NCJ Number
111821
Date Published
1988
Length
65 pages
Annotation
This 1984-1985 study examined criminal victimization, crime reporting, and attitudes toward crime using data from a questionnaire survey of 1,324 Virginia residents.
Abstract
Results indicate that over a third of households had members who had been crime victims in the past 12 months. The great majority of crimes were property related, with only 6 percent of households reporting violent crime. The likelihood of victimization was greater in urban than in rural communities. Likelihood of victimization was highest in the 'up to 29' category and declined with each successive age group. The incidence of victimization was higher among females, in higher income brackets, among the more educated, and among the unemployed and full-time employed. Crime reporting levels were lower among rural dwellers and among young victims and higher among the more educated and the full-time employed. Almost 50 percent felt crime was about the same in their communities, while 40 percent felt it was increasing. While three fourths of respondents indicated they felt safe in their communities during the day, slightly less than half felt safe at night. Almost three-fourths of respondents felt various crime prevention devices and measures were effective, and almost two-thirds used such measures to protect their homes. 5 references.