NCJ Number
146119
Journal
Research Bulletin Issue: 34 Dated: (Summer 1993) Pages: 26-30
Date Published
1993
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This study examined perceptions of the two parties involved in violent incidents in Great Britain.
Abstract
The perspectives of offenders and their victims were obtained primarily through semi-structured interviews. Since some victims refused to participate in the study, statements given to the police were also used. The interviews focused on the incident location, the presence and reaction of onlookers, the offender's use of a weapon, the relationship between the pair and past disputes, alcohol's role, motivation for the attack, antecedents to the violence, whether violence was the anticipated outcome, and the extent of victim injuries. Information was obtained from the police files of every subdivision in the West Midlands Police District on all completed section 18 and 20 reported offenses committed by males between January and December 1990. The final sample consisted of 79 offender-victim pairs. Offenders and victims agreed on objective facts associated with the incident, such as where the incident occurred, who else was physically involved, and whether the injuries had been caused by a weapon. Opinions based on intuition, insight, and hindsight differed between the offenders and victims. Victims tended to view their verbal statements and physical behaviors as nonthreatening; offenders, on the other hand, viewed victims' statements and behaviors as sufficiently threatening to warrant a violent response. 5 references