NCJ Number
62326
Date Published
1976
Length
440 pages
Annotation
THIS MONOGRAPH PROVIDES A DETAILED ANALYSIS OF A VICTIMIZATION SURVEY CONDUCTED IN THE MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL AREA IN 1971 AND 1972.
Abstract
THE SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED VIA INTERVIEWS WITH 1,187 RESIDENTS OF 7 COMMUNITIES: 1 IN THE INNER CITY, 2 IN THE CENTRAL CITY, 2 IN FIRST-RING SUBURBS, AND 2 SECOND-RING SUBURBS. A TOTAL OF 21 PERCENT OF THE RESPONDENTS WERE UNDER AGE 15, 17 PERCENT WERE 15 TO 19, AND 62 PERCENT WERE OVER 20. THE RELATIVE IMPACTS OF THE VICTIMS' PERSONAL, RESIDENCE, AND SITUATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS WERE RELATED TO THEIR VICTIMIZATION, AND ALSO TO THE CHARACTERISTICS OF APPREHENDED OFFENDERS. VICTIMS' REACTIONS TO THE CRIMES AND TO THE POLICE ASSISTANCE THEY RECEIVED, AND THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF THE DEFINITIONS OF THE CRIMES WERE ALSO CONSIDERED. THE FINDINGS WERE COMPARED WITH OTHER VICTIMIZATION SURVEYS, AND CRIME REDUCTION MEASURES ARE DISCUSSED. FINDINGS SHOWED THAT VICTIMS' JUDGMENTS ABOUT THE SERIOUSNESS OF THEIR EXPERIENCES WERE VIRTUALLY UNRELATED TO THE LEGAL CLASSIFICATIONS OF SEVERITY. VICTIMS' AREA OF RESIDENCE, AGE, AND FAMILY STATUS WERE THE MAJOR FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH RATES OF VICTIMIZATION. IN ADDITION 70 PERCENT OF THE INCIDENTS OCCURRED BETWEEN NOON AND MIDNIGHT. ADULTS EXPERIENCED MOST INCIDENTS IN THEIR RESIDENCES. FINDINGS ALSO INDICATED THAT POTENTIAL OFFENDERS USUALLY FIRST SELECT COMMUNITIES OR NEIGHBORHOODS IN WHICH TO OPERATE, AND THEN SELECT A VICTIM AT RANDOM. MOREOVER, THE POLICE WERE CONTACTED ABOUT ONLY 13 PERCENT OF THE INCIDENTS. IN 75 PERCENT OF THE CASES IN WHICH THE POLICE BECAME INVOLVED, THE VICTIMS WERE SATISFIED WITH THE POLICE ACTIONS. DATA ARE PRESENTED IN TABULAR AND GRAPHIC FORM. FOOTNOTES AND 42 REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. APPENDIXES CONTAIN A DEMOGRAPHIC COMPARISON OF THE SURVEY SAMPLE WITH THE POPULATIONS IN TWO COMMUNITIES, A DESCRIPTION OF THE CATEGORIES USED TO CLASSIFY INCIDENTS OF VICTIMIZATION, AND THE QUESTIONNAIRES USED IN THE SURVEY.