Conversely Mixed Mode in the Swedish Crime Survey (303373)

Keywords: mixed-mode, postal questionnaire, telephone interviews, victimization

The Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention---an agency under the Ministry of Justice---is a center for research and development within the judicial system. The council conducts the Swedish Crime Survey, which is an annual survey exploring the attitudes and experiences of the general public in Sweden regarding confidence in the justice system, victimization and fear of crime. The results from the survey are used by decision makers within the Government, the Parliament and the judicial system. A stratified random sample of 20,000 Swedish residents aged 16–79 is used. The response rate in the survey conducted in 2015 was 62.9 percent. The vast majority participated via telephone interviews and a small percent (7.3 %) participated through postal or web questionnaires. In the first Swedish Crime Survey, conducted in 2006, the response rate was 77, 7 percent. Even though telephone interviews as a method is expected to get high response rates, the response rates is decreasing faster compared to postal questionnaires. One of the problems is the reluctance to answer when the caller is unknown. The interviewers also spend more time searching for phone numbers than actual interviewing. Because of the decreasing response rates and increasing costs for telephone interviews there is need for a change in the methodology of the survey. Also, there is a desire for results in smaller geographical areas than possible today. The new method consists of screening a larger sample of the population for victimization by postal- or web questionnaire. Respondents who, according to the screening, have been victimized will be contacted by telephone for a follow-up interview. This new method will be more cost-efficient as well as more flexible. The follow-up interviews can be conducted on a certain sample of respondents or focus questions can be included. The screening questionnaire will be pre-tested in 2017 and the new data collecting design will be tested with a split-half in 2018.