ISSN: 0973-5089 | [email protected]

Assault Victimization: A Comparative Analysis of the United States, the Netherlands, and England & Wales

Rachel E. Stein

West Virginia University, USA

Abstract:

Routine activities/lifestyles theories recognize the importance of opportunity, as it is related to victimization. Most of the research utilizing a routine activities/lifestyles theoretical framework has concentrated on populations in a single country, and results are inconsistent. Some research indicates that the relationship between daily activities and victimization is of prime importance, while other studies note demographic characteristics as proxies for lifestyle to best explain victimization. The utility of a routine activities/lifestyles approach to explain victimization is less clear within a cross[1]national scope. Additionally, much cross-national research is limited by the availability of comparable data on victimization. In this study, I examine the relationship between routine activities/lifestyles and assault victimization for respondents in the U.S., the Netherlands, and England and Wales. In this study, I utilize the International Crime Victimization Survey and the European Survey on Crime and Safety. The results indicate characteristics of assault victimization vary across the three countries. Moreover, the relationship between daily activities/lifestyles and victimization differs across the U.S., the Netherlands, and England and Wales.

Keyword:

Routine activities victimization; assault; lifestyles; Survey;