Testing Routine Activity Theory
Behavioural Pathways Linking Temperature to Crime
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 8400516 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Christopher L Thomas (0000-0001-6804-5318, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, corresponding author), Christopher Thomas (0000-0002-0346-2417), Jinuk Jeong (0009-0000-2108-2322, John Jay College of Criminal Justice), Kevin T Wolff (0000-0001-5383-2976, John Jay College of Criminal Justice) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 65 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 859-877 |
| Publication date | 2025-08-24 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The British Journal of Criminology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0007-0955 • E-ISSN: 1464-3529 |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1093/bjc/azae091 |
| OpenAlex | W4405448073 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 69 |
This study examines direct observations of outdoor routine activities to investigate the pathways through which temperatures shape crime. Daily administrative records of crime, weather and outdoor activity were assembled from 2015 to 2019 in New York City. Mediation analysis (with bootstrapped standard errors) reveals that alterations in routine activities account for a statistically significant, yet modest, proportion of temperature’s relationship with homicides, shootings, assaults, larceny and public consumption violations. The comparable mediation effects across violent and nonviolent crimes support routine activity theory as an explanatory framework for understanding temperature’s impact on crime. The measures introduced here offer a novel approach for testing the theory and suggest other potential applications
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Weird winter weather in the Anthropocene
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Seasonality and Crime in Orlando Neighbourhoods
Weather and Crime
The Effect of Temperature on Crime
Ambient temperature and violent crime
Social Change and Crime Rate Trends
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| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |