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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
This 3 page paper provides basic information about this theory in the context of criminology. Examples are provided. Bibliography lists 4 sources.
Page Count:
3 pages (~225 words per page)
File: RT13_SA713rat.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
and think about what they are doing (Siegel 107). Unlike theories that blame the parents, or blame the larger society, RCT or rational choice theory blames the criminal for his
acts. With this theory, it is assumed that the offender stands to benefit by his behavior and thus sees criminals as those who make decisions based on risks and benefits
("Rational Choice Theory"). Under the RCT model, offenders make choices but these are limited by the criminals cognitive function and time constraints ("Rational Choice Theory"). Some criminals are brilliant and
rational like Jeffrey Dahmer and Albert DeSalvo, but others are simple. For instance, in the well known Rabbi murder trial that took place in New Jersey, one of the contract
killers was simple minded. After he received a small amount of money from the Rabbi, he even threw it up in the air just as a child might. So of
course, while the rational actor is thinking, the thinking may not appear so rational. That is because it is limited in scope and aligned with the criminals actual cognitive function.
Also, some theorists see the decision making in terms of committing crime differently at different stages ("Rational Choice Theory"). It is important to look at the thinking process in
the planning stages as well as during a later involvement in an offence ("Rational Choice Theory"). Shover & Hochstetler explain that rational choice theory is something that had at some
point gained dominance in terms of crime theory (3). Yet, it had always been applied to street crime as opposed to the white collar variety (Shover & Hochstetler 3). Indeed,
there is a difference. This is not to say that general crime theory cannot be applied to white collar crime, but that there are differences. For example, authors say: "There
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