NCJ Number
68819
Date Published
1980
Length
3 pages
Annotation
THE RATE OF CRIME VICTIMIZATION AMONG HISPANICS IN THE UNITED STATES, COMPARED TO THE RATE FOR NON-HISPANICS, IS DISCUSSED, ESPECIALLY IN TERMS OF VARIATIONS IN CRIME REPORTING AND IN SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES.
Abstract
A NATIONAL CRIME SURVEY CONDUCTED BY THE UNITED STATES CENSUS BUREAU ON BEHALF OF THE BUREAU OF JUSTICE STATISTICS OF THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE COMPARED HISPANICS AND NON-HISPANICS AS VICTIMS OF CRIME BETWEEN 1973 AND 1978. HISPANO-AMERICANS (A DEFINITION BASED ON INDIVIDUALS' OWN CLAIMS TO SPANISH OR LATIN AMERICAN DESCENT, LANGUAGE, AND CULTURE, REGARDLESS OF RACE) WERE FOUND TO HAVE A HIGHER RATE OF CRIME VICTIMIZATION THAN NON-HISPANICIS. CRIME COMMITTED MOST COMMONLY AGAINST HISPANICS INCLUDED HOUSE BURGLARIES, ROBBERIES, AND AUTO THEFTS. VIOLENT CRIMES AGAINST HISPANICS TENDED TO BE THOSE USING FIREARMS, KNIVES, AND OTHER WEAPONS (IN THIS ORDER). BUSINESS AND PROPERTY CRIMES, INVOLVING NO DIRECT CONTACT BETWEEN PERPETRATORS AND VICTIMS, WERE COMMITTED IN HIGHER NUMBERS AGAINST NON-HISPANICS. CONSIDERATION OF SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES REVEALED THAT HISPANIC MALES WERE VICTIMIZED TO A HIGHER DEGREE THAT HISPANIC FEMALES; YOUNG HISPANICS BETWEEN THE AGES OF 12 AND 19 WERE FOUND TO ACCOUNT FOR THE LARGEST NUMBER OF BOTH VICTIMS AND PERPETRATORS OF VIOLENT CRIMES; AND VIOLENT CRIMES AMONG HISPANO-AMERICANS WERE COMMITTED BY INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE POOR, UNEMPLOYED, AND RAISED IN BROKEN HOMES (I.E., WITH DIVORCED, SEPARATED, OR UNMARRIED PARENTS). AN IMPORTANT FACTOR IN THE COMPARATIVE SURVEY, POSSIBLY INFLUENCING THE ACCURACY OF VICTIMIZATION DATA, IS THE HIGHER RATE OF CRIME REPORTING TO THE POLICE BY NON-HISPANICS THAN BY HISPANICS. THREE TABLES, ONE GRAPH, AND FOOTNOTES ARE PROVIDED. --IN SPANISH.