Crime and Justice Atlas

How Justice Is Served
Sign In
Text size
100%
Theme
Criminology Theories and Schools

Routine Activity Theory

Classical, Rational Choice and Opportunity Theories

A theory introduced in 1979 by Lawrence E. Cohen and Marcus Felson holding that crime occurs when three elements converge in time and space: a motivated offender, a suitable target and the absence of a capable guardian. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Facts
Core ClaimSourced to the subject's own account
Crime requires the convergence, in time and place, of a motivated offender, a suitable target and the absence of a capable guardian. 1
Origin YearSourced to the subject's own account
1979 1
Standing CritiqueSourced to the subject's own account
The theory is mainly a macro-level account of crime and victimization; it requires a motivated offender as one of its three elements but does not explain how such offenders become motivated in the first place. 1
Routine Activity Theory
Filter Results2 entries
Connections

Associated With

Burglary, Offenses
Source Wikipedia: Routine Activity Theory
Source Wikipedia: Routine Activity Theory
Motor Vehicle Theft, Offenses

Cohen and Felson tie the postwar rise in crime to changes in routine activity, naming the automobile specifically as both an offender-mobility tool and a proliferating suitable target -- the mechanism this edge cites for motor vehicle theft specifically.

Source Wikipedia: Routine Activity Theory
Robbery, Offenses
Source Wikipedia: Routine Activity Theory

Developed By

Source Wikipedia: Routine Activity Theory
Source Wikipedia: Routine Activity Theory

Informed

Both approaches explain crime through the convergence of offender, target and setting rather than offender pathology alone.

Source Wikipedia: Crime Pattern Theory

It targets the opportunity element of the offender, target and guardian convergence.

Source Wikipedia: Situational Crime Prevention
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Routine Activity Theory
  • Criticisms section
    Routine activity theory is mainly a macro theory of crime and victimization. It requires motivated offenders, but does not explain how such offenders become motivated.
  • Lead section
    Routine activity theory is a sub-field of crime opportunity theory that focuses on situations of crimes.
  • Developed By: Lawrence E. Cohen
  • Developed By: Marcus Felson
  • Associated With: Robbery, Applications section
    Over time, the theory has been extensively employed to study sexual crimes, robberies, cyber crimes, residential burglary and corresponding victimizations, among others.
  • Associated With: Burglary, Applications section
    Over time, the theory has been extensively employed to study sexual crimes, robberies, cyber crimes, residential burglary and corresponding victimizations, among others.
  • Associated With: Cybercrime, Applications section
    Over time, the theory has been extensively employed to study sexual crimes, robberies, cyber crimes, residential burglary and corresponding victimizations, among others.
  • Associated With: Motor Vehicle Theft, Post-World War II social change section
    the use of automobiles, on one hand, enables offenders to move more freely to conduct their violations and, on the other hand, provide more targets for theft
View the Source
Wikipedia: Situational Crime Prevention
Informed: Situational Crime PreventionView the Source
Wikipedia: Crime Pattern Theory
Informed: Environmental Criminology, Lead sectionView the Source
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.