NCJ Number
158230
Journal
Journal of Quantitative Criminology Volume: 11 Issue: 3 Dated: (September 1995) Pages: 247-270
Date Published
1995
Length
24 pages
Annotation
Australian and West Australian trends in robbery, assault, and burglary are examined; police figures are contrasted with the results of victimization surveys; and limitations of victimization are discussed.
Abstract
Statistics do not indicate major changes in the assault rate in West Australia during the past decade. Robbery and burglary rates, however, have increased substantially. These increases seem to have occurred mainly in the 1980's. The increasing number of victimization surveys in the 1990's has improved the ability to track trends, and these trends suggest robbery and burglary rates have stabilized or are slightly decreasing. Observed increases in all crime types appear to be exaggerated in official police reports, one reason being that victims are increasingly more willing to report crimes to the police. Urban lifestyle trends have created and will continue to create distinct opportunities for crime, and these trends are supported by Australian surveys of burglary victims. The growth in burglary is seen as a function of the modern lifestyle in West Australia which has experienced an increase in the number of persons living in detached dwellings, a reduction in family size, increasing work force participation, and an increasing number of small but expensive electrical goods. The authors conclude that the prevalence of robbery and burglary reflects social phenomena associated with acquisitiveness rather than aggressiveness and that Australian society in general is not becoming more violent. 29 references, 10 footnotes, 6 tables, and 6 figures