Crime Prevention and Criminological Theory
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Abstract
The aim of most criminological theories (like the theories of most of the social sciences) is to explain and/or predict (e.g. criminality or criminal events) by the use of a few key indicators. These theories are, of course, scientifically important and help us to develop our thinking about crime. Among the many criminological theories that are, or have been, popular in recent years are social learning, disorganization, control, self-control, rational choice, routine activity, lifestyle, labeling, rationalization theory.
For the practitioner (e.g. administrator, CP-coordinator), however, these theories are of a limited value. Since individual theories reflect only a fraction of the reality the practitioner encounters in everyday life, and even the experts can’t agree about what to do, why bother with a theory?
This paper is an attempt to present a framework where key concepts of important theories have been brought together in a model to facilitate the understanding of how theoretical concepts can be organized to form a coherent framework. In this framework, various crime prevention activities, their chains of implementation and their consequences can be analyzed and better understood by practitioners.
The merits, drawbacks and prospects of the situational and social crime prevention strategies are then discussed with reference to the work of the Brantinghams and Ekbloms “Proximal Circumstances” article.
For the practitioner (e.g. administrator, CP-coordinator), however, these theories are of a limited value. Since individual theories reflect only a fraction of the reality the practitioner encounters in everyday life, and even the experts can’t agree about what to do, why bother with a theory?
This paper is an attempt to present a framework where key concepts of important theories have been brought together in a model to facilitate the understanding of how theoretical concepts can be organized to form a coherent framework. In this framework, various crime prevention activities, their chains of implementation and their consequences can be analyzed and better understood by practitioners.
The merits, drawbacks and prospects of the situational and social crime prevention strategies are then discussed with reference to the work of the Brantinghams and Ekbloms “Proximal Circumstances” article.
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Articles
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Authors retain copyright of their work, with first publication rights granted to the Association for Learning Technology.
Please see Copyright and Licence Agreement for further details.
