Abstract
Routine activity/lifestyle theories have been used to explain temporal changes in crime rates, the social ecology of crime, and individuals' risks of criminal victimization. Using a panel of 33,773 individuals and 19,005 households at two points in time, the current study extends previous research by examining whether changes in lifestyles are associated with changes in individuals' risks of personal and property victimization. Changes in lifestyles which signal greater target visibility or exposure to motivated offenders (greater daytime and nighttime activity outside the home) and reduced guardianship (decreases in the number of household members) are generally associated with increased risks of both types of victimization. Persons who maintained high levels of nighttime activity outside the household were also more likely to remain victims at both time periods. However, “active” lifestyle changes (increased precautionary actions) did not have their expected impact on reducing victimization risks, and several other changes over time also were inconsistent with expectations. The paper concludes with a discussion of the role of “passive” and “active” lifestyle changes on victimization risks and the implications of our findings for developing sociological theories of criminal victimization.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alba, R. (1987). Interpreting the parameters of log-linear models.Sociol. Methods Res. 16: 45–77.
Clarke, R. (1983). Situational crime prevention: Its theoretical basis and practical scope. In Tonry, M., and Morris, N. (eds.),Crime and Justice: An Annual Review of Research, Vol. 4, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, pp. 225–256.
Cohen, L. E. (1981). Modeling crime trends: A criminal opportunity perspective.J. Res. Crime Delinq. 18: 138–164.
Cohen, L. E., and Cantor, D. (1980). The determinants of larceny: An empirical and theoretical study.J. Res. Crime Delinq. 17: 140–159.
Cohen, L. E., and Cantor, D. (1981). Residential burglary in the United States: Life-style and demographic factors associated with the probability of victimization.J. Res. Crime Delinq. 18: 113–127.
Cohen, L. E., and Felson, M. (1979). Social change and crime rate trends: A routine activity approach.Am. Sociol. Rev. 44: 588–608.
Cohen, L. E., Felson, M., and Land, K. C. (1980). Property crime rates in the United States: A macrodynamic analysis, 1947–77, with ex ante forecasts for the mid-1980s.Am. J. Sociol. 86: 90–118.
Cohen, L. E., Kluegel, J. R., and Land, K. C. (1981). Social inequality and predatory criminal victimization: An exposition and test of a formal theory.Am. Sociol. Rev. 46: 505–524.
Cook, P. J. (1986). The demand and supply of criminal opportunities. In Tonry, M., and Morris, N. (eds.),Crime and Justice: An Annual Review of Research, Vol. 7, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, pp. 288–315.
Duncan, O. D. (1985). New light on the 16-fold table.Am. J. Sociol. 91: 88–128.
Felson, M. (1986). Linking criminal choices, routine activities, informal control, and criminal outcomes. In Cornish, D. B., and Clarke, R. V. (eds.),The Reasoning Criminal: Rational Choice Perspectives on Offending, Springer-Verlag, New York, pp. 119–128.
Felson, M., and Cohen, L. (1980). Human ecology and crime: A routine activity approach.Hum. Ecol. 8: 389–406.
Garofalo, J. (1987). Reassessing the lifestyle model of criminal victimization. In Gottfredson, M., and Hirschi, T. (eds.),Positive Criminology, Sage, Beverly Hills, Calif., pp. 23–42.
Hindelang, M. J., Gottfredson, M. R., and Garofalo, J. (1978).Victims of Personal Crime: An Empirical Foundation for Theory of Personal Victimization, Ballinger, Cambridge, Mass.
Hough, M. (1987). Offender's choice of target: Findings from victim surveys.J. Quant. Criminol. 3: 355–369.
Kessler, R. C., and Greenberg, D. F. (1981).Linear Panel Analysis: Models of Quantitative Change, Academic Press, New York.
Lynch, J. P. (1987). Routine activity and victimization at work.J. Quant. Criminol. 3: 283–300.
Messner, S. F., and Blau, J. R. (1987). Routine leisure activities and rates of crime: A macro-level analysis.Soc. Forces 65: 1035–1052.
Miethe, T. D., Stafford, M. C., and Long, J. S. (1987). Sociol differentiation in criminal victimization: A test of routine activities/lifestyle theories.Am. Sociol. Rev. 52: 184–194.
Nelson, J. F. (1980). Multiple victimizations in American cities: A statistical analysis of rare events.Am. J. Sociol. 85: 870–891.
Sampson, R. J., and Wooldredge, J. D. (1987). Linking the micro- and macro-level dimensions of lifestyle-routine activity and opportunity models of predatory victimization.J. Quant. Criminol. 3: 371–393.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Miethe, T.D., Stafford, M.C. & Sloane, D. Lifestyle changes and risks of criminal victimization. J Quant Criminol 6, 357–376 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01066676
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01066676