Robbery increased from 1963 to 1975, leveled off between 1976 and 1978, and surged upward in 1979 and 1980. The six largest cities (with 8 percent of the population) experienced 33 percent of the robberies in 1980, with New York City alone having more than 18 percent. According to results from the National Crime Survey, 53 percent of noncommercial robberies in 1979 occurred in outdoor public places -- parks, streets, and school grounds -- with the remainder occurring about equally in locations inside a residence, near a residence, or in nonresidential buildings. Bank robberies are the fastest growing commercial robberies. Between 1970 and 1980, the number increased at a compounded rate of 11 percent per year. In 1980, guns were used in about 40 percent of robberies reported to the police. Of those arrested for robbery in 1980, 66 percent were between the ages 15 and 24, 58 percent were black, and 93 percent were male. The consequences of robbery for victims include economic losses and physical and psychological trauma. Measures available to combat robbery include improved street lighting, commercial 'target hardening,' and intensified efforts to regulate firearms. Three figures and five footnotes are supplied.