Answer:
Crime rates increased because the necessary conditions for it appeared during these decades: a likely offender, a suitable target, and lack of guardianship.
Explanation:
Lawrence Cohen and Marcus Felson developed a theory of crime opportunity called "routine activity theory". According to this theory, crime is not necessarily a byproduct of social issues like poverty or unemployment. The researchers noted that crime increased the most during the post-war economic boom (between 1960 and 1980), which runs counter to the popular notion that poverty and inequality are the main causes of criminal behavior.
Instead, <u>Cohen and Felson argue that when the elements that enable crime all appear at the same place and time, it is more likely to occur. These conditions are: a likely offender, a suitable target, and lack of guardianship</u>. The economic prosperity of the post-war years set the foundations for the soaring crime rates: criminals had more tools at their disposition to commit crimes, like access to guns and getaway vehicles; changes in lifestyle led to more people (including women) entering into the workforce and leading riskier lives, while increased material prosperity made them more inviting targets; and finally, the absence of enough deterrents (such as guardianship provided by an object or another person).
