Deck 4: Sources of Victimization Data

Question 1

Victimization data allow researchers to test hypotheses about which of the following?

A) Consequences for crime victims.
B) Risk factors for victimization.
C) Victim decision making.
D) A and B
E) All of the above are true about victimization data and hypothesis testing.

Answer 1

E

Question 2

Official sources of crime data rely on _________; general victimization surveys rely on ________.

A) Statements of offenders; police reports.
B) Reported crimes; reported and unreported crime incidents.
C) Qualitative data provided by inmates; prosecutors' charging decisions.
D) Detectives' investigation techniques; patient surveys.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which is the best definition of the "dark figure" of crime?

A) Crimes that are not prosecuted.
B) Criminal reports that have been misfiled by law enforcement personnel.
C) Crimes that have been falsely reported by people trying to take advantage of the criminal justice system.
D) Crimes that do not come to the attention of the criminal justice system.
E) None of the above.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Why are official data not ideal for answering research questions in victimology?

A) Reports do not include offenders' demographic characteristics.
B) They tend to provide more information about offenders and offending.
C) Many people who are claiming to be victims are filing false reports.
D) Criminals do not corroborate the police reports.

Question 5

Which of the following is a strength of the Uniform Crime Report (UCR)?

A) Crime rates are based on both reported and unreported crimes.
B) Crime rates cannot be compared with those in other countries.
C) Crime rates can be compared across cities, counties, and states.
D) Police reports are not standardized across the country.
E) B and C
F) B and D

Question 6

Which of the following is not an index crime?

A) Motor vehicle theft.
B) Forcible rape.
C) Aggravated assault.
D) Commercialized vice.
E) All of the above are index crimes.

Question 7

Which of the following is a limitation of the UCR?

A) It does not illuminate the "dark figure" of crime.
B) Participation by law enforcement is voluntary.
C) It uses the hierarchy rule for counting multiple offenses.
D) Recording of incidents is not standardized across locales.
E) All of the above are limitations of the UCR.

Question 8

Which of the following is a strength of the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS)?

A) A nationally representative dataset is not publicly available.
B) NIBRS only includes crimes unknown to law enforcement.
C) The submission system minimizes errors and variations.
D) Participation in the system is voluntary.

Question 9

The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) addresses the dark figure of crime by _____________.

A) Not relying on victim reporting behaviors or law enforcement recording practices.
B) Using official police reports to estimate crime rates.
C) Employing a complex stratified cluster sampling design.
D) Reporting on several different types of violent and property crimes at the household and individual levels.
E) None of the above.

Question 10

Which of the following were changes made to the NCVS during the survey redesign?

A) The addition of new types of victimization, such as domestic violence.
B) Questions reflecting lifestyle and routine activity behaviors.
C) Exclusive use of in-person interviews through the panel.
D) Including members of the armed services and institutionalized persons (e.g., inmates).
E) A and B
F) A and D

Question 11

The NCVS is composed of two parts: (1) _______ and (2) _________.

A) Doctor's reports; tax information.
B) Basic screen questionnaires; incident reports.
C) Police files; background checks.
D) College transcripts; GPAs.

Question 12

Which of the following countries had the highest crime rates, according to the European Crime and Safety Survey?

A) Denmark and Belgium.
B) India and France.
C) Estonia and Ireland.
D) The Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
E) B and C.
F) A, C, and D.

Question 13

The British Crime Survey (BCS) was designed to achieve which of the following objectives?

A) Produce victimization estimates.
B) Measure fear of criminal victimization.
C) Measure contact with the police.
D) Identify risk factors for victimization.
E) All of the above are part of the BCS design.

Question 14

Which of the following is true about specialized crime victimization surveys?

A) They allow researchers to compare crime rates across several countries.
B) They estimate how many reported crimes result in criminal prosecution.
C) They are concerned with certain types of victimization or populations of victims not well represented in general victimization surveys.
D) They concentrate on all types of victimization and on offenders currently serving time in jail.

Question 15

Victimization surveys are used to collect information on issues surrounding criminal victimization and produce data that examine its correlates and test theories.

Question 16

Perpetual challenges in conducting victimization research involve (1) ___________ and (2) ____________ criminal victimization.

A) Defining; measuring.
B) Observing; estimating.
C) Compiling; reporting.
D) Understanding; preventing.
E) None of the above.

Question 17

Which of the following is an element of survey research design that can impact research results?

A) Mode of data collection (e.g., in person, telephone, web based).
B) Representativeness of sample to the population from which it was drawn.
C) How a research concept has been operationalized (e.g., confidentiality and/or anonymity).
D) All of the above are elements that can impact research results.

Question 18

Which of the following is not considered a neglected group of crime victims?

A) Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT).
B) The homeless.
C) Adult males.
D) Prisoners.

Question 19

Which of the following is an innovation in victimization surveys?

A) Asking respondents about crimes instead of behaviors experienced.
B) Reducing the number of victimization types.
C) Including high-risk populations.
D) Asking behaviorally specific questions about sensitive types of crimes, such as rape.
E) A and B
F) C and D

Question 20

Specialized victimization surveys are conducted because _____________.

A) Criminal offenders are excluded from general victimization surveys.
B) Not every victimization survey includes questions on every type of victimization.
C) Some individuals refuse to participate in general surveys.
D) Individuals are paid to participate in general surveys and this is unethical.

Question 21

Does a valid and reliable estimate of [specific type of crime] victimization exist in the United States or worldwide? Use examples from the various surveys to illustrate your points.

Question 22

Compare and contrast the strengths and weakness of official crime statistics and those generated via self-reported surveys completed by individuals.

Question 23

Summarize the methodology of the NCVS. In doing so, describe how the sample is chosen, how the survey is designed, and how it is administered.

Question 24

What are the challenges in estimating and understanding victimization worldwide? Use examples from the international victimization surveys included in Chapter 4 to support your arguments.

Question 25

What are measurement weaknesses in the current NCVS? If you could, how would you address these weaknesses? Provide examples of your improvements and explain how they would provide more accurate estimates of criminal victimization.

Question 26

Data collected by official sources (i.e., UCR, NIBRIS) can differ from that collected by victimization surveys (i.e., NCVS, NISVS). Briefly describe some of the advantages and disadvantages of these two types of data sources.

Question 27

Define the "dark figure of crime." Compare and contrast two types of victimization (e.g., sexual assault and robbery) and explain why they have different contributions to the "dark figure of crime."