NCJ Number
37145
Journal
Victimology Volume: 1 Issue: 2 Dated: (SUMMER 1976) Pages: 253-262
Date Published
1976
Length
10 pages
Annotation
FINDINGS OF A RESEARCH PROJECT CONDUCTED BETWEEN 1972 AND 1974 WHICH TESTED THE ASSUMPTION THAT VICTIMS - WHEN INTERVIEWED - CAN ACCURATELY RECALL INCIDENTS OF VICTIMIZATION THEY SUFFERED IN THE PAST.
Abstract
A SAMPLE OF 1296 PERSONS IN THREE HIGH CRIME INNER LONDON AREAS, WHO HAD REPORTED TO THE POLICE AN INCIDENT INVOLVING AN OFFENSE OF SOME KIND WITHIN THE 15 MONTHS PRECEDING THE SURVEY WERE SELECTED FROM POLICE RECORDS. THESE PEOPLE WERE INTERVIEWED TO SEE HOW MANY OF THEM WOULD MENTION THE INCIDENT IN QUESTION TO THE INTERVIEWER AND HOW ACCURATELY THE INCIDENTS THEMSELVES WOULD BE DESCRIBED. RANDOM SAMPLES OF ADULTS (545) IN THE SAME THREE INNER LONDON AREAS, DRAWN FROM ELECTORAL REGISTERS, WERE ALSO INTERVIEWED. THE RATE OF RECALL FOR KNOWN VICTIMS OF CRIME WAS 89 PERCENT. IN ADDITION, 244 RESPONDENTS IN THE RANDOM SAMPLE REPORTED VICTIMIZATIONS, ALTHOUGH MANY WERE NOT SERIOUS AND PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN TREATED AS CRIMES BY THE POLICE HAD THEY BEEN REPORTED. THOSE RESPONDENTS WHO HAD BEEN VICTIMIZED DURING THE PRECEDING YEAR WERE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE LIKELY TO SAY THAT THERE WAS 'A GREAT DEAL' OR 'QUITE A LOT' OF CRIME IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS, BUT THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF A CONSISTENT ASSOCIATION BETWEEN THE NUMBER OF TIMES THE RESPONDENT HAD BEEN A VICTIM AND THIS PERCEPTION. VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE SHOWED THEMSELVES TO BE LESS AFRAID OF CRIME THAN NONVICTIMS OF VIOLENCE. DISAPPROVAL OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD WAS QUITE STRONGLY ASSOCIATED WITH GREATER EXPRESSED FEAR OF CRIME AND A BELIEF THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF CRIME IN THE AREA. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED.