Statistics Contradict Traditional View of Property Crime : Burglary Often Violent, New Study Says

Burglary, traditionally regarded as a nonviolent crime, actually carries a substantial risk of violence if a member of the burglarized household is at home, according to a Justice Department study released Sunday.

Burglars committed three-fifths of all rapes and robberies that occurred in the home and one-third of all household assaults, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, in an analysis of data compiled by the national crime survey.

Moreover, at least one member of the household was at home during 13% of the 73 million burglaries estimated to have been committed in the United States from 1973 through 1982, the bureau found. And in 2.8 million, or 30%, of those cases, the burglary ended in a violent crime.

“A substantial proportion of the violent crimes that occur in the home take place during a burglary,” Steven R. Schlesinger, the bureau director, said.

‘Emotional Scars’

“Burglary is potentially a far more serious crime than its classification as a property offense indicates,” Schlesinger said. “For many victims, including those who avoid the trauma of personal confrontation, the invasion of one’s home produces permanent emotional scars.”

The survey defined burglary as unlawful or forcible entry of a residence, usually, but not necessarily, attended by theft, and it included attempted forcible entry. “As long as the person had no legal right to enter, a burglary had occurred,” the bureau said in its definition.

A sizable number of household burglaries did not fit the common view of the crime--intrusion by a stranger, using force or stealth, with the intent to steal property, the study found.

“In reality, a substantial percentage of household burglaries are committed by persons related to or known by the victims,” the bureau said.

Just under half of the burglaries in which information was available on offenders were known to have been committed by strangers. Spouses or ex-spouses accounted for 7% of the burglaries; acquaintances for 25%, other relatives for 4%.

In line with crime study results dating back to the 1960s, the bureau found that black households were forcibly entered much more frequently than white households.

Households of other races--Native Americans, Asians and Pacific Islanders--were found to have experienced burglaries at about the same rate as white households.

Sketching a profile of households at risk of being burglarized, the study found that those most susceptible--especially to forcible entry--were in buildings with five to nine dwelling units, where the rate ran 133.3 burglaries per 1,000 households.

Households in single-family houses, whether owned or rented, had lower burglary rates than those in multi-unit dwellings. And medium sized multi-unit dwellings appear more likely to experience burglaries than large multi-unit buildings.

“It is possible that the larger number of neighbors and the greater traffic in buildings with 10 or more units, as well as the higher security measures offered in many such buildings, have a deterrent effect,” the study said.

Households in owner-occupied residences experienced lower burglary rates than those in rented quarters, the study said.

Unlawful entry without force was the only type of burglary that showed any marked downward trend over the 10-year span, decreasing from 47 incidents per 1,000 households in 1973 to 39 per 1,000 in 1982.

The drop in unlawful entry “may be evidence that people are becoming more careful about locking their doors and windows to prevent these crimes,” the bureau said.