The Behavioural, Emotional and Psychological Effects of Street Robbery on Victims

Abstract

This paper is concerned with the emotional and psychological impact of street robbery on its victims. Findings are presented from two sets of interviews with robbery victims sampled from police incident records, and conducted within three weeks and again nine months after victimisation. A majority of victims found street robbery to be a very frightening experience, and, as a result, fear of crime increased and many victims suffered serious psychological distress. While the effects had moderated 9 months after the crime, the robberies were still having a serious and enduring effect on victims' fear, social behaviour and psychological health, particularly for women and those who possessed a less hardy personality.