NCJ Number
85177
Journal
Criminology Volume: 20 Issue: 2 Dated: (August 1982) Pages: 205-222
Date Published
1982
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This article examines the largely atheoretical tradition of victimization research and some of the unintended consequences of work in the area.
Abstract
In using a legalistic definition of crime, victimization research has failed to incorporate the public's definition of crime and victimization. While 'street' and property crime have a decided impact upon people's lives, the consequences of real or alleged corporate and political crimes also affect people's conceptions of their lives. The authors outline the beginnings of a theoretically apposite reinterpretation of perceptual victimology findings and related methodological concerns, and suggest ways that social scientists can become actively involved in the debunking of the 'crime wave' mentality perpetuated through the media by providing alternate interpretations of crime statistics. (Publisher abstract)