NCJ Number
85807
Date Published
1981
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This paper recommends ways to prevent the victimization of the elderly through the crimes of robbery, burglary, and fraud, followed by consideration of the need for victim services in New South Wales (Australia), and the increased involvement of the elderly in shoplifting is discussed.
Abstract
Women over 50 are more likely to have their purses stolen than are younger women. Elderly women should not carry purses but instead use a detachable inner pocket than can be snapped inside a coat and be used to carry a wallet, money, and small objects of value. When going to the bank or shopping, elderly women should go with companions. Burglary can be discouraged by making one's home an unappealing target through means that give the appearance of its always being occupied. This includes the stopping of newspapers and mail during prolonged absences and the use of a timer to turn on selected lights. Fraud, including con games, is frequently perpetrated against the elderly. This can be countered by programs to instruct the elderly about the nature of common fraud schemes. The elderly are not only victims of crime, they are also perpetrators, particularly in the crime of shoplifting. The loss of income at retirement and the social isolation of the elderly are contributing factors in their involvement in theft. The raising of the compulsory retirement age and preretirement counseling could do much to relieve the elderly's sense of desperation that ofen leads to crime. Public services that inform the elderly about crime prevention measures and provide victim services could do much to relieve the debilitating consequences of crime against the elderly. The elderly themselves could organize to attack their common problems. One activity they might undertake is 'court watching,' which involves monitoring how the elderly are treated by the courts as both victims and offenders.