NCJ Number
65324
Date Published
1978
Length
23 pages
Annotation
BASED ON VICTIM CRIME REPORTS, A GEOGRAPHER'S TENTATIVE FINDINGS OF AN EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION INTO THE SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE PLACES OF CRIMINAL OFFENSE OCCURRENCE ARE PRESENTED.
Abstract
THE EMPIRICAL NATURE OF THIS INVESTIGATION IS JUSTIFIED BY THE ABSENCE OF ESTABLISHED THEORY IN THE FIELD OF CRIME VICTIMIZATION AND BY THE COMPARATIVELY RECENT INVOLVEMENT OF GEOGRAPHERS IN CRIMINOLOGICAL RESEARCH. CRIMINAL STATISTICS ARE ALSO OF DOUBTFUL RELIABILITY, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE OF THE LARGE NUMBER OF UNREPORTED AND/OR UNDETECTED CRIMES. FOLLOWING SOME STATISTICS OF VARIOUS OFFENSE TYPES COMPILED FROM VICTIMIZATION DATA IN THE UNITED STATES AND ENGLAND, AUSTRALIAN TABULAR DATA ARE PROVIDED FROM THE SYDNEY METROPOLITAN AREA. ACCORDING TO VICTIMS' REPORTS, THE HIGHEST INCIDENCE OCCURRED IN PROPERTY CRIME (I.E., LARCENY AND BURGLARY). THE VICTIM SURVEY PRODUCED NO REPORT OF RAPE VICTIMIZATION AND SHOWED THAT 72 PERCENT OF SYDNEY HOUSEHOLDS WERE FREE OF CRIME. VICTIMIZATION RATES AND DISTRIBUTION (OVER SIX METROPOLITAN AREAS) FROM THE UNITED STATES, SHOWED THAT, CONTRARY TO GENERAL OPINION, PERSONS OVER 65 ARE VICTIMIZED BY BURGLARY, THEFT, ROBBERY, ASSAULT, AND PURSE SNATCHING TO A MUCH LESSER DEGREE THAN YOUNGER PEOPLE. THIS MAY BE DUE TO GREATER CAUTION ON THE PART OF ELDERLY CITIZENS IN EXPOSING THEMSELVES TO CRIME RISK. ANOTHER GEOGRAPHIC SURVEY OF CRIME IN THE UNITED STATES INDICATED THAT THE MAJORITY OF CRIMES TAKES PLACE OUTDOORS (E.G., STREETS, FIELDS, PARKS, PLAYGROUNDS), FOLLOWED BY OFFICES AND COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENTS. THE PAPER RECOMMENDS FURTHER RESEARCH IN THE GEOGRAPHY OF CRIME IN ORDER TO OBTAIN ACCURATE STATISTICS ACCORDING TO SUCH VARIABLES AS REGIONS, STATES, CITIES, OTHER AREAS, AND ALSO BY TYPE OF INDOOR AND OUTDOOR CRIME LOCATIONS. A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF 89 ENTRIES IS APPENDED.