Measuring Crime: Victim Surveys Flashcards
What does the Islington crime survey focus on?
Door-to-door survey, asking about victimization, crime, and policing
This survey aims to gather firsthand accounts of crime experiences from residents.
According to Young et al., who is more likely to be victims of crime?
Men
The study indicates that men are more frequently victims of crime compared to women.
What is a key finding regarding women’s experiences of crime according to victim surveys? Young
Women are more likely to report crime
This suggests that women’s experiences and perceptions of crime may differ significantly from men’s.
What is one advantage of face-to-face contact with researchers in victim surveys?
Increases honesty
Face-to-face interactions may encourage respondents to be more truthful in their answers.
How do victim surveys compare to police statistics?
Victim surveys indicate crime rates much higher than police suggest
This discrepancy highlights potential underreporting in official crime statistics.
What type of data is primarily collected through structured interviews and questionnaires in victim surveys?
Objective data
The goal is to gather factual information about crime experiences rather than subjective opinions.
What is a common issue with the response rate in victim surveys?
Low response rate
For example, a 42% response rate can lead to unrepresentative data.
What demographic is often overrepresented in volunteer sampling for victim surveys?
Older generations, middle class
This demographic skew can affect the overall findings and their applicability to the general population.
Fill in the blank: The structured interviews in victim surveys ask about experiences of a range of crimes in the past ______ months.
12
This timeframe is commonly used to assess recent victimization.
Strengths of victim surveys
Face to face contact with researcher increases honesty
Validity: shows crime much higher than police suggest
Objective data used for statistical analysis
Limitations of victim surveys
Time consuming: not practical
Unrepresentative data: fear and shame (not report), volunteer sampling, respondents often older generation, MC+UC
CSEW
Face to face victim survey in people’s houses. Asked about their experiences of a range of crimes in the past 12 months
CSEW findings
2022-23: 42% response rate
- low response rate, dark figure
Feminist views on victim surveys
Statistics support that women are more at risk in society, unequal, feel unsafe
