Responses of the Elderly to Criminal Victimization

• NCJ Number: 74187
• Author(s): M C Sengstock; J Liang
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 17 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: American Assoc of Retired Persons; National Retired Teachers Assoc; Andrus Family Fund
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Paper presented before the American Society of Criminology, Philadelphia (PA), November 1979.

Annotation

Following a review of the elderly's attitudes toward reporting crimes and effects of victimization, data is presented which focuses on the responses of elderly persons to the experience of being a victim of personal crime.

Abstract

The elderly appear to be reluctant to report a crime to the police because of fear of retaliation, confusion and embarrassment following the incident, and excessive expense. The victimization experience generates fear among both elderly victims and nonvictims. Fear of crime often causes victims to decrease their social activities and the resulting isolation increases anxiety about crime and the probability of revictimization. The elderly also react to vicitmization with protective measures such as more locks and marking personal property. Since aging individuals usually live on fixed incomes and have little insurance, their property losses from crime may never be recouped. Studies on confrontations between victims and offenders have found a lack of resistance on the part of the elderly victim. This passive image was confirmed by an analysis of data taken from the LEAA's 1976 National Crime Survey (NCS) on responses by victims 60 years and older involved in crimes in which there was personal contact between victim and offender. Although only 11 percent of all elderly victims were subjected to personal crimes, this type of attack is most feared. About half the victims did not respond directly to the offender, while only 20 percent confronted the offender through physical force or reasoning. Elderly persons were more likely to use protective measures when the crime was serious. Married individuals and those living in smaller communities were most likely to take some protective steps. Previous studies have suggested that victims may incur more injuries if they attempt to defend themselves. Analysis of the NCS data showed that while victims of more serious crimes were likely to be hurt, screaming, running away, and reasoning with the offender were frequently successful in preventing injury to the elderly victim. Tables and a bibliography of 29 references are included.