NCJ Number
139212
Journal
Canadian Journal of Criminology Volume: 34 Issue: 3-4 Dated: special issue (July-October 1992) Pages: 339-368
Date Published
1992
Length
30 pages
Annotation
Three explanations of native American crime in Alaska are described that focus on cultural dislocation, underdevelopment, and alcohol abuse, and a situation-specific perspective is suggested to incorporate the interactive dynamics and dominated culture characteristics of native villages in Alaska.
Abstract
As with Indian communities generally, surprisingly little is known about the dimensions of crime in native villages of Alaska. Although statistics published by the Alaska Department of Public Safety are not broken down by rural and urban areas or by villages and cities, crime data obtained from village police officer files indicate that rural crime rates are about twice as high as urban crime rates for violent crime but lower for property crime. Other research documents the role of alcohol abuse in offense rates. To look at reported crime in 5 native villages, interviews were conducted with 47 villagers during the summer of 1990. These villagers described or mentioned 296 incidents: 55-percent person crimes, 21-percent property crimes, 18-percent order offenses, and 5-percent traffic violations. The most common crimes were assault, followed by misconduct involving a weapon, criminal trespass, criminal mischief, sexual abuse of a minor, and theft. Females were victimized much more frequently than males, and alcohol was involved in the majority of crimes. Crime explanations dealing with cultural dislocation, underdevelopment, and alcohol abuse indicate that crime is not imposed on native Americans. Rather, crime represents a social product that is influenced by the various contexts in which they live. A situational view of crime in native villages is presented that reflects a routine-activities model, and the role of village public safety officers is discussed. 60 references, 1 note, and 3 tables