NCJ Number
95721
Date Published
1983
Length
151 pages
Annotation
National Crime Survey (NCS) victimization data for 1973 to 198l are used to examine national trends in the criminal behavior of juveniles, youthful offenders, and adults for the crimes of rape, robbery, assault, and personal larceny (purse snatching and pocket picking).
Abstract
The first section of the report discusses changes in the rates of selected offenses by age, race, and sex of offenders. The second section focuses on the extent to which there have been changes in the age, race, and sex of victims in relation to these same offender characteristics. The NCS data indicate that overall juvenile crime rates at the national level have declined for 1973-81. This is particularly true for some subgroups in the population, notably blacks and females. The only exception to this finding was for white males 12 - 17-years-old, who showed increases in offending rates for total personal crimes over the period. Moreover, there has not been a dramatic shift in victim selection in terms of age, sex, and race. Patterns of offending in these characteristics of victims and offenders has shown little change over the 9-year period. Tables, figures, and endnotes are provided. Appendixes cover NCS household interview schedules, offender age in NCS data, type of crime definitions, population base estimates, and Sellin-Wolfgang seriousness weights. A list of 60 references is supplied. This monograph is an update and extension of a previous report, 'Juvenile Criminal Behavior: An Analysis of Rates and Victim Characteristics.'