NCJ Number
224244
Journal
Criminology Volume: 46 Issue: 3 Dated: August 2008 Pages: 539-576
Date Published
August 2008
Length
38 pages
Annotation
This study examined the effects of residential turnover on household victimization.
Abstract
This article notes two major findings as a result of its study. First, housing turnover is a transition that independently increases the risk that a dwelling will experience a crime. This finding is said to be true even controlling for persistent differences in crime vulnerability between dwellings. Secondly, changes in the composition and routine activities of households also altered the risks of victimization. The article notes that Americans move frequently, a central feature of life that affects individuals, families, and the communities in which they reside, but moving also alters their risks of victimization. These findings also provide support for social disorganization and crime opportunity theories in addition to having implications for theory, crime prevention, and future research on the causes of victimization. This study used unique longitudinal, multilevel data from the 1980-1985 National Crime Survey to examine the effects of residential turnover on household victimization. The dataset used a longitudinal design that followed housing units over time and recorded changes in housing occupants, and also contained geographic identifiers that linked each dwelling to its close neighbors. The final data contained 15,196 segments, 59,828 housing units, and 304,880 dwelling periods. Figure, tables, references