Rationality
Initially, crime analysts conclude criminals made conscious decisions. However, modern theorists do not believe all decisions are made while a person is aware of the situation in hand. There have been efforts to solve unconscious choices; this has brought about the introduction of the term “readiness.” The new condition helps explain why (1) a situation may lead to individuals commuting crimes without them being aware of it. It includes scenarios that provoke an individual to take actions, (2) background or distal factors that triggers a state of readiness in an individual or a group to commit a crime, or (3) the state of preparedness an individual arrives at after evaluating different means of meeting perceived wants. All these elements influence background reasoning boosted by the current situation and may lead to criminal activities. Whatever choice, a rational decision can be irrational and can be done unconsciously.
Risk focused prevention technique was adopted from medicine by pioneers such as Catalano and Hawkins in 1992. Doctors identify risk factors that may lead to heart diseases, such as smoking and lack of exercise. The problem is tackled by encouraging a community or an individual to reduce fat intakes, stop smoking, and take part in the workout. Risk factors are evaluated using the gold standard of randomized trials. The result can be used to target a specific community or a person at high risk. The same theory can be applied in criminology because risk factors that lead to different outcomes tend to be similar. For instance, violent behavior, mental health problems, school failure, and alcohol or drug abuse tend to have a common cause. Therefore, it follows that tackling a particular risk factor that results in mental health problems will help address all the other adverse outcomes.
An ethical theory that depicts the effectiveness of the situation crime program is The Chicago School or the Social Disorganization Theory developed by Clifford Shaw and Henry D. McKay in 1942. The theory involved the use of spatial mapping that examined residential locations of juveniles who had trials in courts. From their research, Clifford and McKay found patterns of delinquency or crime were higher in areas with poor health amenities and housing, transient population, and disadvantaged social-economic status. Sociologists concluded that crime was a function of external dynamics, such as the characteristic of the neighborhood.
This theory leads to the development of routine activity theory by Nelson and Cohen in 1979 that insists changes in structure and daily activities can be used to explain the rise in criminal activities during and after world war 2. The theory supports the situation crime program because it assumes for an offender to commit a crime, three elements must converge in space and time. First, there must be a suitable target, a likely criminal and absence of an obstacle or a capable guardian. Routine activity theory has received empirical support and has had a significant impact on fighting illegal activities. The theory maintains a clear relationship between crime analysis and prevention measures, which has seen it applied problem-oriented or situation prevention policing, which has had significant outcomes.
The theory of routine activities can be used to prevent situational crimes. For instance, stores dealing with expensive items such as jewelry have their windows and doors reinforced with metal bars. The clerks are protected by bulletproof glass, and this concept is in the situation of crime control tactics. It is called target hardening because it makes it more difficult to access a target. The use of surveillance cameras and well-lit streets will eliminate the vulnerability of the target. The increased difficulty in accessing