NCJ Number
44499
Journal
Connecticut Law Review Volume: 9 Issue: 3 Dated: (SPRING 1977) Pages: 43' P 435-449
Date Published
1977
Length
15 pages
Annotation
CHARACTERISTICS OF CRIMES AGAINST THE ELDERLY, THE PATTERNS OF SUCH CRIMINAL VICTIMIZATION, PROGRAMS TO ASSIST ELDERLY VICTIMS OF CRIME, AND SPECIFIC PUBLIC POLICY QUESTIONS ARE DISCUSSED.
Abstract
LOW RESISTANCE TO VICTIMIZATION, BETTER OPPORTUNITY FOR ESCAPE, AND ACCESSIBILITY TO OLDER PEOPLE USING PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AND LIVING IN LOW INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS ARE SOME OF THE PHYSICAL AND SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ELDERLY THAT MAKE THEM ATTRACTIVE TARGETS FOR CERTAIN CRIMES. CONSCIOUSNESS OF THIS VULNERABILITY CAUSES MANY OLDER PERSONS TO RESTRICT THEIR ACTIVITIES AND THUS LIMIT THEIR PARTICIPATION IN THE COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES THEY MIGHT OTHERWISE ENJOY. IT IS NOTED THAT INFORMATION ON THE RATE OF CRIMINAL VICTIMIZATION OF OLDER PERSONS IS INSUFFICIENT, WITH EXISTING DATA BEING PARTIAL AND OFTEN NOT COMPARABLE. WHILE CURRENT LITERATURE IN THE FIELD REFLECTS A CLEAR CONSENSUS THAT, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF CERTAIN TYPES OF ROBBERY AND FRAUD, OLDER PERSONS ARE LESS LIKELY TO BE VICTIMS OF CRIME THAN YOUNGER PERSONS, A COMPREHENSIVE RESEARCH STUDY OF CRIME AGAINST THE ELDERLY IN MULTNOMAH COUNTY, OREGON, IN 1975-1976 SHOWED THAT IN CERTAIN CRIME CATEGORIES OLDER PERSONS WERE OVERVICTIMIZED. AMONG 500 RESPONDENTS OVER 60 YEARS OF AGE, THERE WAS A VICTIMIZATION RATE OF 58 PERCENT, AND MORE THAN ONE-THIRD OF THE SAMPLE HAD BEEN VICTIMIZED MORE THAN ONCE. THE GREATEST PERCENTAGE (63 PERCENT) OF REPORTED VICTIMIZATIONS WERE PROPERTY CRIMES. EMPHASIS ON THE PLIGHT OF THE ELDERLY HAS LED TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A NUMBER OF PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO REDUCE THEIR VICTIMIZATION. THESE PROGRAMS INCLUDE CRIME PREVENTION EDUCATION, UTILIZATION OF OLDER VOLUNTEERS TO ASSIST POLICE IN HELPING PREVENT CRIMES, TARGET HARDENING, SECURITY STRATEGIES, COMMUNITY SUPPORT, VICTIM SERVICES, DELIVERY OF NONCRIME-RELATED SERVICES, SPECIALIZED POLICE TRAINING, AND RESEARCH. PROGRAM EVALUATIONS, MORE EFFECTIVE GATHERING OF VICTIMIZATION DATA, AND PRIORITIES REGARDING THE FUNNELING OF RESOURCES TO THE ELDERLY ARE CITED AS FUTURE POLICY CONSIDERATIONS. FOOTNOTES ARE INCLUDED. (RCB)