ABSTRACT
A comprehensive sociology of crime requires analytical attention focused not only on the determinants and content of such events, but also on their aftermath (Sacco and Kennedy, 1996). While crimino logical theory has expanded our understanding of how individuals become involved in such events (Cohen and Felson, 1979; Osgood et al., 1996), and how such events unfold (Luckenbill, 1977), less thought has been given to the relationship between the characteristics of events and what it is that individuals take away from them. The research literature on “financial costs and physical injury” (Cohen et al., 1994) and on decisions about reporting crimes to the police (Gottfredson and Gottfredson, 1988; Skogan, 1976) provides clear illustration of the theoretical (and practical) value of this line of investigation.
