CRIMES AGAINST THE ELDERLY - FINDINGS FROM INTERVIEWS WITH BLACKS, MEXICAN AMERICANS, AND WHITES (FROM JUSTICE AND OLDER AMERICANS, 1977 BY MARLENE A YOUNG RIFAI - SEE NCJ-44336)

• NCJ Number: 44339
• Author(s): P K RAGAN
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 12 pages
• Corporate Author: D C Heath and Co
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

DATA FROM A 1974 SURVEY OF 1,269 BLACKS, MEXICAN AMERICANS, AND WHITES IN LOS ANGELES, FROM OTHER SURVEYS, AND FROM PUBLISHED CRIME STATISTICS ARE EXAMINED IN A STUDY OF THE NATURE OF CRIMES AGAINST THE ELDERLY.

Abstract

THE STUDY EXPLORES THREE STEREOTYPES CONCERNING CRIME AGAINST THE ELDERLY: THAT CRIME IS ONE OF THE VERY SERIOUS PROBLEMS FACED BY OLDER PEOPLE; THAT CRIME AFFECTS THE ELDERLY MUCH MORE THAN OTHER GROUPS; AND THAT THE TYPICAL VICTIM IS AN ELDERLY WHITE WOMAN. THE LOS ANGELES SURVEY SAMPLE INCLUDED PERSONS AGED 45 TO 47. RESPONDENTS WERE QUESTIONED ABOUT THEIR PERCEPTIONS OF CRIME AS A PROBLEM. THE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT MOST OLDER PEOPLE DO NOT PERCEIVE CRIME AS ONE OF THEIR MOST SERIOUS PROBLEMS. CONSIDERABLY FEWER THAN HALF OF THE PERSONS IN ANY RACE, AGE, SEX, OR SOCIAL CLASS CATEGORY NAMED CRIME AS ONE OF THEIR THREE MOST SERIOUS PROBLEMS. THE FINDING THAT MIDDLE-AGED SUBJECTS EXPERIENCED CRIME AS A PROBLEM IN NUMBERS SIMILAR TO THE OLDER POPULATION SUGGESTS THAT CRIME IS MORE OF A COMMUNITY PROBLEM THAN A PROBLEM OF THE AGED. OVERALL, BLACKS REPORTED GREATER PROBLEMS WITH CRIME THAN DID MEXICAN AMERICANS AND WHITES. HOWEVER, AMONG OLDER RESPONDENTS, DIFFERENCES BY RACE ARE NOT AS GREAT. OVERALL, OLDER WOMEN DO NOT BEAR AS DISPROPORTIONATE A SHARE OF THE PROBLEMS OF CRIME AS IS IMAGINED. HOWEVER, DIFFRENCESS BETWEEN OLDER MEN AND WOMEN ARE MUCH MORE STRIKING AMONG BLACKS AND MEXICAN AMERICANS, WITH WOMEN REPORTING CRIME PROBLEMS MUCH MORE OFTEN THAN MEN. LOWER SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS IS NOT CONSISTENTLY RELATED TO PERCEPTION OF CRIME AS A PROBLEM. A BRIEF REVIEW OF NATIONAL STATISTICS ON VICTIMIZATION AND OF SURVEY FINDINGS FROM NEVADA, DETROIT, AND CHICAGO SUGGESTS THAT, IN GENERAL, THE ELDERLY ARE NOT DISPROPORTIONATELY VICTIMIZED BY CRIME. IT IS NOTED, HOWEVER, THAT CRIME STATISTICS CONSISTING OF COUNTS OF INCIDENTS CANNOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE RELATIVE IMPACT OF CRIMES ON VICTIMS. BOTH THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES ASSOCIATED WITH FOCUSING ATTENTION ON THE PROBLEM OF CRIME AGAINST THE ELDERLY ARE POINTED OUT. SUPPORTING DATA ARE INCLUDED.