RACE AND INVOLVEMENT IN COMMON LAW PERSONAL CRIMES

• NCJ Number: 45174
• Journal: American Sociological Review Volume: 43 Issue: 1 Dated: (FEBRUARY 1978) Pages: 93-109
• Author(s): M J HINDELANG
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 17 pages
• Corporate Author: American Sociological Review
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS.

Annotation

NATIONAL VICTIMIZATION SURVEY DATA FOR 1974 ARE EXPLORED FOR EVIDENCE PERTAINING TO THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RACE AND INVOLVEMENT IN RAPE, ROBBERY, AND ASSAULT.

Abstract

PRIOR STUDIES WHICH HAVE RELIED ON OFFICIAL CRIME DATA GENERALLY HAVE SUPPORTED THE HYPOTHESIS THAT OVERREPRESENTATION OF BLACKS AMONG ARRESTEES IN COMMON LAW PERSONAL CRIMES IS ATTRIBUTABLE TO THEIR DISPROPORTIONATE INVOLVEMENT IN CRIMINAL OFFENSES. STUDIES RELYING ON SELF-REPORT TECHNIQUES GENERALLY HAVE SUPPORTED THE VIEW THAT THE OVERREPRESENTATION IS ATTRIBUTABLE TO BIASES IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM SELECTION PROCESS. NATIONAL VICTIMIZATION SURVEY DATA FOR RAPE, ROBBERY, AND ASSAULT ARE GENERALLY CONSISTENT WITH OFFICIAL DATA ON ARRESTEES AND SUPPORT THE DIFFERENTIAL INVOLVEMENT HYPOTHESIS. ALTHOUGH THE DATA SHOW SOME EVIDENCE OF DIFFERENTIAL SELECTION FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROCESSING, MOST RACIAL DISPROPORTIONALITY IS SHOWN TO BE ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER INVOLVEMENT OF BLACKS IN COMMON LAW PERSONAL CRIMES. THE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT ADMONITIONS REGARDING THE USE OF ARREST DATA AS AN INDEX OF INVOLVEMENT MAY BE OVERSTATED, AND THAT GREATER CAUTION SHOULD BE INTRODUCED IN THE USE OF SELF-REPORT DATA. TABLES AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--LKM)