ABSTRACT
While by no means all victims are affected by their experiences, many are. The ways in which victims are affected also varies according to the nature of the crime and the characteristics of victims. Physical injuries and financial losses are among the most obvious effects, but they are not the only ones. Emotional reactions are also relatively common. This chapter begins with a brief consideration of the impact of crime in general, and then compares the experiences of burglary and other victims. It then focuses on research on burglary victims, particularly, but not exclusively, our research in England, Germany, Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic. The financial effects of burglary, and the extent to which insurance militates against these, are described. However, research has identified the impact of burglary to be much wider than this, and the emotional concerns of victims are addressed. Finally, the extent to which different victims are affected differently is considered.
