The Mood of the Victim after a Burglary
What is The Mood of the Victim after a Burglary?
When I was a kid, my father often told me that when he grew up people didn’t have to lock their doors. He would even say that his childhood neighborhood was the safest place on Earth. He described his community as a place in which neighbors were concerned about each other and their personal property. I am not sure if my dad remembered the past with rose – colored glasses, or if he simply was not aware of the danger that was lurking around the corner. The danger that I am referring to is home burglary .
Merriam Webster defines burglary as the act of illegally entering a building in order to steal things . Criminal lawyers define it as a crime that involves theft; however, you don’t necessarily have to take any property to be convicted of this crime. The F.B.I says home break-ins are the most common threat to homes . Reports show 2,000,000 home burglaries occur each year in the United States; essentially burglaries occur every 13 seconds.
Since so many people have experienced such a life changing event, I wanted to see what the post effects of a burglary are. In an article in the L.A Times, Sigfredo A. Cabrera, research director of the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation in Sacramento, reports that upon the discovery that their home has been broken into, people tend to feel anger, disgust, fear, and a sense of being violated . Cabrera notes, that some victims experienced panic attacks, shock, and even uncontrollable bouts of crying . Most people do not cope well after they have been a victim, and the ill effects could last years.
Victims have reported that it’s not the loss of material possessions that haunt them the most, but the fact that their home and personal space have been violated causes much pain and heartache. This causes an array of emotional issues and lack of peace and security in the home which should be the safest place in the world. Often they are gripped by fear which can paralyze even the strongest individual. The continual stress occurs both at home and away from home. If the burglar is not caught, fear causes the victim to see anybody as a possible suspect.
Anger is another strong emotion that will drain an individual. Usually an angry person focuses on the unfair act of someone breaking into his/her domain and wants swift justice. Anger causes the victim to want the perpetrator to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Sadly, police report that only 13% of all reported burglaries are cleared due to the lack of witnesses or physical evidence.
People do a variety of things after a burglary has occurred:
- Organize and/ or join neighborhood watch programs
- Talk openly about what has occurred with people that they trust such as family members and/ or counselors
- Lean upon their faith
- Purchase high grade entry doors, deadbolt locks, and security windows
- Obtain firearms
- Use guard dogs – even a beware of dog sign helps
- Install actual security cameras
There are certain safety precautions that we should all follow:
- Lock all outside doors and windows before you leave the house or go to bed
- Never hide a key outside the house
- Suspend the mail when you’re away from home for multiple days
- Carefully plan package delivery times
- Keep window blinds partially open
- Return all bikes and lawnmowers to proper place after use
- Keep shrubs trimmed back from windows
- Upgrade your outside lighting
- Use caution when posting on social media – you don’t want to advertise you’re not home
In a perfect world, there would be no burglaries ; however we don’t live in a perfect world. If it took you 5 minutes to read this paper, twenty- three burglaries would have occurred in America. The police need the public’s help in dealing with this monstrous problem. They need every individual to be wise about utilizing the safety precautions that have been published and remember not everyone has your best interest at heart. Police say that the most important tip for us to remember is to always be on the lookout for any suspicious activity . If you see something, tell the officials so they can bring the criminals to justice.
ATP Alarms is always available to help you discuss home security . Call us today for a free consultation . This is real life . You need a real security company , we are American Total Protection .
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