NCJ Number
34296
Date Published
1975
Length
55 pages
Annotation
FINAL REPORT ON A PROJECT TO DEVELOP IMPROVED METHODOLOGIES FOR OBTAINING SELF-REPORTING DATA FROM CRIMINAL OFFENDERS AND THE GENERAL POPULATION AND FOR VERIFYING THE VALIDITY OF SUCH DATA.
Abstract
THIS PROJECT WAS UNDERTAKEN IN RESPONSE TO A PERCEIVED INADEQUACY OF EXISTING VICTIM/OFFENDER DATA SYSTEMS. IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE PROJECT GOALS, ARRESTEES AND MEMBERS OF RANDOMLY SELECTED HOUSEHOLDS IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AREA WERE INTERVIEWED. CARD SORTING WAS EMPLOYED AS AN EFFECTIVE AND NON THREATENING WAY OF ENCOURAGING BOTH SETS OF RESPONDENTS TO ADMIT TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES. EVALUATION METHODOLOGY INVOLVED SUBSTANTIATION OF SELF-REPORTED INFORMATION FROM OTHER SOURCES. FOR THE ARRESTEE PHASE, POLICE ARREST RECORDS WERE EMPLOYED. IN ADDITION, INDIRECT VALIDATION MEASURES WERE INCLUDED IN BOTH SETS OF QUESTIONNAIRES. THE RELIABILITY OF THE SELF-REPORTED DATA, INDICATED BY DATA ANALYSIS, LEADS THE REPORT TO CONCLUDE THAT SELF-REPORTING OF CRIME CAN BE A USEFUL AND PRACTICABLE ADJUNCT TO THE VARIOUS DATA SYSTEMS IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE FIELD, PARTICULARLY FOR RELATIVELY MINOR BUT WIDESPREAD AND COSTLY OFFENSES SUCH AS SHOPLIFTING, EMPLOYEE THEFT, AND OTHER WHITE COLLAR CRIMES. SUGGESTIONS ARE MADE FOR FURTHER REFINEMENT OF THE METHODOLOGY. SELECTED SUBSTANTIVE FINDINGS ARE ALSO PRESENTED. FOR A SUMMARY STATEMENT OF THIS REPORT, AND FOR AN ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES EMPLOYED IN THIS RESEARCH, SEE NCJ-34297 AND NCJ-34299.