Criminal Behavior

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that the rational theory in criminality focuses more on the personal and psychological attributes of individuals, emphasizing the choice, responsibility, and needs of the individual; whereas, labeling and radical theories tend to see crime as the result of social pressure and structures. The author points out that the problem with social theories is that they ignore the rational and individual purposiveness in crime, which tends to excuse criminal acts on the basis of various social factors. The paper states that the rational theory includes mitigating elements within the central structure of the theory, which makes it a more comprehensive and inclusive theoretical foundation from which to assess and analyze the causes of crime.

From the Paper:

"The rational choice theory of the causes of criminal behavior is essentially based on the assumption that criminals rationally make decisions that motivate and lead them to commit criminal acts. Rational theory emphasizes individual choice and the personal decision-making process in an attempt to understand the causes of crime. The strength of this theory is that it focuses on the individual and on his or her logical and rational decisions to attain certain goals. "...the rational choice perspective focuses upon the offender's decision-making. Its main assumption is that offending is purposive behavior, designed to benefit the offender in some way." "

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