NCJ Number
105229
Date Published
1987
Length
67 pages
Annotation
Knowledge of the ways in which the elderly differ from other population groups in their attitudes should form the basis of media and nonmedia strategies aimed at increasing elderly people's skills in preventing crime against themselves and their property.
Abstract
Recent evidence indicates that public information and promotional programs can affect citizen involvement in crime prevention and that subgroups like the elderly can benefit from efforts targeted toward their needs and circumstances. National surveys have also shown that the elderly have distinctive concerns and fears about crime and also differ from nonelderly people in their knowledge, motivations, and behaviors related to crime prevention. These characteristics also vary according to the elderly person's demographic, environmental, social, and personal situations. Prevention campaigns should focus on security measures to reduce the crimes that arouse fears rather than on directly relieving the fears. The promotional campaigns should give the elderly information about how to protect themselves and others, especially from physical assault and robbery. Messages should also try to increase participation in neighborhood group activities. Television reaches the broadest audience. Additional recommendations, guidelines on conducting a crime prevention campaign, tables, appended details on a possible public information program, and 66 references.