FEAR OF CRIME, REV ED., DECEMBER 1977

• NCJ Number: 44914
• Author(s): W G SKOGAN; W R KLECKA
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 89 pages
• Grant Number(s): SED 71 04427
• Sponsoring Agency: National Science Foundation
• Corporate Author: American Political Science Assoc
• Sale Source: American Political Science Assoc
• Publication Type: Instructional Material
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS. SETUPS (SUPPLEMENTARY EMPIRICAL TEACHING UNITS IN POLITICAL SCIENCE) - AMERICAN POLITICS SERIES

Annotation

THIS MANUAL AIMS AT INTRODUCING STUDENTS TO THE POSSIBILITY OF ANALYZING SOCIAL PROBLEMS, SPECIFICALLY THE STUDY OF VICTIMIZATION, THROUGH QUANTITATIVE TECHNIQUES.

Abstract

THE TEXT EXAMINES DATA ON THE CRIME PROBLEM IN LARGE AMERICAN CITIES, FOCUSING UPON THREE PARTICULAR SUBJECTS: THE FREQUENCY OF VARIOUS KINDS OF VICTIMIZATION; THE PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TARGETS OF THOSE CRIMES; AND THE IMPACT OF CRIMINAL VICTIMIZATION UPON THE FEAR OF CRIME. THE DATA USED TO STUDY THESE ISSUES WERE COLLECTED FROM PERSONAL INTERVIEWS CONDUCTED IN NEW YORK CITY IN 1973 AND EARLY IN 1974 IN SAN DIEGO. LARGE, RANDOMLY-SELECTED SAMPLES OR RESIDENTS WERE QUESTIONED ABOUT THEIR CRIME EXPERIENCES, THEIR PERCEPTIONS OF THE MAGNITUDE OF THE CRIME PROBLEM, THEIR FEAR OF VICTIMIZATION, AND THE IMPACT OF CRIME ON THEIR DAILY LIVES. THE RESULTS OF THOSE INTERVIEWS ARE USED TO EXAMINE A SERIES OF SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FREQUENCY, DISTRIBUTION, AND CONSEQUENCES OF CRIME. THE STUDENT IS TAUGHT HOW AND WHY THE SURVEYS WERE CONDUCTED, AND HOW TO USE A SPECIALLY-SELECTED SUBSAMPLE OF THE ORIGINAL DATA TO ADDRESS PARTICULAR PROBLEMS. IT IS EXPECTED THAT THE COURSE INSTRUCTOR WILL TEACH THE STUDENTS HOW TO USE A COMPUTER ANALYSIS PROGRAM AND ACCESS THE VICTIMIZATION DATA WITH IT. A CHAPTER IN THE MANUAL DESCRIBES IN DETAIL THE DATA TO BE USED. IT PRESENTS PART OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE ORIGINALLY USED TO COLLECT THE DATA, AND IT ILLUSTRATES HOW ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS WERE CONVERTED INTO QUANTITATIVE DATA SUITABLE FOR COMPUTER ANALYSIS. IT THEN INTRODUCES A CODEBOOK WHICH DOCUMENTS THE EXACT CONTENTS OF THE DATA SET. THE CODEBOOK LISTS THE QUESTIONS WHICH WERE USED TO GATHER THE INFORMATION DESIRED, SUMMARIZES THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE RESPONSES TO EACH, AND INDICATES EXACTLY WHERE THE DATA FOR EACH QUESTION ARE LOCATED. COMPUTER ANALYSES ARE TO BE PERFORMED ACCORDING TO INFORMATION IN THE FINAL CHAPTERS OF THE MANUAL. STUDENTS ARE TO DETERMINE THE FREQUENCY OF VARIOUS CRIMES IN THE STUDY CITIES, ANALYZE HOW VICTIMIZATION IS DISTRIBUTED ACROSS POPULATION GROUPS, AND DISCOVER WHO BEARS THE BURDEN OF URBAN CRIME. THEY ISOLATE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VICTIMIZATION AND ANALYZE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO CITIES. SPECIFIC EXERCISES ARE ASSIGNED, AND AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY IS INCLUDED. (VA)