Lifestyle Theory

Lifestyle Theory

The Lifestyle theory of victimization argues the chances an individual becoming a victim is based on that individual's lifestyle. That is to say, the reality of victimization lies within the choices an individual has made or will make. Additionally, people become crime victims because they do not rationalize or exercise wise judgment when engaging in social situations. Individuals who come into contact with groups that contain a large share of offenders are more likely to be victims of crime by identifying with certain people or situations prone to crime. For example, if one visits the bar on a regular basis, this means their home is frequently empty and their car and wallet are in places where inebriated people gather (Johnson, 2013).

Routine Activities Theory

Developed by Marcus Felson and Lawrence Cohen, the routines activities theory focuses on crime rather than the traits of the criminal. It is a theory of criminology and speculates, in order for a crime to occur, these three elements must be present:

A. Motivated individual capable of committing a crime,

B. Available and vulnerable victim and

C. Inadequate crime safeguards

As a result and if the reward is worth the risk, the crime will happen. This is a particularly popular theory in criminology and deals with crime trends and victimization for which Felson and Cohen argue is an approach that should be used for analysis. This is because they believe routine activities are common and repeated. They may occur in the home, at work or in other public settings and are virtually unaffected by socioeconomic causes. For example, after World War II the economy was in the western states was booming. Regardless of the positive circumstances, crime was on a steady incline. The reason being? A prosperous society offers more for the taking and increased opportunity for crime to occur (Wikstrom, 2009).

Considerations

Both theories are fairly similar. They both follow a social influence of sorts. With the lifestyle theory it is the share of offenders that increases crime risk and in the routine activities theory is dependent on the concepts of the life style theory (i.e. an individual's routine activities) to explain victimization rates. What makes them different is their point of view. Lifestyle theory focuses on victims, while the routine activities theory focuses on criminals. The latter holds 3 aspects that must exist before a crime can occur. The first two are givens: an easy target and motivation. However, it is the third aspect that counts most: Deterrence and the lack thereof. This can be as simple as low patrols in a certain area. Both lack social structure and entertain situational convergences (Johnson, 2013).