Lifestyle Exposure Theory

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There are countless arguments theorizing the criminal behaviors of offenders. Lifestyle-Exposure Theory, also known as Lifestyle Theory, acknowledges the differences in an individual life on a day-to-day basis. Lifestyles are patterned, regular, recurrent routine activities. Lifestyle can be defined as an activity that a person would engage in on a daily basis, including both obligatory activities, such as work or school, and leisure activities (Lifestyle, 2011). This theory of victimization recognizes that every person takes different paths, has different routines, and life exposures. Lifestyle Theory takes a unique approach by focusing and studying the crime victim rather than just the perpetrator. The main issue is that victims of crime …show more content…

The six categories include the completely innocent victim, the victim with minor guilt, the victim who is as guilty as the offender, the victim who is guiltier than the offender, the guiltiest victim, and the imaginary victim (Wallace & Roberson, 2011). Only one typology from Mendelsohn’s theory considers a victim one hundred percent innocent, the completely innocent victim, which tends to consist of children and those who are unconscious at the time of the crime (Wallace & Roberson, 2011). The other five typologies assigned some kind of responsibility to the victim for contributing to their own injury (Dietrich, 2008). For example, a victim would be classified as guilty if he or she acts aggressively causing further victimization, or if the victim aided in or assisted the crime in any way the individual would be considered guilty according to …show more content…

Again, these factors can include age, race, sex, choice of residents, or even normal daily activities, such as traveling to work or school. This theory emphasizes that criminal victimization follows those who do not use their intelligence and rational thought in the social environments (Lifestyle, 2011). Empirical evidence has shown that risky lifestyle activities, such as drinking, using drugs, and frequenting bars or clubs, may put individuals, particularly women, at a higher risk of victimization (Henson, Wilcox, Reyns, & Cullen,