Masters Theses

Date of Award

5-1995

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Major

Sociology

Major Professor

Michael Benson

Committee Members

Neal Shover, Sherry Cable, Donald Hastings

Abstract

Previous research on reporting behavior among white- collar crime victims has focused primarily on the demographic characteristics of the victims and descriptive characteristics of the criminal incident. This thesis focuses on previously neglected social and interactional dimensions of the victimization experience by examining the influence of social support on reporting behavior. Data for this study were collected via a random sample telephone survey of Knox County, Tennessee residents. The analysis suggests that social support is more important in explaining reporting behavior than the demographic characteristics of the victim or descriptive characteristics of the fraudulent incident. The chief finding with respect to social support is that the probability of reporting increases with (1) direct encouragement from others and (2) perceived support from others to report. Responses to white-collar victimization are shaped by the social and interactional experiences of by victims after the criminal incident. In this sense, the decision-making processes of white-collar crime victims are similar to those of street crime victims.

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