CORRELATES OF SELF-REPORTED VICTIMIZATIONS AND PERCEPTIONS OF NEIGHBOURHOOD SAFETY

• NCJ Number: 34244
• Author(s): D J KOENIG
• Date Published: Unknown
• Length: 22 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: British Columbia Dept of the Attorney-General; University of Victoria
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: Canada

Annotation

DISCUSSION OF THE RESULTS OF A PILOT STUDY ON THE USE OF MAIL QUESTIONNAIRES (INSTEAD OF PERSONAL INTERVIEWS) TO MEASURE CITIZEN PERCEPTIONS OF AND APPREHENSION ABOUT CRIMINAL VICTIMIZATION BY GENERIC BEHAVIORS.

Abstract

A RANDOM SAMPLE OF 956 BRITISH COLUMBIAN HOUSEHOLDS WERE SURVEYED IN MARCH 1974 REGARDING VICTIMIZATION IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS: VANDALISM, THEFT, THREATENED OR ACTUAL ASSAULT, AND THREATENED OR ACTUAL ROBBERY. TABULAR DATA IS PROVIDED ON FREQUENCY OF VICTIMIZATION FOR THESE FOUR GENERIC CRIMES AND THE PERCENTAGE OF HOUSEHOLD VICTIMIZATION BY RESPONDENT SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS. SURVEY DATA INDICATED A SIMILAR PATTERN TO AMERICAN DATA COLLECTED BY PERSONAL INTERVIEWS WITH RESPECT BOTH TO MULTIPLE VICTIMIZATION AND TO SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC VARIATIONS IN VICTIMIZATION EXPERIENCES. RESEARCHERS THEREFORE CONCLUDE THAT THE RESULTS OF THIS PILOT STUDY SUGGEST THAT PERCEPTUAL DATA ON SELF-REPORTED GENERIC VICTIMIZATION CAN BE RELIABLY AND VALIDLY COLLECTED BY MAIL QUESTIONNAIRE IF THE CONCERN OF SUCH RESEARCH IS WITH OBTAINING PERCEPTUAL INDICATORS OF INDIVIDUAL WELL-BEING RATHER THAN WITH OBTAINING AN INDEPENDENT BEHAVIOURAL INDICATOR TO ASSESS THE ACCURACY OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)