Transcript Document 7515504

Forensic Victimology
2nd Edition
Chapter Six: Victim Lifestyle Exposure
Victim Lifestyle Exposure
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Victim exposure is the amount of contact or
vulnerability to harmful elements experienced by the
victim.
Overall victim exposure is determined by examining
and considering the separate constructs of lifestyle
exposure and situational exposure.
This chapter focuses on lifestyle exposure, which is
related to the frequency of potentially harmful
elements experienced by the victim and resulting
from the victim’s usual environment and personal
traits, as well as past choices.
Lifestyle Exposure - A
Theoretical Framework
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Lifestyle factors can influence the overall possibility
of individual harm in three ways:
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By increasing the victim’s proximity to, and
interactions with, offenders or those predisposed
towards criminality;
By fomenting conditions that create a perceived
conflict with an offender; and
By enhancing an offender’s perception of victim
vulnerability.
Lifestyle Exposure - A
Theoretical Framework
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The following criminology theories have proven to
be most useful for identifying and understanding
when a victim’s lifestyle facilitates victimization:
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Victim precipitation;
Lifestyle theory; and
Routine activity theory.
Lifestyle Exposure - A
Theoretical Framework
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Victim Precipitation
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Victim precipitation refers to the extent to which a victim
plays a role, either knowingly or unknowingly, in his or
her own victimization. Precipitation can be passive or
active.
• Passive precipitation occurs when a victim exhibits
some personal characteristics that unknowingly
threatens or encourages the offender.
• Active precipitation refers to those situations in which
the victim directly provokes the offender.
Lifestyle Exposure - A
Theoretical Framework
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Lifestyle Theory
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Lifestyle theory argues that some people are more
prone to victimization because their behaviors, habits, or
customs expose them to a greater frequency of contact
with crime and criminals.
This is consistent with the principle of homogamy, which
suggests that individuals are more exposed to the
possibility of victimization if they frequently associate
with, or come into contact with, members of
demographic groups containing a disproportionate
amount of criminals.
Lifestyle Exposure - A
Theoretical Framework
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Routine Activity Theory
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The convergence in time and space of three elements
(motivated offenders, suitable targets, and the absence
of a capable guardians) appears useful for
understanding crime rate trends.
The lack of any of these elements if sufficient to prevent
the occurrence of successful direct-contact predatory
crime.
Lifestyle Exposure - A
Theoretical Framework
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A likely offender is classified as one that is sufficiently
motivated to offend.
This motivation may come from a variety of factors that
can influence victim selection – the process by which an
offender chooses or targets a victim. Victim selection
can be classified as:
• Targeted – A targeted victim is the primary objective
of the offense; resulting directly from the offender’s
motive for committing the crime.
• Opportunistic – An opportunistic victim is ancillary to
the offense. In such cases, the offender is motivated
by a desire to commit the offender and the victim is
irrelevant.
Notable Lifestyle Factors
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There are many lifestyle factors that are commonly
known to increase victim exposure and vulnerability
to harm. The following are examples of notable
lifestyle factors:
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Attorneys
Law enforcement
Prostitutes
Drug dealers
Alcoholism and drug addiction
Notable Lifestyle Factors
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A number of general traits can also influence a
victim’s lifestyle exposure.
These include: aggressiveness, impulsivity, selfdestructive behavior, passivity, low self-esteem, and
aberrant sexual behavior.
Assessing Lifestyle
Exposure
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Victim lifestyle exposure is classified for the purpose
of understanding the victim’s lifestyle and
conditions, in order that exposure may be fully
understood and described to others.
This chapter categorizes victim lifestyle exposure
into extreme-exposure victims, high-exposure
victims, medium-exposure victims, and lowexposure victims.
Because lifestyle exposure refers to the frequency
of exposure, these categories are defined by
timeframes.
Assessing Lifestyle
Exposure
• High-exposure victims are those who are exposed
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to the possibility of suffering harm or loss more often
than not (e.g., 4-6 days a week).
Medium-exposure victims are those who are
exposed to the possibility of suffering harm or loss
less often than not (e.g., 1-3 days a week).
Low-exposure victims are those who are rarely
exposed to the possibility of suffering harm or loss
(e.g., less than one a week).