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Victim-Precipitation in Some Violent Offences

NCJ Number
103786
Journal
Indian Journal of Criminology Volume: 14 Issue: 2 Dated: (July 1986) Pages: 125-131
Author(s)
G S Bajpai; H S Maheshwari
Date Published
1986
Length
7 pages
Annotation
Victims' behavior that precipiates violent offenses and its relationship to victim demographic characteristics was investigated in a sample of 140 males victimized during 1984 in India.
Abstract
Of these cases, 110 involved simple harm, 22 involved grievous harm, and 8 involved attempted murder. Victim precipitating behaviors included verbal provocation (39.34 percent of cases), physical provocation (29.5 percent), showing of a weapon (16.39 percent), and use of a weapon (14.75 percent). There were no victim precipitating factors in the remaining 79 cases. Younger victims (20 to 29 years old) were more likely to have engaged in precipitating behaviors than were older victims. Similarly, employed persons were more likely to have precipitated the incident than were unemployed persons. Contrary to the hypothesis that illiterate persons would be more precipitating, no significant differences were found as a function of victim educational level, nor were there any significant differences as a function of marital status. 5 tables and 7 references.