NCJ Number
53524
Date Published
1978
Length
8 pages
Annotation
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE REPORTING OF CRIME AND PROPERTY LOSS, INSURANCE COVERAGE, AND INCOME IS EXAMINED IN THIS STUDY OF 2,462 INDIVIDUALS POSSESSING TEXAS DRIVERS LICENSES.
Abstract
THREE SEPARATE SAMPLES OF 1,000 INDIVIDUALS RECEIVED SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRES FROM THE TEXAS CRIME TREND SURVEY. SAMPLES WERE RANDOMLY SELECTED, AND IN ORDER TO APPROXIMATE A LONGITUDINAL DESIGN, SAMPLES WERE SELECTED AT 1-YEAR INTERVALS. THE NUMBERS OF USABLE, COMPLETED SURVEY INSTRUMENTS WERE 816, 819, AND 827, RESPECTIVELY. THE HIGH RETURN RATE IS ATTRIBUTED TO AN INTENSE FOLLOWUP PROCEDURE. THE PRESENT ANALYSIS USED ONLY THE 618 RESPONSES OF VICTIMS OF CRIME. CROSS TABULATION WAS SELECTED AS THE STATISTICAL TOOL. IT WAS FOUND, IN GENERAL, THAT AS PROPERTY LOSS INCREASED, THE LIKELIHOOD OF THE CRIME BEING REPORTED ALSO INCREASED. THE EXCEPTION TO THIS FINDING WAS THAT VICTIMS SUFFERING NO MONETARY LOSS REPORTED CRIMES MORE OFTEN THAN DID VICTIMS SUFFERING SMALL MONETARY LOSS. THIS FINDING IS ATTRIBUTED TO THE 'NO LOSS' VICTIM'S INCREASED COGNIZANCE OF THE CRIME ITSELF. HOWEVER, WHEN THE CATEGORY IS RESTRICTED TO VIOLENT CRIMES, THE LIKELIHOOD OF A CRIME BEING REPORTED DID NOT SEEM DEPENDENT UPON THE AMOUNT OF PROPERTY LOSS. IT WAS FOUND THAT VICTIMS WHO WERE COVERED BY INSURANCE POLICIES WERE MORE LIKELY TO REPORT CRIMES. IT WAS FOUND ALSO THAT THE LOWER THE VICTIM'S INCOME, THE LESS LIKELY HE WAS TO REPORT HIS VICTIMIZATION. THREE OTHER RELATIONSHIPS AMONG VARIABLES WERE NOTED: (1) AS THE AMOUNT OF PROPERTY LOSS INCREASED, THE AMOUNT OF INSURANCE COVERAGE INCREASED; (2) THE GREATEST PROPERTY LOSS OCCURRED TO VICTIMS BETWEEN THE $6,000 AND THE $25,000 INCOME LEVELS; AND (3) AS INCOME LEVELS INCREASED, THE PROPORTION OF VICTIMS HAVING INSURANCE COVERAGE INCREASED. FIGURES AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (MLC)