NCJ Number
48754
Date Published
1977
Length
35 pages
Annotation
A VICTIMIZATION SURVEY OF 660 ELDERLY RESIDENTS OF JACKSONVILLE, FLA., IS DOCUMENTED.
Abstract
THE SURVEY WAS ADMINISTERED THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY AT SENIOR CITIZEN GROUP MEETINGS, NUTRITIONAL CENTERS, AND HOUSING UNITS. SURVEY DATA WERE COMPARED WITH FINDINGS FROM AN EARLIER SURVEY OF THE GENERAL COMMUNITY. SENIOR CITIZENS REPORTED MUCH GREATER FEAR OF WALKING ALONE IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS AT NIGHT THAN DID THE GENERAL POPULATION, BUT WERE NOT NECESSARILY MORE AFRAID THAN OTHER AGE GROUPS IN THEIR HOMES AT NIGHT. APPROXIMATELY 10 PERCENT OF THE SENIOR CITIZENS SURVEYED HAD BEEN VICTIMS OF CRIME DURING THE 2 YEARS PRIOR TO THE SURVEY -- 35 PERCENT OF BURGLARY, 31 PERCENT OF ROBBERY, AND 19 PERCENT OF LARCENY. THE ELDERLY RESPONDENTS FEARED ROBBERY MORE THAN ANY OTHER CRIME. TWENTY-TWO PERCENT OF THE ELDERLY RESPONDENTS SAID THEY DID NOTHING TO PREVENT CRIMES. THOSE SENIOR CITIZENS WHO DID TAKE PRECAUTIONS TENDED TO STAY HOME OR KEEP THE DOORS AND WINDOWS LOCKED AS PREVENTIVE MEASURES. THE SENIOR CITIZENS SAW THE NEED FOR MORE POLICE OFFICERS AND MORE SEVERE PUNISHMENT FOR CRIMINALS. ROBBERY AND MUGGING VICTIMS EXHIBITED MUCH GREATER FEAR OF CRIME THAN DID RESPONDENTS WHO HAD NOT BEEN VICTIMIZED. RESPONDENTS OVER AGE 70 REPORTED MORE VICTIMIZATION THAN DID ANY OTHER AGE GROUP OF SENIOR CITIZENS. MOST ELDERLY PERSONS WHO HAD BEEN VICTIMS OF BURGLARY OR LARCENY LIVED IN PRIVATE HOMES. PERSONS LIVING IN HIGH-RISE APARTMENTS WERE NOT VICTIMIZED MORE OFTEN THAN PERSONS LIVING IN PRIVATE HOMES OR OTHER APARTMENTS, BUT WHEN HIGH-RISE RESIDENTS WERE VICTIMIZED, MOST OFTEN ROBBERY WAS THE CRIME. SUPPORTING DATA, INCLUDING PROFILES OF VICTIMS AND A QUESTION-BY-QUESTION BREAKDOWN OF RESPONSES, ARE PRESENTED, TOGETHER WITH RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PREVENTING CRIMES AGAINST THE ELDERLY. A SUMMARY OF FINDINGS FROM THE GENERAL SURVEY IS APPENDED. (LKM)