NCJ Number
112559
Date Published
1986
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This bulletin discusses a 1986 survey of 445 respondents to an earlier study which assessed statewide crime patterns in Kentucky and examined the lives of crime victims.
Abstract
The original study interviewed 557 repondents between May and July 1985 about crime experiences of their households during the previous 12 months. The followup study provides information about the aftereffects of crime for one year, and post victimization experiences over a longer range of time. Statistics indicate that the 1986 Kentucky crime rate was 20.5 percent, more than twice the rate among households that experienced crime in 1985. Results show that criminal victimization has a significant short-term effect on depression and fear of crime, and that respondents in households impacted by violence are more likely to be victimized again. It is suggested that victims of violent crimes need preventive interventions; crime prevention services offered by the state should be tailored to reduce recurring victimization, and victim programs should recognize and attempt to alleviate psychological distress experienced by victims.