Lifestyle and occupation may make someone a more likely victim of crime and often can tell us something useful to know about the offender in investigations.
Lifestyle
The way in which a person lives is their lifestyle.
Victim Lifestyle Aspects:
Routine Activities: Daily activities like commuting, shopping, or leisure activities can affect a person's likelihood of becoming a victim. Routine activities can also lead to hotspots of criminal activity.
Residential Location: Areas with high poverty, low levels of social cohesion, or high population density can have higher rates of victimization.
Occupation: Certain occupations may expose individuals to higher risks. For example, late-night workers or those in high-crime areas might be more susceptible.
Social Circles: The people one associates with can influence the likelihood of becoming a victim.
Risk Behavior: Engaging in risky behaviors like drug use, excessive alcohol consumption, or frequenting dangerous locations can increase victimization chances.
Visibility: High public visibility or social media presence might make individuals attractive targets for certain types of crime, such as stalking or cyberbullying.
Age and Gender: Different age groups and genders are susceptible to different types of crimes.
Lack of Security Measures: Inadequate home or personal security measures can make individuals easier targets.
Time and Place of Activities: Certain activities at specific times, like late-night outings, can make someone more susceptible.
Offender Lifestyle Aspects:
Criminal Opportunities: Offenders often choose areas where they believe crime can be committed with a lower risk of detection.
Economic Status: Offenders from lower economic backgrounds may be more likely to engage in property crimes.
Peer Influence: Criminal behavior is often influenced by an offender's social circle.
Skill Level: The level of skill an offender has can influence the types of crimes they commit. For example, skilled hackers may engage in cybercrime, while unskilled offenders may stick to simpler forms of crime.
Addiction: Substance abuse can drive crime, especially petty crimes, to sustain the addiction.
Routine Activities: Just as with victims, the routine activities of offenders can influence where and when crimes are likely to be committed.
Occupation: Some occupations provide greater opportunities for crimes like fraud or embezzlement.
Motivation: The offender’s underlying motivations can also dictate the types of crimes committed, ranging from thrill-seeking to economic necessity.
Resource Availability: Having access to weapons, transportation, or technology can expand the types of crimes an offender might commit.
Example lifestyle variables: alcohol abuser, alcoholic, bisexual, child, child molester, criminally active, crossdresser, drifter, drug addict, drug seller, drug user, elderly, gambler, habitual offender, heterosexual, hitchhiker, homeless person, homosexual, illegal alien, immigrant, loner, mentally disabled, mentally ill, physically disabled, panhandler, pedophile, pimp, promiscuous, prostitute, public figure, recluse, registered sex offender, retired, runaway, smuggler, street person, student, thief, trafficker, transgender, transient, transvestite, wealthy
A person who lives a life of crime may have that lifestyle as their occupation. It may be their only work.
Occupation Examples
Management: administrator, director, executive, manager
Business and Financial Operation: accountant, agent, appraiser, event planner, loan officer, tax preparer
Computer and Mathematical: computer programmer, database administrator, web developer, statistician, data scientist
Architecture and Engineering: architect, drafter, engineer, surveyor, technologist
Life, Physical, and Social Science: biologist, chemist, economist, physicist, psychologist, scientist
Community and Social Service: case worker, clergy, counselor, human services worker, social worker, therapist
Legal: judge, lawyer, magistrate, paralegal
Educational Instruction and Library: curator, librarian, professor, teacher, teacher's aide, teaching assistant, tutor,
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media: actor, anchor person, artist, athlete, coach, dancer, designer, disc jockey, director, editor, entertainer, journalist, musician, producer, reporter, scout, writer
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical: chiropractor, dentist, doctor, emergency medical technician, medical records specialist, nurse, paramedic, pharmacist, veterinarian
Healthcare Support: massage therapist, nursing assistants, orderlies, occupational therapist, physical therapist
Protective Service: correctional officer, firefighter, military member, police officer, security screener, security guard, game warden
Food Preparation and Serving Related: cook, bartender, dishwasher, food preparation worker, food server, host/hostess, waiter/waitress
Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance: groundskeeper, housekeeper, janitor, landscaper, maid
Personal Care and Service: animal caretaker, barber, coatroom attendant, fitness instructor, gambling dealer, hairdresser, nail technician, tour guide
Sales and Related: cashier, clerk, door-to-door salesperson, model, sales representative, real estate agent, salesperson, street vendor
Office and Administrative Support: administrative assistant, bank teller, bill collector, data entry worker, file clerk, mail carrier, secretary
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry: agricultural worker, animal breeder, conservation worker, farm worker, logging worker, ranch worker
Construction and Extraction: carpenter, electrician, highway maintenance worker, mining worker, oil drill operator, painter, plumber, roofer
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair: locksmith, mechanic, service technician
Production: baker, butcher, engraver, dry cleaner, laboratory technician, machine operator, production worker, tailor
Transportation and Material Moving: bus driver, flight attendant, parking attendant, pilot, railroad worker, sailor, taxi driver, truck driver
Role or Status of Victim
Sometimes, the role or status of the victims has significance.
Role or Status:
bystander victim (victim unintentionally involved in a criminal incident)
witness victim (victim who witnessed a crime and may be targeted as a result)
whistleblower victim (victim targeted for exposing illegal activities)
retaliation victim (victim targeted as retaliation for previous actions)
high-profile victim (victim with public visibility, such as celebrities or politicians)
vulnerable population victim (victim belonging to a group susceptible to victimization, such as children, the elderly, and homeless individuals)
symbolic victim (victim whose case gains significant attention and represents a larger issue)
community impact victim (victim whose victimization affects the community at large)
accomplice victim (victim who is involved in criminal activities alongside the offender)
Further Reading
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. May 2022 Occupation Profiles. United States Department of Labor. Available at: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_stru.htm#00-0000
No comments:
Post a Comment