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Burglar Target Selection: A Cross-national Comparison.
Michael Townsley1, Daniel Birks2, Wim Bernasco3
1School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia.
The Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency
|April 14, 2015
Summary
Offender target selection for burglary is consistent across regions, influenced by proximity and target availability. However, environmental context significantly impacts these choices, especially for juvenile offenders.
Area of Science:
- Criminology
- Environmental Criminology
- Spatial Criminology
Background:
- Building on prior research by Bernasco and Nieuwbeerta.
- Investigating the generalizability of offender target selection models.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the generalizability of a theoretically derived offender target selection model.
- To estimate the impact of environment- and offender-level factors on residential burglary placement across three countries.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing a discrete spatial choice approach.
- Analyzing cleared burglary data from the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Australia.
- Employing a single statistical model for cross-national comparisons.
Main Results:
- Burglary location selection is positively influenced by proximity to home, target accessibility, and target availability in all regions.
- Juvenile offenders show a stronger influence of target proximity compared to adult offenders in two of three regions.
- The magnitude of these influences varies significantly across the study regions.
Conclusions:
- Burglary target selection aligns with opportunity-based theories.
- Environmental context plays a significant role in offender decision-making.
- Combining cross-national data aids in assessing the generalizability of criminological findings.
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