NCJ Number
57394
Journal
Victimology Volume: 3 Issue: 3/4 Dated: SPECIAL ISSUE (1978) Pages: 314-319
Date Published
1979
Length
5 pages
Annotation
THE STRUCTURE AND CONTENT OF THE NATIONAL CRIME SURVEY (NCS) ATTITUDE QUESTIONNAIRE AND THE UTILITY AND AVAILABILITY OF DATA GATHERED WITH THE QUESTIONNAIRE IN 26 CITIES ARE DISCUSSED.
Abstract
EXCEPT ON A SMALL SCALE IN 1972, ATTITUDE QUESTIONS WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THE QUESTIONNAIRE FOR THE NCS NATIONAL SAMPLE BUT WERE LIMITED TO THE CITIES SAMPLE PORTION OF THE SURVEY. BETWEEN 1972 AND 1975, APPROXIMATELY 8,000 TO 10,000 PERSONS IN EACH OF 26 CITIES ANSWERED QUESTIONS ABOUT FEAR OF CRIME, ACTIVITY PATTERNS, AND OPINIONS ABOUT CRIME, IN ADDITION TO REGULAR NCS QUESTIONS ABOUT VICTIMIZATION AND DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS. THE ATTITUDE QUESTIONNAIRE WAS DESIGNED TO AVOID BIASED RESPONSES AND PROVIDES DATA USEFUL IN ANALYZING FEAR OF CRIME FROM A NUMBER OF PERSPECTIVES (E.G., WHETHER PEOPLE LIMIT THEIR ACTIVITIES BECAUSE OF FEAR OF CRIME, WHETHER THEY THINK OTHER PEOPLE LIMIT THEIR ACTIVITIES, HOW SAFE THEY FEEL IN THEIR OWN NEIGHBORHOODS AND IN OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY, WHETHER THEY AGREE WITH MEDIA REPORTS ON CRIME, WHETHER THEY THINK CRIME HAS INCREASED OR DECREASED). THE DATA MAY BE USED TO EXAMINE INTERRELATIONSHIPS AMONG ATTITUDES, AS WELL AS RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN ATTITUDES AND BOTH VICTIMIZATION EXPERIENCE AND PERSONAL/HOUSEHOLD CHARACTERISTICS. A PRINTED REPORT OF ATTITUDE QUESTIONNAIRE DATA HAS BEEN PUBLISHED BY THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE RESEARCH CENTER, AND COMPUTER TAPES OF THE DATA HAVE BEEN PREPARED UNDER AN LEAA GRANT. THESE MATERIALS ARE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC. A COPY OF THE NCS ATTITUDE QUESTIONNAIRE AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (LKM)