NCJ Number
68696
Journal
Victimology Volume: 4 Issue: 4 Dated: (1979) Pages: 395-402
Date Published
1979
Length
8 pages
Annotation
USING SECONDARY DATA FROM KANSAS CITY, MO., THIS ARTICLE EXPLORES THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOR FOCUSING ON PERCEPTIONS OF RISK AND PRECAUTIONARY BEHAVIORS INTENDED TO REDUCE THE LIKELIHOOD OF VICTIMIZATION.
Abstract
SUBJECTIVE RISK IS DEFINED AS A PERSON'S PERCEPTIONS OF HIS OR HER OWN CHANCES OF VICTIMIZATION EMANATING FROM A PERSONAL SENSE OF DANGER. PERSONAL RISK MAY BE BASED ON KNOWLEDGE OF CRIME RATES OR OF NEIGHBORHOOD CUES OF DANGEROUSNESS. RISK IS SEEN AS A MULTIDIMENSIONAL CONCEPT. TO ASSESS DIMENSIONS OF RISK AND PRECAUTIONARY BEHAVIORS AND TO EXPLORE THE RELATIONSHIP AMONG THEM, A MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS EXAMINED RISK DATA FROM A PREVENTIVE POLICE PATROL STUDY. THE SURVEY ASKED RESPONDENTS TO ESTIMATE THEIR RISKS OF BURGLARY, ROBBERY, ASSAULT, AND RAPE. IT DIFFERENTIATED AS TO WHERE (STREET OR HOME) AND WHEN (DAY OR NIGHT) THE CRIME OCCURRED. THREE INDICES WERE CREATED TO REPRESENT ASSESSMENTS OF VICTIMIZATION RISKS, STREET RISKS, HOME RISK, AND PROPERTY RISK. PRECAUTIONARY BEHAVIOR WAS REPRESENTED BY GUN OWNERSHIP, HOME SECURITY, AND AVOIDANCE. ALL RISK ASSESSMENTS WERE POSITIVELY RELATED TO THE REPORTED USE OF ALL PRECAUTIONARY STRATEGIES. HIGHEST CORRELATIONS WERE BETWEEN PERCEPTIONS OF STREET RISK AND AVOIDANCE AND PERCEPTIONS OF HOME VIOLENCE RISK AND AVOIDANCE. FEMALES USED MORE AVOIDANCE BEHAVIOR, WHILE MALES, BLACKS, AND THE LESS EDUCATED OWNED MORE GUNS. OLDER PERSONS (65 AND OVER) USED MORE HOME SECURITY MEASURES. EACH OF THE RISK ESTIMATES WAS STRONGLY RELATED TO AVOIDANCE BEHAVIORS, SUGGESTING THAT AVOIDANCE STRATEGIES MAY BE PERCEIVED AS A REASONABLE STRATEGY FOR REDUCING THE RISKS OF ALL CRIME. TABULAR DATA AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED.