NCJ Number
168118
Journal
Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 24 Issue: 5 Dated: (1996) Pages: 419-430
Date Published
1996
Length
12 pages
Annotation
The study reported here measured community acceptance of crime and willingness to report to the police acts of violence in 1986-1987 and 1991-1992.
Abstract
Data were collected with four self-administered questionnaires delivered and retrieved from randomly selected households within the city limits of Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The first instrument focused on the location of domestic violence. The other three instruments focused on the dimensions of domestic abuse and perceived need for criminalization for specific types of domestic abuse. Results of this study indicate that people have a relatively low level of acceptance of interpersonal violence and that this pattern is stable over time. The use of physical force in almost all situations was defined as always wrong by a substantial number of the subjects, with the tolerance level decreasing in the five-year period between surveys. Support for intervention by the justice system was weaker but still substantial, particularly when a crime was involved. However, there was some hesitancy to call the police when wrongs were observed. More sophisticated research is needed to explore the factors that influence the willingness of ordinary citizens to call the police. Tables, references, appendix