NCJ Number
15078
Journal
AMERICAN SOCIOLOGICAL REVIEW (1964) Pages: 899-908
Date Published
1964
Length
10 pages
Annotation
THIS ANALYSIS OF CRIME OCCURRENCE RATES BASED ON ENVIRONMENTAL OPPORTUNITIES SPECIFIC TO EACH CRIME CATEGORY INDICATES THAT AREAS OF EXPLOITATION VARY.
Abstract
TARGETS IN CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICTS ARE NOT THE MOST INTENSIVELY EXPLOITED IN THE CITY, NOR ARE EXPLOITED TARGETS ENTIRELY LIMITED TO NEIGHBORHOODS IN WHICH THE OFFENDERS LIVE. THE CRIME FACTORS EXTRACTED FROM THE OCCURRENCE AND OFFENDER RATES SUGGEST SEVERAL DIFFERENT DIMENSIONS OF CRIME OCCURRENCE. ONE IS FAMILIARITY BETWEEN OFFENDERS AND THEIR TARGETS AS EVIDENCED BY THE EXPLOITATION OF PARTICULAR TYPES OF TARGETS IN OFFENDER NEIGHBORHOODS. PROFITABLENESS IS CONNOTED BY THE BUSINESS CRIME PATTERNS, WHERE TARGETS IN AREAS OF HIGH SOCIAL RANK ADJOINING OFFENDER AREAS APPEAR TO PROVIDE ABUNDANT ILLEGITIMATE OPPORTUNITIES. THE TWO OTHER FACTORS REVEALED IN THIS TEST ARE LESS CLEARLY IDENTIFIED. VARIABLES OTHER THAN SOCIAL RANK, URBANIZATION, AND PERCENTAGE NEGRO MUST BE CONSIDERED IN EXPLAINING THE OCCURRENCE OF FORCIBLE RAPE AND MISCELLANEOUS ROBBERY. THE PRESENCE OF OFFENDERS IN THE RESIDENT POPULATION APPEARS TO BE A FACTOR IN THE OCCURRENCE OF OTHER KINDS OF CRIME. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)