VICTIMS AND PROPERTY VICTIMIZATION IN ISRAEL

Property victimization has increased in recent years in Israel. Apartm ent burglary and car theft have become a major component in the Israel i public's concern about crime. This paper explores the hypothesis tha t characteristics of the crime target are central to understanding pro perty victimization. The hypothesis is tested with data from the Third National Israeli Victimization Survey. For apartment burglary, it was found that the larger the number of rooms in the apartment, the highe r the risk of victimization. For car theft, it was found that newer ca rs were more likely to be stolen than older cars. The results shed lig ht on the prominence of property characteristics in the offender's dec ision-making process and target selection.