Rational Choice Theory Criminology - 1151 Words

In Criminology, Prof. Boldt has either talked about or brought up a few dozen theories in just a few weeks. However one theory seems to show up more than the others, and is the more dominant explanation in describing criminal behavior. This concept is referred to as Rational Choice Theory. Over time theories have been produced to explain and help understand what leads to criminal behavior. The reason why people have studied these theories so closely is because of the helpful nature it provides to professionals. It allows them to make informed decisions on treatment methods for offenders or victims. This also helps the professionals enforce policy change if need be. I believe in order to start understanding what leads to criminal behavior,†¦show more content†¦All of these other aspects have tons of sub theories of their own, but Rational Choice Theory says that these were not part of the determining factors in the act; that the individual was compelled to do so based upon th eir cognitive perspective on the situation. The thought process is that the criminal made a choice after rationally weighing the costs. They considered other circumstances such as the benefits of not committing the crime, or how it may have an impact on their safety. In the end they ultimately determined that the bounty was greater in some way than the benefit that would have came from not committing the crime. Part of a deterrence may be when the punishment is way greater than the bounty. An example of someone who commits crime without using rational choice is encouraged by his or her environment to carry on. These could be external environmental influences or internal psychological influences. It may be difficult one to understand how these individuals responded to their circumstances without actually being in the situation themself. Another example of criminal behavior separate from rational choice is that it may evolve from abusive experiences or unfair treatment. The people affected may have had traumatic experiences that lead to developing criminal behavior down the road to release those emotions or rage(Regis University, 2017). To use a world example would be white collar crime. These are crimes that aren tShow MoreRelatedThe Rational Choice Theory Of Criminology1106 Words   |  5 Pages The Rational Choice Theory April Smolkowicz Criminology 3200 Georgia Gwinnett College  The Classical School of Criminology was developed by two utilitarian philosophers, Cesare Beccaria and Jeremy Bentham during the early 17th century. The Classical School of Criminology is an important theory in the framework of criminal behavior, with principle themes that include: criminal acts are of individuals free will and rational deliberation, calculating, and hedonistic beings. CriminalsRead MoreRational Choice Theory: Criminology901 Words   |  4 PagesChoice theory was born out of the perspective of crime causation which states that criminality is the result of conscious choice. This theory is also known as the rational choice theory. According to this theory, the choice whether or not to commit a criminal act is the result of a rational thought process that weighs the risks of paying the costs of committing a crime, against the benefits obtained. In other words, if the benefits--monetary or otherwise--outweigh the risks of sustaining the costsRead MoreCriminology Ratio nal Choice Theory1683 Words   |  7 PagesName Instructor Course Date Essay Questions Question 1 At the core of criminology, there is a belief that a criminal decides to commit a crime after weighing the benefits and disadvantages of engaging. In such a case, the decision to commit the crime is a rational one, and the best way to counter it is through a deterrence-based system. The rational choice theory assumes that humans are self-centered and the actions they undertake determine the consequences they incur. The position of rationalityRead MoreRational Choice Theory Criminology1329 Words   |  6 PagesThe Classical School of Criminology, established by Cesare Beccaria, promotes the use of reason as the basis of legal authority and is based on the assumption that individuals weigh the consequences of their acts before committing a crime. It was based was based on assumptions that Individuals can â€Å"choose legal or illegal means to get what they want, fear of punishment can deter them from committing crime, and society can control behavior by making the pain of punishment greater than the pleasureRead MoreRational Choice Theory: Merits and Limitations1195 Words   |  5 Pagesinsight 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. By definition, criminology is the study of crime, criminal behavior and how it pertains to the law. Criminology is considered a scientific technique. Therefore, those who study and carry out its theories are consideredRead MoreRational Decision Making And Its Effect On Crime Causation Essay1497 Words   |  6 Pages Rational Decision Making and its Effect on Crime Causation Most, if not all Americans, are familiar with the story of Batman and his alter ego Bruce Wayne. As a small child Bruce s parents were brutally gunned down in front of him prompting him to don the cape and mask to rid Gotham city of injustice. In the 2005 movie adaptation starring Christian Bale, Batman is asked why he so selflessly protects the city. He replies, â€Å"It s not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me.† I believeRead MoreThe Theories Of Criminology And The Riots930 Words   |  4 PagesEvery crime has a correlation with a theory in criminology. These theories explain why crime happens and some even go to the extent to come up with a solution to prevent or stop crime. This paper will explore how certain theories of criminology connect with the riots that happened in Ferguson, Missouri. Facts from different articles will be used to back up the theory. The theories will explain why rioters committed the crimes did. The paper will take the actions of t he protestors and explain whyRead MoreRational Choice Theory Of Criminal Behavior Essay1617 Words   |  7 Pagescase the choices that criminals make brings them pleasure and adrenaline. Criminal choices can be controlled by fear of punishment, but not all the time. The crime will be limited when the benefits are reduced and the costs increase. Rational choice theory is a perspective that holds criminality in the result of conscious choice. Not to mention, that it is predicted that individuals choose to commit crime when the benefits outweigh the costs of disobeying the law. In the rational choice theory, individualsRead MoreThe Rational Choice Theory1728 Words   |  7 PagesLa’Shante Samuels Kaplan University, CJ102 Criminology Unit Five Midterm Project The Rational Choice theory approach has been used by social and political scientists to put some type of meaning of why humans behave in a certain way. In recent years, rational choice theory has been widely used in other disciplines such as sociology, political science, and anthropology. It has gained influence in politics and sociology over the past thirty years. This choice theory stressed the role of knowledgeable selfRead MoreGeneral Theory Of Crime And Delinquency919 Words   |  4 PagesGeneral Theory of Crime and Delinquency Many theories exist including biological, psychological, and sociological theories that have been proposed by many criminologists in the criminal justice field and have been closely studied by people (Agnew, Cullen, Wilcox, 2004). Most theories are proposed at the micro level meaning it tries to explain the criminal behavior of individuals and some are proposed at the macro level which tries to explain the crime rates in social groups, meaning micro focuses