Mainstream Criminological Theories

Clark and Cornish (2004), postulate that most criminological theories tend to be deterministic and ignore the process that offenders use in deciding whether or not to commit a crime. They argue that this approach is flawed because an offender’s perception and “conscious thought process” gives his actions purpose, justification, and helps him select, attend to, or process information. Additionally, Clark and Cornish (2004) state that in 1960s, sociological approaches of the ‘Chicago School’ began to “stress the importance of developing an understanding the offender’s perspective.” Similarly, mainstream criminology began to subscribe to this concept due to “the apparent failure in the rehabilitative ideal,” which shifted attention and assets

to “incapacitation, deterrence, and environmental approaches” as measures of crime control and prevention. Thus, “it became apparent that offenders’ perceptions” (Clarke and Cornish, 2004. P. 109) may be a significant factor in their success as alternate methods of crime control. By the 1970s, this shift in ideology and approach resulted in an increased study of criminal activity, criminal histories, criminal carriers, and in perpetrator accounts of “how they went about their activities.” Furthermore, according to Clarke and Cornish (2004), other disciplines “such as economics and psychology,” using their techniques, began exploring and applying “models of information processing and decision making” to criminological problem (p. 110). All of these occurrences led to the rational choice theory of crime, a belief that man is an actor who, prior to taking action, reasons and considers the means and ends, costs and benefits, and makes a rational choice when he decides to commit a crime.