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Perceptions of Neighborhood Crime, 1995

NCJ Number
165811
Date Published
April 1998
Annotation
Presents data from the American Housing Survey (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development) and the BJS National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) about how residents perceive crime in their neighborhoods and their relative likelihood of victimization.
Abstract

This report presents data from the American Housing Survey (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development) and the BJS National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). It finds that, similar to the Nation's general pattern of violent victimization rates, household perceptions of crime as a problem rose during the late 1980's and early 1990's and then leveled off. However, differences in perception of crime and actual victimization are found. As crime later dropped sharply from 1994 to 1995, perceptions that crime was a neighborhood problem remained relatively stable. Black households were much more likely than white households to indicate crime was a neighborhood problem. In 1995, 2.5 times as many black households indicated crime was a problem; but the difference was not nearly as large for actual victimization: 27% of black households experienced one or more crimes, compared to 23% of white households.

Date Published: April 1, 1998