Counseling Chapter 4 Irm Closer Look The Victims Interpersonal Crimes Violence And Theft From

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Chapter 4: A Closer Look at the Victims of Interpersonal Crimes

of Violence and Theft

from Crime Victims: An Introduction to Victimology, 10e by Andrew Karmen

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Upon completing this chapter, the student should be able to:

L02. Summarize the complications of making international comparisons of victimization rates.

L04. Identify trends in murders, aggravated assaults, and robberies in the United States according to

official statistics.

L06. Describe the profile of a typical robbery victim.

L08. List the strengths and weaknesses of statistical projections related to differential and cumulative

risks.

L10. Explain why it is complicated to rank which motor vehicles are stolen at the highest rates.

L11. Identify the key groups that face the greatest risks of becoming victims of robberies and burglaries.

LESSON PLAN

Correlated to PowerPoints

I. Addressing Some Troubling Questions

A. Researchers seek to know which groups are targeted the most and least often.

[Learning Objective 7]

1. Incidents rates answer the question, “What are the odds of being attacked during

any given year?”

2. A trend analysis answers the question, “Is robbery a growing or subsiding

problem in America?

3. Prevalence rates answer the question, “How many people have been robbed?”

4. Cumulative risks answer the question, “What are the chances someone is robbed

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B. Identifying Differential Risks: Which Groups Suffer More Often than Others?

1. The chance of victimization is more likely for some groups than others.

2. Victimization rates must be deconstructed into component pieces to reveal

differential risks faced by particular groups.

a. Patterns emerge when one group suffers more than another.

See Assignment 1

II. Focusing on Murders and Near-Death Experiences

A. Where It Is Much Safer or Far More Dangerous: Making International Comparisons

[Learning Objectives 2 and 3]

1. Data are collected by the United Nations, the European Union, and Interpol.

2. Making international comparisons is difficult because

3. Murder rates in various societies around the world require careful attention.

a. The definition of “murder” must be consistent.

b. International murder rates for 2016 appear in Table 4.1.

4. Murder rates in various big cities around the world differ greatly.

Table 4.1, the leading city rates are typically higher than those of the rest

of country (e.g., St. Louis).

i. City rates are lower in Moscow and Sao Paulo.

ii. Where a person lives impacts his or her risk of murder.

Media Tool

“London’s Murder Rate Overtakes New York’s for the First Time in Modern History”

(https://abcnews.go.com/International/londons-murder-rate-overtakes-yorks-time-modern-history/story?id=54171310)

-An article from ABC News about the uptick in knifings in London, England

-Discussion: How might news stories like this one affect tourism? Do you believe that social media disputes are to

blame for London’s rise in murders? To what do you attribute the decrease in murders in New York City?

What If Scenario

Imagine that you work in the tourism industry. After an avalanche of media coverage of a murdered college student studying

abroad, a client booking a Caribbean cruise asks if she should be concerned about the murder rates on the islands. How do

you respond? What precautions do you recommend?

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B. Murder Rates in Various Big Cities around the Country

1. Geographic factors influencing differential risks in the United States include the

2. Figure 4.1 shows murder rates in major U.S. cities in 2016.

3. Murder rates vary dramatically within city limits.

a. Upscale neighborhoods have low rates.

b. Computing averages over a few years helps with short-term fluctuations.

What If Scenario

Imagine that you work as a realtor. Your client has a very limited budget and has narrowed his search to two houses. One is

more affordable but is in a neighborhood that borders a park known to be a hangout for drug dealers. The other house is

slightly over budget but is in a more upscale neighborhood. Do you try to affect his decision? What preventative measures do

you recommend he take if he chooses the first home?

Class Discussion/Activity

Study the map in Figure 4.1. What trends do you notice? Why is it important to take city size into account when comparing

murder rates?

III. A Victimological Investigation of Murders in the United States

A. Victimologists can determine commonalities among murders using the following:

1. Profiles or statistical portraits of the typical murder, victim, and killer

3. CDC’s National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS)

a. Contains information from death certificates and local agencies

b. Provides information about the situation in which the murder occurred

B. Who Gets Killed by Whom? How, Where, and Why? [Learning Objective 4]

1. UCR’s SHR details

a. Cause of death—primarily by firearm

b. Prior relationships between victim and killer—56 percent by friend or

acquaintance

c. Circumstances of the killing, or the “why”

Class Discussion/Activity

With your classmates, hold a debate about gun control. Use statistics presented in the chapter to argue for and against a

population heavily armed with handguns.

C. Differential Risks: Who Faces the Gravest Threats of Being Murdered? [Learning Objective 5]

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2. Demographic factors affecting murder rates (besides geography) include the

following:

a. Sex—79 percent were men.

b. Age—62 percent were between the ages of 16 and 40.

c. Race or ethnicity

d. Financial status

i. Lower-income people are murdered more often than those in

higher-income brackets.

ii. Not included in the SHR

iii. Many slayings are classified as “poor on poor.”

3. Box 4.1 details the statistical picture of U.S. murders from 1980 until 2008.

a. Groups with the greatest risk are Southerners, urban residents, males,

teenagers and young adults between 18 and 24, and African Americans.

See Assignments 2 and 3

D. Near-Death Experiences: Trends in Aggravated Assault Rates [Learning Objective 4]

2. Aggravated assaults result in serious wounds or involve attacks with a deadly

weapon.

a. They may have been attempted murders.

b. Both the UCR and NCVS keep records. See Figure 4.2.

4. Differential risks of being attacked

a. In 2016, 4 out of every 1,000 persons were assaulted.

b. Those facing gravest risk are Hispanic American men living in low-

income households in urban areas.

Class Discussion/Activity

Why do you think low income is a differential risk for many violent crimes? Do you think this problem can be alleviated? If

programs for the poor result in fewer poor, would the crime rates drop? Explain your reasoning.

IV. Focusing on Robberies

A. Robbers and the People They Prey Upon

2. Armed robberies are more serious than strong-arm robberies, muggings, or

yokings.

B. Robberies: Who, How Often, How, Where, When?

1. NCVS provides information to answer such questions.

2. About 370,000 people were robbed in 2013.

3. Primary motive is theft.

4. Only 40 percent of robbery victims are physically injured, few seriously.

C. Changes over Time in Robbery Rates [Learning Objective 4]

1. Figure 4.3 displays trends in robbery rates using UCR and NCVS data.

2001.

3. NCVS shows that the rate fell between 1974 and 1978, peaked in 1981, dropped

sharply during the 1980s, and then climbed from 1985 until 1994. It dropped by

65 percent between 1993 and 2002.

Media Tool

Dog Day Afternoon

–A full-length movie based on the true story of a bank robbery gone bad; the robbers are victims too

-Discussion: How does this story advance your understanding of robbers, their victims, and the community at large?

What did you learn about the 1970s that may have influenced the dramatic increase in robberies during that decade?

D. Checking Out Whether More Robberies Are Turning into Murders

2. Box 4.2’s UCR and NCVS data show a decrease.

Media Tool

In Cold Blood

-A nonfiction book written by Truman Capote detailing the 1959 robbery-turned-multiple-murder of a family in

Kansa; also a 1996 television miniseries

-Discussion: How does this novel advance your understanding of murderers, their victims, and the community at

large? Why might this book have fueled speculation that robberies-turned-murders are increasing in frequency?

E. Differential Risks: Which Groups Get Robbed the Most and the Least Often?

1. Americans faced lower risks of robbery in 2016 than they did in 1993.

3. Box 4.3 shows that carjackings are more likely to occur when the driver is

alone, between 6 pm and 6 am, and near service stations or convenience stores.

See Assignment 4

What If Scenario

You have a good friend who falls into several of the high-risk categories for being robbed. How would you explain the

differential risks to him? What precautions or preventive measures would you recommend to him?

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V. Focusing on Burglaries [Learning Objective 9]

A. Trends and Patterns in Burglaries

1. Shown in Figure 4.4

a. UCR shows that the burglary rate peaked in 1980, dropping continually

since then.

b. NCVS shows that the burglary rate peaked in 1974 and then dropped

steadily until 2002.

See Assignment 5

Class Discussion/Activity

With burglaries at such low rates, why do so many people purchase home security systems? Do they still need them or are the

companies that provide home monitoring preying on their fears?

B. Differential Risks: Whose Homes Are More Likely to Be Burglarized? [Learning Objective 11]

members located in rural areas.

2. Differential risks are also determined by specific location and nature of a

residence. Burglars prefer:

a. Single-family homes

VI. Focusing on Motor Vehicle Theft

A. Stealing Cars for Fun and Profit

2. Stealing parts or packages from a parked car is larceny.

3. For 2016, NCVS reports 4 thefts per 1,000 households; UCR reports 240 thefts

5. Most owners are distraught because they

a. Devote time and energy into car maintenance

b. Feel violated and insecure following a theft

c. May not have theft coverage or have a large deductible

B. Trends in Motor Vehicle Theft

1. See Figure 4.5.

in 2015.

C. Differential Risks: Which Motorists Should Be Most Concerned When Parking?

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1. Chances of losing a vehicle depend on the following:

a. Its make, model, and year

b. The black-market value of the vehicle or its parts

c. The number of thieves and chop shops in a given area

2. Consumers should note which cars are stolen most often before purchasing a

vehicle. See Table 4.5.

a. Half of all stolen cars were made domestically.

b. Most vehicles stolen were older models without smart keys and whose

parts replace those in crash-damaged newer cars.

c. Black market desirability varies around the country (e.g., pickup trucks

in Dallas, Japanese models in Los Angeles).

See Assignment 6

What If Scenario

You are in the market for a new or gently used car. What crime statistics would you reference before your purchase? Where

would you find them? What precautions do you take regarding motor vehicle theft?

3. Losing motorcycles to thieves began rising in 2000 as they became more

expensive and the black market grew. The most thefts occurred

4. Losing boats to thieves increased in 2016. The most thefts occurred

a. During summer months

VII. Predicting the Chances of Becoming a Victim Someday: Projecting Cumulative Risks

A. Annual victimization rates indicate crime is rare whereas lifetime likelihoods show an

increased probability. [Learning Objective 8]

1. See Table 4.7. Based on estimates derived from average victimization rates in the

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c. 75 percent of people will be assaulted

d. 70 percent of people will experience a burglary

e. 20 percent of people will experience car theft

2. Due to the mathematics involved, if crime rates drop substantially over the next

40 years, these estimates will decrease.

3. Lifetime likelihoods of being murdered are based on UCR data.

a. 1 out of every 200 Americans will die violently.

i. Black males: 1 out of every 35

ii. Black females: 1 out of very 171

Class Discussion/Activity

Review your own lifestyle and routine activities. How are you exposing yourself to crime? What could you do to reduce your

risks? What changes would be impractical or impossible?

LECTURE NOTES

When researching violent offenders, especially murderers and robbers, victimologists want to understand

what areas of the world are the most dangerous and which are the safest. Of particular concern is which

groups are targeted most and least often. Data from the UCR and NCVS are used to answer some of the

disturbing questions that often arise in consideration of crime and victimization, as follows:

• Incidence rates: “What are the odds of being attacked during any given year?”

• Trend analyses: “Is robbery a growing problem in America or is it subsiding?”

• Prevalence rates: “How many people know what it is like to be confronted by a robber?”

Cross-national comparisons reveal the magnitude of the crime problem in different countries at one point

in time. Making such comparisons is difficult because some government data are unreliable, out-of-date,

or unrealistically low (likely in an effort to protect the area’s image and tourist industry). Additionally,

police in various countries use different definitions for crimes like murder, rape, burglary, and robbery,

and use numerous record-keeping practices.

Studying worldwide murder rates reveals dramatic differences. Austria, China, Denmark, Germany,

Greece, Japan, Norway, and Poland have the lowest murder rates (less than 1 killing for per 100,000

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city’s rates are higher than those of the rest of the country. In sum, the data reveal that where a person

lives impacts his or her chances of being murdered.

to 40.

SHRs do not include information on a victim’s financial status, but a study of death certificates shows

that low-income people fall into a high-risk group. This means that being poor is a major risk factor for

being killed as well as for committing murder.

Aggravated assaults result in serious physical wounds or involve attacks with a deadly weapon. Their

weapon used against them, whether the robbers got what they were after, where and when the crimes

occurred, whether they resisted, and whether they were hurt during the incident. NCVS data show that 27

percent of robberies are unsuccessful, most victims never recover their property, and that only 40 percent

of victims are injured, few seriously. Data further reveal that overall Americans faced lower risks of

robbery in 2016 than in earlier years, but also that minority men who are young, single, poor, and city

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Households of six or more people were burglarized at the rate of 36 per 1,000, while individuals living

alone came home to ransacked dwellings much less often, at 28 per 1,000.

Motor vehicle theft was reported to police 765,000 times during 2016, translating to a rate of nearly 4

thefts per 1,000 households. This means that “grand theft auto” is the crime most often reported to police.

2000 when they became more expensive and the black market began growing. Most motorcycle thefts

involved Hondas and occurred in California and Florida during the summer months. Motor boat theft saw

an uptick in 2016. Smaller boats are stolen most often and thieves tend to strike during the summer and

when boats are dry-docked.

Only a handful of people out of every thousand fall prey to offenders; most people get through the year

Using UCR data, victimologists also have computed the lifetime likelihoods of being murdered. At

present, the odds for a black male are 1 in 35; for a black female, 1 in 171; for a white male, 1 in 241; and

for a white female, 1 in 684.

KEY TERMS

carjacking: A term coined to refer to the robbery of motor vehicle directly from the driver, which

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incidence rates: The crime risks faced by the average person, measured in the number of new crime

victims per 1,000 or per 100,000 persons annually.

lifetime likelihoods: Estimates of the cumulative risks of victimization, viewed over a span of 60 or more

years (from age 12 into the 70s, the average life expectancy in the United States today).

likelihood: The probability of an event’s occurrence.

muggings: Face-to-face confrontations wherein unarmed perpetrators take something of value from

victims against their will, either by force or threats of violence. Also called strong-arm robberies.

prevalence rates: Estimations of the proportion of people per 1,000 or per 100,000 who have ever

ASSIGNMENTS

1. With a group of classmates, create a survey based on one of the crimes presented in the chapter. First

provide the respondent with the statistical projections related to the differential risks and cumulative

risks that crime. Then, create questions to gauge the respondents’ reactions to the data. Include

questions regarding any prevention techniques and/or precautions they may take. Present results to

the entire class, noting especially whether reactions to cumulative risks differed from those of

2. Using your hometown’s website, analyze the murder rates of the past five years. Provide a written

analysis regarding how homicides compare statistically to the national averages presented in this

3. Using news stories from your hometown, create a profile of the typical murder victim. How does this

4. Develop a brief questionnaire about high-risk activities and survey people you know. Ask whether

they feel these activities are too dangerous to undertake in terms of being robbed. See if the

willingness to take precautions (adopt victimization prevention strategies) is connected to age, sex, or

5. Develop an educational pamphlet on burglary. Use statistics from your state. Provide ways to reduce

risk and links to resources for the reader to learn more on the topic. Once it is approved by your

6. Find out from insurance companies’ websites the makes, models, and years of vehicles stolen most

often in your state and in your nearest metropolitan area. Develop a table indicating the make, model,

MULTIPLE CHOICE ANSWER KEY

Chapter 4 You Decide: Differential Risk of Victimization—Getting It Wrong and Getting It Right

Various groupings of people face different risks of being harmed by criminals. An incidence rate is a

research-based estimate of the number of individuals who suffer a particular type of victimization in a

particular year. Prevalence rates estimate the proportion of the population that has ever experienced

victimization. Differential risks indicate the odds of an unwanted event taking place for members of

one social demographic group as compared to another.

The central issue in this scenario examines the importance of identifying prevalence rates and

differential risks associated with certain individuals or groups, and how statistical information about

the risk of victimization is presented to the public.

You are a police sergeant in a major urban city, assigned to the unique position of public/media

relations. Your position is primarily administrative and your major responsibility is to respond to

any inquiries from local and national media outlets related to your agency’s activities. Today, you

Let’s review two concepts before you make a decision about this scene.

Question 1

What is a research-based estimate of the number of individuals who suffer a particular type of

victimization in a particular year called?

a. incidence rate

b. prevalence rate

c. cumulative risk

d. differential risk

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b. Incorrect. A research-based estimate of the number of individuals who suffer a particular type of

victimization in a particular year is called an incidence rate. A prevalence rate is a research-based

estimate of the proportion of the population that has ever experienced a particular type of victimization

during their lifetime up to that point in time. See “Addressing Some Troubling Questions,” LO1,

Bloom’s: Understand

c. Incorrect. A research-based estimate of the number of individuals who suffer a particular type of

victimization in a particular year is called an incidence rate. Cumulative risk is the chance of becoming a

victim over the course of a lifetime. See “Addressing Some Troubling Questions,” LO1, Bloom’s:

Understand

d. Incorrect. A research-based estimate of the number of individuals who suffer a particular type of

victimization in a particular year is called an incidence rate. Differential risk is an observation that people

in a particular group experience much higher or lower risks of victimization than people who do not share

this trait or factor in common. See “Addressing Some Troubling Questions,” LO1, Bloom’s: Understand

Question 2

An observation that people in a particular group experience much higher rates or much lower rates of

victimization than people who do not share this trait or fact in common is known as __________.

a. differential risk

b. incidence rate

c. trend analysis

d. prevalence rate

Answer: A

What Would You Do?

You are somewhat perplexed by the frequency of calls related to Wilkerson’s attack, as you

addressed the media multiple times in the immediate aftermath of the attack last week. Since that

time, there have been no further developments in the case, even though multiple news outlets are

continuing to feature the story nearly every evening. You decide to speak with one of the local

reporters, Gabrielle Potts, about the case to gain an understanding of the intention behind the calls.

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Potts tells you that she and multiple media personnel heard that your police department is hosting a

training for local elderly titled “Keeping Yourself Safe: Crime Prevention Education for Elderly

What would you do?

a. Agree to schedule a press release to discuss the media’s interest in the upcoming training. You decide

that any press coverage of training and education will be beneficial and hopefully increase citizens’

attendance and participation.

b. Decline to schedule a press release to discuss the media’s interest in the upcoming training. You

Let’s review two more concepts before you make another decision about this scene.

Question 3

Based on the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), which of the following citizens is MOST

likely to be the victim of a felonious assault?

a. Alexander Garcia, a divorced, young, Hispanic male who lives in a low-income household in the urban

area of the city

b. Joseph Clark, a single, young, African American male who lives in a middle-class household in the

urban area of the city

c. Felicia Simpson, a single, middle-aged, Hispanic woman who lives in a low-income household in the

urban area of the city

d. Carol Meade, a married, elderly, white female who lives in a middle-class household in the suburban

area of the community

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c. Incorrect. Based on NCVS data the people who faced the gravest risk of suffering a felonious assault

were divorced, young, Hispanic men living in low-income households in urban areas. See “A

Victimological Investigation of Murders in the United States,” LO7, Bloom’s: Understand

d. Incorrect. Based on NCVS data the people who faced the gravest risk of suffering a felonious assault

were divorced, young, Hispanic men living in low-income households in urban areas. See “A

Victimological Investigation of Murders in the United States,” LO7, Bloom’s: Understand

Question 4

Based on the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), which of the following citizens is LEAST

likely to be the victim of a felonious assault?

a. Elle McCurdy, a married, elderly, white female who lives in a middle-class neighborhood in a rural

area of the community

b. Thomas Ellison, a married, middle-aged, African American male who lives in a middle-class

neighborhood in a rural area of the community

c. Theresa Chen, a single, young, Asian American female who lives in a lower-class neighborhood in a

suburban area of the community

d. Marcus Lopez, a single, young, Hispanic male who lives in an upper-class suburban neighborhood in

the community

What Would You Do?

You know that the media can sometimes prematurely jump to conclusions and this can occasionally

incite panic by painting a false portrait of the actual crime statistics. They can lead to the public

assuming that a certain type of crime is increasing in prevalence based on media coverage as

opposed to actual statistics. You are well aware that the aggravated assault of Edna Wilkerson is a

statistical anomaly and a rare occurrence, and you don’t want the media to incite fear erroneously.

However, you are also aware that media headlines involving violent victimization also garner a

great deal of public attention. You have an opportunity to utilize this press release to increase

citizen attendance at your department’s upcoming training event.

What would you do?

a. You hold the press release as promised. During the release you explain to the media that the

departmental training “Keeping Yourself Safe: Crime Prevention Education for Elderly Citizens” was