PERFORMED IN 1974, THE STUDY INVOLVED A VICTIMIZATION SURVEY ADMINSTERED TO RESIDENTS OF 889 OPEN-CENTURY RURAL HOUSEHOLDS LOCATED WITHIN 9 SELECTED OHIO COUNTIES. THE RECALL PERIOD FOR REPORTED INCIDENTS WAS CONFINED TO 1 YEAR. ANALYSIS OF DATA SHOWED PROPERTY CRIMES, ESPECIALLY THOSE INVOLVING VANDALISM AND LARCENY THEFT, TO BE THE OVERWHELMING PROBLEM IN RURAL OHIO. THE FINDING WAS IN CONTRAST TO THE PROBLEM AS REPORTED BY OHIO SHERIFFS VIA AN OFFENDERS STUDY CONDUCTED WITHIN THE SAME COUNTIES DURING AN OVERLAPPING TIME PERIOD. THE DISPARITY APPEARS DUE TO THE FACT THAT ONLY 45 PERCENT OF ADMITTED VICTIMIZATION INCIDENTS WERE REPORTED TO LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES. THE MOST FREQUENTLY EXPRESSED REASON FOR NOT REPORTING INCIDENTS WAS THAT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN 'NO USE.' SEVERAL SOCIOECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF VICTIMS AND NONVICTIMS WERE EXAMINED AGAINST THE DEPENDENT VARIABLES OF BURGLARY, THEFT, AND VANDALISM IN AN EFFORT TO DISCERN DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS OR WITHIN THE VICTIMS' CATEGORY. ONLY TWO RELATIONSHIPS PROVED SIGNIFICANT. FIRST, RESIDENTS IN THE HIGHEST INCOME GROUP WERE NEARLY TWICE AS OFTEN VICTIMS OF VANDALISM AS MIDDLE AND LOWER INCOME GROUPS. SECOND, CHURCH MEMBERS FROM EVERY DENOMINATIONAL GROUP EXAMINED OWNED PROPERTY WHICH WAS VANDALIZED AT A SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER RATE THAN PROPERTY OWNED BY NON-CHURCH MEMBERS. THE CRIME OF VANDALISM WAS THE ONLY DEPENDENT VARIABLE WHICH DEMONSTRATED MARKED DIFFERENCES WHEN TESTED AGAINST THE SELECTED SOCIOECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS. IT IS HOPED THAT THE FINDINGS FROM THIS FIRST MAJOR STATEWIDE VICTIMIZATION STUDY CAN PROVIDE FUEL FOR GENERATING HYPOTHESES FOR FUTURE RESEARCH. TABULAR DATA AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--MRK)