ANALYTICAL STUDIES OF VICTIMIZATION BY CRIME USING NATIONAL CRIME SURVEY PANEL DATA - FINAL REPORT

• NCJ Number: 49663
• Author(s): A J REISS JR
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 37 pages
• Grant Number(s): 7555-99-6013
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

LOGISTICAL PROBLEMS AND MAJOR TECHNICAL AND SUBSTANTIVE FINDINGS FROM A VICTIMIZATION STUDY BASED ON OVER-TIME ANALYSIS OF DATA COLLECTED IN THE NATIONAL CRIME SURVEY (NCS) ARE SUMMARIZED.

Abstract

THE STUDY WAS CONCERNED WITH THE POTENTIAL OF OVER-TIME (AS CONTRASTED WITH CROSS-SECTIONAL) ANALYSIS OF VICTIMIZATION DATA FOR GAINING AN UNDERSTANDING OF CRIME CAUSES, WITH WAYS IN WHICH THE NCS DESIGN MIGHT BIAS ESTIMATES AND ANALYSES BASED ON SURVEY DATA, AND WITH ADDITIONS (E.G., DATA ON NEIGHBORHOODS) THAT MIGHT ENHANCE THE UTILITY OF NCS DATA FOR ANALYSIS OF SITUATIONAL PRONENESS TO VICTIMIZATION. LOGISTICAL PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED IN USING NCS DATA FOR OVER-TIME ANALYSES OF VICTIMIZATION ARE DISCUSSED. SUMMARIES ARE PRESENTED OF THE STUDY'S TWO TECHNICAL REPORTS: SUGGESTIONS FOR CHANGING THE NCS QUESTIONNAIRE AND DATA TAPES; AND IDENTIFICATION OF FACTORS ('BOUNDING' PROCEDURES TO ACCOUNT FOR RESPONDENTS' TENDENCY TO REPORT EVENTS BEFORE THEY ACTUALLY OCCUR, AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN INTERVIEWING BY PHONE AND IN PERSON) THAT MIGHT AFFECT THE QUALITY OF NCS DATA. MAJOR SUBSTANTIVE FINDINGS ARE SUMMARIZED FROM REPORTS ON PATTERNS OF OFFENSE BY SIZE OF OFFENDING GROUPS AND AGE OF OFFENDERS, RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SERIOUSNESS OF OFFENSE AND CRIME REPORTING, SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH REPEAT VICTIMIZATION, REPEAT VICTIMIZATION OF PERSONS AND HOUSEHOLDS, AND RESIDENTIAL MOBILITY OF VICTIMS AND REPEAT VICTIMS. AMONG THE MAJOR FINDINGS ARE THE FOLLOWING: FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF VICTIMS, A VICTIMIZATION IS MORE LIKELY TO INVOLVE A SINGLE OR LONE OFFENDER THAN MULTIPLE OFFENDERS; LONE OFFENDERS USUALLY ARE OLDER THAN OFFENDERS INVOLVED IN MULTIPLE-OFFENDER INCIDENTS; THE MORE SERIOUS THE OFFENSE, THE MORE LIKELY IT IS TO BE REPORTED TO THE POLICE; REPEAT VICTIMIZATION IS ASSOCIATED WITH SOCIAL STATUS FACTORS INVOLVING INTERACTIONS BETWEEN AGE AND EDUCATION, FAMILY INCOME AND RACE, RACE AND EDUCATION, AND SEX AND NUMBER OF TIMES INTERVIEWED; THERE ARE REASONABLY HIGH LEVELS OF REPEAT VICTIMIZATION; AND VICTIMIZED PERSONS AND HOUSEHOLDS SHOW A GREATER PROPENSITY TO MOVE (CHANGE RESIDENCE) THAN DO NONVICTIMIZED PERSONS AND HOUSEHOLDS. NO SUPPORTING DATA ARE INCLUDED. (LKM)