Structural Constraints, Risky Lifestyles, and Repeat Victimization

• In Event: The Consequences of Victimization

Abstract

Research linking risky lifestyles to victimization indicates that victims who make changes to their behavioral routines (i.e., stop doing risky things) are better able to avoid being victimized again in the future. The problem is that some victims' ability to change their behaviors may be limited due to what Hindelang et al. (1978) referred to as community-level "structural constraints." To assess this issue we use two waves of data from the Pathways to Desistance study to examine whether structural constraints inhibit victims' ability to change their risky behaviors which, in turn, elevates their odds of repeat victimization. The implications for the social ecology of risky lifestyles and repeat victimization are discussed.

Authors

• Travis Pratt, University of Cincinnati

• Jillian J. Turanovic, Arizona State University

• Michael Reisig, Arizona State University

• Alex Piquero, University of Texas at Dallas