PATTERNS OF JUVENILE VICTIMIZATION AND URBAN STRUCTURE (FROM PERSPECTIVES ON VICTIMOLOGY, 1979, BY WILLIAM H PARSONAGE - SEE NCJ-62462)

• NCJ Number: 62468
• Author(s): D L DECKER; R M O'BRIEN; D SHICHOR
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 11 pages
• Corporate Author: Sage Publications, Inc
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THIS STUDY EXAMINES THE RELATION BETWEEN URBAN STRUCTURAL CHARACTERISTICS AND NATIONAL CRIME SURVEY VICTIMIZATION RATES FOR JUVENILES AGED 12 TO 19 IN 26 LARGE AMERICAN CENTRAL CITIES.

Abstract

THE VICTIMIZATION SURVEYS INCLUDED RATES FOR PROPERTY CRIMES WITHOUT CONTACT; NONPROPERTY ASSAULTIVE CRIMES; AND PROPERTY CRIME WITH CONTACT. INDEPENDENT VARIABLES THAT WERE CLOSELY RELATED THEORETICALLY AND STATISTICALLY WERE COMBINED, AND STEPWISE MULTIPLE REGRESSION WAS USED TO ASSESS THE RELATION OF EACH OF THE STRUCTURAL CHARACTERISTICS TO THE RATE OF JUVENILE VICTIMIZATION. ANALYSIS SHOWED AN UNEXPECTED AND STRONG NEGATIVE RELATION BETWEEN POPULATION DENSITY AND MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT, HOUSEHOLD LARCENY, AND BURGLARY. THIS MAY BE A RESULT OF THE INCREASED VISIBILITY WHICH OCCURS IN HIGH POPULATION DENSITY AND WHICH MAY DISCOURAGE BURGLARS. THE PATTERN OF INTERCITY VARIATION WAS CLEAR: VICTIMIZATION TENDS TO BE GREATER IN CITIES WITH A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF WHITES AND A LOWER PERCENTAGE OF FOREIGN-BORN. FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS OF THESE PATTERNS IS WARRANTED AND THE REASONS FOR THE DIFFERENCES IN THE EFFECT OF THE STRUCTURAL VARIABLE ON DIFFERENT TYPES OF CRIME SHOULD BE EXPLORED. TABULAR DATA, NOTES, AND REFERENCES ARE GIVEN. THE PAPER IS 1 OF 30 THAT WERE PRESENTED AT THE 1978 MEETING OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CRIMINOLOGY. (MJW)