The Victim-Perpetrator Overlap and Routine Activities

The overlap between the populations of victims and perpetrators, as well as the differences between victims who are perpetrators and those who are not, are explored using data from a cross-sectional survey of violence among a random sample ( n = 3,007) of the general population in Bogotá, Colombia. The findings show that about a third of the population have been both a victim and perpetrator of violence, whereas another third have been only victims. Victims who have not been perpetrators differ in their demographic profile and routine activities from those who have but tend to be similar to the general population. Given the large overlap between victims and perpetrators, interventions used to reduce aggression and offending might also have an impact on victimization in this population. Risk factors different from those hypothesized in the routine activities theory among victims who are not perpetrators of violence need to be explored.