A Comparative Study of Victimization Immunity and Lifestyle: Zero-inflated Analysis of Over-dispersed Household Victimizations in England & Wales, South Korea, and U.S.

• In Event: New and Comparative Perspectives on Criminal Justice in South Korea

Abstract

Researchers have consistently found that the aggregate-level frequency distribution of victimizations is more dispersed than expected by random chance. This non-random portion of victimizations has been introduced as over-dispersion in previous analyses and explained with two interwoven reasons: victims’ durable high-risk (risk heterogeneity) and consecutive risk increase after previous victimizations (event dependence). Recently, however, a number of studies have proposed “immunity” as an additional reason of over-dispersion. This study aims to empirically test the effect of immunity by analyzing three national crime victimization surveys: the BCS, the NCVS, and the KCVS. As these data were collected in different continents, this study is also expected to contribute to the comprehension of comparative aspects of victimizations. In addition, methodological issues with different operationalizations and sample sizes will be addressed.

Authors

• Seong min Park, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

• Yeok-il Cho, University of Central Missouri