THEAFTERMATH OF CRIME
n Precursors—circumstances that lead up to the criminal event.
n Transactions—what happened, where it happened, when it happened,
who was involved.
n Aftermath—how do victims respond? How do offenders respond if
they’re caught, convicted, and punished? How does the general public
react to crime? What are the actual costs of crime?
ANALYZING THE COSTS OF CRIME
n The real costs of crime can be difficult to measure
n Direct financial losses (money or property stolen) are
easiest to evaluate. n How do you place a value on the pain caused by a
minor injury, or by the fear of further victimization?
ANALYZING THE COSTS OF CRIME cont.
If somebody moves to different neighbourhood, purchases automobile tracking
system or burglar alarm system being victimized, should these be costs of crime?
VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE
n One of main ways we find out about cost of crime is
through victimization surveys.
n According to most recent GSS, 25% of all violent
incidents resulted in some of physical injury.
n Only about 10% of victims of violence sought medical
care for their injuries.
n 35% of robbery victims reported difficulties in carrying out their main activities (e.g., work
school, etc.). n 39% said they were affected for period of between two days and a week.
n 16% said their main activities had been disrupted for over two weeks.
n Includes break and enter, theft of household property, automobile theft, etc.
n 63% of all reported losses were less than $500 per incident.
n 42% were less than $100 after victims received compensation from insurance
THEFT OF PERSONAL PROPERTY
n Having credit cards, money or jewellery stolen while in shopping malls,
commercial buildings, etc. n 42% involved out-of-pocket expenses of less than a hundred dollars.
n Annual cost of crime in Canada estimated to be
around %57 billion.
n $46 billion attributed primarily to health issues, lost
wages, and insurance settlements.
n $11 billion spent on operation of the criminal justice
READING THE FINE PRINT
Figures do not include expenditures on private security, burglar alarm
systems, or other theft prevention devices. If figures from GSS used (rather than figures from UCR), the total annual cost of
pain and suffering for all types of crime would be over $35 billion (not including
direct economic losses, insurance costs). If this figure was added to estimates
provided above, the actual cost of crime in Canada (including pain and suffering)
would be closer to $92 billion a year.
n GSS reports that overwhelming majority of people in Canada (94%) feel safe
n Majority of Canadians (59%) feel their neighbourhood is safer than other
REACTIONS TO VIOLENT CRIME
More cautious/aware 9%
Victimized 9% VULNERABILITY CONVERSION
n Some individuals do become fearful of crime, and may go through
process known as vulnerability conversion.
n Feel they are more susceptible to the dangers of life than they
n Being the victim of a serious (especially "random“) crime can cause
people to re-evaluate their notions about the world making sense, or
about life being fair.
VULNERABILITY CONVERSION cont.
n Victims may feel weak and helpless, and even start to blame
n Having home broken into is tantamount to invasion of privacy. n May suffer additional distress if personal possessions to which they
are emotionally attached are stolen or damaged.
n Steps people take to distance themselves from situations they perceive to be
n Moving to new neighbourhood, or staying away from downtown core, especially
at night (avoiding potential offenders).
n Precautionary measures people take to reduce their risks of being victimized.
n Getting a guard dog, installing a burglar alarm system in their home – defending
their personal space.
OTHER REACTIONS n Many victims of crime react by talking about it with friends and
neighbours, family members and co-workers.
n Even if they do eventually report to the police, victims often consult
first with their friends and neighbours, family members or co-workers.
n Suggests that decision about reporting to police is influenced socially,
through contact with significant others.
OTHER REACTIONS cont.
THE FEAR OF CRIME
n Fear of crime is disproportionate to the actual amount of crime.
n Fear of crime might be as serious a problem as crime itself.
n Fear is difficult to define, and just to define, and just as difficult to measure. THE GENDER DIFFERENCE
n 95% of men and 93% of women expresses general satisfaction with their personal safety.
n Women are at least twice as likely as men to be fearful if they are on public transit alone at night,
if they are home alone at night, or if they are walking alone after dark.
THE GENDER DIFFERENCE cont.
n Increased level of fear could be due to fact that women are smaller or weaker
than the average male offender, or they have been socialized into regarding
themselves as weak and vulnerable.
n In reality, rate of violent victimization is quite similar for men and women,
except men are more likely to be physically assaulted or robbed, whereas women are
five times as likely to be victim of sexual assault.
n Both genders are less fearful if they frequently use pubic transportation or walk
alone at night.
n Violent victimization rates lowest for people over age of 65, and
highest for those between the ages of 15 and 24. n Older people continue to express concerns about their personal
n Might be caused by tendency to regard themselves as being weaker
than the typical offender, and hence more vulnerable.
AGE DIFFERENCES cont.
Media images of older people being preyed upon by younger, stronger
people (who are seemingly ruthless and eager to take advantage of
them) may contribute to this fear.
THE URBAN-RURAL DIVIDE
WHY THE DIFFERENCE?
n More likely to encounter strangers from different cultural or social backgrounds. n More likely to encounter physical incivilities (e.g., broken windows, graffiti, run-
down buildings, etc.)
WHY THE DIFFERENCE? cont.
n More likely to encounter social incivilities (e.g., drug and alcohol in public places, panhandlers
and squeegee kids on street corners, etc.)
n 2004 GSS reports that rates of victimization are indeed h