This week is National Crime Victims Rights Week, the time that we bring awareness to victims’ rights, and recognize those who have been victimized and their advocates. The theme – Rights, Access, Equity for All Victims – emphasizes:
- Victim’s rights: The Crime Victims Rights Act outlines those rights.
- Expanding access to services
- Ensuring equity and inclusion for all. (Here is an interesting comparison of equality and equity.)
Crimes cover all sorts of acts. “Crime” is mentioned in the news every minute of every day. Robbery, assault, murder, theft, scams, and crimes against those on the polar ends of the age scale: child abuse, elder abuse.
Older adults experience a variety of crimes – just like other age groups. Victimization may include financial, physical, sexual, or emotional abuse and neglect. They are, however, less likely to report the crime.
Marginalized groups such as LGBTQ, those who need help with their daily activities, and people of color are more likely to experience abuse, neglect, and/or exploitation. Those in poverty are also more likely to experience crimes.
Those who are vulnerable, those who are labeled “different”, those who are poor, those who are on what we might call the “fringes of society” are more susceptible to crime.
But – no one is exempt from the potential of becoming a crime victim, and some of the statistics may fool you.
A Chattanooga NBC affiliate news report cited Federal Trade Commission statistics that millennials are twice as likely to fall for financial scams involving online shopping as those over the age of 40. Millennials are more likely to lose money to government imposter scams and debt management scams, and more likely to fall for fake check scams and investment scams.
Those folks over 40 years are most likely to lose money to tech support scams and more likely to fall for romance scams.
The FTC report states that younger people are more likely to lose money, but the amount lost is highest among the older consumer. Millennials reported losing a median amount of roughly $400 and those over the age of 80 lose a median amount of $1,700. (Keep in mind that the average Social Security retirement benefit amount averages $1627 a month and up to 33% of beneficiaries have Social Security as their only source of income.)
The numbers may be skewed. Older adults are less likely to report being the victim of a crime, and how many others do not report, cannot report, or file reports that are not given the same weight as others?
There is so much more information based on individual types of crimes. The numbers show that crime happens to everyone but some people are more vulnerable than others.
The Office for Victims of Crimes offers resources for victims of crimes and shows state specific contact information. The National Police Association offers several brochures on how to avoid becoming a victim of crime, and Columbia University of New York offers crime prevention tips. Be smart. Be careful.
Stay safe!
