NCJ Number
98887
Date Published
1985
Length
16 pages
Annotation
Data from 116 cases of burglary showed that victims of residential burglaries are more likely to be upset than angry and that female victims were also likely to feel fear.
Abstract
The subjects were all residents of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Just under half were at home when the burglary took place. Few among those who were not confronted during the offense felt relaxed or calm. Fear was a reaction among both those who had been confronted by the burglar and those who had not. As time passed following the offenses, concern for the return of goods or for compensation became more important. At the time of the offenses, only one-fourth of the victims desired official punishment. Calling the police occurred more out of a sense of duty than to prevent further offenses or to get the goods back. Those who did not call the police felt either that the police could not be useful or that the matter was private. Police were likely to have been called when the value of goods stolen was high and the victim's belongings had been disarranged. Only one-fifth of the victims made hardware improvements such as more locks following the burglary. Almost one-fourth took no additional precautions at all as a result of the victimization. Ten tables and 12 notes are included.