The typical victim of an assault is a young male, probably aged 20 or younger. The typical head of a burgled household is a middle-aged male from a professional or managerial background.
These are among the study's findings on the profile of victims of recorded crime, which show victims are not necessarily society's most vulnerable individuals, according to the author, Dr Dorothy Watson.
The overall risk of being a victim of crime was higher for middle-aged adults and those in higher social classes than those in manual classes, the study shows.
Although their risk of being victims of crime was lower, women and the elderly experienced greater distress than men and younger adults when victimised.
The report shows that crime tended to be concentrated in urban areas, particularly in the Dublin region. Nine out of 10 incidents of aggravated theft from the person took place in Dublin city or county.
Vandalism and fraud were more concentrated in the southwest and mid-west.
Three-fifths of the victims of recorded crime were male, as were four out of five assault victims. Almost nine out of 10 victims of theft from the person were female.
The elderly ran a low risk, with fewer than one in 10 victims of all crimes being 65 and over. Victims of vehicle crime and non-aggravated burglary were concentrated in the 35-to-64 age group.
The report says this reflects the fact that rates of vehicle and household ownership are higher among the older age group.
Almost two-thirds of assault victims were aged under 35, while most of the rest were aged between 35 and 49. Under-35s accounted for almost half of the victims of aggravated theft from the person. Most incidents of assault occurred in public places or in the vicinity of pubs and nightclubs.
One-third of recorded crime was directed against organisations, while two-thirds targeted individuals or households. Dr Watson said the findings "get away from the stereotypes of the types of crime that make the headlines. Victims of crime are not necessarily the most vulnerable individuals".