Responding to Crime - Reflections on the Reactions of Victims and Non-Victims to the Increase in Petty Crime (From From Crime Policy to Victim Policy, P 156-166, 1986, Ezzat A Fattah, ed. - See NCJ-102547)

• NCJ Number: 102554
• Author(s): J vanDijk
• Date Published: 1986
• Length: 11 pages
• Sale Source: St Martin's Press
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Surveys of citizens in the Netherlands suggest that the public's reactions to the increase in petty crime in that country will not reduce the crime rate.

Abstract

According to surveys conducted in 1973, 1974, 1978, and 1980, citizen attitudes in the Netherlands have changed. More citizens in the later surveys feel that their chances of becoming a crime victim had increased. They are also more willing to make behavioral changes to reduce their chance of victimization. The public thus is now better informed about crime and more willing to take preventive measures. However, the changed attitudes and behaviors are unlikely to affect the rising crime rate. Using technical measures to prevent property crimes has only a limited effect. More important, the informal social controls exemplified by the willingness of bystanders to intervene or call the police have weakened. Additional research indicates that property crime by young people is self-perpetuating. Young victims are likely to become offenders themselves in reaction to their victimization. Thus, efforts to reduce crime should focus on improving informal social control and cooperation with the police and on developing ways to reduce adolescents' opportunities to commit offenses. Data tables and 15 reference notes.