MOST CRIMINAL ACTS REQUIRE THE TIMELY CONVERGENCE OF LIKELY OFFENDERS, SUITABLE TARGETS, AND THE ABSENCE OF CAPABLE DEFENDERS. HUMAN ECOLOGICAL THEORY FACILITATES AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE WAY SOCIAL STRUCTURE PRODUCES THIS CONVERGENCE, HYPOTHESIZING THAT THE DISPERSION OF ACTIVITIES AWAY FROM HOUSEHOLDS AND FAMILIES INCREASES THE OPPORTUNITY FOR CRIME AND THUS GENERATES HIGHER CRIME RATES. DATA SUPPORTIVE OF THIS HYPOTHESIS PRESENTED TO EXPLAIN CRIME-RATE TRENDS IN THE UNITED STATES AS A BYPRODUCT OF CHANGES IN SUCH VARIABLES AS LABOR FORCE PARTICIPATION AND SINGLE-ADULT HOUSEHOLDS. A TIME-SERIES ANALYSIS FOR THE YEARS 1947 TO 1974 CONSISTENTLY REVEALS POSITIVE AND STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE HOUSEHOLD ACTIVITY RATIO AND EACH OFFICIAL CRIME RATE CHANGE. THE FIVE INDEX CRIME RATES USED WERE MONNEGLIGENT HOMICIDE, FORCIBLE RAPE, AGGRAVATED ASSAULT, ROBBERY, AND BURGLARY. THE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT ROUTINE ACTIVITIES MAY INDEED PROVIDE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR MANY ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES TO OCCUR. IN THE FUTURE, THE ROUTINE-ACTIVITY APPROACH MAY BE APPLIED TO THE ANALYSIS OF OFFENDERS, AS THE MOST USEFUL APPROACH IN EXPLAINING WHY THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, THE COMMUNITY, AND THE FAMILY HAVE APPEARED SO INEFFECTIVE IN EXERTING SOCIAL CONTROL SINCE 1960. FOOTNOTES, TABULAR DATA, AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--PRG)