Are people dissatisfied with the courts as well as the police when they perceive high levels of disorder in their neighborhoods? Consistent with previous research, this study, using a representative sample of Canadian adults, demonstrates that people are significantly more negative about the police when they perceive high levels of disorder. They…

Individuals with developmental disabilities are 4 to 10 times more likely to become crime victims than individuals without disabilities (D. Sobsey, D. Wells, R. Lucardie, & S. Mansell, 1995). Victimization rates for persons with disabilities is highest for sexual assault (more than 10 times as high) and robbery (more than 12 times as high). There…

Extant research has found that crimes against juveniles are substantially less likely than crimes against adults to come to the attention of the police. Few studies, however, have attempted to systematically examine variation in police reporting between juvenile and adult victims. With assault and robbery data from the 1994-2001 National Crime…

Examined effect a senior citizen anticrime unit had on attitudes and perceptions about police performance on older adults (n=224) who had received police service. Findings indicated those who had dealt with the special senior unit were more satisfied with the efforts of local police than those who had not received specialized services. (Author/ABL)

Describes findings on the use of police services by 300 women residing in a shelter, specifically those relating to victim-abuser characteristics, variables that significantly correlate with the victims' contacting the police, and general patterns of police service use by spousal abuse victims. Draws practice implications for police, social…

This study explores the clinical epidemiology of children's exposure to violence as addressed by a program in which mental health clinicians work with law-enforcement agents in 10 U.S. cities. Data were collected on all participants contacted by the Child Development Community Policing Program (N = 7,313 individuals involved in 2,466 community…

Selected findings are presented from the National Prisoner Statistics (NPS) program, a survey of both inmates in state and federal prisons, and the National Crime Survey (NCS), a survey of victims of crime. Certain conventional beliefs or myths about the nature of crime in the United States are challenged by providing the statistical realities.…

Racially motivated and/or targeted violence is a priority criminal justice issue for New York State. Racially motivated violence occurs when the perpetrator's intent or conscious objective is to injure a person or his property because of the person's racial identity. The following factors may explain the occurrence and recent increase in racial…

Witness involvement in crime is examined using official statistics and controlled experimental methods. A model is developed to aid understanding of choices open to witnesses to crime and variables which may intervene. (Author/RC)

The study involves 204 cases of interpersonal assault reported to the police during a period of 1 year. The patterns of domestic violence and community violence involving friends, neighbors, and strangers are described. The most common type of violence reported to the police is community interpersonal violence in which victims are mostly females…

The purpose of this report is to present the results of a crime victimization survey conducted among Virginia residents. The description of the findings is divided into four sections: criminal victimization experiences, reporting of victimizations, attitudes toward crime, and crime prevention and protection measures. The report is offered as a…

This article describes an urban community's attempts to increase domestic violence survivors' participation in the criminal justice system by combining social work advocacy, specialized police officers, and prosecutors into precinct domestic violence teams. An analysis of the outcomes of 1,057 domestic violence reports found that the presence of…

This journal issue is a contribution to the development of caretaking strategies to help young victims of violence, and is intended to provide support for those who are helping the victims. Four main articles are: (1) "Parenting in Violent Environments" (Joy Osofsky and Beverly Roberson Jackson); (2) "Infants, Toddlers, and…

Community groups, volunteers, and local businesses helped a small North Carolina town initiate many programs for at-risk youth including Head Start, DARE, after-school programs at community centers and the library, summer programs, park development, and reduced swimming pool fees. A program that informs crime victims of the status of their cases…

Examines how police officers in 24 departments have responded to mandatory arrest statutes in 861 cases of domestic violence. Arrests of offenders, especially those violating restraining orders, increased. Arrest was affected by victim injury, use of a weapon, use of alcohol, and presence of a witness. Police training was crucial to implementation…