NCJ Number
138460
Date Published
1992
Length
309 pages
Annotation
This book presents data from a series of studies on crime victims' decisions to notify the police and the role played by social influence and emotional factors in that decision; a unifying theoretical framework is developed from the data.
Abstract
This 13-year research project involved experiments in a field laboratory, use of archival data, and collection of self-reports through interviews and questionnaires. The victim population included victims of rape, robbery, burglary, and theft. Victims of various ethnic backgrounds were represented, including participants in the United States, India, Thailand, and Nigeria. Data on initial victim reactions to the crime pertain to victims' initial thoughts, feelings, and actions on discovering their victimization and on whether these reactions vary with the nature of the crime. Data also concern the factors that best predict the victim's decision to notify the police and the delay in such notification. Data on the social factors that influence victim decisionmaking focus on the frequency with which victims seek out others immediately after the crime, the characteristics of these persons, and the nature of the interaction. Data also indicate the long-term implication of victimization on victims' feelings and beliefs, particularly as they relate to the accuracy of memories of the crime and identification of the perpetrator. The theoretical model developed construes the victim decision process as consisting of three stages: labeling the event, determining its seriousness, and deciding what to do. The model further details various forms of social influence and the manner in which this influence occurs at each stage of the decision process. The study found that the most significant determinant of whether or not the victim reported the crime was the advice and influence of those with whom they interacted immediately after the victimization. Extensive tables, subject index, and 460 references