Routine Activity Theory

Question 1

Cohen and Felson’s theory

Answer 1

Crime rates did not decline with post-war prosperity because social and cultural changes produced opportunity for crimes that did not previously exist.

Question 2

How are there more opportunities for crime?

Answer 2

• More targets (e.g. cars, electronics).
• Reduction in ability of the targets to be guarded (due to how we live).
• Changes in routine activities.
• Certain groups have higher risk of victimisation because they are more likely to be away from home at night and associate with those more likely to be offenders.

Question 3

For crime to occur, three elements must be present

Answer 3

• Motivated offenders
• Suitable targets
• Absence of capable guardians

Question 4

What changes in routine explain increases in crime?

Answer 4

1) Circumstances and location of offences.
2) Target suitability.
3) Family activities and crime rates.
4) Trends in human activity patterns.
5) Related property trends and relation to human activity patterns.
6) Composition of crime trends.

Question 5

Felson’s 4 criteria on target selection

Answer 5

1) Value - the worth of the target from the offenders POV.
2) Inertia - the extent to which the target can be removed etc.
3) Visibility - how visible the target is to the offender.
4) Access - how easy it is to get to the target.

Question 6

Summary of what we need to understand crime

Answer 6

• Who and what must be present or absent for the crime to happen.
• What setting makes this likely.
• How people move in and out of the setting when committing offences.

Question 7

Kennedy and Forde’s findings

Answer 7

Victimisation was associated with going out and working.

Question 8

Jenson and Brownfield’s findings

Answer 8

It is deviant activities, rather than routine activities, that elevated the risk of victimisation.

Question 9

Bennett’s findings

Answer 9

On a study about theft, the rates were consistent with the theory.