NCJ Number
75535
Date Published
1980
Length
16 pages
Annotation
Results of national crime victimization surveys in Australia and the United States are compared.
Abstract
The Australian victims survey included 8,414 households and 18,694 persons, while the LEAA survey was based on interviews conducted in 60,000 households with 135,000 persons. The Australian study gathered data during February to May 1975 on all victimizations during the 12 months prior to the interview date for seven serious crime categories; break and enter; motor vehicle theft; theft; fraud, forgery, and false pretences; rape and attempted rape; robbery; and assault. The Australian survey produced an estimated crime rate which ranged from 2 to 16 times as high as the rate based on police records for specific crimes, although the police-reported rates are based on the entire population while the survey focused only on persons aged 15 or older. The U.S. survey used a superior methodology in that it was based on two 6-month recall periods rather than the single 12-month period used in the Australian survey. Comparison of the two Nations' crime rates showed suprisingly that Australia had a significantly higher motor vehicle theft rate than the United States. On all other property crime categories, the American rate was at least twice as high as the Australian rate. Violent crimes of rape and assault had nearly identical rates for the two countries. Victims in the two countries appeared equally likely to report the crimes to the police, except in cases of rape, where the reporting rate in the United States was double that of Australia. Overall, total crime is much greater in the United States than in Australia, but the rates for rape and assault in the two countries are approximately equal. Efforts to produce greater comparability of data are needed. Notes, tables, and 20 references are included.