Analysis of National Crime Victimization Survey Data To Study Serious Delinquent Behavior, Monograph Two - Juvenile Criminal Behavior - Analysis of Rates and Victim Characteristics

• NCJ Number: 74080
• Author(s): M J Hindelang; M J McDermott
• Date Published: 1981
• Length: 129 pages
• Grant Number(s): 78-JN-AX-0029
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Corporate Author: Hindelang Criminal Justice Research Ctr
• Sale Source: Superintendent of Documents, GPO; National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Data from the National Crime Survey (NCS) for the years 1973-1977 are used to address major questions regarding crimes of rape, robbery, assault, and personal larceny committed by juveniles under age 18, youthful offenders ages 18-20, and adults age 21 or older.

Abstract

Researchers examined possible variations in rates of victimization of particular demographic groups according to offender age, variations in rates of offending according to offenders' demographic characteristics, and the tendency of victims to be victimized by offenders with similar or different demographic characteristics. The annual sample of the national survey data is about 60,000 households, representing 136,000 individuals. Analysis of the risk and seriousness of victimization shows that in the total population the risk of being victimized by a juvenile is less than one-half the risk of victimization by an adult. An individual's age was a strong correlate to the risk of being victimized by a particular offender age group. Other victimization factors assessed were victim sex, race, family income, and marital status. Males had a rate of offending about 4 to 15 times that of females, and blacks had a rate of offending about 5 times that of whites. The rate of offending was greatest in the 18-year-old to 20-year-old age group. Further, male offenders victimized males in about 7 out of 10 personal crimes, regardless of offender age. As females offenders grew older, they increasingly victimized males. Although white offenders victimized whites almost exclusively, black offenders victimized whites in a majority of personal crimes. Stranger-to-stranger offending was more likely when the victim was a male, older, and of a different race than the offender. Included are the tables, graphs, and 40 references. NCS data and a delinquency index are appended.