NCJ Number
167362
Date Published
1997
Length
18 pages
Annotation
Literature on the level, correlates, dynamics, and consequences of criminal victimization is reviewed, based on information from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS).
Abstract
The analysis reveals that serious crimes, especially violent events, are relatively rare events and that accidental injuries at home and work are more likely than a victimization by a violent crime. The NCVS and the Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) differ in their findings regarding trends; NCVS indicates that overall crime declined between 1973 and 1992, while the UCR revealed large percentage increases in many crime categories for the same time period. In addition, the risk of victimization varies across population groups, time, and space. Young persons, males, black persons, and low-income groups are at greater risk of both personal and household victimization than are other groups, perhaps because of their typical daily behavior. Homicide rates have increased since the mid-1980's; homicide is now the leading cause of death for young black males. The victim-offender relationship and the consequences of victimization vary considerably by the type of crime and somewhat by the characteristics of the victim. Finally, although the direct economic costs of crime for individual victims are generally not large, the indirect costs for the criminal justice system and communities as a whole are enormous. The indirect costs of fear of crime are believed to be enormous, even though they are difficult to quantify. Figures, table, notes, and 46 references