This perspective led to the attempt to synthesize the three most important elements of any crime situation: criminal intent, the victim's share in generating the crime situation, and the gravity of the offense. The study sample included magistrates, detectives, female constable trainees, students, and male prisoners convicted of a variety of crimes. Prisoners and nonprisoners had no significant differences in their rank-ordering of offenses. However, the offenders tended to dismiss their own crimes as less serious than they were regarded by other criminals or noncriminals. The sample viewed personal injury as being much more serious than damage to property. Crimes against defenseless victims were regarded as the most serious, while crimes against crime victims, who supposedly take reasonable precautions against crime, had the lowest priority. The possible measurement scales for assessing the seriousness of personal loss and injury to victims and of violated social relations may be used to index crime in South Africa. Figures, tables, chapter reference lists, subject and author indexes, and appendixes presenting the study questionnaires are included. For volume 1, see NCJ-91267.