Crime Reduction - Helping to Reduce Crime in Your Area

Routine Activity Theory (RAT)

1. Background

Routine Activity Theory (RAT) is one of the main theories of "environmental criminology". It was developed by criminologists Lawrence Cohen and Marcus Felson, who have worked for a number of years on crime prevention theory. RAT states that for a predatory crime to occur, 3 elements must be present when any crime is committed. RAT incorporates the crime triangle, sometimes referred to as the "problem analysis triangle" (PAT).

2. Features

RAT states that when a crime occurs, 3 things happen at the same time and in the same space:

• a suitable target is available

• there is the lack of a suitable guardian to prevent the crime from happening

• a likely and motivated offender is present.

A Suitable Target

The first condition for crime is that a suitable target must be available. The word target has been chosen carefully, rather than other words such as victim.

There are 3 major categories of target. A target can either be:

• a person

• an object

• a place.

There are plenty of potential targets around us, but not all of them are suitable. Two acronyms are sometimes used to describe suitable targets:

1. VIVA: Value, Inertia, Visibility, Access

2. CRAVED: Concealable, Removable, Available, Valuable, Enjoyable, Disposable.

Targets may also be repeat targets.

No matter how suitable a target is, an offence will not occur unless a capable guardian is absent and a likely offender is present.

Absence of a Capable Guardian

The second condition is that a capable guardian whose presence would discourage a crime from taking place must be absent.

A capable guardian has a 'human element', that is usually a person that by their mere presence would deter potential offenders from perpetrating an act.  A capable guardian could also be CCTV, providing that someone is monitoring it at the other end of the camera.  

Some examples of capable guardians:

• police patrols

• security guards

• Neighbourhood Watch schemes

• doorstaff

• vigilant staff and co-workers

• friends

• neighbours

• Close Circuit Television (CCTV) systems

Some of the guardians are formal and deliberate, like security guards; some are informal and inadvertent, such as neighbours.

It is also possible for a guardian to be present, but ineffective. For example a CCTV camera is not a capable guardian if it is set up or sited wrongly. Staff might be present in a shop, but may not have sufficient training or awareness to be an effective deterrent.

Likely Offenders

When a suitable target is unprotected by a capable guardian there is a chance that a crime will take place. The final element in this picture is that a likely offender has to be present.

RAT looks at crime from an offender’s point of view. A crime will only be committed if a likely offender thinks that a target is suitable and a capable guardian is absent. It is their assessment of a situation that determines whether a crime will take place.

3. Crime Triangle (also called Problem Analysis Triangle PAT)

RAT introduces an important tool in crime analysis, the crime triangle (which has also been called the problem analysis triangle (PAT)).  In the past the Crime Reduction Centre has presented these 2 triangles separately with PAT being used in the analysis of a crime problem (victim, location, offender) and RAT use to develop the interventions (target/victim, location and absence of a capable guardian).  The latest formulation of the crime triangle sees a combination of the 2 helping to think about responses as well as analysis.

 

4.  Further Reading

Clarke, R.V. and Eck, J (2003) Becoming a Problem-Solving Crime Analyst. Jill Dando Institute of Crime Science. London: University College London
http://www.jdi.ucl.ac.uk/publications/other_publications/55steps 

Clarke, R. V. and M. Felson (Eds.) (1993). Routine Activity and Rational Choice. Advances in Criminological Theory, Vol 5. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Books.

Cohen, L. E. and M. Felson(1979). Social change and crime rate trends: a routine activity approach. American Sociological Review, Vol 44, Pages 588-608.

Felson, M. (1997). Technology, business, and crime. In Felson, M. and R.V. Clarke. Business and Crime Prevention. Monsey, NY: Criminal Justice Press.

Felson, M. (1998). Crime and Everyday Life, Second Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press.

Felson, M. and R.V. Clarke (1998). Opportunity Makes the Thief . Police Research Series, Paper 98. Policing and Reducing Crime Unit, Research, Development and Statistics Directorate.. London: Home Office.
www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/prgpdfs/fprs98.pdf PDF 416 Kb

 

Last update: 20 July 2004