The Situational Analysis of Crime and Deviance

Abstract

In the late 1940s Sutherland proposed that explanations of deviance and crime are either situational or dispositional, and that of the two, situational explanations might be the more important. Nonetheless, with a few notable exceptions, for the next four decades sociologists focused on dispositional theories to the near total exclusion of situational variables. However, an increasing awareness of the theoretical limitations of strategies based only on dispositions has begun to encourage researchers to reconsider situational explanations. Most of the research that explicitly examines situational dynamics in producing crime has originated in experimental psychology, symbolic interactionism, or opportunity theories. Experimental research has helped to identify the situational correlates of crime and deviance, but lacks a theoretical framework for organizing its disparate empirical findings. Symbolic interaction research has emphasized the actor's role in defining and interpreting situations but thus far has not provided a theoretical link between motivation, opportunity, and crime. Opportunity theorists, especially those studying victimization, have made the most progress toward developing a situational theory of crime, but their emphasis on the victim rather than the offender imposes serious theoretical and methodological limitations.

Firearm Homicide and Firearm Suicide: Opposite but Equal

“…38 The main premise of routine activity theory is that individuals are more likely to be victimized when they are poorly guarded, attractive targets, and exposed to motivated offenders. 5 Guardians include friends, family, police, teachers, coaches, employers, apartment managers and, in some cases, ordinary citizens. For potential targets of homicide, travel to certain areas can take them away from safer, high guardianship havens, exposing them to motivated offenders.…”

An Evaluation of Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) Measures in a Gated Residential Area: A Pilot Survey

“…Among the seven types of property crime in Malaysia, home break-ins during night time register the highest number of occurrences in a period of seven years compared to other forms of property crime (PDRM, 2008). This situation is influenced by the environmental factors, specifically night time conditions that accord a sense of ease to the criminals to act against their intended targets (Birkbeck and Lafree, 1993). Based on the types of property crime, the crimes that specifically involve residential areas are crimes that entail house break-ins.…”

“…Based on the types of property crime, the crimes that specifically involve residential areas are crimes that entail house break-ins. Moreover, crimes that normally embroil victims during the incidence of crime are home burglaries and break-ins which also impart a traumatic and frightening experience to the victims and in some cases cause the loss of life (Birkbeck and Lafree, 1993). It is estimated that as much as 78 percent of crime occurrences that involve victims during the incidences are attributed to home break-ins (Robertshaw and A.Mtani, 2001).…”

CPTED Measures in a Gated Residential Area

“…Among the seven types of property crime in Malaysia, home breakins during night time register the highest number of occurrences in a period of seven years compared to other forms of property crime (PDRM, 2008). This situation is influenced by the environmental factors, specifically night time conditions that accord a sense of ease to the criminals to act against their intended targets (Birkbeck and Lafree, 1993). Based on the types of property crime, the crimes that specifically involve residential areas are crimes that entail house break-ins.…”