Development, gender, and crime: The scope of the routine activities approach

In the past 15 years, the routine activities approach has gained considerable popularity in explaining crime rates. Its explanations are offered, however, without considering the approach's theoretical scope. Recent research suggests that the explanatory power of the perspective might differ across level of economic development and men's and women's arrest rates. To address the issue of theoretical applicability, separate regression equations are estimated for the scope conditions of development and gender, using cross-national time-series analyses. The findings suggest that the explanatory power differs when the scope conditions of development and gender are applied. The routine activities approach appears to explain minor theft arrest rates most accurately for men in developed nations. In less developed nations, none of the four routine activities indicators showed a relationship with men's theft arrest rates. Two indicators, motivation and guardianship, evidenced a relationship with women's minor theft rates. The implications for the generalizability of the routine activities concepts across development and gender are discussed. The authors wish to express their appreciation to Sandra Baxter, Applied Research Analysts, and Mona J. Danner, Old Dominion University, for their assistance in conceptual development, and to three anonymous reviewers for their insightful and helpful comments. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the 1993 annual meetings of the American Sociological Association, held in Miami. The authors wish to express their appreciation to Sandra Baxter, Applied Research Analysts, and Mona J. Danner, Old Dominion University, for their assistance in conceptual development, and to three anonymous reviewers for their insightful and helpful comments. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the 1993 annual meetings of the American Sociological Association, held in Miami. Notes The authors wish to express their appreciation to Sandra Baxter, Applied Research Analysts, and Mona J. Danner, Old Dominion University, for their assistance in conceptual development, and to three anonymous reviewers for their insightful and helpful comments. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the 1993 annual meetings of the American Sociological Association, held in Miami.