Routine Activity Theory

Abstract

Routine activity theory, first formulated by Lawrence E. Cohen and Marcus Felson (1979) and later developed by Felson, is one of the most widely cited and influential theoretical constructs in the field of criminology and in crime science more broadly. In contrast to theories of criminality, which are centered on the figure of the criminal and the psychological, biological, or social factors that motivated the criminal act, the focus of routine activity is the study of crime as an event, highlighting its relation to space and time and emphasizing its ecological nature and the implications thereof.In their initial formulation, Cohen and Felson postulated that changes in the structure of the patterns of daily activity of people in cities following World War II could explain the rise in crime that had occurred, according to leading studies at the time. Their hypothesis was that postmodernity had facilitated the convergence in space and time of likely offenders with the goal of committing crimes against suitable targets in the absence of capable guardians. From this they derived two apparently simple ideas with significant implications: first, that the opportunity for crime may depend on a configuration of distinct (though not disaggregated) elements of the aggressor or criminal; second, a correlate of the first, that the absence of either of the first two elements (aggressor and target) or the presence of the third (capable guardians) would be sufficient in itself to prevent a potential criminal event.Routine activity theory is, in short, an attempt to identify, at a macro-level, criminal activities and their patterns through explanation of changes in crime rate trends (Cohen & Felson, 1979). It is based on criminal events, on the distribution and grouping in space and time of the minimal elements that make them up, rather than on the search for offenders' motives, and it thus offers a frame of reference for concrete and individualized crime analysis and facilitates the application The Encyclopedia of Theoretical Criminology, First Edition. Edited by J. Mitchell Miller.

The Impact of Lockdown on Police Service Calls During the COVID-19 Pandemic in China

“… Cohen and Felson (1979) suggested that many traditional criminological theories had difficulty explaining the annual changes in crime rate trends after World War II. The theory views crime as an event, emphasizing its relation to space and time and its ecological process ( Miró, 2014 ), rather than focussing on the offender. Structural changes in routine activity patterns offer more opportunities for crime to take place and, Cohen and Felson (1979) argued, can influence crime rates when three elements converge in space and time.…”

A Time Series Analysis of Associations between Daily Temperature and Crime Events in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

“…In addition to demonstrating spatial patterns, crimes have been shown to have seasonal trends [7]. Based on criminological and psychological theory, there is reason to believe that seasonal trends may be related to temperature effects [8,9].…”

Understanding Domestic Violence in India During COVID-19: a Routine Activity Approach

“…A motivated offender is one who is both inclined and able to commit a crime (Felson and Cohen 1980). A suitable target is a person/object which can be threatened by the potential offender (Miro 2014). Lastly, a capable guardian is a person or a thing that can prevent or deter the potential criminal from acting on its evil intentions (Felson and Cohen 1980).…”