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Deconstructing Distraction Burglary: An Ageist Offence? (From Ageing, Crime and Society, P 107-123, 2006, Azrini Wahidin and Maureen Cain, eds. -- See NCJ-216056)

NCJ Number
216062
Author(s)
Stuart Lister; David Wall
Date Published
2006
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This chapter discusses "distraction burglary" (tricking or deceiving a resident in order to gain access to his/her home in order to commit a burglary) in Great Britain and the vulnerability of older persons to this crime, as well as issues in preventing this crime.
Abstract
Although recent police statistics indicate that distraction burglary is relatively rare in Great Britain, it may be underreported due to police misclassifying it as a fraud or robbery offense. Victimization data obtained through surveys indicate that distraction burglary victims are predominantly elderly, female, and White. Eighty-two percent of all victims in a recent survey were over the age of 70, and 57 percent were over 80 years old. Offenders apparently assume that older people are more likely to live alone; remain in their homes during the day; be compliant with the requests of front-door callers; fail to check visitors' identification badges carefully; keep cash savings at home; neglect to observe missing items the burglars secretly steal from the home; and fail to report the offense to the police. Although these are the stereotypical assumptions that distraction burglars may have about elderly residents, crime prevention planners should not make the same age-related assumptions. The focus should be on the specific behaviors and attitudes of victims that make them vulnerable to the methods of distraction burglars, regardless of potential victims' ages. Attributing such risky behaviors only to older individuals not only reinforces demeaning stereotypical views of the elderly but also fails to broaden crime prevention measures to other groups of potential victims of distraction burglary. 1 figure and 34 references