Systematic Review of Routine Activity Theory and Sexual Victimization

• In Event: Using Theory to Understand Risk for Victimization

Abstract

Purpose: Among studies using a routine activity framework to determine the role that routines play in sexual victimization, operationalizations vary across studies. Namely, studies employ a wide range of operationalizations to represent target suitability/attractiveness, guardianship, exposure to crime, and proximity to offenders, which are often contextually dependent upon the population (i.e., measures related to collegiate lifestyle).
Design: We conducted a systematic review of published peer-review research to examine the measures used to study routine activity theory and sexual victimization.
Findings: Among the measures used, the most common concepts and operationalizations across the body of literature analyzed were: 1) sorority/Greek membership, 2) substance use, 3) alcohol consumption, 4) athletic involvement, and 5) marital status. Despite this, these concepts and operationalizations represented disparate themes across studies, and were not consistently employed as measures of target suitability/attractiveness, proximity to motivated offenders, exposure to crime, and lack of capable guardianship, or generalized conceptions of risk not falling within the four foregoing categories.
Summary: Findings have implications for the direction of future research on this topic to enhance consistency and transparency in measurement of these theoretical concepts.

Authors

• Cooper Austin Maher, University of Cincinnati

• Brittany E. Hayes, University of Cincinnati