Burglaries as Seen by the Victims

Abstract

The paper discusses preliminary findings of the study of the victims of burglaries in Warsaw in 1990. The findings are based on data from questionnaires completed by 50 victims of residential burglaries and from interviews with 20 of them interviewed 6 months later. The respondents expressed persistent anxiety, a sense of threat and a sense of helplessness. Penalties suggested by the victim for the offender were rather repressive, but 25 per cent of the victims considered it possible to relinquish punishment should the burglar repent of his act, redress the damage and offer compensation. Most victims find the police polite and willing but at the same time inefficient and dilatory when dealing with their complaint.