Concepts Definition of Theory Rational Choice
Concepts Definition of Theory Rational Choice
What is a Theory?
It is any system of ideas arranged in rational order that produce general
principles which increase our understanding and explanations.
In simple terms, theory is an explanation of something.
According to Freda Adler (1983), a theory is a statement that explains the
relationship between abstract concepts in a meaningful way.
What are the basic theories in the explanation of the cause of crime?
1. Theories of Criminal and Deviant Behavior.
Theories in this category attempt to explain why individual commits criminal or
delinquent acts.
• Micro.
Micro theories of criminal behavior focus on a small group of offenders or on an
individual crime.
They attempt to answer why some individuals are more likely than others to
commit crime.
Other authors have used the terms “individual conduct” or process theories.
Classical Criminology
Classicism refers to a number of late eighteenth and early nineteenth century
thinkers who offered common reflections on crime, law and punishment and
whose ideas were subsequently appropriated by criminology.
A school of thought based upon utilitarian notions of free will and the greatest
good for the greatest number.
At its core, classical criminology refers to a belief that a crime is committed
after an individual weighs the pros and cons.
The decision to commit a crime is a rational decision, and is best countered
through a deterrence-based system.
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Classical criminology provides the origin of the concept of deterrence.
It represents the first effort to explain crime as a product of natural rather than
supernatural forces.
2. Jeremy Bentham
Jurist and philosopher, prominent in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries,
advocated abolishing the death penalty.
His main principle was utilitarian hedonism with the following theoretical
elements:
•People have free will to choose how to act.
•Deterrence is based upon the utilitarian notion of the human being. A hedonist
who seeks pleasure and avoids pain and a rational calculator weighing up the
costs and benefits of the consequences of each action.
•Punishment can deter people from crime.
•The more swift and certain the punishment, the more effective it is in deterring
criminal behavior.
Deterrence Theory
A core principle of classical school and rational choice theories.
This theory states that crime can be controlled through the use of punishments
that combine the proper degrees of certainty, severity and celerity
As deterrence theory has matured, it proposed that punishment may deter
some, while creating a backlash effect for others.
In short, deterrence theory no longer presumes that punishment always yields
only positive results, but that is sometimes makes matters worse.
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What are the different Styles of Deterrence?
1. General Deterrence
Is the doctrine that a community or a society of people can be deterred from
committing a criminal act after having witnessed the punishment of an
individual or individuals for have committed that act.
2. Specific Deterrence
The belief is that if an individual is punished for a criminal act, then the
individual will be less likely to violate the law in the future.
3. Perceptual Deterrence
This concept applies to an individual offender, and refers to what he or she
believes the likelihood of arrest to be, and how severe he or she believes the
punishment for a crime will be if caught.
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Broken Windows theory
Theorist: Wilson and Kelling
Proposition:
Poor physical appearance of a neighborhood can indicate a breakdown in
community cohesion and provides an open invitation to criminals of all types.