• a criminology theory that sets forth the
premise that crime occurs because of
opportunity. According to routine activity
theory, crime requires only a motivated
offender, an appealing target and the lack
of capable protection for the target. The
theory declines sociological causes of crime
(Felson and Cohen, 1979)
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First Published in 1979
Published by Marcus Felson and Lawrence
E. Cohen
Extension of Rational Choice Theory
(Felson and Cohen, 1979)
Created In Response to Positive Economic
Climate with High Crime
(Miller, 2006:82)
Marcus Felson
Lawrence Cohen
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Primary interest: Crime ecology
Professor of Criminal Justice at
Rutgers University
Active researcher: 1972 – present
Born in 1947
(Rutgers, 2011)
Primary interest: Delinquency
 Active researcher : 1975 – 2006
 Professor of Sociology at University
of California – Davis
 (UC-Davis, 2011)

Motivated Offender
 Absence of Capable Guardian
 Suitable Target
 (Felson and Cohen, 1979)

Capable and willing to commit crime
 Motivation of need or excitement
 Perhaps has nothing to lose
 Rewards greater than consequences
 (Burke, 2009)
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People or objects that deter crime
Police
Dog
Neighborhood Watch
Alarm system
Locking devices
(Burke, 2009)
“Routine Activity” deters crime
(Felson, 1994)
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Person or object of interest
(Burke, 2009)
Value – value of the target to offender
Inertia – tangible ability to move
Visibility – offender has knowledge of target
Accessibility – access to target and route of
escape for offender
(Miller, 2006:82)
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Convergence of:
› a motivated offender,
› inadequate guardian,
› and a suitable target
 at
the same place and time
 (Akers, 2004: 33)
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(Center for Problem-Oriented Policing, 2008)
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Key to “environmental criminology”
Utilizes Routine Activities Theory
Each component of the R.A.T. triad is acted
on by an agent
Each “agent” has specific tools (physical
and knowledge)
One “agent” can fulfill multiple roles
(Center for Problem-Oriented Policing,
2011)
 Music
Piracy & Copyright Violations
› Offender is motivated by desire for music
› Digital media is poorly protected
› Media is in itself a suitable target
 Desirability
 Low chance of being caught
(“brandomocha”, 2009)
Offender is capable of committing the
crime
 There is no guardian for the vehicle
except the security camera
 Vehicle is visible and accessible. Items in
vehicle have necessary inertia and value
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(Boca Raton Police Department, 2008)
Offender likely feels rewards greater than
potential consequences
 Bank policies limit capabilities of otherwise
“capable” guardian
 Cash is universally valuable and very mobile
 Bank is a visible and accessible target
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(Cornelisse, 2008)
Offender is motivated by personal
satisfaction
 Security measures for signs are not strong
enough
 Target provides amusement (value) and is
accessible through an electronic
communication system. Inertia is not a
factor
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(Kaxi Productions, 2009)
Offender is motivated by prospect of a
“high”
 Individual’s inhibitions seem insufficient to
stop deviance
 No other guardians present
 Target is an intangible construct, a “high”,
therefore it is as accessible as the drug

Definition for “motivated offender” too
broad
 Criminal intent not specified
 Any component missing prevents crime
 (Akers, 2004: 33)
 Blames victim
 (Miller, 2006: 87)
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How does the theory describe violent
crime?
 What can be learned from the theory?
 How do we create a “capable” guardian?
 Is it useful beyond property crime?

Akers, Ronald L. 2004. Criminological
Theories: Introduction, Evaluation, and
Application. 4th edition. Los Angeles,
California: Roxbury Publishing Company.
 Boca Raton Police Department. 2008.
“Bank Robbery”. Retrieved 9 April 2011
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVha
qoelqFg]

“brandomocha”. 2009. “Car burglary
caught on surveillance camera in Los
Angeles”. Retrieved 9 April 2011
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EphMtqOq4]
 Burke, T. 2009. Routine Activity Theory. In
Janet K. Wilson (Ed.), The Praeger
Handbook of Victimology, (pp. 232-233).
Santa Barbara, California: Praeger.

Center for Problem-Oriented Policing. 2011.
“A Theory of Crime Problems”. Retrieved 13
April 2011
[http://www.popcenter.org/learning/pam/
help/theory.cfm]
 Cornelisse, Max. 2008. Hacking the Highway
Traffic Signs. Retrieved 8 April 2011
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32JgS
JYpL8o]

Felson, Marcus. 1979. Social Change and
Crime Rate Trends: A Routine Activities
Approach. American Sociological Review,
44:588-608. Retrieved 8 April 2011
[http://www.jstor.org/stable/2094589]
 Felson, Marcus. 1994. Crime and Everyday
Life. Insight and Implications for Society.
Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press.

Kaxi Productions. 2009. “How to Roll a
Joint”. Retrieved 11 April 2011
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EplUQ
tPmj8g]
 Miller, J. Mitchell, Christopher J. Schreck,
and Richard Tewksbury. 2006.
Criminological Theory: A Brief Introduction.
Boston: Pearson/Allyn & Bacon

Rutgers University - Newark. 2011. “Marcus
Felson, CV”. Retrieved 12 April 2011
[http://www.newark.rutgers.edu/rscj/faculty
/felson.html]
 University of California – Davis. 2011. “Larry
Cohen, Department of Sociology”.
Retrieved 12 April 2011
[http://sociology.ucdavis.edu/people/fzlarr
y]
