SOC 2700 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Dead Bolt, Deterrence Theory, Crime Prevention

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOC 2700
• Professor: Stephanie Howells

Document Summary

Rational choice theory: argue that we understand the laws but some of us choose to break those laws and some of us choose not. In order to work, punishment has to be effective. Incapacitation effect: removing their crime for a short period of time: put person in jail for dealing drugs for 30 days but then let them out, will go back to dealing drugs. Cohen and felson routine activities theory: motivated offender, don"t focus a lot on. In order to have a crime you need a motivated offender: suitable target, the thing in which the crime is going to be committed (thing, home, person, lack of guardian. Individuals rarely leave the home with the intention of committing a crime. Instead individuals are motivated to commit the crime: the more vulnerable/suitable the target, the more likely for crime to occur, there has to be the absence of a guardian.