National Crime Victimization Survey Research Articles

An Intersectional Analysis of System Avoidance

Recent work on communities of color has elaborated on the concept of system avoidance, which is the avoidance of institutions that keep formal records, such as banks, hospitals, and law enforcement. In this paper, I provide a feminist intersectional analysis of system avoidance by examining whether and how kinship structures shape crime reporting to the police within the “master” categories of race, gender, and class. Using the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) 2002–2019, I show that among Latinx and white respondents, women are more likely than men to report personal experiences of violence to the police only if they have children living in the home. Among Black respondents, however, women are more likely than men to report personal experiences of violence to the police regardless of whether or not they have children. Household income and relationship to perpetrator further shape these associations, the most telling of which is that Latinas are no more likely than Latinos to report violence to the police when they know the offender. By examining crime reporting data through the lens of family structure, this study sheds light on a “paradox of protection,” the thin line in which women alternatively call the police to protect their families from violence, or refrain from calling the police to protect their families from criminalization.

Police notification by Black victims of violent crime: the role of victim gender and victim-offender relationship

Despite widespread distrust of police among Black Americans, research indicates that Black crime victims are more likely to call the police than other demographic groups. Using National Crime Victimization Survey data from 1994–2018, I employ logistic regression and compare the average marginal effects of victim race and gender on probabilities of reporting to police. Of four race-sex categories (non-Black and Black male and female victims), I find that Black women are most likely to report and Black men are least likely. But when the offender is a romantic partner, family member, or other household member, Black victims of either gender are more likely to report. Evidence points to the importance of victim gender and victim-offender relationship in understanding racial differences in crime reporting.

The Impact of Police Response on Intimate Partner Violence Victims’ Social, Emotional, and Physical Well-Being: Results From the National Crime Victimization Survey

This study examined whether police involvement in intimate partner violence (IPV) incidents is associated with victims' socio-emotional problems, and emotional and physical toll symptoms for 1 month or longer post-victimization. Data from the 2010-2019 National Crime Victimization Survey suggest that police investigational effort, later contact with the police, suffering severe injury during victimization, and repeated victimization were positively associated with experiencing socio-emotional problems. Later contact with police and severe injury were positively associated with both emotional and physical toll symptoms, while the female sex was positively associated with emotional toll symptoms. The arrest of the abuser was negatively associated with physical toll symptoms. Findings highlight the need for policies and practices in response to IPV that consider the diverse needs of survivors of partner abuse to help reduce IPV-related trauma.

Victim and offender race and the likelihood of weapon use: a test of racial animosity and racial threat theories

ABSTRACT The historically complex relationship between Blacks and Whites is believed to play an important role in the way offenders select their victims in violent crimes. This study tests two theories that have been used to explain interracial crimes: racial animosity theory and racial threat theory. Using data from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) from 1992 through 2016, we conduct two analyses of the racial dyads of White and Black offenders and victims to examine the role racial characteristics play in interpersonal crimes. Multinomial logistic regression is used to first analyze the likelihood of weapon use before narrowing our analysis specifically to handguns use. The findings provide minimal support for both racial threat theory and racial animosity theory.

Federal-Local Partnerships on Immigration Law Enforcement: Are the Policies Effective in Reducing Violent Victimization?

Our understanding of how immigration enforcement impacts crime has been informed by data from the police crime statistics. This study complements existing research by using longitudinal multilevel data from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) for 2005-2014 to simultaneously assess the impact of the three predominant immigration policies that have been implemented in local communities. The results indicate that the activation of Secure Communities and 287(g) task force agreements significantly increased violent victimization risk among Latinos, whereas they showed no evident impact on victimization risk among non-Latino Whites and Blacks. The activation of 287(g) jail enforcement agreements and anti-detainer policies had no significant impact on violent victimization risk during the period. Contrary to their stated purpose of enhancing public safety, our results show that the Secure Communities program and 287(g) task force agreements did not reduce crime, but instead eroded security in American communities by increasing the likelihood that Latinos experienced violent victimization. These results support the Federal government's ending of 287(g) task force agreements and its more recent move to end the Secure Communities program. Additionally, the results of our study add to the evidence challenging claims that anti-detainer policies pose a threat to violence risk.

Identifying and Explaining the Harmful Effects of Stalking Victimization: An Analysis of the National Crime Victimization Survey

The criteria used to identify the crime of stalking have been debated since the 1990s, with most definitions including a so-called “fear standard” as a form of harm experienced by victims. The current study takes the next logical step in this dialogue to examine the varied harms that victims of stalking experience. These analyses operationalize harm through the creation of a harm scale based on several dimensions of fear and emotional distress. By taking this approach and utilizing data from the National Crime Victimization Survey’s Supplemental Victimization Survey, the current study identifies the extent of the harm suffered by stalking victims. Further, the determinants of harm following stalking victimization are identified. Finally, the present research examines the relationship between the invasiveness of the stalker’s conduct and the harm experienced by victims, finding a positive relationship wherein more invasive encounters correspond with a greater degree of harm to victims.

Violent victimization at the intersections of sexual orientation, gender identity, and race: National Crime Victimization Survey, 2017-2019.

Prior research has found that experiences with violence in the U.S. differ across individual demographic characteristics, including race, gender, and sexual orientation. However, peer reviewed studies have yet to examine the relationship between the intersections of race, gender, and sexual orientation, victimization risk, and characteristics of victimization. We use data from three years (2017-2019) of the National Crime Victimization Survey, the primary source of information on criminal victimization in the United States, to examine victimization at the intersection of sexual orientation, gender, and race/ethnicity. We test whether non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic White sexual and gender minority (SGM) persons aged 16 or over are victimized at greater rates than their non-SGM counterparts and assess whether there are differences between sexual minority females and males of each racial group. We further document characteristics of victimization such as reporting to the police by SGM status and race or ethnicity. We find that SGMs are disproportionately more likely to be victims of violent crime than non-SGM people, and these disparities are present across the assessed racial and ethnic groups (non-Hispanic Black odds ratio [OR] = 3.3, 90% CI [CI] = 1.36, 5.16; Hispanic OR = 4.5, CI = 2.25, 6.71; non-Hispanic White OR = 4.8, CI = 2.25, 6.71). However, sexual orientation disparities are statistically distinguishable for lesbian or bisexual (LB) non-Hispanic White and Hispanic females but not for non-Hispanic Black LB females. Among LB females, the overall differences in victimization were primarily driven by bisexual respondents. We further find racial and ethnic differences among SGM victims in the likelihood of having the victimization reported to the police, in the utilization of community (non-police) resources, and in other aspects of victimization experiences, such as whether arrests occurred or in the suspicion that the violent incident was a hate crime. Our findings raise indicate a complex picture of how sexual orientation, gender identity, sex, and race and ethnicity interact in victimizations and their characteristics that should be further explored.

Understanding Predictors of Violent and Non-Violent Crime Victimization among Asian-American/Pacific Islanders

ABSTRACT Violent crimes targeting the Asian-American/Pacific Islander (AAPI) community has increased since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. While Anti-Asian violence existed before the pandemic, few have examined the predictors of AAPI crime victimization. Given this gap in the literature, the current study examined the factors that predicted violent and nonviolent crime victimization using a sample of 342 victimization incidents from 292 individuals self-identified as AAPI in the 2019 National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). The implications of this analysis for our understanding of AAPI victimization will be discussed in detail, along with future directions for research involving anti-Asian racism and violence.

1인 가구 스토킹위협과 범죄비용에 관한 연구

This study aims to examine whether crime-related economic cost are statistically significant for subjects recognizing the stalking threat among single-person households, and to make specific suggestions on the current single-person household policy. To this end, this study reprocessed raw data from ‘2020 Korean National Crime Victimization Survey’ collected by the ‘Korea Institute of Criminology and Justice’, and Poisson regression analysis was conducted by using IBM SPSS Statistics 28 package program. The cases used in the analysis were sampled for single-person households nationwide, and analyze whether the group who answered yes to the question of “I'm afraid that someone will chase or bother me persistently by phone, etc” has significant different in economic costs for crime prevention with group who answered no. However, the definition of cost fo crime was analyzed including the expected value for crime prevention and the actual value for actually paid. As a result of the analysis, statistically significant values were found for the cost of crime(cost invested in self-defense tool) and lfestyle(which can be measured as expected value for crime prevention, such as possession of a vehicle for late night travel not taking a taxi alone at night). Since the analysis was conducted with gender and age controlled, the group recognizing the stalking threat among single-person households in Korea is empirically more likely to pay or pay more for cost of crime than those who do not. In conclusion, this study discussed improvement for current single-person households security and safety policy and described related suggestions.

Hate crimes against LGBT people: National Crime Victimization Survey, 2017-2019.

We estimate the prevalence and characteristics of violent hate crime victimization of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in the United States, and we compare them to non-LGBT hate crime victims and to LGBT victims of violent non-hate crime. We analyze pooled 2017-2019 data from the National Crime Victimization Survey (n persons = 553, 925;n incidents = 32, 470), the first nationally representative and comprehensive survey on crime that allows identification of LGBT persons aged 16 or older. Descriptive and bivariate analysis show that LGBT people experienced 6.6 violent hate crime victimizations per 1,000 persons compared with non-LGBT people's 0.6 per 1,000 persons (odds ratio = 8.30, 95% confidence interval = 1.94, 14.65). LGBT people were more likely to be hate crime victims of sexual orientation or gender bias crime and less likely to be victims of race or ethnicity bias crimes compared to non-LGBT hate crime victims. Compared to non-LGBT victims, LGBT victims of hate crime were more likely to be younger, have a relationship with their assailant, and have an assailant who is white. Compared to LGBT victims of non-hate violence, more LGBT hate crime victims reported experiencing problems in their social lives, negative emotional responses, and physical symptoms of distress. Our findings affirm claims that hate crimes have adverse physical and psychological effects on victims and highlight the need to ensure that LGBT persons who experience hate crime get necessary support and services in the aftermath of the crime.

Financial fraud victimization: an examination of distress and financial complications

PurposeThis study expands the empirical understanding of financial fraud victims and the consequences that emerge as a result of financial fraud victimization. In addition, this study aims to assess the impact of the unique role victims play in financial fraud and the impact self-identifying as a victim has on the negative consequences they experience.Design/methodology/approachData from the Supplemental Fraud Survey to the National Crime Victimization Survey are used to assess the negative consequences of financial fraud victimization.FindingsResults suggest that victims of financial fraud experience increased distress and financial complications following their victimization experience. In addition, self-reported victim status is found to significantly increase a respondent’s likelihood of reporting emotional distress and financial complications. Implications for research, theory and policy are discussed.Originality/valueWhile empirical studies on the consequences of identity theft victimization have been increasing in recent years, financial fraud victimization remains understudied. Given the victim involvement in financial fraud, the consideration of financial fraud independent of identity theft fraud is vital.

How to Stop a Stalker: Perceptions and Predictors of Deterring Unwanted Pursuits

Research has identified several strategies victims adopt to deter unwanted conduct from stalkers. Whether such strategies are effective, however, is relatively unknown. Using stalking data from the 2016 National Crime Victimization Survey, the current study examines the effectiveness of safety strategies as a deterrent and whether effects are conditioned by how victims know their stalker. Victims who restricted digital access or involved the police were more likely to report the unwanted conduct had stopped, net of victim and situational contexts. These findings were consistent regardless of whether victims were pursued by intimate partner versus non-partner stalkers. The success of strategies was not universal and what works to deter stalkers was related to victim characteristics, duration, and having access to resources.

An Examination of Existing Strategies to Address Street Robberies in the Nairobi Central Business District, Kenya, and their Effectiveness

Street robberies are a significant source of fear among the public because victims face an abrupt risk to life, loss of control, and an intrusion of individual space. Street robberies are a particularly dread initiating crime in view of the setting in which it is probably going to happen over the span of somebody's normal life. The 2005 National Crime Victimization Survey demonstrated that street robbers assaulted most victims on their approach to or from work, school, shopping, or running errands. The danger of damage and demise amid an assault further substantiates the open's dread of theft. This study sought to examination of existing strategies to address street robberies in the Nairobi Central Business District, and their Effectiveness. The study was underpinned by the Strain theory by Robert Merton, Social Disorganization and Routine Activity Theory by Cohen & Felson. The study adopted a descriptive research design and targeted persons who had been victims of street robbery within Nairobi CBD in the course of the one year preceding the study. Simple random sampling was used to sample (30%) 107 respondents out of a target population of 356 victims as per the police records within Nairobi CBD. Questionnaires were employed to collect quantitative data from the primary sample while key informant interview guides were employed to collect qualitative data from Key informants. Data collection instruments were piloted before the actual data collection process. Validity and reliability of the study questionnaire were ascertained before commencement of the study. Research findings revealed that majority of the respondents (90.1%) highlighted the national police service as one of the key organizations that deal with the crime of street robbery, 40.2% identified the courts and the rest (19.5%) identified officials from Nairobi city county security department. Majority of respondents (92.6%) indicated that there were street lights while 59.6% agreed that there were CCTV cameras on major streets and terminals, police patrols was confirmed by 54.2% of the respondents, presence of city county askaris (22.3%), and a few ((9.6%) of them pointed that they could see private security guards as strategies for addressing street robberies in Nairobi CBD. When asked on the effectiveness of the existing strategies to address street robberies, most (80.9%) of the respondents asserted that the strategies were not effective. In view of the study findings, the study recommended the development of policies to address street robberies with an insight into the factors encouraging the robberies, the location and crime patterns where the crime happens, and the profiles of both the offenders and victims. Keywords: Strategies, Street Robberies, Nairobi Central Business District, Effectiveness. DOI: 10.7176/JLPG/81-05 Publication date: November 30 th 2022

Victim and third-party reporting of violent victimization to the police in incidents involving victims with disabilities

Objectives: Reporting an incident to police is a key event in the criminal legal process. The current study centers types of disability and how this may shape victim and third-party reporting while considering well-known correlates. Methods: Using the National Crime Victimization Survey (2016–2020), the current study examines police reporting in incidents involving victims with disabilities compared to victims without disabilities. This study not only considers whether the victim reported, but also third-party reporting to the police. We also explore the reasons why individuals with disabilities did not report incidents to police. Results: Incidents involving victims with cognitive disabilities were less likely to be reported to the police by the victim. There were no statistical differences in third-party reporting for any of the forms of disability considered. Notably, in incidents involving both Deaf/Blind victims and victims with physical disabilities, victims were more likely to cite perceptions of police ineffectiveness as a reason for not reporting. In incidents with victims with physical or cognitive disabilities, fear of reprisal from the offender was a more salient concern. Conclusions: This study underscores the importance of examining the victimization experiences of marginalized populations and their willingness to engage with the criminal legal system.

Decisions, Decisions: An Analysis of Identity Theft Victims’ Reporting to Police, Financial Institutions, and Credit Bureaus

ABSTRACT Identity theft, the theft and misuse of another person’s identifying information, impacts approximately one-in-ten American adults annually. Despite its prevalence, low police reporting rates by victims means that the dark figure of identity theft remains substantial, with official statistics representing few cases. Instead, many identity theft victims report to credit card companies and banks, and some report to credit bureaus or other private institutions. Drawing on the 2016 National Crime Victimization Survey – Identity Theft Supplement, this paper investigates identity theft victims’ decisions to report to law enforcement, financial institutions, and credit bureaus. It finds that along with situational factors, measures of seriousness impact reporting to these institutions and most strongly predict reporting to law enforcement. Moreover, this paper tests for interaction effects between paying out of pocket for losses and the other measures of seriousness and finds that victims who pay out of pocket have distinct reporting patterns compared to those who are reimbursed. This paper thus contributes by improving our understanding of the nature of victimizations that come to the attention of identity theft’s various responding institutions.

Ramifications of a Patient’s Physical Assault on Inpatient Ward Psychiatrists

Ramifications of a Patient’s Physical Assault on Inpatient Ward Psychiatrists

Victimization Portrayals on Popular Crime Shows & Comparisons to the NCVS

ABSTRACT Crime shows have been airing on television for over 70 years and we continuously find said shows to have high rates of viewership. But how accurate are the portrayals depicted in said shows? This research analyzes crime show drama portrayals of victimization across two time periods by analyzing 270 episodes from 11 different crime drama television series in which a clear criminal event is followed by a law enforcement investigation. Shows were chosen at Time 1 for inclusion based on popularity, longevity, accessibility, and recency; Time 2 data included a 5-year follow-up to any of the Time 1 shows still in production. Demographics and background characteristics of victims are analyzed including gender, age, race/ethnicity, occupation, military/law enforcement affiliation, parental/marital status, and prior victimization. Additionally, the relationship between offender and victim, whether the victimization was actually portrayed in the show, whether the victim was held captive, and if the victim ultimately survived or died are also addressed. Findings are discussed in comparison to what previous research from the National Crime Victimization Survey indicates actual victimization patterns to be.

Exposure to Aggressors at School and Cyberbullying Victimization

Scholars find that social dynamics in online environments help explain variation in cyberbullying victimization. The current study examines how students’ in-person activities at school shape the odds of cyberbullying victimization. This focus is motivated by opportunity theory, which emphasizes that victimization can be shaped by involvement in dangerous activities, exposure to potential aggressors, and the suitability of targets in the eyes of potential aggressors. Key aspects of the students’ in-school activities include involvement in fighting and participation in various extracurricular activities. These elements are analyzed using data from the 2013 School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey based in the United States. Findings indicate opportunity theory is applicable to explaining cyberbullying victimization regarding exposure to aggressors via extracurricular activity participation at school.

Co-offending and police notification: the differential reporting of young groups to the police

ABSTRACT Despite a wealth of research on the decision to notify police following victimization, there has been relative inattention to the role of a basic feature of crime: the tendency for individuals to offend in groups. Following this, the current research examines the influence of co-offending on the decision to notify police using information from the National Crime Victimization Survey. Results indicate that the co-offending is significantly and positively related to the likelihood of notification. Findings further indicate that this relationship is moderated by co-offender characteristics, such that young co-offenders and, to a lesser extent, male co-offenders are more likely than their counterparts to be reported to police. These results have important implications for understanding the invocation of both formal social control and disparities in these processes, indicating that co-offending not only has a direct effect on notification, but that it also changes the effect of offender characteristics on this decision.

Victim reactions to being stalked: Examining the effects of perceived offender characteristics and motivations.

The current research utilized the National Crime Victimization Survey Supplemental Victimization Survey to investigate stalking in the United States. These data, collected from stalking victims, address the relationship between victims' perceptions of the stalker's motives on two post-victimization outcomes. Specifically, we examined the relationship between the victim's assessment of motive and the degree of harm they reported, along with exploring the relationship between harm and the likelihoods of engaging in self-protective behaviors. Here, harm was measured through an index of specific fears, concerns, and emotional distresses. We found that the frequency of stalking behaviors, the duration of the stalking experience, and the overall invasiveness of the victimization, in addition to certain motives, were positively correlated with harm. Furthermore, we found that harm was positively correlated with a number of protective actions. For researchers, this work may serve to provide entry points in the development of new grounded theory. For practitioners in law enforcement, this work may provide insights into the invasive nature of stalking and the fear and harm caused to the victim.