Burglary and the Rational Choice Theory

952 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Rational choice theory

There are numerous theories as to why a crime is committed. Rational choice theory, which is a subset of classical theory, says that before people commit a crime they think about what they are going to do. They weigh the pros and cons before committing the criminal act. The rational choice theory is well suited for the causation of burglary. The support for this theory is that burglars do not commit crime for the fun of it or just because they want to. It is usually because they need money to keep their heads above water. In their situation, they do not see any other way than to steal to make a living. The opposition for rational choice theory is that criminals do not think before they act as they may be incapable of thinking rationally in the first place.

Burglary and the Rational Choice Theory

Crime causation is looking at why people commit crimes. There are many theories that have been developed to explain this. The theories can be grouped into eight general categories of which one is the Classical theory (Schmallegar, 2011, p. 79). A subset of this theory, rational choice theory, will be specifically looked at to explain the crime of burglary. Just as no one causation theory explains all crimes committed, the rational choice theory itself does not completely explain why all burglars commit their crimes. Therefore, the pros and cons of the rational choice theory will be discussed in relation to the crime topic of burglary.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Uniform Crime Reporting program defines burglary as “the unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony or theft. To classify an offense as a burglary, the use of force to gain entry need not have occurred” (Federal Bureau of Investigation,¶1). Peop...

... middle of paper ...

...ommit crimes every day just for the sake of committing a crime; in other words, they have periods of no criminal behavior. So, their rational choice is to turn to burglary only when they are desperate for money. In essence, they have chosen burglary as their line of work.

Works Cited

Federal Bureau of Investigation. (n.d.). Burglary. Retrieved from website: http://www2.fbi.gov /ucr/cius2009/offenses/property_crime/burglary.html

Schmallegar, F. (2011). Criminal justice today, An introductory text for the 21st century. (11th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NY: Prentice Hall.

Sturt, G. (2009). Cognition and crime [HTM document]. Retrieved from Lecture Notes Online Web site: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/gary.sturt/crime/

Wright, R.T. & Decker, S. (1994). Burglars on the job: Streetlife and residential break-ins. Boston, MA: Northeastern University Press.

Show More
Related

  • Relation between Burglary and Differential Association Theory

    1691 Words  | 4 Pages

    Under common law some many years ago, burglary was the breaking and entering of a dwelling during the night for the purposes of committing a felony or a larceny (Bernasco and Luykx 2003). Under common law, there were a couple reasons for this specific definition of burglary. First, as Bernasco put it, breaking is the act of creating an opening by disabling any part of the dwelling meant to serve as a prevention tool against intrusion. Secondly, nighttime was an important element of burglary by common law standards; law-makers viewed people as unable to protect themselves during the middle of the night. Under common law, it was not enough to merely enter a dwelling, the act of breaking had to exist; if the entry occurs through an unlocked door, then burgl...

    Read More

  • Criminal Justice Final Exam

    2627 Words  | 6 Pages

    In addition to biological and psychological elements, there are the social factors that can influence people to engage in criminal activity. As a matter of fact, social and economic pressures play a major role in the cause of crime, since people are more likely to break the law when they have nothing else to lose. Therefore, the biological, psychological, and social factors should all be considered when trying to establish a reason for every crime. Word Count = 1,378

    Read More

  • Difference Between An Embezzler And A Booster

    725 Words  | 2 Pages

    Since burglary is their primary form of income, they would need to know the ends and outs of presuming their targets and be dedicated to getting the job done. Also, this individual must be able to accept all circumstances that come with the territory, such as being apprehended. A burglar can be compared to several professions; however, the initial thought that comes to mind is an attorney. Attorneys are known foremost as swindlers that maneuver their way through the judicial system to success. Just as a burglar a lawyer investigate the circumstances and come to a conclusion on how to win a case. Weather the client is innocent or guilty; they do what’s necessary to retrieve a

    Read More

  • Trait Theory And Crime

    1099 Words  | 3 Pages

    There are many theories that can be applied to different cases that have occurs in Americas history. The two theories that are choses for this paper are the trait theory and under the trait theory is psychological which is “abnormal personality and psychological traits are the key to determinant of anti-social behavior. There is a link between mental illness, personality disorders and crime (Siegel, 2014). The second theory is the Choice theory which “criminals weigh the cost and benefits and make a conscious, rational choice to commit crime” (Siegel, 2014). This paper will show how a theory can be applied to a person and a crime. Some of the cases that are being presented some will not agree but up us all about the person perspective.

    Read More

  • Rational Choice Theory White Collar Crime

    1539 Words  | 4 Pages

    An experiment by Gerhard Blickle, and Alexander Schlegel attempted to recreate results of Collins and Schmidt’s study about psychological influences on white-collar crime. The experiment involved personality tests on 150 managers currently working in German corporations and 76 white-collar criminals. They compared the personality results of the criminals to the non-criminals, much like Collins and Schmidt’s experiment in the United States of America. Blickle and Schlegel found that white-collar crime offenders were more hedonistic (Blickle et al., 2006). Hedonistic individuals are those who engage in the pursuit of pleasure. According to the Rational Choice Theory, individuals commit crimes when they perceive the reward is greater than the punishment. For those who tend to pleasure seek, crime would seem the most rational choice. The crime’s reward is worth the possible punishment to these individuals. Blickle and Schlegal also found that narcissistic tendencies were more common in white-collar criminals (Blickle, et al., 2006). Narcissism is described as having overindulgent self interest and care for one’s appearance. These traits can add to the temptations of criminal activity. Caring for only oneself would allow illegally soliciting money from

    Read More

  • Understanding Crime: The Rational Choice Theory

    1088 Words  | 3 Pages

    Look around and you’re guarenteed to see some type of crime. Whether it’s as simple as someone speeding or as severe as a shooting its happeneing and its nonstop. However the question that might never be solved is why does it happen and what drives people to do what we have been told our whole lives is wrong. During this semster we have learned the different types of theories as to why crime occurs. Growing up I always felt strongly that people chose to do bad and too this day I stand by this belief. Because of this I see no other theory to write about than the Rational Choice Theory. The idea of rational choice theory is that before the crime takes place the criminal thinks through what they 're going to do and that they are fully aware they 're committing the crime. And more than just thinking about doing the crime theres also a mix of emotions

    Read More

  • Juveniles Should Be Tried as Adults

    2004 Words  | 5 Pages

    Wilson, James and Herrnstein, Richard. "Crime & Human Nature: The Definitive Study of the Causes of Crime" New York: Free Press, 1998.

    Read More

  • Criminal Behavior And Rational Choice Theory

    1019 Words  | 3 Pages

    According to McCarthy's theory of RCT from 2002 people use the same thoughts and ideas when choosing to commit a crime that they use when choosing to do non-criminal activities.(Paternoster, Pogarsky, 2009, p. 107) According to this idea people choose to offend or not to offend based on their own preferences they weigh in risk factors, costs, and benefits always thinking about what happens if they get caught, if they do not get caught and if they decide ultimately to commit or not commit the crime. (Paternoster, Pogarsky, 2009, p.107) Criminals using the RCT would check out the types of crime available to them in their area then decide if the crime is worth the time. If robbing a bank and they know a possible murder is involved they may deter themselves away from the crime for fear of ...

    Read More

  • Social Disorganisation Theory And Strain Theory

    1235 Words  | 3 Pages

    Crime exists everywhere. It is exists in our country, in the big cities, the small towns, schools, and even in homes. Crime is defined as “any action that is a violation of law”. These violations may be pending, but in order to at least lower the crime rate, an understanding of why the crimes are committed must first be sought. There are many theories that are able to explain crimes, but three very important ones are rational choice theory, social disorganization theory and strain theory.

    Read More

  • Social Learning Theory And Labeling Theory

    770 Words  | 2 Pages

    What are theories of crime? Why are they important? In this paper, will discuss two crime theories. Social learning theory and the labeling theory. We will compare both crime theories. It will also explain how these theories are related to specific crimes. The two theories discussed will also explain the policy implications. Finally, we will address what types of programs can be created to mitigate specific crimes related to the causation theories.

    Read More

  • Rational Choice Theory: Merits and Limitations

    1183 Words  | 3 Pages

    Therefore, those who study and carry out its theories are considered scientists. The theories and practices within the subject help criminologists determine the cause and consequence of criminal behavior; also why criminology is so highly regarded among law enforcement and the legal world. Socioeconomic status, psychological behaviors and of course, the legal aspect are just a few factors criminologists analyze when determining criminal behavior. The next few paragraphs will provide an explanation of rational choice theory and the various factors that are studied to determine how criminologists categorize crime and criminal behavior. Along with an explanation of the theory, this will be an example of how that theory is utilized in the justice system.

    Read More

  • Advantages And Disadvantages Of Criminal Behavior Theory

    1050 Words  | 3 Pages

    In order to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the criminal behavior theories, the word theory needs to be defined. “A theory is an explanation. It tells why or how things are related to each other. A theory of crime explains why or how a certain thing or certain things are related to criminal behavior.” (Bohn and Vogel)

    Read More

  • Definition of burglary

    932 Words  | 2 Pages

    Federal Bureau of Investigation (2010) Uniform Crime Reports: Burglary Definition. Retrieved January 16, 2014, from http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2010/crime-in-the-u.s.-2010/property-crime/burglarymain

    Read More

  • Mental Health and the Criminal Justice System

    1892 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...ulture and beliefs. Another reason one might commit a crime, is when people fail to achieve society’s expectations through legal means such as hard work and delayed gratification, they may attempt to achieve success through crime. People also develop motivation and the skills to commit crime through the people they associate with. Some criminals commit crimes because of the controls that society places on a person through institutions such as schools, workplaces, churches, and families. Sometimes there are occasions where a persons actions goes against what society considers normal, and as a result it is instead considered a crime. Also some criminals continue their criminal acts because they have been shunned by their society because once a person is labeled a criminal, society takes away their opportunities, which in most cases leads to more criminal behavior.

    Read More

  • The Development of a Criminal Mind

    1330 Words  | 3 Pages

    In today’s society, one will find that there are many different factors that go into the development of a criminal mind, and it is impossible to single out one particular cause of criminal behavior. Criminal behavior often stems from both biological and environmental factors. In many cases criminals share similar physical traits which the general population do not usually have. For example criminals have smaller brains than properly adjusted individuals. However biological reasons cannot solely be the cause of criminal behavior. Therefore, one must look to other sources as to how a criminal mind is developed. Social and environmental factors also are at fault for developing a person to the point at which they are lead to committing a criminal act. Often, someone who has committed a violent crime shows evidence of a poorly developed childhood, or the unsuitable current conditions in which the subject lives. In addition if one studies victimology which is the role that the victim plays in the crime, it is apparent that there are many different causes for criminal behavior. Through the examination of biological factors, in addition to the social and environmental factors which make up a criminal mind, one can conclude that a criminal often is born with traits common to those of criminals, it is the environment that exist around them that brings out the criminal within them to commit indecent acts of crime.

    Read More

More about Burglary and the Rational Choice Theory

Open Document