Editing Victimology (section)

=== Environmental theory ===
The environmental theory posits that the location and context of the crime bring the victim of the crime and its perpetrator together.<ref>Harrison on the ''environmental theory'', at [http://www.cameron.edu/~harrison/259,4 Environmental Theory]{{Dead link|date=July 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Research published between 2010 and 2025 gives some credence to this theory.

Studies in the early 2010s showed that crimes are negatively correlated to trees in urban environments; more trees in an area are congruent with lower victimization rates or violent crime rates.<ref name="More Trees">{{cite web |url=http://www.treehugger.com/health/more-trees-means-less-crime-baltimore-study-shows.html|title=More Trees (Equals) Less Crime in Baltimore, Study Shows|last=Davies|first=Alex|date=June 19, 2012|access-date=June 19, 2012}}</ref><ref name="Big Trees">{{cite web|url=http://www.treehugger.com/natural-sciences/big-trees-may-make-communities-safer-says-study.html|title=Big Trees May Make Communities Safer, Says Study|last=Messenger|first=Stephen|date=November 1, 2010|access-date=June 19, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120725070103/http://www.treehugger.com/natural-sciences/big-trees-may-make-communities-safer-says-study.html|archive-date=July 25, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Some Trees">{{cite web |url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101101171240.htm|title=Some City Trees May Discourage 'Shady' Behavior; Study Explores Relationship Between Urban Trees and Crime|website=ScienceDaily|date=November 1, 2010|access-date=June 19, 2012}}</ref><ref name="Portland">{{cite journal | last1 = Donovan | first1 = G. H. | last2 = Prestemon | first2 = J. P. | year = 2010 | title = 'The Effect of Trees on Crime in Portland, Oregon. | url = https://semanticscholar.org/paper/abe37b479ca4a5d41d66c502d31da71c8467ccb9| journal = Environment and Behavior | volume = 44| pages = 3–30| doi = 10.1177/0013916510383238 | s2cid = 16392203 }}</ref><ref name="Baltimore">{{cite journal | last1 = Troya | first1 = Austin | last2 = Groveb | first2 = J. Morgan | last3 = O'Neil-Dunne | first3 = Jarlath | year = 2012| title = 'The relationship between tree canopy and crime rates across an urban–rural gradient in the greater Baltimore region. | journal = Landscape and Urban Planning | volume = 106 | issue = 3| pages = 262–270 | doi = 10.1016/j.landurbplan.2012.03.010 | bibcode = 2012LUrbP.106..262T }}</ref>  This relationship was established by studies in 2010 in [[Portland, Oregon]] and in 2012 in [[Baltimore, Maryland]].<ref name="More Trees" /><ref name="Big Trees" /><ref name="Portland" /><ref name="Baltimore" /> Geoffrey Donovan of the [[United States Forest Service]] (USFS), one of the researchers, said, "trees, which provide a range of other benefits, could improve [[quality of life]] in Portland by reducing crime..."<ref name="Big Trees" /> because "We believe that large street trees can reduce crime by signaling to a potential criminal that a neighborhood is better cared for and, therefore, a criminal is more likely to be caught."<ref name="More Trees" /><ref name="Portland" />  Note that the presence of ''large'' street trees especially indicated a reduction in crime, as opposed to newer, smaller trees.<ref name="More Trees" /><ref name="Portland" /> In the 2012 Baltimore study, led by scientists from the [[University of Vermont]] and the [[United States Department of Agriculture]] (USDA), a "conservative spatially adjusted model indicated that a 10% increase in tree canopy was associated with a roughly 12% decrease in crime.... [and] we found that the inverse relationship continued in both contexts, but the magnitude was 40% greater for public than for private lands."<ref name="Baltimore" />

A study in the 2020s showed a strong positive association between "routine maintenance and repair of urban public places (e.g. Street construction projects) with a reduction in community violence, proxied by [[violent crime]] incidents."<ref name=Construction>{{cite journal|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/381115172|title=The association between street construction projects and community violence in New York City|date=June 1, 2024|doi=10.1101/2024.05.30.24308120|first1=Brady |last1=Bushover|first2=Andrew |last2=Kim|journal=Journal of Urban Health|volume=102|pages=82–91|pmid=38854117 |access-date=April 2, 2025|pmc=11160860}}</ref> Conversely, a study in the 2020s, showed a strong positive correlation between [[Abandoned house|vacant, abandoned, or "cited" properties]] with [[family violence]].<ref name=Vacant>{{cite journal|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/385849170|first=Julia M.|last=Fleckman|title=From Neighborhood to Household: Connections Between Neighborhood Vacant and Abandoned Property and Family Violence|date=November 14, 2024|journal=Journal of Urban Health |volume=102|pages=72–81|doi=10.1007/s11524-024-00938-9|pmid=38559063 |accessdate=April 2, 2025|pmc=10980094}}</ref> Researchers at [[Tulane University]] found about [[child neglect]] and [[intimate partner violence]] (IPV) that:
{{quote|text=The likelihood of experiencing child maltreatment at 12 months of age was more than twice as high for children living in neighborhoods with high vacant and cited property rates compared with women living in neighborhoods with fewer vacant and cited properties (OR = 2.11, 95% CI = 1.03, 4.31). Women living in neighborhoods characterized by high levels of vacant and cited properties were also more than twice as likely to report IPV (OR = 2.52, 95% CI = 1.21, 5.25). Associations remained mostly stable after controlling for key covariates.}}<ref name=Vacant />