Criminal Circumstance: A Dynamic Multi-Contextual Criminal Opportunity Theory

by Land,Kenneth

• ISBN13: 9780202307213
• ISBN10: 0202307212
• Edition: Revised
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 2002-04-30
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

The main objective of this book is to propose an alternative criminal opportunity theory. The authors build upon social control and routine activities to develop a dynamic, multi-contextual criminal opportunity theory. Emphasizing the importance of contextual explanations of criminal acts, they propose two levels of analysis: individual and environmental. At each level, the theory pivots on three broad organizing constructs--offenders motivated to commit criminal acts, targets such as persons or property suitable as objects of criminal acts, and the presence or absence of individuals or other defensive mechanisms capable of serving as guardians against criminal acts. Crime is profoundly real, possessing qualities that make its occurrence and prevention pressing and persistent matters for individuals and societies. Theory, in contrast, is seen as highly abstract and removed from the seriousness of "real life." Theory almost seems to be a peculiar sport of an academic class. The practically minded, even some academic criminologists, are often perplexed by the seeming obsession some scholars have with theory, which, after all, is nothing more than an explanation of facts. The practically minded, seeing a compelling need to identify the crucial factors that could be used to predict and prevent crime, wonder why anyone would invest precious time and energy into speculating about the abstract, underlying details of why crime occurs when and where it does. The authors contend that every intervention, prevention, and policy is based on some theoretical explanation of the causes of human behavior. The improvement of interventions, preventions, and policies is thus directly related to the improvement of theoretical understandings of the abstract, underlying details of the causes of crime. The development of explanations of events, when properly done, is a crucial component to understanding and possibly improving the "real world." This work does just that.

Table of Contents

List of Figures	ix
List of Tables	xi
Acknowledgments	xiii
Preface	xv
Theory Generally and a General Theory of Crime: Some Preliminary Considerations	1	(20)
Why Bother?	2	(2)
What Is Theory	4	(2)
Assessing Theory	6	(6)
How Do Models Fit In?	12	(1)
Toward a Dynamic Multicontextual Criminal Opportunity Theory	13	(5)
Plan of the Book	18	(3)
Criminal Opportunity: A Necessary Condition and Central Construct	21	(23)
The Origins and Foundations of Criminal Opportunity Theory	22	(10)
Multilevel Opportunity Models of Crime/Victimization	32	(4)
Opportunity Models of Reactions to Crime/Victimization	36	(8)
A Multicontextual Approach	44	(25)
Integrating Social Control and Routine Activities Theory	44	(7)
Integrative Compatibility among Constituent Theories	51	(8)
A Dynamic, Multicontextual Criminal Opportunity Theory	59	(10)
Evidence and Specification of Main Effects	69	(28)
Conceptualizations and Measurements: Some Caveats	70	(2)
Motivated Offenders	72	(5)
Suitable Targets	77	(5)
Capable Guardianship	82	(8)
Conclusion: Toward a Specification of Main Effects	90	(7)
Evidence and Specification of Moderating Effects	97	(29)
Statistical Interaction Effects	99	(3)
Ambient Opportunity and its Moderating Effects	102	(2)
Grounding Theoretical Principles and Logic	104	(6)
Key Propositions	110	(9)
Compatibility with Extant Research	119	(4)
Conclusion	123	(3)
Implications for Reactions to Crime	126	(15)
Rationality and the Fear of Crime	128	(1)
Propositions Regarding Main Effects	129	(1)
Propositions Regarding Moderating Effects	130	(4)
Compatibility with Extant Research	134	(7)
A Dynamic Perspective	141	(30)
Rhythm, Tempo, and Timing	141	(5)
Developmental, Life-Course Criminology	146	(12)
A Dynamic, Multilevel Criminal Opportunity Theory	158	(8)
Theoretical Implications	166	(5)
Possibilities and Limitations for Empirical Research	171	(21)
Testing a Dynamic, Multicontextual Criminal Opportunity Theory: Multilevel Modeling	172	(11)
Dynamic, Multicontextual Criminal Opportunity Theory: Other Methods	183	(9)
Implications for Policy and Practice	192	(21)
Social Control of Crime	193	(2)
Social Control and Criminal Opportunity	195	(9)
Toward Multidimensional Crime Policy and Practice	204	(3)
Ethics of Limiting Criminal Opportunity	207	(6)
References	213	(27)
Index	240