The number of victims killed or injured by robbery has been increasing, which may be due to the facts that (i) robbery offenders have less resistance to damaging lives and bodies of victims, (ii) a large number of perpetrators take violent measures to make victims unresisting, and (iii) robbery is committed under circumstances that are likely to cause damage to victims, such that victims resist robbery hard or they are attacked while they are riding on bicycles or motorcycles. Another factor that seems to have an influence to the increase in the number of victims killed or injured may be the increase in robbery cases committed not only by organized crime group members who have an affinity for violence but also cases by juveniles who lack sympathy for others and cannot stop themselves from acting violently as well as cases by visiting foreign nationals who have grown in various environments. It should be noted that the increasing trend in the number of such violent and aggressive offenses is not seen only in the category of robbery but it is in common with the increase in the number of snatching cases and the emergence of larceny offenders who take automated teller machines (ATM) with the use of construction equipment.
  With respect to the attributions of victims, young people have a large share of the victims as in the case of offenders. Over the last 20 years, young male people as well as elderly and minor female people are targeted for robbery more frequently. Considering that most robbery perpetrators are males (93-96%) who have no acquaintance with victims and that victims are not to be blamed for being targeted for robbery in most cases, the trend in the attributions of victims also suggests that male robbery offenders more frequently attack physically weak people, such as females, minors, and elderly people.
  Due to the aging of society, increase in nuclear families, and widening gap in retained assets, the number of robbery cases in which elderly people who live alone or only with their spouse and have abundant financial assets are victimized at home, which are frequently result in serious cases. Caution should be required to the future trend in this respect.