The application of routine activity theory in explaining victimization of child marriage

Abstract

The present research is an attempt to explain the problem of child marriage in light of routine activity theory, developed by Felson and Cohen in 1979. There is, however, no specific theory that exclusively addresses either children as victims of crime in general or victims of child marriage in particular. Unlike other crime victims, however, certain victims of child marriage do not view themselves as ‘victims’, given the underlying causative factors and the justification of the consequences of such victimization. Routine activity theory was initially intended to explain property crimes. In course of time, scholars of victimology began applying this theory to explain various kinds of victimization, including domestic violence in different contexts. In this connection, a study was conducted among victims of child marriage in the state of Tamil Nadu, India, to link the practice of child marriage with the routine activity theory. For the purpose of the present research, data were collected from 252 women who were married as children. The findings of the research have revealed that the practice of child marriage can be explained from two dimensions: the first explains the causes underlying its occurrence, and the second deals with how intimate partner violence plays out in such circumstances. The outcome of this research is expected to fill a gap in the literature in the field of victimology.