This paper, presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Criminology, reports on a study of criminal victimization among 125 randomly selected residents of a general family shelter. Information was gathered in criminal victimization; how satisfied respondents were with their safety, and on events leading to the current period of homelessness and it was related to criminal victimization. Results showed that 55 percent of the respondents reported being victimized at least once during the past six months, and that only 28 percent reported mostly satisfied with their safety. Individuals with a psychiatric history reported lower ratings of safety satisfaction than other respondents and also report higher rates of victimization. More than 12 percent (12.8) reported victimization as a precipitating factor in their homelessness. Comparisons of victimization data among the homeless with similar data in the general population demonstrate that the shelter residents experience much higher rates of victimization.
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