Welcome to CSS Breakdown: Book by Book — Season 2. This season, we're exploring Roger Hopkins Burke’s ‘An Introduction to Criminological Theory.’ In Episode 4, we take a closer look at contemporary rational actor theories, focusing on deterrence, rational choice, and routine activities theory — key frameworks that shape modern crime control strategies.

In this episode, we explore modern extensions of the Rational Actor Model—a group of theories that dominated criminological thinking in the 1970s and 1980s and continue to influence crime policy today.

We break down three major branches:

🔹 Deterrence Theory – emphasizing the certainty, swiftness, and severity of punishment as tools to prevent crime

🔹 Rational Choice Theory – seeing criminal behavior as a calculated decision where individuals weigh risks and rewards

🔹 Routine Activities Theory – arguing that crime happens when three elements align: a motivated offender, a suitable target, and a lack of capable guardianship

We’ll also examine real-world applications like situational crime prevention, and critically assess the limitations of these theories, especially their assumptions about rational decision-making among offenders.

Whether you’re a CSS candidate or a student of criminology, this episode unpacks essential frameworks for understanding crime in everyday environments—and how theory translates into policy.