The research findings concerning the lifestyles/routine activities theory are mixed with contradictory results. The current study uses two National Crime Surveys conducted in 1975 and 1983 in the United States to examine the empirical adequacy of the modification role by lifestyle/routine activities between the demographic differences and the likelihood of criminal victimization. Both personal and household victimization are considered A modified path analysis model with latent variables is employed to improve the measurement of lifestyle/routine activities and test modification role of lifestyle/routine activities. A latent variable termed risk is found to account for the association among the lifestyle/routine activities measures and is strongly related to the likelihood of being victimized Previous studies of household property victimization have generally failed to take into consideration the characteristics of members of a household other than its head. Also, by relying only on household heads to report crime incidents, criminal victimization have been substantially underestimated. Therefore, this study makes use of the characteristics of other household members and includes their reported victimizations as well Another problem with previous research addressed here is the problematic method used to test the mediation hypothesis. Here, the hypothesis tested is broadened to consider other possible modification roles of lifestyle/routine activities. Under the modification hypothesis, the original association between demographic and structural variables with victimization may be modified or altered with the introduction of lifestyle/routine activities measures The findings support the modification role played by lifestyle/routine activities in both violent and property victimization for the two surveys. With the introduction of lifestyle/routine activities, the association between demographic effects and victimization is modified in ways that are largely consistent with the lifestyle/routine activities theory / acase@tulane.edu
Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:TULANE/oai:http://digitallibrary.tulane.edu/:tulane_26713 |
Date | January 1996 |
Contributors | Zhang, Jiahua (Author), Brody, Charles J (Thesis advisor) |
Publisher | Tulane University |
Source Sets | Tulane University |
Language | English |
Detected Language | English |
Rights | Access requires a license to the Dissertations and Theses (ProQuest) database., Copyright is in accordance with U.S. Copyright law |
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