Rational choice theory

Reflection paper on rational choice theory and it’s relation to crime. An example of an infamous criminal and how rational choice theory was a factor is needed in the essay.

Rational Choice Theory

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Rational Choice Theory

The rational choice theory is a theory used in crime prevention and understanding the motivations behind criminal acts. The theory postulates that criminals usually commit a crime when they feel that the risk for punishment is lesser than the reward or benefit that they will gain by committing the act of crime (Pratt, 2008). The rational choice theory seems to incline on the idea that criminal acts usually have a rationale, and that where the risk of punishment or getting caught is higher than the reward, a criminal will not commit the act of crime. If this was the case in all instances, then the rational choice theory can be used to minimize criminal activity (Gul, 2009). Severe punishments and deterrents to crime, as well as understanding the potential motives of criminals, are important in the usage of the theory to minimize crime. Reducing the rate of crime would mean ensuring that the risk of punishment is higher than the perceived reward of committing the crime.

The rational choice theory is related to the deterrence theory, which posits that when a criminal perceives the potential risk of arrest and punishment that he or she faces as harsher and not equitable to the potential reward for committing a crime, he or she will not commit the crime (Pratt, 2008). Deterrence theory posits that only the fear of arrest and incarceration deters criminals from committing a crime. The actions of Aileen Wuornos, who was America’s first female serial killer, can be analyzed using the rational choice theory. While many people argue that her actions can be explained using the social conflict theory (Taylor 2019), which states that criminals are born and not made, it can be argued that she killed the seven men in Central Florida after considering a rationale. She claimed that the men had attempted to rape her and that she acted in self-defense. If this was true, then she may have weighed the reward of protecting herself from the men against the risk of being incarcerated afterwards. She may have considered the reward of not getting raped as worth going to prison or being punished for.

References

Gul, S. (2009). An evaluation of the rational choice theory in criminology. Girne American University Journal of Social and Applied Science, 4(8), 36-44.

Pratt, T. C. (2008). Rational choice theory, crime control policy, and criminological relevance. Criminology & Pub. Pol’y, 7, 43.

Taylor, Sarah Ashley. (Re-) Framing ‘the monster’: De-Constructing the (re) presentation of serial killer Aileen Wuornos. Diss. University of Central Lancashire, 2019.