Rational choice theory, also known simply as choice theory, is the evaluation of a potential offender with a view to committing a crime. Choice theory is the belief that committing a crime is a rational decision, based on a cost-benefit analysis. The potential offender will weigh the costs of committing a particular crime: fines, jail time and imprisonment, against the benefits: money, status, adrenaline rush. Depending on which factors outweigh others, a criminal will decide to commit or refrain from committing a crime. This decision-making process makes committing a crime a rational choice. This theory can be used to explain why an offender decides to commit burglary, robbery, aggravated assault, or murder. It's 9 a.m. on a hot July morning. John Smith is dropped off near a wealthy neighborhood. He crawls down a side street and enters the backyard of a large house. John uses a lever he had hidden in his pants to open the door. Once inside, he heads upstairs. When he reaches the second floor, he finds the door to the master bedroom and enters to find the jewelry he came for. John takes the watches, bracelets, necklaces and rings and puts them in a small gym bag. He quickly turns around and when he leaves the room, he finds himself confronted by a teenage girl, who he knows is the daughter of the owner of the house. John makes a quick decision and hits the girl in the head with the lever and she falls to the ground. John now runs away from the house in panic. The above scenario can be explained by rational choice theory. It turns out that John is twenty years old and met the owner while working at a jewelry store in his local mall. He used the employer's computers to access the woman's personal information and discovered she was divorcing...... middle of paper ......e: season, neighborhood , age and economics will allow police departments to target areas. for the police presence. Overall, I feel that no single theory can explain all crimes. No two individuals are the same and cannot be grouped into a single category. Understanding all theories of crime as well as an overview of victimization will allow a police department to better develop crime prevention strategies. Works Cited Findlaw: Assault/Battery. Thomson Reuters, 2011. The web. May 7. 2011. Ciccarelli, Saundra and White, J. Noland. Psychology Second Edition. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, Inc. 2009. Print. Siegel, Larry J. Criminology: The Core Fourth Edition. Belmont: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning. 2008. Print.---. Criminal Justice Essentials, Seventh Edition. Belmont: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning. 2009. Print.