NCJ Number
228455
Journal
International Criminal Justice Review Volume: 19 Issue: 3 Dated: September 2009 Pages: 265-286
Date Published
September 2009
Length
22 pages
Annotation
This study investigated the relative contribution of macro-level variables (levels of democratization, modernization, world system status, and inequality) and individual-level variables in predicting the occurrence and intensity of personal crime victimization.
Abstract
Results of the study found that national-level variables (democracy level, economic development, world system status, and inequality level) had no effect on personal crime victimization. The promising variables appeared to be demographic characteristics, posited by routine activities/lifestyle theory to be related to crime victimization. The importance in the use of the type of multilevel analysis was highlighted. Informing the emerging field of comparative criminology, this study explored variations in personal crime victimization among individuals living in 42 nations by examining the democratization, modernization, world system status, and inequality levels of the nations in which these individuals reside. The study compared these macro-level variables to individual-level variables (marital status, age, gender, education, and income) to determine their relative effectiveness for explaining personal crime victimization. Data for the study were from the International Crime Victimization Survey (ICVS) conducted in 2000. Table and references