Criminology can be defined as the empirical study of the nature, magnitude, causation, and prevention of criminality (Siegel, 2014). Throughout the history of criminology a number of theories have been proposed in order to determine the cause of crime. The aim of this essay is to apply the social structure, rational choice and trait theories to a recent criminal event as well as critically analyse the developmental theory. Part I On Monday September 1 2014 at approximately 10:30am, three men dressed as construction workers attempted to rob a woman of a large amount of cash outside a money exchange business on John Street Cabramatta, New South Wales (Morri & Pogson, 2014). The culprits included suspended Senior Constable Ashur Oshana, Phillip Truong and Jamal Tashman (Morri & Pogson, 2014). One possible cause for the aforementioned robbery can be accredited to the social structure theory. The social structure theory states that the causation of crime can be attributed to one's socioeconomic status, where the frustration of financial inequality and poverty forces residents of the lower class to commit crime (Siegel, 2014). Two important focal points of the social structure theory are the social disorganisation and strain theories which can be closely linked to the robbery in Cabramatta. The social disorganisation theory connects crimes rates to neighbourhood ecology, where impoverished neighbourhoods such as Cabramatta experience higher crime rates due to a lack of communal bonding, family and support social, and employment (Siegel , 2014). According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS; 2011) Cabramatta has an unemployment rate of 13.9% and of its families 28.9% are single-parent households. The social disorganisation theory is therefore a likely cause for the crime mentioned above as Cancino, Martinez, and Stowell (1999) state that "residential instability is positively associated with all types of robbery" (p. 22). Another division of the social structure theory which provides support for the cause of the Cabramatta robbery is the strain theory. The strain theory states that lower class residents experience strain as their financial circumstances hinder the ability to achieve personal goals and therefore the only way to fulfil these objectives is through criminal activity (Siegel, 2014). As mentioned in the Cabramatta robbery case, Ashur Oshana was on suspension from his job as senior constable in the New South Wales police force (Morri & Pogson, 2014). It is therefore conceivable that Oshana was experiencing pressure at having no means of regular income. Although the occupations of Phillip Truong and Jamal Tashman were not reported, it is reasonable to assume they too were experiencing financial stress as the median personal income in Cabramatta is only $325 per week (ABS, 2011), and hence the culprits may have seen robbery as a quick and easy fix for their financial burdens. Although the social disorganisation and strain theories provide strong support for the social structure theory as the cause of the aforesaid crime, it is not the only criminological theory that can be applied to this case. The rational choice theory argues that crime is the product of precise planning, and the possible criminal will weigh up the pros and cons, such as reward and the seriousness of potential punishment before committing a crime (Siegel, 2014). This theory provides plausible evidence for the aforesaid crime as it was reported that the robbery was carefully planned (Morri & Pogson, 2014). Police had been monitoring the men's actions three days prior to the event and found that they were disguises whilst committing the crime (Morri & Pogson, 2014). This elaborate planning and the hour at which the robbery occurred can be attributed to the rational choice theory as Siegel (2014) argues that criminal behav