Ecological and Behavioral Influences on Property Victimization at Home: Implications for Opportunity Theory

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to test criminal opportunity theories of victimization for the crimes of burglary and household larceny. Using the National Crime Survey and the Victim Risk Supplement, this test includes direct behavioral and ecological measures of concepts central to the theory. Ecological concepts are measured at several different levels of aggregation. Of particular importance is the introduction of a control for the dangerousness of the block in which the housing unit is located. Other ecological variables include (a) the environmental design of the housing unit (location, protective practices, single family versus other), (b) the degree of social disorganization in the neighborhood, (c) the location of commercial establishments in the neighborhood, and (d) the perceived dangerousness of the neighborhood. Measures of key behavioral concepts include (a) time spent in the house during the day, and (b) time spent in the house during the evening. None of the environmental design variables have a significant effect on victimization. The significance of the other ecological and behavioral measures differ by type of crime. These results are discussed in light of the importance of refining opportunity concepts, especially with respect to how they apply to different types of crime.