Personal networks and crime victimization among Swedish youth

We combine routine activity theory, lifestyle-victimization theory,
and a social network perspective to examine crime victimization.
In particular, we study to what extent crime victimization is associated
with having close contacts who have been victimized and/
or who engage in risky lifestyles. We use the data (collected in
2014) of 1,051 native Swedes and 1,108 Iranian and Yugoslavian
first- or second-generation immigrants in Sweden who were all
born in 1990. They were asked to describe their personal characteristics,
various behaviours, and past personal experiences with
crime victimization, as well as those of the five persons with whom
they most often spend their leisure time. Our findings support the
network perspective: crime victimization is negatively associated
with the number of close contacts an individual mentions but is
substantially more likely for those who have many close contacts
who have themselves been victimized. In terms of a risky lifestyle
that may enhance the likelihood of being victimized, we found
only that individuals who get drunk frequently were at somewhat
higher risk of being victimized. To guard young individuals against
crime victimization, it might thus be worthwhile to focus more on
with whom they associate than on their potentially risky lifestyles
or attitudes.