eory also notes that criminal offenses are related to the nature of everyday patterns of social interaction, and Cohen and Felson used their theory to examine the rise in crime between 1960 and 1980. They find that there was an increase in population during those years because of the baby boom generation, and so this meant there were both an excess number of motivated offenders and a larger number of suitable targets. Cohen and Felson show that crime is not just related to biological and psychological characteristics and not just to social or economic conditions but to situational factors giving rise to criminal opportunity. This theory has particular importance to crime prevention and to understanding the changing conditions and circumstances under which crime is committed ("Cohen & Felson's Routine Activities," 1999).
Strain theory assumes first that most people share similar values and aspirations, and it assumes that they do so because most children attend schools and churches tha
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