16.2 A Basic Understanding of Environmental Criminology

Key Concepts

• Environmental Criminology: Focuses on the criminal event rather than the individual criminal.
  • Interested in spatial distribution of crime, victimization, or offenders.
  • Examines differences across cities, neighborhoods, or smaller units.
  • Analyzes physical and social characteristics of spaces to understand crime distribution.

Important Factors

• Criminal Event: Defined by five dimensions:
  1. Space
  2. Time
  3. Law
  4. Offender
  5. Target or Victim
  • These components are necessary and sufficient for a crime's existence.

Analytical Focus

• Spatial Distribution:

  • Studies the spatial patterns related to crime.
  • Interested in whether crime rates vary by location.

• Factors in Analysis:

  • Number of police officers in an area.
  • Social composition of neighborhoods.
  • Physical layout of streets.

Associated Theories and Perspectives

• Outcome of Actions: Crime as a result of deliberate actions to exploit, oppress, harm, destroy, or illegally obtain property.

References

• Felson, 2017; Gibbs & Boratoo, 2017; Bruinsma et al., 2018; Snaphaan & Hardyns, 2019; Sidebottom & Wortley, 2016.