ABSTRACT
The 1980s brought about an increased emphasis in understanding the ways offenders contemplate and decide to commit crime. This renewed emphasis on exploring the notion of strategic thinking and decision making among offenders changed the way academics and policymakers thought about crime and criminality. At the forefront of this movement was Derek Cornish and Ronald Clarke's (1986) edited collection, The Reasoning Criminal. Here, and elsewhere, they argued the importance of using a “rational choice” perspective to understand offenders' involvement in specific forms of crime and ways they commit discrete criminal acts (see also Clarke and Cornish 1985; Cornish and Clarke 2008). One reason the rational choice approach was so well received was that its advocates found a way to incorporate the writings and ideas of scholars from a variety of academic backgrounds and interests. Equally appealing was the emphasis on criminal behavior as a byproduct of reasoned action on the part of the offender, which offered those tasked with preventing crime actionable suggestions for developing effective crime control policies. In the climate of “nothing works” to deter crime, giving clear and effective policy was welcomed.
