CRIMINALIZATION, VICTIMIZATION AND STRUCTURAL CORRELATES OF TWENTY-SIX AMERICAN CITIES

• NCJ Number: 41844
• Author(s): S H DECKER
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 164 pages
• Sale Source: UMI Dissertation Services
• Publication Type: Thesis/Dissertation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY - DISSERTATION

Annotation

THIS STUDY ASSESSES THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OFFICIAL (UNIFORM CRIME REPORTS) AND SURVEY (VICTIMIZATION) RATES OF CRIME, AND EXAMINES THE MUTUAL COVARIATION OF CRIME RATES WITH TWO CATEGORIES OF INDEPENDENT VARIABLES.

Abstract

DATA FOR ONE DEPENDENT VARIABLE IN THIS RESEARCH WAS PROVIDED BY THE VICTIMIZATION SURVEYS OF 26 LARGE AMERICAN CITIES. THE DATA SOURCE FOR THE OTHER DEPENDENT VARIABLE WAS THE UNIFORM CRIME REPORTS PUBLISHED BY THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION. THE SIX PART I OFFENSES OF RAPE, AGGRAVATED ASSAULT, ROBBERY, LARCENY, BURGLARY, AND MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT COMPRISED THE ELEMENTS OF EACH DEPENDENT VARIABLE. THE FIRST SECTION OF THE DATA ANALYSIS ATTEMPTED TO SPECIFY THE NATURE OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SURVEY AND OFFICIAL RATES OF CRIME. THE MOST STRIKING FEATURE TO EMERGE FROM THIS ANALYSIS WAS THE SHEER DIFFERENCE EXHIBITED BY THE TWO DATA SOURCES. FOR EVERY OFFENSE THE MEAN SURVEY RATE EXCEEDED THE VALUE OF THE OFFICIAL RATE. THE SECND SECTION OF THE DATA ANALYSIS WAS CONCENED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF STRUCTURAL MODELS FOR VIOLENT, PROPERTY, AND OVERALL INDEX CRIME (EXCEPT HOMICIDE) RATES FOR BOTH SURVEY AND OFFICIAL RATES. THE STRUCTURAL PREDICTORS WERE CATEGORIZED INTO FOUR GROUPS: DEMOGRAPHIC, DISORGANIZATION, ECONOMIC, AND SOCIAL CONTROL. RESULTS OF THESE ANALYSES ARE REPORTED AS WELL. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)...DMC