Risky behaviors and personal victimization in Taiwan

Western studies have consistently shown that risky behaviors are associated with personal victimization. In Taiwan, little is known about such behaviors in relation to personal victimization. This study utilized data from the 2000 Taiwan Areas Criminal Victimization Survey to examine whether the relationship between risk-taking behaviors and personal victimization that have been established in the Western literature also applied to Taiwan. This study generally found that the aspects of risky activities have great applicability for modeling criminal victimization risks. The findings from gender and marital status to victimization, however, do not meet the expectations derived from Western research. Based upon the inconsistent results, we agree with the conclusion of Messner and colleagues that it is necessary to apply the Western model flexibly in order to reflect the broader social-cultural context that shapes people's routine daily life and their differential risks of victimization in non-Western societies.