NCJ Number
50531
Date Published
1977
Length
58 pages
Annotation
A SURVEY OF 1,000 RESIDENTS WAS USED TO GAUGE INSTANCES OF AND ATTITUDES TOWARD CRIME AGAINST THE 60,000 ELDERLY RESIDENTS OF THE WESTERN SECTOR OF TENNESSEE.
Abstract
FOLLOWING AN EXTENSIVE LITERATURE SEARCH AND CONSTRUCTION OF A SUITABLE QUESTIONNAIRE, THE RESEARCH INSTRUMENT WAS ADMINISTERED TO OLDER CITIZENS OF THE SOUTHWEST AND NORTHWEST TENNESSEE DEVELOPMENT DISTRICTS, A PREDOMINANTLY RURAL 17-COUNTY AREA. ONLY 738 OF THE RESPONSES WERE UTILIZED DUE TO THE LARGELY INCOMPLETE RESPONSE PATTERNS OF NEARLY A THIRD OF THE SAMPLE. THE QUESTIONNAIRE QUERIED THE RESIDENTS REGARDING PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS, INCIDENCE OF VICTIMIZATION, ATTITUDES TOWARD CRIME, SATISFACTION WITH POLICE SERVICES, AND RESPECT FOR THE POLICE AND COURTS. THE RESULTING STATISTICAL DATA WERE ANALYZED DESCRIPTIVELY IN TERMS OF FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTIONS AND MODEL RESPONSE PATTERNS, AND INFERENTIALLY AT THE NOMINAL LEVEL OF ANALYSIS. IT WAS FOUND THAT ALTHOUGH FEAR OF CRIME IS WIDESPREAD, ELDERLY VICTIMIZATION IN WEST TENNESSEE IS LOW; THERE IS STRONG SUPPORT FOR LOCAL LAW ENFORCERS, AND QUALIFIED SUPPORT FOR THE COURT SYSTEM; AND WHEN VICTIMIZATION DOES OCCUR, IT OCCURS DISPROPORTIONATELY TO THOSE LEAST ABLE TO AFFORD IT (I.E., BLACKS AND THE INFIRM). THE QUESTIONNAIRE IS APPENDED, ALONG WITH PERCENTAGE BREAKDOWNS OF RESPONSES TO EACH ITEM. STATISTICAL SUMMARIES OF THE SIGNIFICANT FINDINGS ARE ALSO PROVIDED, AS ARE REFERENCES. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)