NCJ Number
183217
Journal
Criminology Volume: 38 Issue: 2 Dated: May 2000 Pages: 661-680
Date Published
May 2000
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This paper suggests measures to compensate for data missing from the Supplementary Homicide Report (SHR).
Abstract
The SHR of the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program is the most accessible and widely used database on lethal violence in the United States. However, researchers using this database must deal with the problem of missing data, which is typically the result of failure to file, inconsistent filing of reports by local police agencies or incomplete records about the characteristics of specific incidents of homicide (particularly, missing information about perpetrators), even when reports are filed. Williams and Flewelling (1987) proposed methods of compensating for missing information. This paper revisits the earlier assessment by again determining the extent of the problem and the consequences of adjusting for it. The paper proposes and analyzes alternative methods, with a focus on relationship-specific rates, i.e., rates of family, intimate nonfamily, acquaintance, and stranger homicide. It also discusses the implications of the results for further use of the SHR. Tables, references