Criminal Victimization of Minorities - A Statistical Profile

Various demographic and socioeconomic factors correlate highly with crimes committed by minority persons, and minority individuals are victimized to a large extent, because their proximity to those who violate the law makes them accessible as relatively easy targets for criminal predators. The primary source of victimization data for minorities in this study is the National Crime Survey for 1977-78. About 1.1 million crimes of violence were committed against minority persons in 1977, and the victimization rate far exceeds that for whites. Specifically, minorities experience a higher rate of robbery than whites, with black Americans being robbed at a higher rate than any other racial group. Aggravated assaults are most likely to be experienced by native Americans. In 1977, Hispanic women were twice as likely to be raped than either black or white women. The homicide rates for minority persons are considerably higher than those for whites. Property offenses as a whole are lower for minority persons than for whites. Victimization rates for minority groups and whites in the area of property crimes are reported for household larceny, burglary, and motor vehicle theft. Twenty-nine references are listed.