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Victime of Crime

People in the United States worry a great deal about being victims of crime. According to public opinion polls, two Americans out of five--in large cities--are afraid to go out alone at night. Fear is more intense among black Americans than among whites, and among women than among men. The elderly are the most fearful of all; barricaded behind multiple locks, they often go hungry rather than risk the perils of shopping at night (Silberman, 1980, p. 3).

Although people are afraid, street crime is less dangerous than riding in an automobile, working around the house, swimming, or any number of other activities in which Americans engage without much concern. The chances of being killed in an automobile accident are 10 times greater than those of being murdered by a stranger, and the risk of death from a fall (such as slipping in the shower or tumbling from a ladder) are three times as great.

National victimization surveys show that people most likely to be victims of violent crimes are males, youths, poor people, and blacks. Often they do not indicate the sex or age characteristics of the heads of households victimized by burglary. They do show that the rate of victimization by burglary is more than one and one-half times as high for black families as for white ones (A National..., 1973, p. 14).

These statistics do not mean that people who come from higher socioeconomic groups do not suffer from victimization. The second most likely victim of spouse abuse is the spouse of someone with a post-college degree. Furthermore, the bettereducated, wealthy person is four times less likely to report domestic violence than the poorly educated spouse who is victimized (Austern, 1987, p. 19).

Victimization surveys and reported crime statistics answer many questions about where and when crimes are committed. Assaults occur about equally inside and outside buildings. The home and various other inside locations are the likeliest...

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Victime of Crime. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 11:13, March 29, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1681632.html