ABSTRACT
The offender’s perspective is perhaps the most overlooked component of victimization theory and research. This chapter discusses the reasons behind this omission and how most existing theories fail to explain much of the variation in victimization from one person to the next. We then discuss the consequences for victims of failing to consider the offenders’ perspective. In addition, we review the criminological theory and research concerning how offenders make decisions concerning who they will victimize and how they will do it. The key theme in this chapter, then, is the importance of bringing the offender back into how we think about victimization. It ends with a discussion of gaps and challenges as we move ahead, as well as a listing of key readings and discussion questions
