NCJ Number
15425
Date Published
1971
Length
259 pages
Annotation
BASIC CONCEPTS IN THE STUDY OF CRIME VICTIMS AND THE PROCESS BY WHICH THEY BECOME VICTIMS, ILLUSTRATED BY A DETAILED STUDY OF 50 CASES OF MURDER INCIDENT TO ROBBERY IN AUSTRIA BETWEEN 1950 AND 1962.
Abstract
ONLY SINCE WORLD WAR TWO HAS THE VICTIM BECOME THE SUBJECT OF OBJECTIVE CRIMINOLOGICAL STUDY. THIS STUDY EXAMINES THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE VICTIMS, THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE OFFENDERS, AND THEIR ROLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CRIME TO DETERMINE WHY SOME PERSONS BECOME MURDER VICTIMS DURING A ROBBERY AND SOME DO NOT. THE STUDY FOUND THAT THE VICTIMS TENDED TO HAVE CERTAIN PHYSIOLOGICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS WHICH DISTINGUISHED THEM FROM VICTIMS OF OTHER KINDS OF CRIMES AS WELL AS FROM A RANDOM SAMPLE OF THE GENERAL OPOULATION. AMONG THESE WERE OLD AGE, SEXUAL DEVIATION, PHYSICAL ISOLATION, ASOCIAL BEHAVIOR, AND USE OF ALCOHOL. THEIR BEHAVIOR ALSO TENDED TO BE CHARACTERIZED BY NEGLIGENCE, IMPRUDENCE, AND EXAGGERATED TRUST OR MISTRUST. IN 84 PERCENT OF THE CASES, THE VICTIM WAS KNOWN TO THE OFFENDER, ALTHOUGH USUALLY ON AN IMPERSONAL BASIS. THE STUDY FURTHER CONCLUDED THAT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE VICTIM AND THE OFFENDER USUALLY PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE TIMING, DEVELOPMENT, AND MANNER OF EXECUTION OF THE CRIME, AS WELL AS THE CHOICE OF VICTIM. INCLUDED ARE STATISTICS ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF THESE OFFENSES WITH RESPECT TO THE TIME OF YEAR, TIME OF DAY, AND DAY OF THE WEEK. ALSO INCLUDED ARE STATISTICS ON THE AGE AND SEX OF THE OFFENDER. --IN FRENCH