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Older People in Canada: Their Victimization and Fear of Crime

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 July 2011

Stephanie Hayman
Stephanie Hayman*
Affiliation:
University of Alberta
*
*Correspondence and requests for offprints should be sent to / La correspondance et les demandes de tirés-à-part doivent être adressées à: Stephanie Hayman, Ph.D. Department of Sociology 6-28 HM Tory Building University of Alberta Edmonton, AB T6G 2H4 (shayman@ualberta.ca)
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Abstract

Older people are more affected by fear of crime and the possibility of victimization, despite their being at lower risk of harm, than any other population group in Canada. Crime, victimization, and fear are not experienced uniformly among older Canadian citizens and residents, partly because older people do not form a homogeneous group. Being part of an ethnic, religious, or sexual minority, or being mentally frail, can have an impact on an individual’s perceptions and experience of risk. This analysis explores older people’s victimization and fear of crime, while it highlights the lack of consistency in the available data.

Résumé

Les personnes âgées sont davantage touchées par la peur du crime et de la victimisation, tout en étant à faible risque pour les dommages que n’importe quel autre groupe de la population canadienne. Le crime, la victimisation et la peur ne sont pas ressentis d’une manière uniforme chez les citoyens canadiens et résidents plus âgées, en partie parce que les personnes âgées ne forment pas un groupe homogène. Faire partie d’une minorité ethnique, religieuse ou sexuelle, ou d’être fragile mentalement, peuvent avoir un impact sur la perception et l’expérience du risque d’un individu. Cette analyse explore la victimisation des personnes âgées, tout en soulignant le manque de cohérence dans les données disponibles.

Keywords

crimevictimisationpeurpopulation minoritairecrimevictimisationfearminority populations
Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 30 , Issue 3 , September 2011 , pp. 423 - 436
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 2011

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