International students are the students who go to other countries to study and because of this, they face a lot of problems. They are a vulnerable group who face common security problems because of several factors that include demographic factors, lack of stable economic security, limited options to employment, housing and transport, and many other factors (Soares, 2001).
One of the most common factors that lead to one becoming a crime victim is opportunity. According to the theory of routine activity, most crimes consist of three elements namely a motivated offender, a suitable target, and a lack of a capable guardian to prevent the crime from occurring (Archer & Gartner, 1984). An opportunity, therefore, plays a major role in providing the necessary circumstances that allow for the attackers to commit crimes like theft, robbery, and assault.many crimes that occur is usually linked to particular times of the day and certain locations for instance during the evening, on weekends and around entertainment venues.
Victim characteristics and personality can also lead to one becoming a crime victim. This refers to a person’s lifestyle, personality, dressing, and routine activities that may expose them to attackers. A person’s lifestyle like drinking, hanging out with friends in clubs, walking or driving around late into the night plus the company that one keeps contribute greatly to them becoming targets of crime. A victim’s characteristics can also include age, gender, and the type of employment that one does. Usually, international students work and study at the same time to sustain themselves financially (Fajnzylber, Lederman & Loayza, 2000).
As a result, they get exposed more to crimes especially since they often work on night shifts and these kinds of jobs includes working in clubs, service stations, and as taxi drivers which leads to them becoming victims of crime. They have to travel back to their residences late in the night using public means of transport. Routine activities also expose one to become a victim of a crime as criminals often watch for those who live by strict agendas and timelines as this helps them to get as much information about the victim as possible.
To prevent one from becoming a crime victim, caution about the kind of life they lead is important. This is because a person’s lifestyle can expose an individual to potential attackers and as a result become victims of crimes. It is always important that one stays at the right place at the right time and to avoids bad company. A person needs to focus only on the essential things in life and leave out the unimportant ones.
Another reason that is crucial in ensuring that one is safe includes changing of their routine as much as possible. Breaking routine helps to avoid establishing a trend that can easily be followed by potential attackers. One should also avoid walking or driving alone at night as this may expose them to crime. If one must do this he/she must make sure that they do not do so alone but should keep company.
However, the kind of company that a person keeps is important as this contributes to a person becoming a crime victim. One should choose friends carefully by researching their background, character, and lifestyle. It is important to avoid drinking too much or taking drugs as this may make them vulnerable to crimes. To avoid being a victim of crime one should also work on establishing a good reputation. Living a clean life free from crime is important in preventing people from crime and criminals.
References
Archer D. & R. Gartner 1984, “Violence and Crime in Cross-National Perspective”, Yale University Press, New Haven.
Fajnzylber P., Lederman D. & N. Loayza 2000, “Crime and Victimization: An Economic Perspective”, Economia.
Soares R.R. 2001“Development, Crime, and Punishment: Accounting for the International Differences in Crime Rates”, Department of Economics, University of Chicago.