Crime - situational factors

Crime - situational factors

1. Opportunity

   • Motor-cycle theft
     • Mayhew et al 2009
       • helmets - 60% decrease
   • Geographical hotspots
     • Eck et al 2005
     • Map based on theory - place/neighbourhood etc
     • potential victims also change behaviour - awareness of hotspots from both sides
   • Repeat victimisation
     • 40% of crime to 4% of people
   • Bars and handbag theft
     • Sidebottom & Bowers 2008

2. Precipitators

   • Prompts
     • temptations / evoke mood
     • Weapons effect - berkowitz & LePage 1967
     • Broken windows effect - Wilson & Kelling 1982
       • (reprimand unlikely)
   • Pressures
     • Conformity
       • Asch 1951
       • follow despite internal conflict
     • Obedience
       • Milgram 1974
       • follow perceived power
     • Compliance
       • Increased if seen to be fair / legitimate order
     • Deindividuation
       • Zimbardo 1971
       • Ku Klux Klan
   • Permissions
     • Rationalisation of bad behaviour
       • everyone else is doing it
     • Neutralisation theory
   • Provocation
     • Frustration
     • crowding
     • territoriality
     • environmental irritants
   • Wortley 2008

3. Theories

   • Routine activities approach
     • Cohen & Felson 1979
     • Chemistry of crime
       • Likely offender
       • suitable target
       • absence of guardian
     • pattern relates to daily routines of these elements
   • Crime pattern theory
     • brantingham & Brantingham 1982
     • focus on personal activity space of offender
       • nodes
         • place of work
         • home
         • shopping
       • paths between nodes
       • = awareness space
         • victim interaction with this space explains repeat victimisation

4. Crime concentrations

   • crime generators
     • high number non-offenders
   • crime attractors
     • aware of crime potential
   • crime enablers
     • few crime controllers

5. Prevention

   • reduce opportunity
   • manipulate immediate environment
   • Reduce permissions/ provocations
   • displacement?
     • guerette & bowers 2009
       • not inevitable