Felson s Crime Everyday Life Part 1

1. Felson�s Crime & Everyday LifePart 1 The Routine Activity Theory

2. Overview Felson forces readers to think realistically and creatively about crime and crime control. The book presents the Routine Activity Theory � that crime originates in, and can be controlled through, routine activities of everyday life. Theory offers a �new criminology� that breaks from media and political biases that often drive crime control efforts with recognition that crime is normal human behavior.

3. Key Features of the Routine Activity Theory Crime is a normal. Opportunity is a root cause of crime. Crime occurs in the the presence of temptations and absence of controls involving: Likely and motivated offenders. Suitable targets. Absence of capable guardians. Crime can be controlled socially/informally and naturally by decreasing temptations and increasing controls.

4. Main Points in Chapter 1: Fallacies About Crime Crime is less dramatic than it seems in the media. Be careful about your image of the criminal � don�t imagine as too ingenious, organized, evil, innocent. And, most importantly, don�t pretend criminals are �them� and you�re �us.� Remember � most people who talk about crime have some sort of agenda or axe to grind. Focus on crime itself, and not all the distractions. Look for ways to make criminology more, not less, objective.

5. 10 Fallacies of Crime Dramatic Fallacy Cops & Courts Fallacy Not-Me Fallacy Innocent Youth Fallacy Ingenuity Fallacy Organized Crime Fallacy Juvenile Gang Fallacy Welfare-State Fallacy Agenda Fallacy Whatever-You-Think Fallacy

6. Discussion Questions Which of these 10 fallacies about crime do you find difficult to resist? What sorts of information do you need to continually resist these fallacies? Why doesn�t everybody engage in crime? What stops you from committing crime?

7. Main Points in Chapter 2: The Chemistry for Crime A criminal act has 3 elements � likely offender, suitable target, and absence of guardian. A fight begins with an insult and escalates � often with alcohol and an audience. Peacemakers can quiet things and prevent escalation. Offender activities are most important for defining crime categories. Offenders �CRAVE� hot products and targets of violence for specific reasons. Opportunity is the root cause of crime.

8. The Importance of Setting �Settings� are where people converge or diverge to influence crime opportunities. Just as economists study markets, criminologists can study settings. �Settings are the central organizing feature of crime and its absence� (p. 21)

9. Chemistry for Crime Every crime has both a particular and a common chemistry. Chemistry for crime can be applied to: Predatory Crime Fights Illegal Markets

10. Three Elements of Crime A likely offender. A suitable target. The absence of a capable guardian against the offense.

11. Additional Important Crime Elements Props that help produce or prevent crime (e.g., weapons, tools) Camouflage that helps the offender avoid notice. Audience the offender wants to impress or intimidate.

12. Guardians: Peacemakers and Place Managers Ordinary citizens in usual roles can serve as guardians against crime. Examples: Homeowners and long-time renters Building superintendents and receptionists Bartenders, managers, owners Small-business persons and store managers Street Vendors Security People with focused responsibilities Park and playground supervisors Train station managers Bus Drivers

13. Hot Products Some products are stolen more often than others. In Hot Products, Clarke (1999) explains that certain goods are �craved� by thieves because they are: Concealable Removable Available Valuable Enjoyable Disposable

14. The Impact of Setting Setting influences how much the targets within them are �craved.� Features of setting that can influence desirability of targets and temptation v. controls: Access Entries and Exits Visability Value Inertia

15. Some Considerations Offender Motive: Criminal acts are often fueled by different motives (and different types of offenders) which can influence the types of targets they select. Important to remember � as motives shift, so do targets. Differences in human categories: Certain types of people are more/less likely to be offenders and victims at different times and situations. Theft of Heavy Items: The general retail value per pound rule is most applicable in urban areas. The weight of items increases the farther from the city and/or when item has wheels. Popularity: Crime rate trends depend on what�s popular among youth.

16. Where do Crimes Occur?The Social Ecology of Crime(from the work of Brantingham & Brantingham) Nodes: Settings that provide particular crime opportunities (homes, schools, workplaces, entertainment areas) Paths: Pathways between nodes offer crime opportunities and risks. Edges: Where two local areas touch crime is most risky. Edges are high crime areas (e.g., edges of campus).

17. Chemistry for Crime in a Nutshell Each crime has a particular and a common chemistry. Offenders are only one small element of crime. Within settings, presences, absences, entries, exits, value of targets, etc must be considered. Some settings favor one offense but not another. Illegal activities feed on routine legal activities. Everyday life organizes the type and amount of crime in society by more or less delivering temptations without controls. Opportunity is the root cause of crime.

18. Main Points in Chapter 3:Crime Decisions Offenders make decisions and respond to settings that limit their choices. Offenders freedom to decide is greater at some moments and lesser at others. Violent and sexual offenders can be explained by the routine activity theory � they make choices and even though their behavior may seem bizarre, it can be explained by usual developmental, cognitive, and behavioral processes.

19. Temptations versus Controls Everyday life delivers uneven temptations and controls. Crime is committed by people who are tempted more and controlled less. Studies show clearly that offenders are tempted and controlled by tangible factors in immediate settings. Can be understood through a modified utilitarian model � �principle of limited rationality� � the average person can�t keep everything in mind in weighing the consequences of committing a crime.

20. Self Control All human beings are weak and need some help with self control. Self control interacts with external controls and temptations � someone with low self control faced with low temptation and external controls may not be prone to crime.

21. Blame Paradox in assigning blame - the criminal justice system is founded on blame - people make personal choices to commit crime and should be held accountable. However, society delivers temptations and controls limiting (or not) criminal actions. Can be understood through the �Potato Chip Principle� � at some moments we have fewer choices than others � a person never has complete freedom or complete constraint, but the degree of constraint shifts by time, place, setting.

22. Self-Control Cues We�re all born weak and need reminders to stay out of trouble. Although those low in self-control tend to be more likely to commit crimes and to have many other problems, self control is not purely and individual trait. Better to think in terms of �assisted self-control� (p. 43) � reminders in various social settings.

23. Stigma and Crime Control Stigmatizing certain groups, people, geographical areas interferes with crome control. A stigma is not an environmental cue that tells something about crime or its control. We tend to use careless and ineffective stigmas that serve only to point fingers at someone other than ourselves. Felson says, �. . . Forget the stigmas or halos. Regard the people in your midst with a moderate dose of benign suspicion� (p. 44).

24. Violence as Rational If find out how an offenders think, will come to understand that all criminals use practical techniques in the context of routine activities when they commit crime. From Felson�s perspective, all violence is instrumental. The words �emotional� and �rational� are not opposites.

25. Everyday Roles and Crime Chances Married people and those living with family (and others) are less likely to be both offenders and victims. Despite the �family violence industry� (p. 48), people are safer at home. When a young person moves away from home, this turning point creates a greater chance of victimization. Association with delinquent friends can be an intoxicant. Thus, being around all others does not necessarily reduce crime chances.

26. Discussion Questions Thoughts on this theory of crime? Strengths/weaknesses of the theory? How will you go about conducting your analysis of the �chemistry for crime� in your neighborhood? Examples?

27. Term Project The purpose of the project is to apply the Routine Activity Theory by analyzing the �chemistry for crime� in your neighborhood. Final paper should directly address this theory and Felson�s work in the intro and discussion. See �Term Paper Grading Criteria� for details on what�s required/expected for each component of the project/paper.

28. Next Class Finish reading Crime & Everyday Life Lecture will focus on Chapters 9-11 on Environmental and Situational Crime Prevention and the observation/data collection strategies and recommendations you should be thinking about as you conduct your term project.