Strangers in the Night: An Application of the Lifestyle-Routine Activities Approach to Elderly Homicide Victimization

This study employs multinomial logistic regression to examine the circumstances surrounding elderly homicide victimization from an integrated lifestyle-routine activities approach. It is hypothesized that although the elderly's overall risk of victimization is relatively low due to the private nature of their lifestyle and routine activity patterns, their risk of theft-related homicide victimization may be relatively high because they are more likely than younger persons to lack capable guardianship and to be perceived as suitable targets. Analyses of Chicago homicide data (1975-1981) largely support the authors' hypotheses by indicating that the risk of theft-related homicide victimization increases with advanced age and is more likely among socially distant victims and offenders.