NCJ Number
64007
Journal
Monatsschrift fuer Kriminologie und Strafrechtsreform Volume: 62 Issue: 1 Dated: (FEBRUARY 1979) Pages: 1-9
Date Published
1979
Length
9 pages
Annotation
THE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL FACTORS ON VICTIMIZATION AND PUBLIC WILLINGNESS TO REPORT CRIMES IN JAPAN ARE ANALYZED FROM SURVEY INFORMATION AND COMPARED TO SUCH EFFECTS IN WESTERN COUNTRIES.
Abstract
JAPAN IS IDEALLY SUITED FOR SUCH A COMPARATIVE STUDY BECAUSE IT HAS RETAINED ITS NON-WESTERN CULTURE DESPITE MODERNIZATION AND HAS A LOW, DECREASING CRIME RATE. JAPANESE VICTIMIZATION SURVEYS DATE FROM 1951 ON; THEY HAVE TENDED SINCE 1970 TO STUDY LARGE SAMPLES AND TO FOLLOW AMERICAN MODELS. SURVEY RESULTS INDICATE THAT VICTIMIZATION RATES IN A 1-YEAR PERIOD WITHIN FAMILIES SURVEYED LIE BETWEEN 6 AND 11 PERCENT, AND AS IN MANY WESTERN COUNTRIES, VICTIMIZATION IS MORE COMMON IN LARGE THAN IN SMALL TOWNS, IN THE MIDDLE CLASS THAN AMONG WORKERS, AND IN THE YOUNG THAN IN THE ELDERLY. FINDINGS REGARDING WILLINGNESS TO REPORT CRIMES SHOW THAT (1) CRIME REPORTING RATES VARY FROM 41 TO 49 PERCENT, WITH RATES OF SOME STUDIES AS HIGH AS 74 PERCENT FOR METHODOLOGICAL REASONS; (2) THE STATED WILLINGNESS TO REPORT CRIMES IS GREATER THAN ACTUAL WILLINGNESS MEASURED BY PRACTICE; AND (3) SUCH FACTORS AS VALUE OF STOLEN PROPERTY, SERIOUSNESS OF CRIMES, AND SIZE OF COMMUNITY AFFECT WILLINGNESS. COMPARISON SUGGESTS THAT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES OF VICTIMS AND CRIME REPORTING BEHAVIOR IS SIMILAR IN JAPAN AND WESTERN COUNTRIES, AND THAT DIFFERENCES CAN ONLY BE DETERMINED THROUGH FURTHER STUDIES USING METHODS WHICH PROVIDE COMPARABLE DATA. EXTENSIVE NOTES ARE SUPPLIED. --IN GERMAN. (KMD)