Citation

Massey CR, McKean J. J. Crim. Justice 1985; 13(5): 417-428.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1985, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/0047-2352(85)90042-X

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Recent research on criminal victimization suggests that lifestyle may offer important insights into the unequal distribution of crime. The lifestyle approach is used here to explore variations in homicide rates for Dade County, Florida. The application of this approach to the analysis of cross-sectional variations in homicide rates requires (1) elaboration of the assumptions that connect the likelihood of victimization for individuals to variations in the rate of victimization by location as well as (2) justification of the selection of specific variables as indicators of variation in exposure to the risk of homicide. In sum, four individual characteristics and six residential characteristics are said to be implicated in the explanation of variations in homicide rates among census tracts. Census tract data derived from 1980 Bureau of Census files are used to explore these variations. Findings suggest that future researchers should consider the relative importance of individual attributes, especially marital status, in increasing the risk of homicide victimization.