NOT JUST FOR THE THRILL OF IT - AN INSTRUMENTALIST ELABORATION OF KATZS EXPLANATION OF SNEAKY THRILL PROPERTY CRIMES

In his controversial challenge to criminologists, Jack Katz argues for a reexamination of situational factors that precipitate criminal acts , specifically those that concern crime's sensual dynamics. According to Katz, people's immediate social environment and experiences encoura ge offenders to construct crimes as sensually compelling. Although ins ightful, I suggest that this thesis is limited, specifically as it app lies to ''sneaky thrill'' property crime. Katz's emphasis on the entic ements of theft, at the expense of other variables, negates a consider able body of research and leaves a theoretical hiatus that encourages explanations grounded in individual pathology. I suggest a revision of Katz's approach that addresses these concerns. I test this reformulat ion with models of various stages of sneaky thrill theft The results o f this analysis affirm that the seduction of theft has an important in strumentalist component and is influenced by several background factor s, namely, age, gender, and the strain associated with inadequate econ omic opportunities.