Rational Choice Theory Essay

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Historically the scientific study of the causes of delinquency and crime has been guided by theory. In criminology the study of why people commit crime is very important. Numerous theories have been developed over the years to explain criminal behavior, and they continue to be explored, individually and in combination, as criminologists seek the best solutions in ultimately reducing types and levels of crime. Some of the essential theories include: rational choice theory, social disorganization theory, social learning theory, and labeling theory. In this paper, I am going to provide a detailed explanation on how these theories explain why people engage in criminal activities.
Rational choice theory views man as a reasoning actor who weighs means and ends, costs and benefits, and makes a rational choice. It’s an approach used by social scientists to understand human behavior. …show more content…
They are built for crime, they learn beliefs that are satisfactory to crime, and are exposed to criminal models. In their minds crime is viewed as something that is desirable or at least justifiable in certain situations. Family members as well as peers have a large impact on what we learn however, one does not have to be in direct contact with others to learn from them. One may learn to engage in violence from observation of others in the media. There are three mechanisms by which individuals learn to engage in crime: differential reinforcement, beliefs, and modeling. Social learning theory has much support and is perhaps the dominant theory of crime today. Data indicate that the people one associates with have a significant impact on whether one engages in crime or not and that this impact is partly explained by the effect these people have on one's beliefs in regards to crime, the reinforcements and punishments one receives, as well as the models one is exposed
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