Impacts of Victims' Lifestyle and Routine Activities on the Risks of Victimization: A Case of Insurgent Attacks on the Security Officers in Thailand's Southern Border Provinces

Several security officers had been targeted and attacked by the insurgents in Thailand's southern border provinces for decades. These casualties had raised the questions about how these security officers were victimized. This research aimed to analyze the factors related to the victims' lifestyle and routine activities that affect the risks of insurgent victimization among security officers in Thailand's southern border provinces. The theoretical framework of this study was developed by integrating the Lifestyle-Routine Activities Theory (L-RAT), Lifestyle-Exposure Theory (LST), and Routine Activities Theory (RAT). The typologies of 225 insurgent attacks on security officers in Pattani between 2013 and 2019 were analyzed using content analysis and statistical analysis. The research findings indicated that the risks of insurgent victimization were influenced by the security officers' lifestyle and routine activities as a result of exposure to insurgent attacks, proximity to insurgent attacks, target attractiveness, guardianship, victims' demographic characteristics, types of attacks, and spatial-temporal factors. Increased exposure to insurgent attacks, proximity to insurgent attacks, and target attractiveness heightened the risks, while a higher level of guardianship had the potential to reduce the risks. Therefore, to mitigate the risks of victimization, this study recommended certain practices and policies to not only individuals but also the security forces. These included adapting the security officers' lifestyle and routine activities and implementing policies based on risk assessment.