Situational Prevention Approaches

Abstract

Like all human behavior, sexual violence and abuse involves interactions between the characteristics and dispositions of the actor (offender), and the characteristics of the situation in which the behavior (offense) occurs. Although this fundamental principle has been recognized in the major theories of sexual offending, research, policy, and practice concerning sexual offending continue to be dominated by individual-level, dispositional conceptions of the problem. In this chapter I examine situational conceptions of sexual offending, and show how situational crime prevention concepts and methods may be applied to reducing its prevalence and impact.