NCJ Number
210997
Journal
Crime Prevention and Community Safety: An International Journal Volume: 7 Issue: 3 Dated: 2005 Pages: 7-18
Date Published
2005
Length
12 pages
Annotation
Through a review and comparison of the International Crime Victimizations Survey (ICVS) and the U.S. National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), this article examines the reliability of repeat victimization data within the NCVS.
Abstract
Due to the significance of repeat victimization in the overall makeup of crime, its improper measurement could have significant implications for the development of criminological theory and for the overall orientation of criminological inquiry. Hence, the subject and focus of this article; the measurement of repeat victimization and the use of crime victim surveys. The paper begins with a review of methodological issues relating to the measurement of repeat victimization using the International Crime Victims Survey (ICVS), followed by an overview of rates of repeat victimization found in the survey’s 2000 sweep. Then, repeat victimization found in the ICVS is compared to that found in the U.S. National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). An explanation for the differences between the findings of the two surveys is sought in their methodological differences, and the implications are discussed. The article concludes with an indication that there is strong preliminary evidence to suggest that the NCVS grossly misrepresents the extent of repeat victimization and thereby, crime in the United States. Figures, notes, and references