Marcus Felson is a criminologist known for developing the routine activity theory, which explains how crime occurs when a motivated offender meets a suitable target without capable guardianship.
Early Life and Education
Marcus Felson was born in the United States and became one of the most influential criminologists of the late 20th century. While details about his early life remain limited in public records, his academic journey reflects a strong commitment to understanding crime through a unique lens. Unlike many criminologists who focused on social structures, psychology, or individual pathology, Felson took a different approach—examining how crime opportunities arise in everyday life. This perspective would later shape his most famous contribution to criminology: routine activity theory. His work has had a lasting impact on crime prevention strategies and the study of environmental criminology.
Felson pursued higher education at the University of Michigan, where he earned his Ph.D. in sociology. During his doctoral studies, he became increasingly interested in crime patterns and how they relate to routine human activities. Rather than focusing on the criminal mind or deep-rooted social issues, he explored the circumstances that make crime more likely to occur. This innovative approach laid the foundation for his groundbreaking research. His academic background in sociology helped him see crime as a social phenomenon influenced by daily routines, environmental conditions, and opportunity structures. This departure from offender-based theories marked a shift in criminological thinking, influencing both researchers and policymakers.
After completing his Ph.D., Felson embarked on a career that would redefine aspects of environmental criminology, a field that examines how physical and social environments influence criminal behavior. He introduced new ways of thinking about crime prevention, arguing that reducing crime doesn’t always require changing criminals themselves but instead altering the conditions that make crime possible. His academic and professional work centered on developing practical crime prevention strategies, particularly those that reduce opportunities for crime through situational measures. Over the years, his research gained recognition, and his theories became widely applied in urban planning, policing, and security policies worldwide.
Routine Activity Theory
Felson is best known for formulating routine activity theory (RAT), a concept he introduced in the late 1970s along with criminologist Lawrence Cohen. This theory focuses on how everyday activities create opportunities for crime. Unlike traditional criminological theories that emphasize offenders’ psychological or social backgrounds, RAT shifts the focus to crime opportunities within daily routines.
The Three Key Elements of Crime
Felson and Cohen argued that crime occurs when three elements converge in time and space:
- A Motivated Offender – A person willing to commit a crime.
- A Suitable Target – A person, object, or place vulnerable to victimization.
- The Absence of a Capable Guardian – A person or security measure that could prevent the crime, such as police, neighbors, or security cameras.
If any of these elements are missing, a crime is less likely to happen. For example, an unlocked car (suitable target) in an isolated parking lot (no capable guardian) increases the risk of theft if a motivated offender is nearby.
Impact on Crime Prevention
Felson’s work has had a major influence on crime prevention strategies. By emphasizing how criminal opportunities arise, his theory encourages practical measures to reduce crime through situational crime prevention. This approach includes:
- Increasing surveillance (e.g., security cameras, neighborhood watch programs).
- Hardening targets (e.g., stronger locks, anti-theft devices).
- Reducing opportunities (e.g., better street lighting, access control).
His ideas have helped shape crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED), a strategy that modifies physical environments to deter crime.
Applications in Modern Criminology
Routine activity theory has been widely applied in various fields, including cybercrime, terrorism, and urban crime prevention. Criminologists and policymakers use Felson’s framework to design safer communities by addressing factors that create criminal opportunities.
For example, cybercrime follows the same RAT principles: hackers (motivated offenders) target weak passwords or unsecured networks (suitable targets) when there is no strong cybersecurity (capable guardianship).
Noteworthy Publications
Marcus Felson has authored several influential books and reports that have shaped criminology, particularly in environmental and situational crime prevention. His works emphasize the role of opportunity in crime and provide practical insights for reducing criminal activity.
Crime and Everyday Life (1994, multiple editions)
This is Felson’s most well-known book, where he presents routine activity theory in an accessible and practical way. He explains how everyday actions create opportunities for crime and suggests methods to prevent it. The book has been widely used in criminology courses, law enforcement, and urban planning.
Crime and Nature (2006)
In this book, Felson explores the natural patterns of crime, drawing from ecology and biology. He compares criminal behaviors to those found in nature, arguing that environmental factors influence crime just as they shape animal behaviors. This book expands routine activity theory by linking it to scientific principles from the natural world.
Opportunity Makes the Thief (1998)
This influential report, published by the UK Home Office, emphasizes that opportunity is a major driver of crime. Felson argues that preventing crime often depends more on reducing opportunities than changing criminals’ motivations. This work has played a significant role in the development of situational crime prevention strategies.
Crime and Everyday Life: A Brief Introduction (2015, with Rachel Boba Santos)
This book is a condensed and updated version of Crime and Everyday Life, co-authored with criminologist Rachel Boba Santos. It presents practical crime prevention strategies in a simplified format, making it popular among students, law enforcement professionals, and policymakers.
Introduction to Criminological Theory (2018, with Mary A. Tillyer)
Felson co-authored this book with Mary A. Tillyer to provide a broad overview of criminological theories. It covers classical criminology, routine activity theory, and modern situational approaches, making it a useful resource for criminology students and researchers.
Felson’s Broader Influence
Felson’s contributions go beyond his individual works. His theories have shaped research on urban crime, policing strategies, cybercrime, and crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED). His focus on crime as an opportunity-driven event has influenced how criminologists, law enforcement agencies, and urban planners approach crime reduction.
Felson’s research continues to impact the field of criminology, offering practical, theory-driven solutions to crime prevention and public safety.
[ Glossary ]
Last Modified: 02/27/2025