Motivated Offenders: The Risk Of Victimization

The risk of victimization is based on four components exposure to motivated offenders, proximity to motivated offenders, attractiveness of target, and guardianship (Madero-Hernandez & Fisher, 2012). Exposure refers to contact with risky situations or certain kinds of people, while proximity refers to the physical distance of where potential targets live to where offenders are found (Madero-Hernandez & Fisher, 2012). Attractiveness of target refers to a suitable target and these targets can possess four characteristics: value, inertia, visibility, and accessibility; so, the more characteristics the target have the more at risk they are for victimization (Madero-Hernandez & Fisher, 2012). Guardianship refers to protection by a person’s social network such as friends and family (Madero-Hernandez & Fisher, 2012).

So according to the routine activity theory victimization and crimes occur when a suitable target lacks a capable guardianship and come across a motivated offenders (Bunch et al., 2013; Taylor et al., 2008a; Spano et al., 2008).