CRIMINAL VICTIMIZATION SURVEYS IN THE NATION'S FIVE LARGEST CITIES - NATIONAL CRIME PANEL SURVEYS OF CHICAGO, DETROIT, LOS ANGELES, NEW YORK, AND PHILADELPHIA

• NCJ Number: 16909
• Author(s): ANON
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 200 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: National Criminal Justice Information & Statistics Service; US Dept of Justice
• Corporate Author: US Dept of Commerce; National Criminal Justice Information & Statistics Service
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

PRESENTS INFORMATION NOT OTHERWISE AVAILABLE ON THE EXTENT AND NATURE OF SELECTED CRIMES AND THEIR IMPACT UPON RESIDENTS AND COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENTS.

Abstract

A COMPARATIVE STUDY BASED ON RESULTS OF CRIMINAL VICTIMIZATION SURVEYS CONDUCTED EARLY IN 1973, THE REPORT PRESENTS INFORMATION NOT OTHERWISE AVAILABLE ON THE EXTEND AND NATURE OF SELECTED CRIMES AND ON THEIR IMPACT UPON RESIDENTS AND COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENTS OF FIVE CENTRAL CITIES - CHICAGO, DETROIT, LOS ANGELES, NEW YORK, AND PHILADELPHIA. WITHIN EACH LOCALITY, REPRESENTATIVE PROBABILITY SAMPLINGS WERE MADE IN AN AVERAGE OF ABOUT 10,000 HOUSEHOLDS (ENCOMPASSING SOME 22,000 RESIDENTS AGE 12 AND OVER), AS WELL AS IN 3,480 PLACES OF BUSINESS, IN ORDER TO OBTAIN DETAILS ABOUT EXPERIENCES, IF ANY, WITH CERTAIN CRIMES OF VIOLENCE AND THEFT, INCLUDING EVENTS THAT VICTIMS FAILED TO REPORT TO THE POLICE. INFORMATION FURNISHED BY THE VICTIM ENABLED EXAMINATION OF VARIOUS FACETS OF VICTIMIZATION, INCLUDING VICTIM-OFFENDER RELATIONSHIP, TIME AND PLACE OF OCCURRENCE, INJURY OR ECONOMIC LOSS SUSTAINED, WHETHER A WEAPON WAS USED, VICTIM SELF-PROTECTION MEASURES, WHETHER THE POLICE WERE NOTIFIED, AND, IF NOT, REASONS ADVANCED FOR NOT INFORMING THEM. THE VICTIMS THEMSELVES WERE THE OBJECTS OF STUDY. CATEGORIZATION OF VICTIMS ACCORDING TO CONVENTIONAL SOCIOECONOMIC GROUPINGS PERMITTED THE IDENTIFICATION OF THOSE SECTORS OF SOCIETY WHICH WERE RELATIVELY MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO CRIMINAL VICTIMIZATION. WHEREAS CONJECTURE AS TO THE DETERMINANTS OF SUCH SUSCEPTIBILITY WAS NOT WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF THE STUDY, THE SURVEY RESULTS PERMIT THE DRAWING OF INFERENCES AS TO THE FORCES AT WORK THAT MIGHT CONTRIBUTE TO THAT VULNERABILITY AND GIVE NEW INSIGHTS INTO THE QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG RESIDENTS OF THE FIVE CITIES. (SNI ABSTRACT)