SlideShare a Scribd company logo
Fundamentalsof Crime Mapping 7
Victims

    ◦ Probability suggests you will be a victim of an
      offender who has the same age and ethnicity as you
      do
    Offenders

    Witnesses, Reporting Parties, etc

    ◦ Help us make sense of an describe what happened
      to police
Motivations

        Ease of opportunity
    ◦
        Thrill or excitement
    ◦
        Money and property rewards
    ◦
        Difficulty and challenge
    ◦
        Anger, frustration, and rage
    ◦
        Power and control
    ◦
        Sexual relief and/or satisfaction
    ◦
        Revenge/hatred/payback
    ◦
        Sudden impulse or whim
    ◦
        Unintentional/accident
    ◦
        Offender was on drugs
    ◦
        Respect and admiration of others
    ◦
        To buy or steal drugs or alcohol
    ◦
        Need money for food, rent, or bills
    ◦
        Peer pressure or group behavior
    ◦
52% of victimizations were committed by

    persons who were strangers to their victims
    The nature of victim and offender

    relationships varies by crime type
    ◦ Rape – 35% were strangers
    ◦ Robbery – 80% were strangers
    ◦ 40% of victims are acquainted to the offenders
In 2005, for all crimes of violence,

    approximately 79% of incidents involved
    only one offender
    When multiple offenders were present,

    offenders aged 12–20 years accounted for
    41% of these crimes
    ◦ Black 40% of the time
    ◦ White 29% of the time
67% of all violent incidents (excluding

    murder) were committed without the use of
    a weapon
    ◦ In 9% of these incidents, the presence of a
      firearm was indicated
    Handguns are the most frequently

    mentioned firearm when used
Gang related

    ◦ A crime committed by gang members to further
      their gang activities or to otherwise promote the
      gang or gang membership
    Gang member involved

    ◦ A crime committed by a person who may be a
      gang member, but the crime cannot be directly
      linked to promoting a gang or gang membership
According to NCVS data, between 1998 and

    2003 approximately 6% of violent
    victimizations were perpetrated by persons
    believed to be gang members
50% of crime is actually reported to police

    The BJS estimates that

    ◦ Only 49% of violent crimes
    ◦ Only 38% of property crime were reported to the police during
      2006
    Female victims of violence were more likely to report

    their victimizations than were males (54.6% versus
    42.4%)
    Victims of violent crimes aged 65 years and older were

    most likely to report their victimizations (66.1%)
    Victims aged 12–19 years were least likely to report

    their victimizations of violent crimes (34.5%).
    Lower income families less likely to report property

    crime than higher income families
Reasons for non-reporting

    ◦ Suspect unsuccessful
    ◦ Item already recovered
    ◦ Private or personal matter
9.4% of violent crime victims reported being

    the first to use or threaten physical force
    during the incident
    Self-protective measures vary

    ◦ Resisting or capturing offender # 1
      Males more than females
    ◦ Running away, getting help, or giving an alarm #2 &
      #3
      Females more running away or getting help
    42% of violent crime victims reported that their

    self-protective measures helped them to avoid
    injury or avoid greater injury
When Self-protective actions hurt the victim

    ◦ Behavior made the offender angrier and/or more
      aggressive
    Knowing how these factors affect

    victimization can aide the analysis
27.5% of victims perceived their offenders to be

    under the influence of drugs or alcohol during
    the commission of the crime (2005)
    35.5% for rape and sexual assault

    22.5% for robbery (lowest)

    Karberg & James, 2005, p. 1

    ◦ 68% of jail inmates abusers
    ◦ 16% committed crimes for money for drugs
    ◦ 50% self-reporting under the influence when
      committing crime
    ◦ Females slightly more than males
    ◦ White more than other races as well
Urban
◦ More likely than Suburban

Suburban
◦ More likely than Rural, Less than Urban

Rural
                is a difference
There
”Causes” of crime

        Population density and degree of urbanization
    ◦
        Variations in composition of the population, particularly youth
    ◦
        concentration
    ◦
        Stability of the population with respect to residents’ mobility, commuting
    ◦
        patterns, and transient factors
        Modes of transportation and highway system
    ◦
        Economic conditions, including median income, poverty level, and job
    ◦
        availability
        Cultural factors and educational, recreational, and religious characteristics
    ◦
        Family conditions with respect to divorce and family cohesiveness
    ◦
        Climate
    ◦
        Effective strength of law enforcement agencies
    ◦
        Administrative and investigative emphases of law enforcement
    ◦
        Policies of other components of the criminal justice system
    ◦
        (i.e., prosecution, judicial, corrections, and probation)
        Citizens’ attitudes toward crime
    ◦
        Crime reporting practices of the citizenry
    ◦
Location Types

    ◦ Violent Crime
      15% of victimizations occurred at or in the victim’s home.
      18.6% on street near home
    ◦ Schools
      12.3%
    ◦ Own or Rent?
      Owners less likely to be victims of property crime than
       renters
    ◦ Residential mobility
      The more transient, higher incidence of crime
Knowing characteristics of victims and

    offenders helps the analyst do useful
    analysis and target the correct populations
    The ability to predict crime provides us with

    an opportunity to prevent crime—the
    ultimate goal of law enforcement

More Related Content

Fundamentalsof Crime Mapping 7

  • 2. Victims  ◦ Probability suggests you will be a victim of an offender who has the same age and ethnicity as you do Offenders  Witnesses, Reporting Parties, etc  ◦ Help us make sense of an describe what happened to police
  • 3. Motivations  Ease of opportunity ◦ Thrill or excitement ◦ Money and property rewards ◦ Difficulty and challenge ◦ Anger, frustration, and rage ◦ Power and control ◦ Sexual relief and/or satisfaction ◦ Revenge/hatred/payback ◦ Sudden impulse or whim ◦ Unintentional/accident ◦ Offender was on drugs ◦ Respect and admiration of others ◦ To buy or steal drugs or alcohol ◦ Need money for food, rent, or bills ◦ Peer pressure or group behavior ◦
  • 4. 52% of victimizations were committed by  persons who were strangers to their victims The nature of victim and offender  relationships varies by crime type ◦ Rape – 35% were strangers ◦ Robbery – 80% were strangers ◦ 40% of victims are acquainted to the offenders
  • 5. In 2005, for all crimes of violence,  approximately 79% of incidents involved only one offender When multiple offenders were present,  offenders aged 12–20 years accounted for 41% of these crimes ◦ Black 40% of the time ◦ White 29% of the time
  • 6. 67% of all violent incidents (excluding  murder) were committed without the use of a weapon ◦ In 9% of these incidents, the presence of a firearm was indicated Handguns are the most frequently  mentioned firearm when used
  • 7. Gang related  ◦ A crime committed by gang members to further their gang activities or to otherwise promote the gang or gang membership Gang member involved  ◦ A crime committed by a person who may be a gang member, but the crime cannot be directly linked to promoting a gang or gang membership
  • 8. According to NCVS data, between 1998 and  2003 approximately 6% of violent victimizations were perpetrated by persons believed to be gang members
  • 9. 50% of crime is actually reported to police  The BJS estimates that  ◦ Only 49% of violent crimes ◦ Only 38% of property crime were reported to the police during 2006 Female victims of violence were more likely to report  their victimizations than were males (54.6% versus 42.4%) Victims of violent crimes aged 65 years and older were  most likely to report their victimizations (66.1%) Victims aged 12–19 years were least likely to report  their victimizations of violent crimes (34.5%). Lower income families less likely to report property  crime than higher income families
  • 10. Reasons for non-reporting  ◦ Suspect unsuccessful ◦ Item already recovered ◦ Private or personal matter
  • 11. 9.4% of violent crime victims reported being  the first to use or threaten physical force during the incident Self-protective measures vary  ◦ Resisting or capturing offender # 1  Males more than females ◦ Running away, getting help, or giving an alarm #2 & #3  Females more running away or getting help 42% of violent crime victims reported that their  self-protective measures helped them to avoid injury or avoid greater injury
  • 12. When Self-protective actions hurt the victim  ◦ Behavior made the offender angrier and/or more aggressive Knowing how these factors affect  victimization can aide the analysis
  • 13. 27.5% of victims perceived their offenders to be  under the influence of drugs or alcohol during the commission of the crime (2005) 35.5% for rape and sexual assault  22.5% for robbery (lowest)  Karberg & James, 2005, p. 1  ◦ 68% of jail inmates abusers ◦ 16% committed crimes for money for drugs ◦ 50% self-reporting under the influence when committing crime ◦ Females slightly more than males ◦ White more than other races as well
  • 14. Urban ◦ More likely than Suburban Suburban ◦ More likely than Rural, Less than Urban Rural is a difference There
  • 15. ”Causes” of crime  Population density and degree of urbanization ◦ Variations in composition of the population, particularly youth ◦ concentration ◦ Stability of the population with respect to residents’ mobility, commuting ◦ patterns, and transient factors Modes of transportation and highway system ◦ Economic conditions, including median income, poverty level, and job ◦ availability Cultural factors and educational, recreational, and religious characteristics ◦ Family conditions with respect to divorce and family cohesiveness ◦ Climate ◦ Effective strength of law enforcement agencies ◦ Administrative and investigative emphases of law enforcement ◦ Policies of other components of the criminal justice system ◦ (i.e., prosecution, judicial, corrections, and probation) Citizens’ attitudes toward crime ◦ Crime reporting practices of the citizenry ◦
  • 16. Location Types  ◦ Violent Crime  15% of victimizations occurred at or in the victim’s home.  18.6% on street near home ◦ Schools  12.3% ◦ Own or Rent?  Owners less likely to be victims of property crime than renters ◦ Residential mobility  The more transient, higher incidence of crime
  • 17. Knowing characteristics of victims and  offenders helps the analyst do useful analysis and target the correct populations The ability to predict crime provides us with  an opportunity to prevent crime—the ultimate goal of law enforcement