<Tr> <Td> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> <P> In criminology, rational choice theory adopts a utilitarian belief that man is a reasoning actor who weighs means and ends, costs and benefits, and makes a rational choice . This method was designed by Cornish and Clarke to assist in thinking about situational crime prevention . It is assumed that crime is purposive behavior designed to meet the offender's commonplace needs for such things as money, status, sex and excitement, and that meeting these needs involves the making of (sometimes quite rudimentary) decisions and choices, constrained as these are by limits, ability, and the availability of relevant information...</P> <P> Rational choice is based on numerous assumptions, one of which is individualism . The offender sees himself as an individual . The second is that individuals have to maximize their goals, and the third is that individuals are self - interested . Offenders are thinking about themselves and how to advance their personal goals . Central points of the theory are described as follows: </P>

Rational choice theory is rooted in the classical school of criminology developed by