PREDICTING HOUSEHOLD VICTIMIZATION UTILIZING A MULTI-LEVEL ROUTINE ACTIVITY APPROACH

ABSTRACT

Previous studies utilizing the “routine activity approach” have been relatively unsuccessful at predicting household victimization. This study discusses some of the limitations of previous research and eliminates several methodological problems by employing a multivariate, multi-level analysis of household victimization utilizing the household as the unit of analysis. Specifically, we combine household-level measures and routine activities and household-level perceptions of the neighborhood and crime prevention behaviors to better predict household larceny and burglary. Data for this study were derived from the National Crime Survey: Victim Risk Supplement (VRS), a nationally representative sample of 14,258 households in the United States. The findings argue for disaggregated measures of household victimization and the existence of unique opportunity structures for burglary and larceny victimization events.