Is There an Age–Victimization Curve? Comparing Police-Recorded and Self-Reported Crime

Objectives: To investigate whether victimization follows an age-victimization curve analogous to the age-crime curve and, if so, whether its shape differs between interpersonal and property crime. Methods: We analyzed police-recorded victimization data from the Recorded Crime Victims Statistics (RCVS; 2015-2024), self-reported victimization data from the New Zealand Crime and Victims Survey (NZCVS: 2018-2024), and supplementary administrative data from New Zealand’s Integrated Data Infrastructure. Age-specific victimization rates were calculated and plotted for overall, interpersonal, and property victimization. Results: Clear age-related curves were evident in RCVS data. Overall victimization increased through adolescence and early adulthood, peaked at age 22, and declined thereafter. Interpersonal victimization peaked earlier than property victimization, at ages 20 and 24, respectively. The NZCVS showed a similar ordering of peaks but less pronounced curvilinear patterns, with overall and interpersonal victimization peaking at age 19 and property victimization at age 22 before declining more unevenly across adulthood. Conclusions: The findings provide partial support for an age–victimization curve, while showing that its observed shape depends on both crime type and data source. They reinforce the importance of triangulating police-recorded and self-report measures and provide a foundation for investigating the developmental, social, and situational mechanisms underlying age-related variation in victimization risk.