Sociology 207: Crime and Criminal Justice
Take home Theory Assignment
Chapter 4: Choice Theory #1
Choice theory basically explains a thought process of person in a criminal act. Those who want to commit a crime will put much thought into it as they weigh out their advantages and disadvantages. They will consider the personal factors such as money or revenge. Criminals will also consider situational factors such as target availability or security measures. If something they want is hard to get because of security, most people wont do it.
The basics of choice theory were developed under Cesare Beccaria’s classical criminology. Choice theory tells you that a criminal will think about the risks of being caught as in what will happen, what the punishment will be or how long. They think about what they need instead of their alternatives as to getting a job. Some criminals take action for drug matters. They are in need of a fix and have no way to do so unless they commit a crime. This is where their emotions play a factor.
Before taking action in a crime, the person will put thought into it. They look for a place that looks easy enough to get around. They look for a target, and the criminal techniques, the available means to take on the steps. To go about a crime means to take on many complex actions.
There are four methods of Crime Control according to Choice Theory. These methods help to prevent crime. It tells how to make crime choice less desirable. You will have to make all targets nearly impossible to reach.
The first method of choice theory is Rational Choice. This is where criminals weigh information on what they need and the risks of being caught. They look at the punishment of the crime if they are caught. The strength of this thought process is that it explains why high risk youths do not engage in criminal acts. This theory relates to delinquency control policy and isn’t measured by class or other social variables. This theory looks...