Scenario Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Scenario - Essay Example Before people commit crimes they have weighed the benefits and consequences of the act and since the teenage boy cannot find other better ways of satisfying his wants, so chooses burglary. Some of the components of the theory are free will which means that the offender (the teenage boy in our case) commits a crime willingly (Akers & Sellers 20). Expected utility principle implies that human beings tend to act, in a way, increases their benefits and satisfies their wants. This theory suitably explains the act of the teenage boy. He chooses burglary at his own will, and the purpose of the acts was to satisfy his want of getting a nice car and clothes so that he may get a girl. He had the option of finishing high schooling and getting a job but instead he, at his own will, choose to commit the crimes instead. The rational choice theory suggests that a crime is committed after the offender has carefully weighed the cost and benefits of the act (Akers & Sellers 30). As an explanation to criminal acts, this theory is valid because, for one, the offender commits a crime to achieve a certain personal goal like satisfying a human want and, therefore, before breaking the law he has to weigh and see if the goal is worth the consequences in case he is caught. Secondly, the theory states that offenders are self-interested, and they freely choose their behavior. This is true because being rational; a person cannot be forced to do something he thinks is not right. According to this theory, potential offenders can be persuaded to desist from committing a crime by increasing the fear of punishment. Since the crime is based on rational decisions made after analyzing the pros and cons of the act, increase the level of consequence can deter many offenders from committing crimes because the consequences will overweigh the benefits. In addition, this theory suggests that’s