The Effects of Victimization on Routine Activities

Is there a relationship between victimization and subsequent behaviors, and if so, does victimization lead to risky or constrained activities? Previous research is mixed, possibly due to limitations associated with selection bias, cross-sectional data, and floor and ceiling effects. The current study examines how victimization influences lifestyles using longitudinal National Crime Victimization Survey data. To avoid problems of selection bias and spuriousness, we use a propensity score matching approach to compare the subsequent lifestyles of victims and nonvictims. We find that victims tend to engage in higher levels of risky behavior following victimization than do nonvictims at similar points in time but that differences are due to preexisting factors that distinguish victims from nonvictims and not due to the victimization event, itself.