 Juvenile Victims of Property Crimes
David Finkelhor and Richard Ormrod
Introduction
Risks for Property
Victimization
Higher Risk
Subgroups
The Property Taken
Crime Locale
Reporting Property
Crimes
Recovery of Property
Property Crime Trend
Impact of Property
Crime
Conclusion
References
This Bulletin was prepared under grant
number 98–JN–FX–0012 from the Office of
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention,
U.S. Department of Justice.
Points of view or opinions expressed in this document are those of the authors and do not
necessarily represent the official position or policies of OJJDP or the U.S. Department of
Justice.
The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, and the Office for Victims of Crime.
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From the Administrator
While property crimes may not
command the same banner headlines
as violent crimes, they constitute
the most common type of crime
victimizing the public and exact a
considerable cost on society not only
economically but psychologically.
As the data from the National Crime
Victimization Survey and the National
Incident-Based Reporting System
presented in this Bulletin illustrate,
juveniles are at a particularly high
risk for victimization through property
offenses. In 1997, one in six juveniles
ages 12 to 17 was a victim of a
property crime—a rate 40 percent
higher than the rate for adults.
Part of the Office of Juvenile Justice
and Delinquency Prevention’s
Crimes Against Children Series,
this Bulletin describes juveniles’ risks
for property victimization and the
nature of such crimes. Unfortunately,
property crimes against juveniles
are seldom reported to the police. In
fact, a larceny or theft perpetrated
against a juvenile is three times less
likely to be reported than one for
which an adult is the victim.
As the Bulletin’s authors conclude,
justice demands that property crimes
against juveniles be addressed. The
information provided here should
assist in that cause.
John J. Wilson
Acting Administrator
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