Routine Activity Theory

Assumes that people are always willing to commit crimes

1. Hydraulic- rare

2. Opportunistic- most

It is thought that the strain theory and the bio social theory support that they are always willing due to middle class values and genetics.

Police/security

Dogs

Resident home to protect goods

Increased lighting around houses and parking

Video camera monitors

Home/ car alarm systems

Employees

Neighbors

Vulnerable things that people want, like a vacant house in the suburbs, unlocked cars, cash, and a vehicle full of purchased goods.

The Scope is Limited

We think the scope of this theory is limited because the three steps do not apply to all cases, and these criminal acts are not thought out and planned as we said before.

This theory does not apply to certain crimes such as sexual assault as we talked about in lecture.

Logical Consistency

Macro or Micro Level?

Scope

We think that this theory is at a micro level.

At the micro level the evaluation of what is and what is not a suitable target largely depends on the perceptions and preferences of an individual offender.

It is not an organized crime, it depends on the individual and their intentions.

We believe it is consensual because some theories assume that laws are made to define acts as criminal to the extent that they violate rights of individuals, and in this theory rights of individuals are being compromised.

We think this theory does have logical consistency.

It only makes sense that a person who lives a more risky lifestyle will be at more risk because he/she is close to various hotspots as identified by routine activities.

For example:

A person that lives in a high crime area (Bars, malls, bus depots, places with lower security -- places that fit the broken window policy)

Broken Window Policy-

Is disorder in a neighborhood and if it is left unchecked it will result in even greater levels of disorder which in turn will ultimately result in higher rates of serious crimes.

They crack down on minor offenses to reduce major crimes.

Assumptions

Many people assume that crimes are highly thought out and planned, but according to the routine activity theory many people who commit crimes do not leave their homes looking to commit a crime, and often times it is not organized, it is just something that occurs.

For example: With sexual harassment, some people just take advantage of the situation.

Motivated Offenders

Suitable Targets

Lack of Capable Guardians

Theory Ideas

By:

Alexa Walden

Allyson Lorenzo

Jenna Salyers

One Main Proposition Being Tested in the Article

Routine activities theory provides a theoretical model that explains why certain places have more crime than others and why some locations have hundreds of calls to police each year whereas others have none.

Parsimony

3 Central Concepts of the Theory Presented in the Article

Victimization studies have found that the routine activity theory proposition has predictive applicability on macro level variables such as the community size and the population density, therefore they are doing studies that are showing that is not only micro level, but macro level as well- which is a sign of a great theory.

How Authors Operationalize the Three Concepts into Variables

1. Motivated offenders

2. Suitable Targets

3. Lack of Capable Guardians

We believe that this theory is simple because it includes three stepping stones that need to occur in order to equal a crime hot spot.

1. Motivated offenders

2. Suitable targets

3. Lack of capable guardians

Though not all crimes fit this criteria, to us it is still simple because all three of these things need to occur in order for the theory to be explained, as well as the crime randomly occurring without careful planning. Next we will talk about how it does not work for every case that comes to police attention.

Suitable Target: Larceny

In this case the criminal was willing to go take valuables without the victims awareness, most likely because of their car or home being unlocked.

Motivated Offender: Assault

In this case the criminal was willing to assault the victim, likely out of an opportunistic act.

Lack of Guardian: Robbery

In this case no residents would be around, the camera monitors were non existent and the alarm system did not go off

2 Main Hypotheses

Citation

Do the Authors Find Support for Their Hypothesis

1.

People under the age of 25 who go out at night are more likely to be a victim of a crime.

2.

Women who carry valuables in a public manner are more likely to be a victim of a crime.

Kuo, S., Cuvelier, S. J., Sheu, C., & Zhao, J. (2012). The Concentration of Criminal Victimization and Patterns of Routine Activities. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 56(4), 573-598. Retrieved February 14, 2016.

What do the Findings Say About the Broader Theory?

1. The results supported their hypothesis that delinquent activities had a direct affect on various types of victimization.

2. The results did not support their hypothesis that women who carry valuables in a public manner are more likely to be a victim of a crime.

The findings say that since crimes are committed at hotspots especially in the evening it supports the routine activity theory.

Do the Findings Support or Challenge the Broader Theory they are Testing?

The findings show both ends of the spectrum that it is both supported and challenged through these two hypotheses because one is proved to be correct whereas the other is not.

Routine Activity Theory