NCJ Number
61355
Date Published
1978
Length
72 pages
Annotation
THIS DUTCH SURVEY REPORT PRESENTS VICTIMIZATION DATA, CRIME REPORTING RATES, AND DATA ON POLICE OFFICIAL REPORTS FOR CALENDAR YEAR 1976 AND INCLUDES COMPARISON DATA FROM SURVEYS IN 1973, 1974, AND 1975.
Abstract
ORAL INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED WITH A RANDOM SAMPLE OF 10,000 PEOPLE, 18 YEARS OR OLDER, AS PART OF A LARGER OMNIBUS SURVEY. THE CRIMES INCLUDED IN THE SURVEY WERE BICYCLE, MOPED, AND CAR THEFT; THEFTS FROM CARS; BURGLARY; PICKPOCKETING; VIOLENT OR THREATENING BEHAVIOR AND INDECENT ASSAULT IN A PUBLIC PLACE; VANDALISM; AND VEHICLE ACCIDENTS IN WHICH THE RESPONDENT WAS NOT AT FAULT. THE RESULTS SHOW THAT THE PERCENTAGES OF VICTIMS IN 1976 INCREASED OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR FOR THE CRIMES OF BICYCLE THEFT (PROPORTION OF VICTIMS AMONG BICYCLE OWNERS IN 1976: 5.2 PERCENT), THEFTS FROM CARS (AMONG CAR OWNERS: 2.9 PERCENT), PICKPOCKETING (3.0 PERCENT OF ALL VICTIMS), VEHICLE ACCIDENTS (7.0 PERCENT), VIOLENT OR THREATENING BEHAVIOR IN A PUBLIC PLACE (2.3 PERCENT), AND VANDALISM (5.7 PERCENT). THE RATES FOR CAR THEFT (0.5 PERCENT OF ALL CAR OWNERS), BURGLARY OF PRIVATE HOUSES (1.1 PERCENT) DID NOT CHANGE FROM 1975 TO 1976. THE RATE FOR MOPED THEFTS FELL FROM 6.0 PERCENT OF ALL MOPED OWNERS IN 1975 TO 3.6 PERCENT IN 1976. IN GENERAL, YOUNG PEOPLE, MEN, AND THE INHABITANTS OF LARGE TOWNS RAN THE GREATERS RISKS OF FALLING VICTIM TO A CRIME. FURTHER, THE INCREASE IN CRIME IN 1976 WAS MUCH GREATER IN THE LARGE TOWNS THAN ELSEWHERE. MEMBERS OF THE HIGHEST SOCIAL CLASS ARE THREE TIMES AS LIKELY TO HAVE THEIR HOUSES BURGLARIZED AS OTHER PEOPLE. ABOUT 50 PERCENT OF THE CRIMES SURVEYED HAD BEEN REPORTED TO THE POLICE. CAR OR MOPED THEFT AND BURGLARY WERE MOST OFTEN REPORTED (ABOUT 80 PERCENT); VIOLENT OR THREATENING BEHAVIOR, INDECENT ASSAULT, AND VANDALISM WERE THE LEAST REPORTED (ABOUT 25 PERCENT). REASONS FOR NOT REPORTING CRIMES INCLUDED THE FOLLOWING: (1) EVENT NOT SERIOUS ENOUGH FOR A COMPLAINT (40 PERCENT); (2) COMPLAINTS ARE USELESS (40 PERCENT); AND (3) AFRAID TO COMPLAIN (10 PERCENT). APPROXIMATELY TWO-THIRDS OF THE VICTIMS WHO HAD GONE TO THE POLICE HAD SIGNED AN OFFICIAL REPORT, AND THE POLICE'S DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO PREPARE AN OFFICIAL REPORT DEPENDED CHIEFLY ON THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE CRIME. COMPLAINTS FROM WOMEN WERE LESS FREQUENLTY FORMALIZED IN AN OFFICIAL REPORT THAN COMPARABLE COMPLAINTS FROM MEN. SURVEY RESULTS ARE PRESENTED IN TABULAR FORM. THIRTY-SEVEN FOOTNOTES WITH REFERENCES AND APPENDIXES CONTAINING THE QUESTIONNAIRE AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA ARE INCLUDED.