NCJ Number
48571
Date Published
1975
Length
38 pages
Annotation
THE RESULTS OF A LITERATURE SEARCH OF CRIME PREVENTION EVALUATIVE RESEARCH ARE PRESENTED, ALONG WITH AN ASSESSMENT OF RESEARCH PROBLEMS.
Abstract
IN ALL, 46 RESEARCH PROJECTS WERE IDENTIFIED BY THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE IN THE NETHERLANDS, INDICATING THAT THE QUANTITY OF RESEARCH ON THE PRIMARY PREVENTIVE EFFECT OF CRIME PREVENTION MEASURES IS SMALL. IN GENERAL, MEASURES ATTEMPTED TO CONTROL/PREVENT/DETER CRIMINALITY DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY FOR THREE MAJOR CRIME CATEGORIES: CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY OR PERSONS, VICTIMLESS/MORAL CRIMES, AND WHITE COLLAR CRIMES. QUALITY STANDARDS FOR EVALUATIVE RESEARCH ARE PRESENTED AND A REVIEW OF MAJOR RESEARCH DESIGNS IS PROVIDED. RESEARCH DESIGNS INCLUDE: A PRETEST/POSTTEST CONTROL GROUP DESIGN, A NONEQUIVALENT CONTROL GROUP DESIGN, TIME SERIES ANALYSIS, AN EX-POST CORRELATIONAL DESIGN (STATIC GROUP COMPARISONS), AND A ONE GROUP PRETEST/POSTTEST DESIGN. OF THE STUDIES EXAMINED, 19 MADE USE OF AN EXPERIMENTAL OR QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN AND 11 FAILED TO COMPLETELY MEET DESIGN REQUIREMENTS. IN 30 OF THE STUDIES, INSUFFICIENT DATA WERE COLLECTED ON THE DEPENDENT VARIABLE, AND A NUMBER OF STUDIES LACKED SIGNIFICANT GENERALIZEABILITY BECAUSE OF THE SELECTED RESEARCH POPULATION. IN GENERAL, FINDING INDICATE THAT EVALUATIVE RESEARCH REQUIRES GREATER METHODOLOGICAL SOPHISTICATION. GOVERNMENT ATTITUDES IDENTIFIED AS IMPEDING EFFECTIVE EVALUATIVE RESEARCH INCLUDE GOVERNMENT RESISTANCE TO CHANGE, INTEREST IN PROTECTING THE ORGANIZATION OR PROGRAM BEING RESEARCHED, AND THE POLARITY BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND RESEARCHER ATTITUDES. FACTORS RELATING TO THE RESEARCH AND THE RESEARCHER WHICH MAY CONTRIBUTE TO LOW QUALITY OF EVALUATIVE RESEARCH INCLUDE INADEQUATE OR UNAVAILABLE DATA, DIFFICULTIES IN ADEQUATELY CONTROLLING FOR VARIABLES, LIMITED FUNDS, INADEQUATE TRAINING, AND RESTRICTIVE GOVERNMENT ATTITUDES. MUCH OF THE RESEARCH EVALUATED DEALT WITH PENAL SANCTIONS AND FOCUSED PRIMARILY ON TRADITIONAL FORMS OF CRIMINALITY; POSSIBLE REASONS FOR THIS RESEARCH BIAS ARE DISCUSSED. IMPROVING THE QUALITY AND SCOPE OF EVALUATIVE RESEARCH WILL REQUIRE INCREASED COOPERATION AMONG RESEARCHERS, ADMINISTRATORS, AND THE GOVERNMENT. ALSO, METHODS AND TECHNIQUES REQUIRE IMPROVEMENT AND STANDARDIZATION, AND A THEORETICAL MODEL OF PRIMARY PREVENTION WHICH TAKES INTO ACCOUNT PREVENTION MEASURES, BEHAVIOR, AND SYSTEMS INTERACTIONS IS NEEDED. APPENDIXES INCLUDE A LISTING OF JOURNALS AND OTHER SOURCES CONSULTED DURING THE LITERATURE SURVEY, AND AN EXTENSIVE BIBLIOGRAPHY, OF MULTINATIONAL SCOPE, CONTAINING DOCUMENTS PUBLISHED BETWEEN 1952 AND 1975. GRAPHIC DATA ARE PROVIDED. (JAP)