NCJ Number
60718
Date Published
1978
Length
71 pages
Annotation
THIS RESEARCH SEEKS TO EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENTIAL REPORTING RATES OF CRIMINAL VICTIMIZATION AMONG URBAN AND RURAL RESIDENTS; SEVERAL PREDICTOR VARIABLES ARE EXAMINED TO CLARIFY NOTED REPORTING VARIATIONS.
Abstract
DATA FOR THE STUDY WERE GENERATED BY A FIVE-COUNTY VICTIMIZATION SURVEY CONDUCTED IN THE STATE OF WASHINGTON IN 1976. A QUESTIONNAIRE WAS SENT TO 6,000 HOUSEHOLDS. TELEPHONE DIRECTORIES WERE USED AS THE SOURCE OF THE PROBABILITY SAMPLE. THE OVERALL RESPONSE RATE WAS APPROXIMATELY 60 PERCENT FOR 5 COUNTIES. THE QUESTIONNAIRE ASKED RESPONDENTS TO ACCOUNT FOR THEIR VARIOUS VICTIMIZATION EXPERIENCES DURING 1975; BOTH PROPERTY CRIMES AND PERSONAL CRIMES WERE INCLUDED. DETAILED INFORMATION WAS ASKED ONLY FOR THE MOST RECENT CASE OF A PARTICULAR OFFENSE. SERIOUSNESS OF THE CRIME, PLACE OF RESIDENCE, RESPONDENTS' PERCEPTIONS OF POLICE AND THE COURT, AND REPORTING RATES WERE ESTABLISHED FOR EACH RESPONSE. ANALYSES OF THE RESULTING DATA INDICATE THAT URBAN RESIDENTS SUFFER MORE VICTIMIZATIONS BUT NOT MORE SERIOUS VICTIMIZATIONS THAN RURAL RESIDENTS. THE NUMBER OF VICTIMIZATIONS ACCOUNTS FOR THE HIGHER REPORTING RATES BY URBAN RESIDENTS. THE GREATER THE SEVERITY OF THE CRIME, THE GREATER THE LIKELIHOOD OF REPORTING. NO DIFFERENCES IN ATTITUDES TOWARD THE POLICE OR THE COURTS WERE DETECTED BETWEEN URBAN AND RURAL RESIDENTS. FURTHERMORE, ATTITUDES TOWARD THE POLICE AND THE COURTS DID NOT APPEAR TO AFFECT THE LIKELIHOOD OF REPORTING. IT APPEARS THAT THE DIFFERENCE IN URBAN AND RURAL CRIME RATES MIGHT BE PARTIALLY EXPLAINED BY DIFFERENTIAL REPORTING RATES OF CRIMINAL VICTIMIZATION. FOOTNOTES, A BIBLIOGRAPHY, AND STUDY DATA ARE PROVIDED IN THE DISSERTATION. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)