NCJ Number
49682
Date Published
1976
Length
35 pages
Annotation
TWO HYPOTHESES WERE EXPLORED IN AN EFFORT TO CONSTRUCT A TYPOLOGY OF ASSAULT VICTIMS. INTERVIEWS WITH 29 VICTIMS OF ASSAULT IN CANADA REVEALED THAT ASSAULT VICTIMS SHARE A NUMBER OF CHARACTERISTICS.
Abstract
THE FOLLOWING HYPOTHESES WERE CONSIDERED: (1) ASSAULT VICTIMS ARE NOT A RANDOM SAMPLE OF THE POPULATION, BUT HAVE SPECIFIC CHARACTERISTICS IN COMMON; AND (2) ASSAULT VICTIMS WHO BRING CASES TO COURT ARE DIFFERENT FROM THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO DO NOT USE THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. SUBJECTS WERE PLAINTIFFS IN COMPLETED TRIALS RESULTING IN GUILTY PLEAS OR VERDICTS WHO WERE INTERVIEWED AS THE CLIENTS. THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 50,000 VOLUNTEERS. PROCEEDINGS WERE USED AS WELL. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE TYPICAL VICTIM OF COMMON ASSAULT AND ASSAULT WITH BODILY HARM UNDER THE CANADIAN CRIMINAL CODE WAS A MALE WITH A HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION, A BLUE COLLAR JOB, AND NO CRIMINAL RECORD. GENERALLY, THE VICTIM HAD NEVER BEEN ASSAULTED BEFORE, AND ALTHOUGH THE VICTIM WAS AS LIKELY NOT TO KNOW THE ACCUSED AS HE WAS TO KNOW HIM, HE WAS UNLIKELY TO HAVE FURTHER CONTACT WITH HIM AFTER TRIAL. WHEN COMPARED TO A SCANDINAVIAN STUDY OF VICTIMS, THIS TYPOLOGY WAS FOUND TO BE NOTICEABLY DIFFERENT. UNLIKE THOSE IN THE SCANDINAVIAN STUDY, THE VICTIMS FROM THE CANADIAN SAMPLE WERE NOT NECESSARILY LOWER-CLASS, YOUNG, OR JUST AS CAPABLE OF BEING THE ACCUSED AS THE VICTIM. THE RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY ARE DISCUSSED. AN ANALYSIS IS PROVIDED OF THE FINDINGS WITH RESPECT TO THE VICTIM'S PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS, THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE ASSAULT, THE VICTIM'S PAST EXPERIENCE WITH ASSAULT, AND THE CREDIBILITY OF THE ASSAULT VICTIMS. THE RESULTS OF A LITERATURE REVIEW ARE PROVIDED, ALONG WITH TABULAR DATA RELATING TO THE AGE, SEX, MARITAL STATUS, OCCUPATIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL LEVELS OF THE VICTIM, THE LENGTH AND TYPE OF PREVIOUS RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE VICTIM AND THE ACCUSED, ALCOHOL OR DRUG CONSUMPTION BY THE VICTIM OR THE ACCUSED, THE LOCATION OF THE ASSAULT, REASONS FOR THE ASSAULT, AND THE VICTIM'S PREVIOUS ENCOUNTER WITH ASSAULT. THE QUESTIONNAIRE AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE INCLUDED. (KBL)