Offender-Victim Distance and its Influence On Criminal Conduct: Towards A Theory Of Criminogenic Distancing

Abstract

This article proposes the concept of criminogenic distancing, referring to the physical and psychological distance between offenders and victims that facilitates criminal conduct by reducing empathy, weakening moral restraints, and diminishing awareness of the consequences of harmful actions. Drawing upon criminological theory, victimology, and social psychology, particularly the work of Stanley Milgram and Albert Bandura, the paper argues that distancing operates as a general criminogenic mechanism across diverse forms of offending, including interpersonal violence, genocide, white-collar crime, terrorism and cybercrime. Physical separation, dehumanization, stereotyping, and the diffusion of responsibility are examined as complementary mechanisms that increase the likelihood of offending. The article concludes by discussing the implications of the theory for victimology, crime prevention, and public perceptions of offences involving diffuse or indirect victims.