NCJ Number
50539
Date Published
1978
Length
16 pages
Annotation
ALTHOUGH ELDERLY CITIZENS ARE VICTIMIZED BY CRIME LESS OFTEN THAN OTHER SEGMENTS OF THE POPULATION, THE EFFECTS OF VICTIMIZATION UPON THE ELDERLY APPEAR TO BE MORE PROFOUND.
Abstract
FROM DATA OBTAINED IN INTERVIEWS WITH 466 ELDERLY RESPONDENTS IT WAS DETERMINED THAT ATTITUDINAL DIFFERENCES RESULT FROM THE EXPERIENCE OF CRIMINAL VICTIMIZATION, AND THAT ATTITUDES DO AFFECT SUBSEQUENT ACTIONS OF THE VICTIMS. SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES WERE NOTED AMONG RESPONDENTS IN THE CATEGORIES OF NON-VICTIMS, VICTIMS REPORTING CRIMES, AND VICTIMS NOT REPORTING CRIMES. A HIGHER DEGREE OF VINDICTIVENESS WAS NOTED AMONG THOSE RESPONDENTS WHO DID NOT REPORT THEIR VICTIMIZATION THAN AMONG THOSE WHO DID MAKE SUCH REPORTS. ALTHOUGH IT COULD BE FELT THAT THE MORE VINDICTIVE PERSON WOULD BE MORE LIKELY TO NOTIFY THE POLICE OF A CRIME, THE RESEARCHERS BELIEVE THAT THE ACT OF REPORTING DIFFUSES SOME OF THE ANGER OF THE VICTIMS, AND THAT THE FAILURE TO REPORT MAY LEAD TO AN INCREASED FRUSTRATION. VICTIM-REPORTERS WERE ALSO FOUND TO EXHIBIT LESS TENDENCY OF SOCIAL ISOLATION THAN THOSE WHO FAIL TO REPORT. ATTITUDES CONCERNING SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND PERSONAL CONTROL ARE SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT BETWEEN THE GROUPS. IT IS NOTED THAT MULTIPLE VICTIMS OF CRIME APPEAR TO HAVE LESSER DEGREES OF RETRIBUTION AND SOCIAL ISOLATION THAN DO SINGLE CRIME VICTIMS; THE INVESTIGATORS FEEL THAT THESE CONCLUSIONS REFLECT THE MORE ACTIVE LIFESTYLE OF THE MULTIPLE CRIME VICTIMS. DOCUMENT INCLUDES TABLES, SURVEY DATA, AND BIBLIOGRAPHY. (TWK)