This paper will go over the various critiques and problems associated with victimization surveys, including it’s history and practices.
Victimization surveys were considered a new and controversial practice in the 1960’s. At that time, a number of factors came with the eventual idea of a self-report survey, mostly due to the high level of urban unrest and crime in the U.S. and the federal government’s efforts to improve the criminal justice system. In 1972, the National Crime Survey(NCS) was created by the Census Bureau, where it has been a vital component of the CJ system since. (Lynch, 2006). Existing victimization surveys can be looked at and compared cross-nationally since they can provide incident-level data and a huge amount of information …show more content…
The lack of representation of these victims in relation to the total population of victims can make locating them for surveying even more difficult, and research involving these samples may not be applicable to the entire population. (Schneider, 1973). Another problem with surveying victims is that very often, researchers attempt to use explanatory or predictable models, or they use other theories when testing propositions, such as using data from a single point in time rather than using a panel design. This problem occurs especially in studies where the victim is the dependent variable, and their responses and behavior the explanatory or predictable variable. The victim’s behavior and responses are recorded at the current point in time, though the victimization presumably occurred before the interview. (Schneider, 1973). One of the most concentrated areas of errors in victimization surveying includes the amount of variance that is a true amount, and the amount that is an error. The measurement of errors can influence the conclusion drawn from research studies of victimization surveying. For example, some types of victims make more errors in recalling their victimization than other types of victims do. Some victims …show more content…
Many resources use it for many purposes. Social scientists use it because they want to know the factors that account for crime. Policy makers use it because they want to find new ways to reduce crime. (Booth, Choldin, & Johnson, 1977). It has long been established that people are afraid to report crimes for many reasons. They may fear being attacked again by their offender/s, and if the offender happened to be a friend or relative, the victim may want to spare them the embarrassment. Some victims even blame themselves for the incident.Also, some crimes are judged so trivial that any potential gain to the victim may not be seen as worth it considering the time and effort that would be put into every court appearance. The victim may too be scared to come face to face with their offender. (Booth, 1977). The seriousness of the offense can and does commonly provide a factor into someone reporting a crime. Crimes that involve weapons and other deadly instruments are reported more often than those in which weapons were not used. Once police respond to a call, their decision to file a complaint is very much influenced by the seriousness of the incident. Factors such as relation between complainant and suspect, the complainant’s preference for police action, and social status all play into the police’s decision to file. (Booth, 1977). It is thought that victim surveys might be expected to yield
Victimization surveys were considered a new and controversial practice in the 1960’s. At that time, a number of factors came with the eventual idea of a self-report survey, mostly due to the high level of urban unrest and crime in the U.S. and the federal government’s efforts to improve the criminal justice system. In 1972, the National Crime Survey(NCS) was created by the Census Bureau, where it has been a vital component of the CJ system since. (Lynch, 2006). Existing victimization surveys can be looked at and compared cross-nationally since they can provide incident-level data and a huge amount of information …show more content…
The lack of representation of these victims in relation to the total population of victims can make locating them for surveying even more difficult, and research involving these samples may not be applicable to the entire population. (Schneider, 1973). Another problem with surveying victims is that very often, researchers attempt to use explanatory or predictable models, or they use other theories when testing propositions, such as using data from a single point in time rather than using a panel design. This problem occurs especially in studies where the victim is the dependent variable, and their responses and behavior the explanatory or predictable variable. The victim’s behavior and responses are recorded at the current point in time, though the victimization presumably occurred before the interview. (Schneider, 1973). One of the most concentrated areas of errors in victimization surveying includes the amount of variance that is a true amount, and the amount that is an error. The measurement of errors can influence the conclusion drawn from research studies of victimization surveying. For example, some types of victims make more errors in recalling their victimization than other types of victims do. Some victims …show more content…
Many resources use it for many purposes. Social scientists use it because they want to know the factors that account for crime. Policy makers use it because they want to find new ways to reduce crime. (Booth, Choldin, & Johnson, 1977). It has long been established that people are afraid to report crimes for many reasons. They may fear being attacked again by their offender/s, and if the offender happened to be a friend or relative, the victim may want to spare them the embarrassment. Some victims even blame themselves for the incident.Also, some crimes are judged so trivial that any potential gain to the victim may not be seen as worth it considering the time and effort that would be put into every court appearance. The victim may too be scared to come face to face with their offender. (Booth, 1977). The seriousness of the offense can and does commonly provide a factor into someone reporting a crime. Crimes that involve weapons and other deadly instruments are reported more often than those in which weapons were not used. Once police respond to a call, their decision to file a complaint is very much influenced by the seriousness of the incident. Factors such as relation between complainant and suspect, the complainant’s preference for police action, and social status all play into the police’s decision to file. (Booth, 1977). It is thought that victim surveys might be expected to yield