Victimization Survey Research Articles

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.

The scope of food fraud revisited

Food fraud is an emerging field of study in academic literature. The aim of this paper is to evaluate whether current understanding of food fraud in literature is in congruence with incidents of food fraud in the Netherlands. The discussion that follows is based on an analysis of 53 empirical cases on food fraud investigations conducted at the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA), the nationwide enforcement body tasked with investigating food fraud. The findings elucidate the differences between food fraud and other (food) crime and highlight the discrepancies with academic definitions to date, most notably with respect to incidents of ‘food laundering’ and by emphasizing the existence of intentional facilitators. We thus suggest adjusting the scope of what type of behavior can be considered as food fraud by conceptualizing three forms of food fraud: food laundering, fraudulent food enhancement, and facilitative food fraud. Food laundering encompasses the use of illegal material as food, whereas fraudulent food enhancement describes a situation where legal food is value-enhanced through deceitful cost-cutting measures. Facilitative food fraud captures the role of facilitative actors that operate illegally and intentionally for economic advantage. Based on these concepts, we suggest a modified definition as follows: food fraud is committed by any actor who is intentionally involved in illegal acts for economic advantage, thus causing or facilitating illegal food to be laundered into the supply chain or for food to be fraudulently value-enhanced. Future research should focus on testing these concepts and this definition with empirical studies from different regions and regulatory settings, and introduce additional data sources outside of enforcement, such as employee or victim surveys.

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

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

범죄피해와 지역무질서의 자영업자 범죄두려움 영향 분석

The majority of research on the causes and consequences of fear of crime have focused on personal fears. Even though the widespread crime rate and damage in Sole Proprietors, Sole Proprietor's fear of crime as distinct from personal fear of crime is an understudied phenomenon. The present paper sought to identifying the determinant of sole proprietor's fear of crime under three theoretical models(incivility, victimization, and confidence in the police). Using the Korea Institute of Criminology’s “Safety Survey of Commercial Victimization Survey in Korea, 2016” data, multiple regression analysis was conducted on 5,080 sole proprietors. Results indicate that incivility and victimization have a significant effect on sole proprietor's fear of crime. Furthermore, confidence in police has a significant moderating effect on relationship between incivility and sole proprietor's fear of crime. This results suggest that sole proprietor who perceives more incivility has more fear of crime and even though confidence in police high level has increased the level of fear of crime. Based on the results of the study, Policy implications and future limitations of the study are discussed.

Public Responsiveness to Declining Crime Rates in the United States and England and Wales

Abstract During much of the second half of the twentieth century, public opinion in both the United States and Britain became more punitive as crime rates rose. These shifting public attitudes had a profound influence on criminal justice policies. What is less understood is how public attitudes in these countries have responded to declining crime rates since the early-1990s. To understand how the public reacts to declining crime rates, we focus on crimes recorded by the police as well as data on actual victimisation. We also draw on more than 4,000 national survey questions to construct measures of public concern about crime and support for punitive criminal justice responses. Our analyses illustrate parallels in the crime drop measured by victimisation surveys in the two countries (with recorded violent crime in England and Wales the exception to this overall trend). The over-time patterns in public concern about crime and punitive sentiment are more complex, with the US public becoming less punitive (in line with declining crime rates) while the British public’s concern with crime appears more in tune with actual crime rates. Given the distinct social, political and institutional settings offered by the two countries, the parallel dynamics of crime and the mixed response of public opinion help illustrate the importance of the comparative analysis of crime and its effects on society as well as the importance of considering multiple measures of public opinion related to crime and punishment.

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.

Associations of extracurricular activity participation with bullying victimization among U.S. middle and high school students: A nationally representative sample

ABSTRACT While prior studies have addressed bullying experienced during school, limited research exists on the associations between participation in school-sponsored extracurricular activities and bullying victimization risk. The current study utilized data from the 2013, 2015, and 2017 National Crime and Victimization Survey’s School Crime Supplement (n = 13,376) to examine the associations between participation in different types of extracurricular activities and three types of bullying victimization (physical, verbal, and relational) among middle and high school students. Results indicated that participation in performing arts, service clubs, and “other” activities was associated with all three types of victimization. Additionally, participation in athletics was associated with decreased risk for verbal victimization. Prevention strategies and implications for schools regarding how to reduce bullying among middle and high school students, especially in the context of extracurricular activities, are discussed.

Exploring Gender Differences in Fear of Domestic Violence

ABSTRACT The fear of physical and sexual violence within the family context has not received much attention in the literature. Drawing on a national sample of 11,584 respondents from the 2012 German Victimization Survey, this study examined the prevalence of fear of domestic violence (DV) as compared with fear of physical and sexual crimes in general; identified gender-specific prevalence of fear of DV; and determined socio-demographic factors that predicted fear of DV for men and women. The study found both males and females reported similar rates of fear of both physical and sexual assault victimization in the family context. Younger persons and people with migration backgrounds were more likely to express fear of DV than older persons and German respondents without migration backgrounds, respectively. Future research should examine the fear of domestic violence more systematically.

Distorted Reality: A Commentary on DiMarco et al. (2022) and the Question of Male Sexual Victimization

Our commentary responds to claims made by DiMarco and colleagues in an article published in this journal that the majority of victims of rape are men and that 80% of those who rape men are women. Although we strongly believe that studying male sexual victimization is a highly important research and policy endeavour, we have concerns with the approach taken by DiMarco and colleagues to discuss these incidents. Specifically, we critique their paper by addressing the definitions of rape used by the authors, questioning their interpretation of national victim surveys, evaluating their analysis of the underreporting of male rape, and highlighting the heteronormative framework they use to outline the landscape of male sexual victimization. With this commentary, we call for a holistic, nuanced, and balanced study of male sexual victimization that recognizes the reality of both female-on-male and male-on-male violence, the experiences of survivors, and multi-layered barriers that male victims often encounter.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after an earthquake experience: A cross-sectional survey of Wenchuan earthquake victims with physical disabilities 10 years later

BackgroundNatural disasters such as earthquakes are highly associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The Wenchuan earthquake in 2008 was the worst earthquake in the modern history of China, but the long-term prevalence of PTSD among earthquake victims, particularly those with disabilities, remains unknown. This study investigated the long-term effect of PTSD brought about by the Wenchuan earthquake, and its relationship with demographic factors. MethodsA total of 308 earthquake victims who suffered from physical disabilities resulting from the Wenchuan earthquake were recruited from three hospitals in Sichuan to participate in a 10-year cross-sectional survey. Outcome measures included the Impact of Event Scale–Revised, the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule, and the European Quality of Life–5 Dimensions questionnaire. ResultsStatistically significant relationships were found between PTSD and gender, returning to old occupations, loss and/or severe injury of relatives and/or friends, pain, cognition, depression, and anxiety. Female gender, loss of relatives and friends, and a diagnosis of amputation or fracture were significant predictive factors for PTSD. The prevalence of PTSD for earthquake victims with physical disabilities 10 years later was 42.21%. Participation and engagement in daily life and community activities was negatively correlated with PTSD. ConclusionsEarthquake victims still presented with PTSD 10 years after the disaster, particularly among victims who had suffered permanent loss of body parts or other physical disabilities. Identification of the risk factors in victims should be implemented as early as possible to provide them with the best support for their mental wellbeing.

THE INJUSTICE OF UNDER-POLICING IN AMERICA

THE INJUSTICE OF UNDER-POLICING IN AMERICA

Do Commonly Recommended Preventive Actions Deter Identity Theft Victimization? Findings from NCVS Identity Theft Surveys

ABSTRACT It remains unknown if taking commonly used preventive actions is related to identity theft. In the current study, we use a dataset featuring over 220,000 respondents to the National Crime Victimization Survey Identity Theft Supplement (NCVS ITS). The survey was conducted by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) first in 2012, then again in 2014, and once more in 2016. The findings reported here suggest that demographic variables (e.g., gender, income) and types of online activities (e.g., frequency of online shopping) are significantly related to identity theft victimization. An interesting additional finding is that among seven distinct types of preventive actions listed in the NCVS ITS survey (frequently checking credit reports, frequently changing passwords for financial accounts, employing purchase credit monitoring, shredding documents containing personal information, monitoring bank statements for suspect charges, using security software programs, and purchasing identity theft protection), shredding documents with personal information ALONE is significantly negatively related to identity theft victimization. All six other preventive actions are either positively related or unrelated to identity theft victimization. These findings generate practical implications and, most importantly, raise the question of whether some newly-fashioned preventive actions might provide better protection from identity theft protection.

Effects of COVID‐19 shutdowns on domestic violence in US cities

We empirically investigate the impact of COVID-19 shutdowns on domestic violence using incident-level data on both domestic-related calls for service and crime reports of domestic violence assaults from the 18 major US police departments for which both types of records are available. Although we confirm prior reports of an increase in domestic calls for service at the start of the pandemic, we find that the increase preceded mandatory shutdowns, and there was an incremental decline following the government imposition of restrictions. We also find no evidence that domestic violence crimes increased. Rather, police reports of domestic violence assaults declined significantly during the initial shutdown period. There was no significant change in intimate partner homicides during shutdown months and victimization survey reports of intimate partner violence were lower. Our results fail to support claims that shutdowns increased domestic violence and suggest caution before drawing inference or basing policy solely on data from calls to police.

Second Victim Syndrome in Trauma Practitioners and Other Ancillary Staff.

In health care, second victims are traumatized clinicians involved in unanticipated or untoward patient events. Programs that address second victim syndrome are sparse and its diagnosis often goes unrecognized. Consistently, literature has identified gaps in support resources, leading to compromised patient care and provider health. This project evaluates the need for second victim resources in trauma care providers at a tertiary public level 1 trauma hospital by electronically implementing a validated second victim survey over 5weeks. Our results illustrate that second victim syndrome is prevalent among 57.1% of trauma care providers, of which 22.9% agree that second victim syndrome results in some form of undesirable work intentions.

Intimate partner violence incidents reporting by female minorities in the United States

The study assessed differences in intimate partner violence (IPV) incident reporting to police by minority and non-minority IPV survivors. Data originated from U.S. Census Bureau’s National Crime Victimization Survey from 2010 to 2020. Of 240,000 interviews, 2,255 female respondents (750 female minorities) answered questions regarding violence perpetrated by a current/former intimate partner. Female minorities were less likely to report their IPV incident than non-Hispanic White females. Non-Hispanic Blacks were more likely to report their IPV incident to the police than Hispanics when the incident was near home. Disparities in reporting may obstruct efforts to protect the rights of the accused and victims. Findings help victim services providers ensure victims are provided support, resources, and care to overcome reporting barriers of IPV.

Exploring Gender Disparity in Capable Guardianship Against Identity Theft: A Focus on Internet-Based Behavior

Despite the growing literature on identity theft, limited studies have been conducted to explore demographic differences between individuals in levels of self-protection measures. Additionally, previous research indicates that men are less likely to employ self-protection measures compared to women, but the potential mechanisms to explain this gender difference remain unclear. Using the 2016 Identity Theft Supplement of the National Crime Victimization Survey in the U.S., the current study examined the interrelationship between gender, Internet-based behaviors (e.g., online shopping, credit card use, and debit card use), and the use of self-protection measures. Our logistic regression models revealed that the use of debit cards to make purchases online mediates the relationship between gender and the decision to employ self-protection measures.

Ákvörðun þolenda ofbeldis að tilkynna brot til lögreglu

Aðeins hluti þolenda ofbeldis tilkynnir til lögreglu og vanmetur því opinber afbrotatölfræði raunverulegan fjölda brota. Þar sem að vilji fólks til að tilkynna er mismunandi á milli hópa innihalda gögnin einnig kerfisbundna skekkju. Þannig getur verið að gögn sem eru notuð til að móta stefnu- og lagabreytingar í réttarkerfinu gefi upp ranga mynd af algengi og eðli brota. Í rannsókninni er skoðað hvaða tengsl tegund brotaflokks, félagsleg staða þolanda, og traust til lögreglu hafa á ákvörðun um að tilkynna ofbeldi. Rannsóknin byggir á samsettu gagnasetti þolendakannana sem lagðar voru fyrir árlega frá 2014 til 2021 (n = 19.440). Niðurstöður sýna að hlutfallslega færri þolendur kynbundins ofbeldis tilkynna til lögreglu en þolendur allra annarra brotaflokka. Mat þolanda á alvarleika brotsins hefur sterkustu áhrif á hvort ofbeldi til er tilkynnt til lögreglu. Ungt fólk og fólk utan höfuðborgarsvæðisins leitar síður til lögreglu en aðrir hópar. Í greininni er farið yfir flókin tengsl á milli trausts til lögreglu og ákvarðana um að tilkynna ofbeldi. Rannsóknin gefur til kynna að fólk sem hefur nýlega reynslu af ofbeldi beri minna traust en þau sem ekki hafa slíka reynslu, og traust er minna hjá þolendum kynbundins ofbeldis sem hafa tilkynnt en þeim sem ekki hafa tilkynnt til lögreglu. Þetta á ekki við um annars konar líkamsárásir. Rannsóknin gefur auk þess til kynna hlutfallslega fleiri þolendur alvarlegs ofbeldis í nánum samböndum tilkynni nú en á árunum 2014 til 2017.