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Rational Choice Theory: The Foundation Of The School Of Criminology

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There are many theories within the broad network that is Criminology, but none are more notable than the Rational Choice Theory. While some dispute whether Rational Choice was the first defining theory that laid the first foundations of the school of Criminology, it's safe to say that the impact Rational Choice theory has made on society as a whole is an essential one. As a result, the target of this paper will be to explain the origin and founder of Rational Choice theory, define the limitations and methods of deterrence, and how its impact has helped/affected Criminologists when studying how crimes happen.

Definition/Key Concepts As mentioned, the Rational Choice theory is a criminal theory developed by Italian criminologist Cesare Beccaria …show more content…

According to Siegel (2018), deterrence theory plays a part by stating that if people commit crimes, there will be the emotion of fear of punishment (p.114). In layman's terms, deterrence advocates for the minimizing of crime through certain methods. Some examples of deterrence that are pretty successful when preventing crime are the establishment of neighborhood watch parties, increased police patrols in high crime areas, and breaking routines and adding variety to one's schedule to not fall victim to the Routine Activities theory. While some might argue that these are "pros" to essentially reduce crime in some areas, others argue against the notion that the deterrence theory barely has much of an impact, if not, influences even more crime to …show more content…

For example, they state that putting someone who committed a crime is not always an effective method to deter crime, as those who commit street crimes tend to relay other information about it to inmates who are yet to be freed and repeat the cycle over and over. Likewise, the institute (2016) argued that neither increasing the severity of the punishment does much to reduce crime - most specifically when discussing the death penalty for serial killers like Bundy or Dahmer or life prison sentences. Hence, the advocacy of prison reform is on the rise with restorative justice being a rising component within the justice system. For this reason, one can see that while there are hopeful successes, one is still left wondering how rational choice theory can be viewed or understood by a non-criminologist. Likewise, there is also the question of who deterrence primarily targets. As a result, in the following section, we can see examples of rational choice within the romanticization of modern pop culture with

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While a few theories are not as regular, others have developed and are utilized as a part of numerous criminal reviews today. Cutting edge criminologists consolidate the most important aspects of sociology, psychology, anthropology, and biological theories to advance their comprehension of criminal behavior. Rational choice theory, psychological, biological, and strain theory are used to analyze the

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Within the past couple of decades, criminologists have developed different criminological theories that apply to the social behaviors and decisions of criminals. One of the earliest theories developed regarding criminality is the rational choice theory, in which describes the rationalization of determining if the rewards from committing the crime outweigh the consequences. In Scarver’s case, his decision to engage in criminal activities outweighed the potential consequences, or the other alternatives if he did not engage in such criminal activities. In addition to the rational choice theory, Scarver’s criminality can be related to the social disorganization theory, which describes the influence of one’s social and physical environment on one’s decision to commit a crime. Lastly, the strain theory can be related to Scarver’s criminality as well, as it is used to describe an individual who lacks the means to obtain such goals, and aspirations, so therefore, he or she engages in criminal activities to acquire the goals.

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The classical theory of crime says that people make rational choices when they commit crimes. “Individuals have the will and rationality to act according to their own will and desires. Individuals will calculate the rationality of the crime based on the benefits of the crime versus the consequences of the crime” (Robinson, 2014). This theory discuses that how people think about the negative and positive outcomes before they commit crime. Even though they realize it is not right, they still continue to commit illegal offence because they believe that what they are doing is for the greater

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Deterrence and the Death Penalty: The Views of the Experts. The Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology (1973-), 87(1), 1. doi:10.2307/1143970 This article was written by Michael L. Radelet and Ronald L. Akers. They both consulted experts on criminology and criminal behaviour to evaluate the effectiveness of the Death Penalty.

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Moreover, Beccaria states that punishments are atrocious, and their public and solemn cruelty can only be reduced by enhancing their usefulness and consistency with the law (Baruchello, 2004). On the other hand, modern philosophers claim that cruelty can be opposed through conservatism, instead of liberalism. For instance, Kekes is convicted that liberalism can cause cruelty. Modern philosophers argue that punishment is essential to the flourishing of the society (Baruchello, 2004). Does deterrence work in modern American criminal justice?

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Criminology is the wider area that is used to evaluate the context of crime. The scientific study of criminals and crime is used for evaluating the basis and reasons of crime done by people. It makes use of different theories and school of thought in order to analyse the reasons behind criminal activities. The main purpose of this paper is to consider one criminology theory or school of thought. The criminology theory that is used for analysing the requirements of this paper is rational choice theory.

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Third, I will explore Farrell 's critique of Hayward 's article and consider his arguments made in response to Hayward 's conclusions. Fourth, this paper will engage in its own critique of both Hayward 's and Farrell 's work and conclude with which article makes the most compelling argument. Tenets of Rational Choice Theory and Situational Crime Prevention Rational choice theory originated in the Classical School of thinking as it is based on the ideas of utilitarianism, which states that individuals make decisions that provide the greatest pleasure, as well as the ideas of free will and rational thought (Farrell and Hodgkinson, 2015). According to Farrell and

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The retribution part is to punish the person for the crime that they permitted against society, and the incapacitation part is to remove that person out of society so they do no further harm. Deterrence means the prevention of future crime, and the rehabilitation teaches life skills and in the betterment. However, author Sandiford says that instead of solving crime, mass incarceration has infected our communities and striking them with devastating symptoms, and prison costs have skyrocketed, inmates ' families have been torn apart, and the system is overwhelmingly stratified by race and class (Sandiford,

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Deterrence and retribution are two major philosophies that underpin punishment in the Criminal Justice System. Deterrence is a philosophy which aims to prevent or reduce crime through the fear of punishment with the aim that the threat of punishment will prevent people committing crimes. Whereas retribution is a philosophy which aims to punish the criminal for the act caused with the idea that the punishment should be proportional to the harm caused for example the idea of ‘an eye for an eye’ (Philosophies of punishment 2005). The aim of this report is to define and explain both retribution and deterrence compare and contrast the philosophies and discuss their strengths and weaknesses. Identifying which philosophy is the most effective for

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There are numerous theories that have evolved over time to explain why crimes are committed. These theories include anomie, strained, social control, and rational choice theory. In this research paper I will be focusing on rational choice theory. Majority of these theories focus on a macro-level, which is the largest, meanwhile some focus on a micro-level, the smaller level, depending on the circumstances. The purpose of this paper is to synthesize how rational choice theory is integrate with different crimes.

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Rational Orientation Introduction Within this discussion board, we will discuss the key purpose of criminal justice in regards to either rational or legal orientation of criminal justice. Then clarify what are the main assumptions of this orientation, and whether or not we share these assumptions and agree or disagree with the stated purpose, why or why not? The main purpose of rational choice Criminal justice, according to rational choice thinks that crime is brought about, and that “criminal behavior is no different from noncriminal behavior based on that person intentionally choose to undertake and that they choose to commit crime because it will be more rewarding and less costly for them than noncriminal behavior” (“Rational Choice Theory”,

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Rational choice theory (RCT) assumes individuals choose to commit crime based on rational/logical thinking and calculations (maximizing profits and minimizing losses). An offender, such as a burglar, might plan to rob a home while the family is away (high profit from stealing and little chance of getting caught). To believe that this is the only reason why criminals offend is preposterous and myopic; it is only a small sliver of the basis of crime. Rational choices are implemented by offenders (sometimes), but other causes include but are not limited to: economic disparity, substance abuse, family factors, biological factors/genetic influences, mental illnesses, opportunity (easy target to hit), perceptions of the punishment (is the offender

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In the case of the death penalty, it has the added bonus in guaranteeing that the person would not offend again. Supporters of harsh punishments argue that the would-be criminal would consider the costs versus the benefits of committing a crime. If the costs outweigh the benefits, then it is assumed that he would stop what he is doing, effectively ‘deterred’. Furthermore, the usage of harsh punishments to effectively deter crime is ethically justified as it prevents more people from falling victim to crime. However it is extremely difficult to judge a punishment’s effectiveness based on its deterrence effect, consequently we must consider other variables that would entail a person to commit a crime.

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