VICTIMIZATION SURVEYS AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM EVALUATION (FROM SAMPLE SURVEYS OF THE VICTIMS OF CRIME, 1976, BY WESLEY G SKOGAN - SEE NCJ-38961)

• NCJ Number: 46910
• Author(s): A L SCHNEIDER
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 16 pages
• Corporate Author: Ballinger Publishing Co
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

A FEW OF THE WAYS IN WHICH VICTIMIZATION DATA CAN BE USED IN LOCAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM EVALUATION ARE ILLUSTRATED.

Abstract

A DESCRIPTION IS PROVIDED OF HOW A VICTIMIZATION SURVEY IN PORTLAND, OREGON, WAS USED TO SUPPLEMENT PROJECT-SPECIFIC EVALUATIONS UNDERTAKEN AS PART OF A FEDERALLY FUNDED IMPACT PROGRAM. SUMMARIES OF FOUR TOPICS OF INTEREST TO EVALUATORS AND OTHER CRIMINAL JUSTICE OFFICIALS ARE PRESENTED: THE CHANGE IN THE RESIDENTIAL BURGLARY RATE ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE IMPACT PROGRAM; THE EFFECT OF A NEIGHBORHOOD-BASED PROPERTY-MARKING PROGRAM; THE IMPORTANCE OF CITIZEN ATTITUDES TOWARD POLICE, CITIZEN PARTICIPATION IN CRIME PREVENTION ACTIVITIES, AND CRIME SERIOUSENESS IN CITIZEN DECISIONS TO REPORT CRIMES; AND CITIZEN PERCEPTIONS OF A STREET LIGHTING PROGRAM IMPLEMENTED IN 1973. A QUESTIONNAIRE AND SAMPLE WERE DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY TO MEET THE LOCAL EVALUATION NEEDS. THE SURVEY INSTRUMENT (NOT INCLUDED) WAS A SLIGHTLY MODIFIED VERSION OF THE STANDARD CENSUS BUREAU SCREENING QUESTIONS AND INCIDENT REPORT. ADDITIONALLY, A SERIES OF ATTITUDINAL, BEHAVIORAL AND PERCEPTUAL QUESTIONS WERE ASKED PRIOR TO THE VICTIMIZATION QUESTIONS. A 10-PERCENT SAMPLE OF ALL CENSUS BLOCKS IN THE METROPOLITAN AREA WAS DRAWN AND EACH LIVING UNIT IN EACH BLOCK WAS ENUMERATED. DATA AVAILABLE FROM A PRIOR VICTIMIZATION SURVEY WERE ALSO USED. BETWEEN 1971 AND 1974, OFFICIAL CRIME DATA INDICATED THAT THE RESIDENTIAL BURGLARY RATE HAD CLIMBED, WHILE DATA FROM THE TWO SURVEYS INDICATED THAT THE RATE HAD ACTUALLY DECLINED. VICTIMIZATION SURVEY DATA ARE ESPECIALLY USEFUL IN EVALUATING SUCH MEASURES AS THE PROPERTY-MARKING PROGRAM, SINCE THE VICTIMIZATION EXPERIENCES OF PARTICIPANTS AND NONPARTICIPANTS CAN BE DIRECTLY COMPARED. TABULAR DATA INDICATE THAT HOMES DISPLAYING ANTIBURGLARY STICKERS TENDED TO HAVE LOWER VICTIMIZATION RATES. THE VICTIMIZATION SURVEY FOUND THAT THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT CORRELATION BETWEEN THE SERIOUSNESS OF PERSONAL AND PROPERTY OFFENSES AND CRIME-REPORTING HABITS. IT IS ALSO SHOWN THAT VICTIMIZATION SURVEY TECHNIQUES CAN GAUGE CITIZEN AWARENESS OF IMPROVED STREET LIGHTING AND THE FEELING OF SAFETY DERIVED FROM THE EXISTANCE OF SUCH CRIME PREVENTION MEASURES; ONLY 25 PERCENT OF THE 350 RESIDENTS INTERVIEWED IN THE AREA AFFECTED BY THE LIGHTING PROGRAM WERE AWARE OF THE IMPROVED ILLUMINATION. REFERENCE NOTES ARE PROVIDED. (KBL)