VICTIMIZATION RATES AND NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTERISTICS SOME PRELIMINARY FINDINGS (FROM PERSPECTIVES ON VICTIMOLOGY, 1979, BY WILLIAM H PARSONAGE - SEE NCJ-62462)

• NCJ Number: 62465
• Author(s): C E POPE
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 10 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: National Criminal Justice Information & Statistics Service
• Corporate Author: Sage Publications, Inc
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: PREPARED FOR PRESENTATION AT THE 1978 MEETINGS OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CRIMINOLOGY, DALLAS, TEXAS

Annotation

THIS ARTICLE LINKS POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS TO CRIME RATES USING NATIONAL CRIME SURVEY VICTIMIZATION DATA FROM 1973 TO 1976 TO STUDY THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HOUSEHOLD VICTIMIZATION AND NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTERISTICS.

Abstract

THE DEPENDENT VARIABLES FOR THE ANALYSIS CONSISTED OF HOUSEHOLD VICTIMIZATION RATES FOR BURGLARY, LARCENY, AND AUTO THEFT--PROPERTY OFFENSES WHICH GENERALLY INVOLVE NO CONTACT BETWEEN VICTIM AND PERPETRATOR. THE FIRST INDEPENDENT VARIABLE INCLUDED SELECTED NEIGHBORHOODS WITH SPECIFIC POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS: (1) AREAS WHERE 0-29 PERCENT OF THE POPULATION WAS AGED 0 TO 17, (2) AREAS WHERE 20-39 PERCENT OF THE POPULATION WAS AGED 0-17, AND (3) AREAS IN WHICH 40 OR MORE PERCENT OF THE POPULATION WAS AGED 0-17. THE SECOND VARIABLE--AGES 65 AND OVER--CONTAINED THE FOLLOWING AREA 1 DISTRIBUTION: 0-5 PERCENT, 6-12 PERCENT, AND 13 PERCENT AND OVER. CORRESPONDING CUTTING POINTS FOR THOSE FAMILIES WITH A FEMALE HEAD WERE 0-5 PERCENT, 6-12 PERCENT, AND 17 PERCENT AND OVER. RESULTS SUGGESTED THAT HOUSEHOLD VICTIMIZATION RATES VARY BY SPECIFIC POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS OF THE RESPONDENT'S NEIGHBORHOOD. TABULAR RESULTS SHOWED THAT BURGLARY, LARCENY, AND MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT VICTIMIZATION RATES CHANGED MARKEDLY WHEN THE PROPORTION OF THE POPULATION IS AGE 17 OR LESS, AGE 65 OR MORE, AND THE HEAD OF THE FAMILY IS FEMALE. LARCENY VICTIMIZATION RATES TENDED TO INCREASE IN NEIGHBORHOODS AS THE PERCENTAGE OF YOUNG PERSONS AND FEMALE HEADS OF HOUSEHOLDS INCREASED AND TENDED TO DECREASE AS THE PROPORTION OF ELDERLY RESIDENTS INCREASED. THE ARTICLE IS 1 OF 30 PAPERS PRESENTED ON VICTIMOLOGICAL ISSUES AT THE 1978 MEETING OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY ON CRIMINOLOGY. REFERENCES ARE GIVEN. (MJW)