NCJ Number
78750
Date Published
1981
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This paper describes the extent and pattern of property crime victimization occurring to farm operators in the State of Ohio.
Abstract
Methodology includes measuring the differential probability of victimization between full-time operators and rural nonfarm residents, delineating geographic and visibility factors associated with farm victimization, and examining attitudes toward crime and crime prevention. Information for this paper was obtained from a statewide rural victimization study conducted in Ohio in 1974; the study provided information on rural crime and attitudes regarding crime prevention. The total sample size was 889, and the sampling frame was based on a stratified nonrandom area probability strategy. The survey instrument was administered via a dropoff, pickup procedure to ensure one personal contact between respondent and interviewer. A total of 889 questionnaires were completed from 951 contacts made by interviewers. The four property crimes selected for study inclusion were burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft, and vandalism. Findings revealed that 28 percent of the farm households experienced at least one of these four types of criminal incidents. The proportion of rural nonfarm households to have experienced a burglary was over twice as high as farm households. According to the number of acres in the farm operation, smaller farm operations were more likely to have had a criminal incident occur. Type of terrain was not a distinguishing characteristic of farm victimization. Nearly 36 percent of the farm operations without buildings visible to neighbors had at least one property crime victimization. About 71 percent of the farm respondents expressed some concern about the house being broken into. There were no differences between farm and rural nonfarm respondents concerning attitudes toward crime. Results suggest that further research should be undertaken. One figure, 4 tables, and 11 references are provided in the paper.