ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the contribution that psychology makes to crime science by providing models of human behaviour that can guide the design of crime-prevention strategies. Three types of crime prevention are presented – developmental, situational and therapeutic – along with a discussion of the psychological theories that underpin them and evidence for the effectiveness of each approach. It is concluded that all three approaches can claim some success in preventing crime. However, it is argued that situational prevention offers the most direct, immediate and doable strategies for reducing crime, and for that reason tends to be prioritised in crime science.
