The Generality of the Victim-Offender Overlap: An Investigation of the Importance of Cultural Context

Literature reviews on the victim-offender overlap, or the correlation between a person’s offending and victimization, reveal that the overlap is an empirical fact, and is indeed a pattern that many theories predict. Some theories, particularly those in the cultural deviance domain, make a case that the overlap is sensitive to cultural context. For instance, some cultures require that victims respond to their offenders noncriminally, while others indicate otherwise. Consideration of other cultural contexts, which could be accomplished by contrasting the findings of the United States with other countries, could help assess whether the overlap in fact is a function of culture. Using data from the second International Self-Report Delinquency Study (ISRD-II), this paper considers the victim-offender overlap in six country clusters and offers a cultural perspective on differences and similarities found between countries. Implications for future research on victimization are discussed.