NCJ Number
190699
Date Published
June 2001
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This study used data from an Australia-wide survey of victims of crime to examine the victimization of older people.
Abstract
The survey was conducted in April 2000 in conjunction with the Australian component of the International Crime Victim Survey; it had a sample size of 3,032 individuals, of which 1,246 were persons aged 65 years and over. Older people had the lowest rates of crime victimization when compared to the rest of the population. This was due to the unique nature of the social relationships and activities of older people. Consumer fraud was an important component of older people's experiences with crime. Among older Australians, consumer fraud was 2.2 times more prevalent than assault, which was the most common of the violent offenses. This contrasted with younger persons, among whom fraud was as common as assault. Older people were not homogeneous in their risk of victimization. Variations in victimization risk among older people could be explained by differences in their recreational activities in the evening and whether they were married; for example, older people who were separated or divorced were twice as likely as other older persons to be victims of crime. This report recommended that crime prevention be tailored to specific types of victims. Among socially advantaged older people, initiatives to promote the adoption of security measures to protect household or personal property as well as safe recreational patterns might reduce risk. Among socially disadvantaged older people, there is a need for enhanced community support in order to minimize the effects that isolation and vulnerability have on the risk of victimization. 4 figures, 4 notes, and 16 references