NCJ Number
45903
Journal
REVIEW OF PUBLIC DATA USE Volume: 5 Issue: 2 Dated: (MARCH 1977) Pages: 27-36
Date Published
1977
Length
10 pages
Annotation
THE CONTENT OF THE NATIONAL CRIME SURVEY FILES (NCS) IS OUTLINED IN TERMS OF ITS POTENTIAL RESEARCH VALUE. FORMAT OF THE FILES AND USER GUIDELINES ARE PRESENTED.
Abstract
AS PART OF THE NATIONAL CRIME PANEL PROGRAM, A SERIES OF VICTIMIZATION SURVEYS IS BEING CONDUCTED WHICH PROVIDES INFORMATION ABOUT THE VICTIMS OF CRIMES, NUMBERS AND TYPES OF CRIMES REPORTED AND NOT REPORTED TO POLICE, AND UNIFORM MEASURES OF SELECTED TYPES OF CRIME. THE RESEARCH PROGRAM HAS UTILIZED TWO DIFFERENT SURVEY APPROACHES: (1) NATIONAL SAMPLE SURVEYS ARE BASED ON INTERVIEWS CONDUCTED AT 6-MONTH INTERVALS IN ABOUT 60,000 HOUSEHOLDS AND THE NATIONAL COMPLETE SAMPLE FILES CONTAIN ALL DATA COLLECTED DURING NATIONAL SURVEYS INCLUDING NONVICTIM AND CONTROL DATA, AND HOUSEHOLD, PERSON, AND INCIDENT RECORDS; (2) THE NATIONAL INCIDENT EXTRACT FILES FACILITATE DETAILED EXAMINATION OF REPORTED INCIDENTS. ADDITIONAL CITIES SURVEYS WERE TAKEN IN 26 MAJOR U.S. CITIES THE SURVEY SAMPLE IS COMPRISED OF APPROXIMATELY 10,000 HOUSEHOLDS IN EACH CITY AND COVERS VICTIMIZATIONS OCCURRING OVER A 12-MONTH PERIOD. THREE SETS OF FILES WERE PRODUCED: CITIES COMPLETE SAMPLES FILES, CITIES INCIDENT EXTRACT FILES, AND CITIES ATTITUDE SUBSAMPLE FILES. ADDITIONAL CITY SURVEYS INCLUDE 8 FEDERALLY FUNDED CRIME PREVENTION PROGRAM IMPACT CITIES; 5 LARGEST CITIES, AND 13 MAJOR CITIES. THE NCS DATA PROVIDE A LEVEL OF DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT A VARIETY OF FACTORS WHICH PERMITS ANALYSIS OF PERSONAL AND HOUSEHOLD CHARACTERISTICS OF VICTIMS AND NONVICTIMS, SOCIOECONOMIC CONDITIONS WHICH INFLUENCE CRIME, AND THE CHARACTERISTICS OF VIOLENT CRIME. ADDITIONAL POTENTIAL USES INCLUDE: ANALYSIS OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE ANALYSIS OF INCIDENCE FOR VARIOUS TYPES OF CRIMES INVOLVING VICTIMIZATION, DERIVATION OF CHANGE MEASURES FOR EVALUATIVE PURPOSES, ANALYSIS OF SOCIOECONOMIC/DEMOGRAPHIC FRAMEWORK OF VIOLENCE AND CRIME, ANALYSIS OF ATTITUDINAL AND OTHER BEHAVIORAL CHANGES IN VICTIMS, AND A VARIETY OF COMPARATIVE ANALYSES. THE DATA USE AND ACCESS LABORATORIES (DUALABS) DISTRIBUTE TAPE FILES, DEVELOP DOCUMENTATION, AND PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE IN THE USE OF THESE DATA. A NUMBER OF SPECIAL RESEARCHER CONSIDERATIONS PERTAINING TO PROCESSING THE FILES, TABULATING ESTIMATES OF CRIME, PLACE AND FREQUENCY OF OCCURRENCE, AND REFERENCE PERIODS ARE NOTED. A LISTING OF PUBLICATIONS AND TECHNICAL SERVICES AVAILABLE TO RESEARCHERS IS ALSO GIVEN. APPENDIXES INCLUDE A LISTING OF DATA ITEMS (UNDER HOUSEHOLD, PERSON, INCIDENT, AND ATTITUDE HEADINGS) CONTAINED ON NCS FILES AND ILLUSTRATIONS OF RECORD FORMAT OPTIONS. NOTES AND REFERENCES ARE ALSO INCLUDED. (JAP)