NCJ Number
97806
Journal
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology Volume: 17 Issue: 4 Dated: (December 1984) Pages: 233-238
Date Published
1984
Length
6 pages
Annotation
Patterns in the reported characteristics of indecent exposure cases are studied based on the experiences of 1,228 female victims in Melbourne, Australia.
Abstract
Data were obtained from surveys of 663 women in May, 1981, asking whether they had been victims of indecent exposure. Reported conclusions are based on experiences of the 228 who admitted to having been victims. Analysis of data includes an examination of the circumstances, site and time, the characteristics of the exposer, the act of exposure, and the victim's attitude towards the experience. Findings show an inverse relationship between the age of the victim and the exposer, with exposers over the age of 25 favoring victims under 15 years of age; offenders under 25 favored victims over the age of 15. An examination of the victim attitudes toward indecent exposure indicates that almost half of the victims (47 percent) considered indecent exposure as deviant behavior, but only 15 percent considered it as both criminal and immoral. The majority of the victims considered the offense a minor one, the existing maximum penalty as severe, and the offenders as in need of help. Fourteen references are provided.