CITIZEN DISCRETION AND THE CRIME OF THEFT (FROM SOCIAL AND DISCRETIONARY LAW, 1979, BY LAWRENCE EDWIN ABT AND IRVING R STUART - SEE NCJ-60144)

• NCJ Number: 60149
• Author(s): M S GREENBERG; C E WILSON
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 26 pages
• Grant Number(s): MH27526-01
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Health, Education, and Welfare
• Corporate Author: Van Nostrand Reinhold
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

BYSTANDER AND VICTIM DISCRETIONARY REPORTING OF THEFTS OUTSIDE THE HOME ARE EXAMINED THROUGH A REVIEW OF LITERATURE AND A SIMULATION RESEARCH STUDY.

Abstract

A REVIEW OF LITERATURE SHOWS THAT BYSTANDER REPORTING AND INTERVENTION REQUIRE THAT THE THEFT BE DETECTED AND LABELED APPROPRIATELY. IN DECIDING BETWEEN RESPONSES, BYSTANDERS CHOOSE THE OPTION THAT MAXIMIZES THEIR EXPECTED BENEFITS OR MINIMIZES THEIR EXPECTED COSTS. BYSTANDER REPORTING AND INTERVENTION CAN ALSO BE AFFECTED BY SOCIAL INFLUENCE EXERTED BY OTHERS, INCLUDING THE VICTIM, PRESENT AT THE INCIDENT. STUDIES OF THE IMPACT OF THIEF AND BYSTANDER CHARACTERISTICS ON REPORTING HAVE GENERALLY YIELDED INCONCLUSIVE RESULTS. MOST OF THE RESEARCH ON BYSTANDER RESPONSES TO THEFT HAVE FAILED TO INVESTIGATE BYSTANDER REPORTING TO POLICE. GENERALLY, VICTIMIZATION SURVEYS HAVE SHOWN THE RATE OF THEFT REPORTING TO BE CONSISTENT ACROSS TIME AND GEOGRAPHICAL REGION. ALTHOUGH SURVEYS SHOW THAT LARCENY IS THE MOST PREVALENT THEFT CRIME AGAINST THE PERSON, IT IS THE LEAST LIKELY THEFT TO BE REPORTED TO THE POLICE. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE VICTIM APPARENTLY ACCOUNT FOR LESS OF THE VARIANCE IN REPORTING THAN DOES THE NATURE OF THE OFFENSE. THE GREATER THE MAGNITUDE OF THE THEFT, THE HIGHER THE REPORTING RATE. IN THE ONE STUDY THAT EXAMINED THIEF CHARACTERISTICS IN RELATION TO REPORTING, NO RELATIONSHIP WAS FOUND BETWEEN REPORTING AND THE THIEF'S AGE, RACE, OR SEX. THE MOST FREQUENT REASONS GIVEN FOR NOT REPORTING THEFTS WERE CONSISTENT ACROSS STUDIES AND INCLUDED THE BELIEF THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE AND THAT THE THEFT WAS NOT SUFFICIENTLY IMPORTANT TO WARRANT CALLING IN THE POLICE. A STUDY THAT INVOLVED OBSERVATION OF VICTIM REPORTING REACTIONS TO A SIMULATED THEFT FOUND THAT VICTIMS ARE SUSCEPTIBLE TO THEIR ANTICIPATION OF HOW THE SUSPECTED THIEF AND THE POLICE MIGHT RESPOND TO THEIR REPORTING. IF ANTICIPATED RESPONSES WERE PRECEIVED TO BE COSTLY TO THE VICTIM, THERE WAS A RELUCTANCE TO REPORT THE THEFT. STUDIES OF SITUATIONAL AND SOCIAL INFLUENCES ON VICTIM DECISIONMAKING ARE STILL NEEDED. TABULAR DATA AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)