VICTIM SURVEYS - EXPLORING THE NATURE OF VIOLENT CRIME

This paper provides an overview of the need for and uses of victim sur veys with particular focus on the extra information that surveys yield about the nature and circumstances of offences. This is probably one of the most under-used features of victim surveys, yet information on the circumstances surrounding a crime is of benefit both for a better understanding of the types of incidents that commonly occur and for ta rgeting crime prevention initiatives. This information has ben used to construct a ''typology'' of assaults, and some of the dimensions that emerged from a preliminary analysis are discussed.