NCJ Number
52837
Journal
Criminology Volume: 16 Issue: 3 Dated: (NOVEMBER 1978) Pages: 395-402
Date Published
1978
Length
8 pages
Annotation
USING DATA OBTAINED FROM TWO NATIONAL SAMPLES IN 1973 AND 1974, THE IMPACT OF ROBBERY AND BURGLARY ON THE SOCIAL INTERACTION OF THE VICTIMS IS EXAMINED.
Abstract
THE EXISTENCE AND DEGREE OF 'ANOMIA' AMONG VICTIMS OF ROBBERY AND BURGLARY ARE EXAMINED IN THIS STUDY. ANOMIA IS DEFINED AS A STATE OF 'FEELINGS OF LONELINESS, HOPELESSNESS, AND DISTRUST,' AND IT IS EXPRESSED IN INDIVIDUAL ATTITUDES TOWARD LIFE AND IN INTERPERSONAL EXPECTATIONS. PREVIOUS STUDIES HAVE SUGGESTED THAT BEING A VICTIM OF ASSAULT OR ROBBERY MAY BE PERCIEVED AS SEVERE ENOUGH TO CREATE FEELINGS OF ANOMIA. THIS THEORY WAS TESTED THROUGH AN ANALYSIS OF DATA COLLECTED FROM TWO NATIONAL AREA PROBABILITY SAMPLES IN THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES BY THE NATIONAL OPINION RESEARCH CENTER IN 1973 (N=1,540) AND IN 1974 (N=1,484). THE QUESTIONNAIRE DETERMINED ROBBERY AND BURGLARY VICTIMIZATION AMONG THE SUBJECTS. ANOMIA ITEMS WERE EXAMINED TO DETERMINE SCALABILITY. ONLY 2 PERCENT OF THE 1973 SAMPLE AND 4 PERCENT OF THE 1974 SAMPLE WERE VICTIMS OF ROBBERY; 8 PERCENT OF BOTH SAMPLES REPORTED THAT SOMEONE BROKE INTO THEIR HOME. IT WAS FOUND THAT NEITHER BURGLARY NOR ROBBERY HAD A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON ANOMIA SCORES; HOWEVER, A CONSISTENT INVERSE RELATION AMONG GROUP MEMBERSHIP, RELIGIOUS INVOLVEMENT, AND ANOMIA WAS FOUND. THIS FINDING IS CONSISTENT WITH PREVIOUS ANOMIA STUDIES. FOR MOST PEOPLE, BURGLARY AND ROBBERY ARE ONE-TIME EXPERIENCES THAT MAY LEAD TO SOME IMMEDIATE ADJUSTMENTS IN BEHAVIOR THAT ARE RATIONALLY DESIGNED TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE OF THE INCIDENT; SPECIFIC FEARS MAY BE VERBALIZED, BUT GROUP SUPPORTS ARE TYPICALLY MAINTAINED AND IN SOME CASES STRENGTHENED. SUMMARY TABULAR DATA AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)