Week 4: Environmental Criminology Flashcards
1
Q
What is Environmental Theories of Crime?
A
- Concerned with crime, not criminals
- The major focus is on the opportunity to commit the crime
- The presence or absence of opportunity shapes when and where crime events take place
2
Q
What are the two Issues Environmental Criminology Focuses on?
A
- Explain crime events
- Exploring the casual role of opportunity
3
Q
What are 4 main Environmental Criminological Theories?
A
- Routine activity theory
- Offender search theory
- Situational crime prevention theory
- Broken windows theory
4
Q
What Does Rational Choice Focus on?
A
- Micro view
- Why does an individual decide to commit a specific crime?
5
Q
What Does Routine Activities Focus on?
A
- Macro view
- How do social and economic changes influence opportunities for crime?
6
Q
What is “Mapping”?
A
- Can show the patterns of criminal activity
7
Q
What are “Hot Spots”?
A
- Can be the basis for allocating police resources
8
Q
What Three Elements must Converge for a Crime to Occur?
A
- Motivated offender
- Suitable target (has to do with the benefits of crime)
- For ex. children, women, minority individuals, locations, wealthy people etc.) - Lack of capable guardians (has to do with the costs of crime)
- For ex. police, parents, dogs, friends, surveillance, etc.)
- Suitable targets and lack of capable guardians are seen as the core dimensions of criminal opportunity
- The lack of any one of these elements can prevent crime
9
Q
What is the Micro-level Assumption of Routine Activity Theory?
A
- Routine activities are any recurrent and prevalent activities that provide the basic population and individual needs
10
Q
Where do Routine Activities Occur?
A
- At home
- In jobs away from home
- In other activities away from home
11
Q
How did World War II Shift Routine Activities in the United States?
A
- People are more likely to spend time away from home, leading to a lack of capable guardians (ex. Home left unattended during the day)
- Individuals are more often in public locations, increasing suitable targets
12
Q
What Empirical Support does Routine Activity have?
A
- Argues household and family activities entail a lower risk of criminal victimization than non-household activities (Victimization is lower among relatives and lower for groups)
- Argues expensive movable durables has the highest risk of theft (Vehicles and electronics are overrepresented in thefts)
13
Q
What does Routine Activity Argue about who is Targeted?
A
- Single-adult household and those employed outside the home have higher crime rates
- Adolescents and young adults, who are perhaps more likely to engage in peer group activities, will have higher crime rates
- Married people have lower rates of crime
14
Q
What Routine Activities of Americans Changed in the 1960s?
A
- Female college students increased
- Married female labor participation increased
- More households were left unattended
- Increases were seen in out-of-town travel
- Personal consumer expenditures increased
- Increase in motor vehicles
- Dramatic increase in small durable products (tv’s, small electronics, phones etc.)
15
Q
Why did Businesses see an Increase in Crime?
A
- Increased the value of the merchandise they transport and sell as well as the money involved in these transactions
- The tempo of business activity increased dramatically
