The perceptions of victims of multiple crimes

The impacts of multiple victimization on victims go well beyond the physical injuries and/or financial losses they may have incurred. Being a victim of a crime can lead a person to doubt their safety, and the safety of his/her environment (AuCoin and Beauchamp, 2007). Also, people who have been victims of a crime are more likely than those who have not been victims to have used crime prevention measures. The use of crime prevention strategies increased with the number of victimization incidents (Gannon and Taylor-Butts, 2006).

Victims of multiple crimes report higher levels of fear

While most Canadians were satisfied with their personal safety from crime, persons reporting having been victimized multiple times expressed lower satisfaction with his/her safety (87% satisfied) compared to people who reported being victimized once (93%) and non-victims (95%). Respondents who were victims of multiple crimes also reported lower levels of safety in specific situations such as walking alone after dark in their neighbourhood, waiting for public transportation and staying home alone in the evening or at night.

Previous research has suggested that a person's experience as a victim may increase their use of various crime prevention strategies (Miethe, 1995; Gannon and Taylor-Butts, 2006). In 2004, victims of multiple crimes reported having taken various measures to protect themselves from crime more often than one-time and non-victims. For instance, victims of multiple crimes (63%) were more likely than one-time victims (46%) and non-victims (29%) to have changed their activities, routine or avoided certain places to protect themselves from crime in the year leading up to the survey (Chart 1). Twenty-six percent (26%) of victims of multiple crimes also stated that they carried something to defend themselves or to alert other people in order to make themselves feel safer compared to 16% of those who were victimized once and 10% who were not victimized.

Victims of multiple crimes report higher crime levels and social problems in their neighbourhoods

Research has found that multiple victimizations occur most often in areas of high crime (Pease and Laycock, 1999). Compared to one-time victims and non-victims, victims of multiple crimes were more likely to say that crime levels in their neighbourhoods were higher than elsewhere (Chart 1). They also reported higher levels of neighbourhood problems such as vandalism, graffiti and drugs (Chart 2).

Chart 1 Perception of neighbourhood crime and the behaviour of crime victims

Chart 2 Victims' perceptions of neighbourhood problems

Police are viewed less favourably by victims of multiple crimes

Victims of multiple crimes were less likely than were one-time victims and non-victims to feel that police were doing a good job in most aspects of their work, including responding quickly to calls, treating people fairly and ensuring public safety. For example, a smaller proportion (42%) of victims of multiple crimes felt their local police were doing a good job at enforcing the law, compared to one-time victims (54%) and non-victims (63%). Similar research in the United States found that victims of crime, especially those who had been victimized more than once, felt less confident in the ability of the police to meet the needs of citizens in both protecting the public and treating people fairly, thus contributing to their overall level of dissatisfaction with the police (DeValve, 2004).

Disruption of daily activities and health issues are more prevalent among victims of multiple crimes

While the survey was not able to measure whether their victimization directly affected various aspects of their health, a larger proportion of victims of multiple crimes reported experiencing sleeping problems¹ and taking medications to help them sleep and to calm down (Chart 3). These results are supported by other research which found that being the victim of a crime can limit activities and often aggravate health problems, including insomnia and anxiety (Norris et al., 1997; AuCoin and Beauchamp, 2007).

Chart 3 Health issues and victimization

Note

1. In the General Social Survey, victims are not asked if the sleeping problems are associated with their victimization.