Crime and the Elderly Person - Problems of Fear and Alienation (From Old as Offenders and Victims of Crime - Proceedings, P 17-22, 1981 - See NCJ-85804)

• NCJ Number: 85805
• Author(s): A J Sutton
• Date Published: 1981
• Length: 6 pages
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/; New South Wales
• Language: English
• Country: Australia

Annotation

Although the victimization of the elderly in New South Wales is less than their proportion in the population would lead one to expect, their isolation precipitates fear of crime, and social policy should attempt to deal with this fear.

Abstract

Court statistics and victimization studies indicate that persons aged 60 and over are significantly less likely to be crime victims than persons under 60. Yet, a high fear of crime is reported among the elderly. Since the elderly's fear of crime is not in proportion to the actual rate of victimization, it is likely that their fear of crime is stimulated by the social conditions in which many of the elderly live. The elderly experience a social isolation that results from the dissipation of the support of family members, a loss of occupational roles, and a drop in income that separates the elderly from the mainstream of socioeconomic interactions. Such alienation and isolation causes the elderly to feel powerless and vulnerable, a feeling that nurtures the fear of crime. The elderly's fear of the consequences of crime can be met by increasing victim services, particularly victim compensation schemes. The police can also help by showing special attention and sympathy for the elderly when they seek assistance in what they perceive to be a threatening situation. Foot patrol in areas where the elderly reside can also help relieve the fear of crime, although foot patrol may not actually reduce crime in the area.