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[[File:Routine activity theory.png|thumb|300px|A graphical model of the routine activity theory. The theory stipulates three necessary conditions for most crime; a likely offender, a suitable target, and the absence of a capable guardian, coming together in time and space. The lack of any of the three elements is sufficient to prevent a crime which requires offender-victim contact.]]
'''Routine activity theory''' is a sub-field of [[crime opportunity theory]] that focuses on situations of crimes. It was first proposed by [[Marcus Felson]] and [[Lawrence E. Cohen]] in their explanation of crime rate changes in the United States between 1947 and 1974.<ref name="Cohen Felson Social Change and Crime Rate Trends">{{cite journal |last1=Cohen |first1=Lawrence E. |last2=Felson |first2=Marcus |title=Social Change and Crime Rate Trends: A Routine Activity Approach |journal=American Sociological Review |date=1979 |volume=44 |issue=4 |pages=588–608 |doi=10.2307/2094589 |jstor=2094589 |oclc=9964473170 }}</ref> The theory has been extensively applied and has become one of the most cited theories in criminology. Unlike criminological theories of criminality, routine activity theory studies crime as an event, closely relates crime to its environment and emphasizes its ecological process,<ref name="Encyclopedia of Theoretical Criminology"/><ref name="Thomas Jeong Wolff Testing Routine Activity Theory">{{cite journal |last1=Thomas |first1=Christopher |last2=Jeong |first2=Jinuk |last3=Wolff |first3=Kevin T |title=Testing Routine Activity Theory: Behavioural Pathways Linking Temperature to Crime |url= https://www.researchgate.net/publication/387118615_Testing_Routine_Activity_Theory_Behavioural_Pathways_Linking_Temperature_to_Crime|journal=The British Journal of Criminology |date=16 December 2024 |doi=10.1093/bjc/azae091 }}</ref> thereby diverting academic attention away from mere offenders.
After [[World War II]], the economy of Western countries started to boom and the Welfare states were expanding. Despite this, crime rose significantly during this time. According to Felson and Cohen, the reason for the increase is that the prosperity of contemporary society offers more opportunities for crime to occur. For example, the use of automobiles, on one hand, enables offenders to move more freely to conduct their violations and, on the other hand, provide more targets for theft. Other social changes such as college enrollment, female labor participation, urbanization, suburbanization, and lifestyles all contribute to the supply of opportunities and, subsequently, the occurrence of crime.<ref name="Cohen Felson Social Change and Crime Rate Trends"/>
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