Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, December 18, 1994 TAG: 9412190081
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: FAIRFAX LENGTH: Medium
``Whatever might entice people to commit crimes is intensified at this very stressful time of year,'' said Michele Cooley-Quille, a clinical psychologist at George Mason University.
Crimes such as burglary, purse-snatchings and shoplifting generally rise during the Christmas shopping season, but violence of all kinds increases, too.
National statistics show an uptick in reported crime in December, although the increase is not dramatic, said FBI spokesman Bob Carter.
Criminals who may be active year-round have more fertile territory at Christmas, when there are more people out and about, many of them carrying cash or valuables.
``People are distracted, anxious and maybe not paying very close attention to their surroundings. That makes it easier for a criminal,'' Cooley-Quille said.
And easy pickings make it easier for someone to become a criminal, behavioral research shows.
``When opportunity rises, people go ahead and do things they wouldn't ordinarily do,'' Cooley-Quille said.
Economic factors contribute significantly to increased crime and violence around the Christmas holiday, crime statistics and behavioral research shows.
People can easily feel inadequate because they cannot give as many or as expensive gifts as they might like, or because their lives and families seem lacking, said Judith Olton-Mueller, executive director of The Women's Center, a counseling and referral center in Vienna.
That sense of failing contributes both to depression and to temptation to do wrong, whether it be stealing or hurting family members, Olton-Mueller said.
Religious beliefs aside, nearly everyone associates the holiday season with hope, happiness, generosity and family unity, Cooley-Quille said.
``Disappointment ... can very quickly lead to poor judgment,'' she said.
In 1993, the FBI's crime index reported the largest number of crimes occurred either in December or in the summer. Police reported 9.4 percent of the year's robberies in December, the highest monthly percentage. February had the fewest robberies, with 7.1 percent.
``It comes up every year, and invariably there is a difference in reported crime'' in December and the rest of the year, Carter said.
Spousal and child abuse, suicide and self-destructive behavior are harder to track.
``All of those things increase around Christmas,'' Olton-Mueller said. ``Christmas and the season combine to intensify expectations and conversely, feelings of loss that people experience when their expectations are not met.''
Problems with mental illness, alcoholism, drug abuse and even destructive overeating all increase between Thanksgiving and New Year's, she said. The Women's Center offers special counseling sessions to help women prepare for holiday stress.
by CNB