Patterns of Personal Crime Against the Elderly: Findings from a National Survey

Abstract

This study explores the social context in which crimes against the elderly occur. It attempts to understand whether features of the context might account for elderly persons' special fear of crime. Data from a national survey of 375,000 persons show that, when only victims are considered, elderly victims are more likely than victims of other ages to suffer from predatory crimes and to be attacked by unarmed, young black malestrangers. Several strategies to reduce the availability, vulnerability, and desirability of elderly victims tothese criminals are compared.