.11
36-55 .161 .079 2.04
56 .107 .01 1.76
All Ages .144 .081 1.78
Also, proportion of households unattended has
increased over time
Source Cohen and Felson, 1979
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Rational Choice Theory

• Routine activities takes macro-level view
• Rational choice takes a situational view
• Complimentary perspectives

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Rational Choice Theory

• Bounded rationality decision making
• Offenders are opportunists

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Implications for Crime Prevention

• If offenders decisions are situationally bounded,
  then how should we go about reducing offending?