25 Techniques
Definition
Ronald Clarke's classification of situational crime prevention methods into 25 specific techniques organised under five mechanisms: increasing effort, increasing risk, reducing rewards, reducing provocations, and removing excuses. The classification has been revised several times; the 2003 version is the most cited.
- Author
- Ronald Clarke
- Field
- Situational crime prevention
- Structure
- 25 techniques under 5 mechanisms
- Mechanisms
- Effort, risk, rewards, provocations, excuses
- Most-cited version
- 2003 revision
Common questions
What is an example of a technique that falls under increasing effort?+
Target hardening measures such as better locks, security screens, or vehicle immobilisers, which make committing the offence physically harder for an offender.
Why was the original classification expanded over time?+
Research showed the original list, focused mainly on physical opportunity, did not account for psychological and social triggers of offending, so mechanisms like reducing provocations and removing excuses were added in later revisions.
Related terms
- CPTED
- Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design. An applied design discipline using natural surveillance (sightlines, lighting), territorial reinforcement (ownership cues), natural access control (barriers,...
- Crime Script Analysis
- A method developed by Derek Cornish that maps the sequential steps an offender must complete to commit a particular crime type, from...
- Diffusion of Benefits
- The spread of crime-reduction effects beyond the area or targets directly covered by an intervention. Offenders uncertain about the extent of a...
- Displacement
- The relocation of crime following a prevention intervention. Can take five forms: territorial (to another place), temporal (to another time), target (to...
- Opportunity Structure
- The set of environmental, social, and product conditions that make specific crimes more or less easy to commit. Situational prevention works by...