Introduction
Understanding how variations in criminal opportunity influence the occurrence of crime events is useful for ensuring these opportunities can be reduced in order to prevent crime. A possible framework for this is the lifestyle-routine activities theory (L-RAT), a criminological theory that focuses on how variations in criminal opportunity affect the occurrence of crime events (McNeeley, 2014). Exploring the relationship between criminal victimization and lifestyle activities is essential for crime prevention and victimization reduction.
Article Summary
As L-RAT can be used to understand the relationship between victimization and lifestyle, it is necessary to review it further. L-RAT originated from routine activity theory, which proposed that three elements must converge for crime to occur: “a motivated offender, a suitable target, and the lack of a capable guardian” (McNeeley, 2014, p. 31). Moreover, L-RAT “explains rates of offending at the aggregate level”, meaning that it can be used to understand how patterns of activities at the community or societal level influence the availability of criminal opportunities (McNeeley, 2014, p. 31). Because of this, L-RAT has been applied to the study of various types of crime, including property crime, violent crime, and cybercrime (McNeeley, 2014). Overall, it can be said that L-RAT provides a helpful method for analyzing victimization.
Lifestyles and Routine Activities Are Related to Victimization
Regarding the relationship between various aspects of lifestyles and routine activities and victimization, L-RAT suggests they can influence the availability of criminal opportunities. According to L-RAT, daily activities have an impact on how many possibilities there are for crime to occur (McNeeley, 2014). The theory assumes that a person’s daily actions have a differential impact on their likelihood of encountering criminal activity (McNeeley, 2014). The availability of criminal opportunities is affected by various factors, such as the presence of attractive targets, the level of capable guardianship, and the movement patterns of offenders and potential victims (McNeeley, 2014). Understanding these specific factors can help identify strategies for reducing victimization and preventing crime.
Various aspects of lifestyles can be pinpointed as ones that affect victimization. One of them is the level of non-household activities that an individual engages in. Particularly, places with a greater availability of possibilities to partake in non-household activities, such as sporting events, are more likely to have high rates of crime than those with a greater availability of home-based activities (McNeeley, 2014). The main reason for this is that non-household activities often involve leaving one’s home and property without capable guardianship for extended periods of time, which can increase the likelihood of a crime occurring. The presence of desirable targets, such as costly material objects, is another component of lifestyles that is associated with victimization (McNeeley, 2014). The presence of attractive targets can increase the likelihood of crime, as offenders are more likely to be motivated to commit a crime when there are valuable items that can be stolen. These are the main lifestyle factors that determine the likelihood of crime occurring.
Similarly, routine activities have been found to be related to victimization. The movement patterns of individuals, both offenders and potential victims, can affect the likelihood of a crime occurring (McNeeley, 2014). For example, individuals who frequently move through high-risk areas, such as transit locations or isolated areas, are more likely to be victimized than those who do not. Moreover, offenders who move through these types of areas are more likely to have the opportunity to commit a crime.
Conclusions and Implications
A number of conclusions can be drawn about the relationship between lifestyles, routine activities, and victimization. Crime rates are affected by a variety of factors, including population density, unemployment rates, and household activity ratios (McNeeley, 2014). Those are also influenced by the presence of guardians, with more guardians corresponding to lower rates of crime (McNeeley, 2014). Moreover, sociological and economic developments, such as rising income, can transform daily life and create more opportunities for crime (McNeeley, 2014). These can be summed up as the article’s primary conclusions.
These findings and conclusions have several implications for those working with victims in various capacities, such as law enforcement officers, victim advocates, and social workers. For example, one can take the case where a community has a high rate of non-household activities. For this community, professionals may recommend increasing the level of capable guardianship, such as by installing security cameras or hiring security guards, in order to reduce the likelihood of a crime occurring. In the same vein, support services can be developed specifically for individuals who frequently move through high-risk areas in order to reduce their risk of victimization.
Most importantly, these findings can help professionals working with victims anticipate how changes in these conditions may impact the occurrence of crime and the needs of victims. An economic recession may lead to an increase in crime rates. In this case, victim advocates can prepare to provide additional support and resources to victims who may be at greater risk of becoming victims of crime during this time. As the availability of criminal opportunities is related to the aggregate patterns of activities at the community or societal level, understanding these patterns can help professionals working with victims identify patterns and trends in victimization.
Conclusion
It can be concluded that crime prevention can be enhanced by examining the connection between criminal victimization and lifestyle choices. A number of variables, including the presence of desirable targets, the degree of capable supervision, and the movement patterns of criminals and possible victims, influence the availability of criminal opportunities. The typical patterns of behavior in a society or group can affect the likelihood that a crime will be committed. Professionals dealing with victims can discover solutions for preventing and minimizing victimization by comprehending the relationship between it and lifestyle.
References
McNeeley, S. (2014). Lifestyle-routine activities and crime events. Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice, 31(1), 30–52. Web.