When Does Repeat Burglary Victimisation Occur?

Abstract Research consistently demonstrates that past victimisation is among the best predictors of future risk. Using recorded domestic burglary crime data from Victoria, Australia, analyses were conducted to examine temporal patterns of repeat burglary victimisation. The analyses focus on both time elapsed between incidents at the same location and the time of day that events occur, the latter previously unexamined in the literature. The time-course of revictimisation is as found hitherto: revictimisation occurs swiftly and the risk of repetition decays over time. Considering the time of day, in line with routine activities theory, the majority of incidents (first or follow-up events) occurred during the day. More interestingly, the results suggest that, relative to repeat burglaries that occur months after the first offence, those that occur within 7 days are more likely to occur at the same time of the day as the antecedent event. Moreover, the time course of revictimisation appears to vary for burglaries that occur at different times of the day. The results are discussed in relation to routine activities theory and with respect to their implications for crime reduction.