NCJ Number
61900
Date Published
1976
Length
22 pages
Annotation
A STRATIFIED RANDOM SAMPLE OF 500 ELDERLY PEOPLE IN 1 OREGON CITY WAS STUDIED IN ORDER TO DETERMINE RATES OF AND ATTITUDES TOWARD CRIMINAL VICTIMIZATION AMONG THE ELDERLY.
Abstract
THE SUBJECTS' MEAN AGE WAS 70 TO 74 YEARS. SUBJECTS WERE GIVEN HOUR-LONG INTERVIEWS WHICH INCLUDED BOTH STRUCTURED AND OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS ABOUT A VARIETY OF ASPECTS OF VICTIMIZATION. THE VICTIMIZATION RATE IN THE SAMPLE WAS 58 PERCENT, DISPOPORTIONATE TO THE RATE OF HIGH CONCERN ABOUT CRIME (95 PERCENT) WITH OVER HALF THE INCIDENTS OCCURRING IN THE 3 YEARS PREVIOUS TO THE SURVEY. OVER ONE-THIRD OF THE VICTIMS HAD BEEN VICTIMIZED AN AVERAGE OF FOUR TIMES. OVER 60 PERCENT OF THE CRIMES CONSISTED OF BURGLARY, THEFT, AND VANDALISM. FRAUD, HARASSMENT, OBSCENE PHONE CALLS, AND NONVIOLENT EXTORTION CONSTITUTED 23 PERCENT OF THE CRIMES. VIOLENT CRIMES SUCH AS ROBBERY AND PURSE SNATCHING, MADE UP 12 PERCENT OF TOTAL CRIME, AND OTHER CRIMES, SUCH AS SEXUAL CRIMES, THE REMAINING 2 PERCENT. MOST OFFENSES OCCURRED IN THE AFTERNOON OR EVENING, IN OR NEAR THE VICTIM'S HOME. INCOME OR HEALTH LEVELS WERE BOTH HIGHER AMONG VICTIMS THAN AMONG NONVICTIMS. SEVERAL SPECIFIC TYPES OF FEARS WERE IDENTIFIED. AREAS RECOMMENDED FOR FURTHER RESEARCH ARE COMPONENTS OF ANXIETY ABOUT CRIME AND POSSIBLE SPECIFIC ACTIONS TO REDUCE THE PROBABILITY OF BECOMING A VICTIM. SEVEN TABLES AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE INCLUDED. (CFW)