Is the Trouble Still Going On? Exploring Victims’ Accounts of Why Repeat Violent and Property Victimization Ends

Abstract

Programs designed to reduce repeat property victimization tend to be more successful than those aimed at repeat violence. To help understand this pattern, we examine narrative data about repeat victimization obtained from victims participating in the National Crime Victimization Survey. Victims report numerous reasons for the end of repeat property and violent incidents, though the modal response for both types of crime included victim-initiated actions taken to reduce contact with offenders. Victims of repeat violence also noted the importance of legal actions, especially for ending victimizations that involve intimate partners. We discuss how research that capitalizes on victims' perspectives can improve our understanding of how these incidents end and help inform programs seeking to reduce repeat victimization.