Abstract Surveys of victimization-in which members of the public are asked directly about crimes which may have been committed against them-have been carried out in the United States and other countries since 1966. The National Crime Surveys, currently being conducted by the U. S. Census Bureau for the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration, are the largest program of surveys of this kind and may represent the largest and most expensive data collection effort ever undertaken in criminology. Though the victimization survey has great potential where the measurement of crime is concerned, the method still has many problems; it almost certainly undercounts victimizations, and there is some evidence of bias associated with class-linked variables such as education. The NCS surveys, moreover, now make no use of the longitudinal design which could throw much light on both causes and consequences of victimization. Despite their limitations, the surveys done to date show crime to be relatively rare, and far from uniformly or randomly distributed in the population; other important findings may emerge as the NCS data are better and more fully analyzed. Moreover, the surveys have a great potential impact on police statistics of crime, and may in time constitute an extremely valuable social indicator. Show
Journal Information Current issues are now on the Chicago Journals website. Read the latest issue.Since 1979, the Crime and Justice series has presented a review of the latest international research, providing expertise to enhance the work of sociologists, psychologists, criminal lawyers, justice scholars, and political scientists. The series explores a full range of issues concerning crime, its causes, and its cures. In both the review and the thematic volumes, Crime and Justice offers an interdisciplinary approach to address core issue in criminology. Publisher Information Since its origins in 1890 as one of the three main divisions of the University of Chicago, The University of Chicago Press has embraced as its mission the obligation to disseminate scholarship of the highest standard and to publish serious works that promote education, foster public understanding, and enrich cultural life. Today, the Journals Division publishes more than 70 journals and hardcover serials, in a wide range of academic disciplines, including the social sciences, the humanities, education, the biological and medical sciences, and the physical sciences. Rights & Usage This item is part of a JSTOR Collection. Abstract Abstract In the late 1960s self‐report surveys of criminal victimization were controversial and new. Now, they are common, a mainstay of statistical systems and a familiar research tool. More complex questions have arisen concerning the validity and reliability of victim survey data, including whether they can be used in cross‐national comparisons of crime and criminal justice issues. Victim survey data are sufficiently valid and reliable for use in cross‐national comparisons. Victim surveys can tell us a great deal about crime cross‐nationally that police administrative data cannot. While surveys in principle should be more comparable across nations than police administrative data, in practice this comparability cannot be assumed. Self‐consciously comparative surveys, such as the International Crime Victimization Survey (ICVS) produce more comparable data across nations than nation‐specific surveys do. Nation‐specific surveys produce higher‐quality data on their specific nation than the ICVS does. Steps should be taken to enhance the quality of ICVS data and the cross‐national comparability of nation‐specific surveys. Journal Information Current issues are now on the Chicago Journals website. Read the latest issue.Since 1979, the Crime and Justice series has presented a review of the latest international research, providing expertise to enhance the work of sociologists, psychologists, criminal lawyers, justice scholars, and political scientists. The series explores a full range of issues concerning crime, its causes, and its cures. In both the review and the thematic volumes, Crime and Justice offers an interdisciplinary approach to address core issue in criminology. Publisher Information Since its origins in 1890 as one of the three main divisions of the University of Chicago, The University of Chicago Press has embraced as its mission the obligation to disseminate scholarship of the highest standard and to publish serious works that promote education, foster public understanding, and enrich cultural life. Today, the Journals Division publishes more than 70 journals and hardcover serials, in a wide range of academic disciplines, including the social sciences, the humanities, education, the biological and medical sciences, and the physical sciences. Rights & Usage This item is part of a JSTOR Collection. What is a disadvantage of crime victimization surveys?What is a disadvantage of the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS)? The NCVS may be unable to reach important groups, such as those without phones.
Which of the following connections to criminality is commonly rejected by?Which of the following connections to criminality is commonly rejected by sociologists? conformity.
Which of the following is an example of deviance?Examples of formal deviance include robbery, theft, rape, murder, and assault. Informal deviance refers to violations of informal social norms, which are norms that have not been codified into law.
Which of the following suggested that the punishments established within a culture help to define acceptable behavior and thus contribute to stability?In Émile Durkheim's view, A: the punishments established within a culture help to define acceptable behavior and thus contribute to social stability.
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