Wortley, Richard: A Revised Situational crime prevention Theory

Justin A. Heinonen

The theory and practice of situational crime prevention has evolved since its earliest version that first appeared nearly 30 years ago. Much of the pioneering work and many of the subsequent developments of the theory are credited to the extensive scholarship of Ronald V. Clarke. However, several other scholars, such as Richard Wortley, have also played a pivotal role in extending situational crime prevention. Specifically, Wortley's work on situational precipitators represents a major theoretical and practical extension of situational crime prevention. A brief discussion of rational choice theory and Clarke's version of situational crime prevention is necessary to provide some theoretical grounding for Wortley's later work on situational precipitators. Broadly, situational crime prevention tries to reduce crime by making highly specific crime opportunities seem unattractive to potential offenders. The idea that some situations are perceived to offer “better” opportunities for committing crime suggests that offenders are active decision makers who ...

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