Describing and Applying victimization theory Research Paper

Describing and Applying victimization theory - Research Paper Example Cohen and Felson proposed Routine Activity Theory of Victimization and mainly focused on predatory crime. Crime is described in this theory as an act of taking or damaging property belonging to another person. Crime, as perceived in this theory, posits three characteristics; a motivated offender, target, and absence of guardianship. For any crime to occur, the motivated offender must make contact with the victim or the target. Other intervening variables include the absence of persons or conditions that could intervene between the two (Wilcox, 2010). In this theory, the first variable-the motivated offender- is given. According to proponents of this theory, proper understanding of crime must focus on other elements other than the motivation of the offender. Cohen and Felson use the example of increasing levels of disposable income in the early 1960 due to increased number of couples working. The need for leisure creates the need for families to buy electronics and other household appliances. These developments increased chances for burglary as most people never stayed at home to guard these appliances Wilcox, 2010). Theories of victimization have been applied in a number situations such as sex crime, stalking, and property crime among others. The underlying principle in the examples listed is that the offender and the victim must be within the same physical area to produce an elevated risk of victimization. In the wake of the current technological development especially in the use of the internet, the elements of crime in the Lifestyle-routine theory such as guardianship, proximity to potential offenders and exposure creates endless opportunities for cyberspace victimization. The approach adopted by this theory is that physical interaction increases opportunities for victimization in space and time. The cyberspace victimization, however, do not require the offender and the victim to interact physically in space and time. The application of