Collaborative Research on the Use of Case-Control Methods to Test Opportunity Theory

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Over the past decade, a major focus of crime etiology has been opportunity theories of victimization. The appeal of these theories has been the idea that opportunity, as much as criminal motivation, is a necessary element for crime to occur. Despite the popularity of the opportunity theories, neither theoretical nor empirical research has gone much beyond the original principles articulated in the late 1970's. The development of the theory has been slowed by the over-reliance on secondary data which has limited the refinement of concepts and the testing of theoretical propositions. As a result, the theory is not sufficiently developed to operationalize key opportunity concepts. This collaborative project will expedite theory building by using a case-control design to refine and test the theory as it applies to non-commercial robbery. A sample of 50 robbery victims and 50 nonvictims will be interviewed using both structured and semi- structured questions. Qualitative and quantitative information will be collected on both the lifestyle and ecological contexts of each group. This information will be used to determine (1) the situational and lifestyle circumstances associated with becoming a robbery victim and (2) any discernable differences between victims and nonvictims in terms of their ecological and lifestyle patterns. The results of the research will enable refinements to the criminal opportunity model as it applies to victimization. As importantly, it will provide an assessment of the utility of the case-control design for testing opportunity models. Beyond advancing theory and methodology in criminological research, results of this research could have significant implications for crime reduction.