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Activity Number: 531 - Survey Modes and Measurement Error
Type: Contributed
Date/Time: Wednesday, August 1, 2018 : 10:30 AM to 12:20 PM
Sponsor: Survey Research Methods Section
Abstract #329730
Title: Household Informant Reporting of Crime Victimization
Author(s): W Sherman Edwards* and Pamela Giambo and J. Michael Brick and Grace Kena
Companies: Westat and Westat and Westat and Bureau of Justice Statistics
Keywords: Mail survey; Mode comparison
Abstract:

The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) is the nation's primary source of information on crimes experienced by United States household residents age 12 and older, especially on crimes not reported to the police. The NCVS interviews a household informant about certain crime types and attempts to interview all household members 12 and older about "personal" crimes. In 2015 and 2016, Westat fielded a "companion survey" (CS) to the NCVS in the 40 largest CBSAs. Intended as a low-cost alternative to the NCVS for local jurisdictions, the CS methodology differs from the NCVS in several ways, including collecting data from a single informant about all household adults, and using a self-administered mail questionnaire rather than an interviewer-administered instrument. This paper will examine the relative bias between the CS and NCVS in estimating personal crime victimization for adults other than the household informant. The analysis will compare (1) the ratio of CS victimization to NCVS victimization for household informants and (2) the same ratio for other household adults, controlling for differences in household composition and other household characteristics in the 2 surveys.


Authors who are presenting talks have a * after their name.

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