Forensic Victimology 2nd Edition Chapter Six: Victim Lifestyle Exposure

Victim Lifestyle Exposure 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 Lifestyle factors can influence the overall possibility of individual harm in three ways: 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 The following criminology theories have proven to be most useful for identifying and understanding when a victim’s lifestyle facilitates victimization: Victim precipitation; Lifestyle theory; and Routine activity theory.

Lifestyle Exposure - A Theoretical Framework Victim Precipitation –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 Lifestyle Theory –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 Routine Activity Theory –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 –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 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: Attorneys Law enforcement Prostitutes Drug dealers Alcoholism and drug addiction

Notable Lifestyle Factors A number of general traits can also influence a victim’s lifestyle exposure. These include: aggressiveness, impulsivity, self- destructive behavior, passivity, low self-esteem, and aberrant sexual behavior.

Assessing Lifestyle Exposure 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 low- exposure 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 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).