NCJ Number
139877
Journal
Justice Research Notes Issue: 1 Dated: (November 1990) Pages: 9-13
Date Published
1990
Length
5 pages
Annotation
In July 1988, Canada's Department of Justice agreed to participate in the development and implementation of an international crime survey with 16 other countries (12 European countries, Australia, Indonesia, Japan, and the United States).
Abstract
Telephone interviews were conducted with a nationally representative sample of 2,000 Canadian adults 16 years of age and older using the Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) system. Forms of victimization covered by the survey included household property crimes and personal crimes. Those who had been victimized were asked questions related to the offense. In general, survey findings demonstrated that criminal victimization rates were higher in the United States, Australia, and Canada than in European countries, although the differences were not great. Canadians were somewhat more at risk from car vandalism, motorcycle theft, and burglary. Canadian women reported high rates of sexual incidents; 69 percent of these were categorized by the individual as offensive behavior rather than sexual assault. In all countries and for most types of crime identified in the survey, young people tended to be more at risk than the elderly, men more than women, and city dwellers more than residents of rural areas or small towns. Victims in the lowest relative income groups reported a smaller percentage of incidents to the police than did others. Victims who had insurance coverage against burglary were more likely to report burglaries to the police than were uninsured victims. Among victims who reported an incident to the police, most were satisfied with the way they were treated. Although 35 percent of all victims said they would have appreciated receiving assistance, only 3.8 percent of those who reported crimes to the police received information or support from a specialized agency. Fear of street crime was highest in West Germany, England and Wales, and the United States. Survey findings are detailed with respect to specific crimes and countries, participant attitudes toward punishment, and crime prevention.