INTRO TO CRIMINOLOGY TERM 2

• RATIONAL CHOICE THEORY (RCT)

  • RCT is associated with Derek Cornish and Ronald Clarke (1986).
  • Situational factors impact on crime.
  • As opposed to looking at how social contexts structure choice, RCT re-focuses on how people think and the detail of criminal decision-making. 
  • Choices are made within a context of environment and opportunities. 
  • Rationality is important but ‘bounded’ (Cornish and Clarke, 1986).