NCJ Number
141961
Journal
Justice Quarterly Volume: 9 Issue: 3 Dated: (September 1992) Pages: 443-463
Date Published
1992
Length
21 pages
Annotation
Data from several cities and towns in New York were used to examine the effects of guardianship, a crucial element in the routine activities approach to understanding crime, on residential burglary.
Abstract
The analysis differed from previous studies on the subject in that it included both primary and proxy guardianship, used a more direct indicator of primary guardianship, and examined the effects of guardianship on both the initial risk of burglary and the probability that the crime will be completed. A random-digit dialing method was used to conduct telephone interviews between July and December 1984 to gather information about household burglary back to the beginning of 1983. Data were analyzed for 229 burglarized households and 414 households that had not been burglarized during the period considered. Results suggested that prior research may have underestimated the effects of guardianship on residential burglary. The analyses also revealed that a complete understanding of the effects of guardianship, especially proxy guardianship by nonhousehold members and security devices, on the entire burglary process will require simultaneous consideration of victimization and offending perspectives. Tables, footnotes, and 19 references.