A Victim's Race Matter in Violent Crime Arrest? A Test of the Victim Devaluation Thesis

• In Event: Poster Session

Abstract

The victim devaluation thesis posits that crimes against minorities are less likely to be cleared than those against White victims. Tests of the victim devaluation thesis on violent crimes have been inconclusive and either focused on homicides or non-lethal violent crimes (mostly aggravated assault). Using 2012 to 2016 data from the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), this study estimated the effect of the victim's race on the clearance of violent crimes in two ways; with quick clearance and without quick clearance. In this study, quick clearance refers to incidents in which a suspect was arrested on the day or a day after the incident was reported. The results provide partial support for the victim devaluation thesis. Although non-lethal violent crimes against Blacks were less likely to be cleared than those against Whites, homicides against Black victims were more likely to be cleared than those against Whites. Further, extralegal variables (the victim's sex, age, victim/suspect relationship, and incident location) and the seriousness of the crime (weapon used, collateral injury, concomitant offense) were significant predictors of arrest outcomes. Overall, the effect of the independent variables on arrest outcomes reduced when quick clearance cases were excluded. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Author

• Isaac Paintsil, Texas State University