UNODC-UNECE Manual on Victimization Surveys: Content
The structure 10 chapters and 4 Appendices Extensive use of examples / boxes from victimization surveys carried out in different countries, including developing countries Main focus on household surveys of general population, with information on other types of surveys (surveys of violence against women and ethnic minorities, business surveys)
Target audience National statistical institutions Researchers Academics Practitioners Policy makers
The Manual can provide answers to typical questions faced when designing and planning a victimization survey, such as: What are the minimum requirements for a victim survey? How frequently should victim surveys be repeated? How a survey can be organized? What types of crime should be included? What period of time should be covered? What is the best sampling design to adopt? How interviewing methods can affect the comparability of results? How to select and train the interviewers? How to monitor and report on the quality and limitations of a survey?
The Manual may respond to questions about what a victimization survey can provide, such as: How much crime is there and what are its characteristics? What are the characteristics of victims and perpetrators? Has the level of crime changed over time? What are the risks of becoming a victim? Have perceptions of safety changed over time? How much crime is reported to authorities and if it is not, why not? Are crime prevention policies working? Is there a relationship between fear of crime and actual levels of crime?
Summary of Chapters Chapter I Introduction: purpose of the Manual, history of crime victimization surveys, key messages for policy makers and some discussion on the limitations of crime victim surveys. Chapter II - Planning a crime victimization survey: relationship and differences between victimization surveys data and police-recorded crime statistics, with suggested good practices in attempting to compare data from the two sources; draft list of key topics which could be considered as elements for comparability of victim surveys across countries.
Household burglary Theft of vehicles Other theft Robbery Physical assault Sexual offences Key topics for international comparability Crimes and victimisation Property crime Contact crime / violent crime No crime specified Measure of victimisation in the past 12 months x x x x x x x x x x x x Measure of repeat victimisation in the past 12 months Reporting to the police x x x x x x Crimes involving weapons x x x Victims who suffered physical injury x x x Victim-offender relationship x x x Public confidence/trust in police Feelings of safety Basic socio-demographic variables x x x
Summary of Chapters (ctd.) Chapter III Methodological issues: overview of the survey process, options for different types of victimization surveys available to the survey manager, key goals and objectives and relevant methodological issues to be considered with a view to achieving such objectives, including target populations, sampling options and frequency of enumeration. Quality Assurance TRANSLATING USER REQUIREMENTS INTO SURVEY METHODOLOGY INITIAL SURVEY CONCEPT BROAD USER NEEDS DETAILED SPECIFICATION OF USER NEEDS SURVEY GOALS SURVEY OBJECTIVES
Summary of Chapters (ctd.) Chapter IV - Counting offences and victims: how to count offences and victims with crime victimization surveys; concepts of prevalence and incidence; multiple and repeat victimizations. A guide to the typical structure of a crime victimization survey; forms of questions commonly asked, including those relating to respondent s fear of crime, experience of household crime, personal victimization experience, reporting of crimes to authorities and general attitudinal questions. Examination of survey modes, covering face-to-face interviews, telephone interviews, self-administered interviews, internet based questionnaires and mixed-mode interviewing. Discussion on methods of data capture and survey reference periods
Examples of victimisation survey measures of crime (1) Absolute measures of the extent of crime A. The number of crime events occurring during a given time period (i.e. a year) - Number of rapes - Number of motor vehicle thefts B. The number of victims of crime during a given time period - Number of victims of rape - Number of robberies (2) Prevalence measures The percentage or proportion of the specified population - The percentage of women age 18 or older raped during the past five years - The percentage of households experiencing burglary in a year - The percentage of motor vehicles stolen in a year (3) Incidence rate measures A rate of occurrence of offences during a given time period. - The number of rapes in a year per 1 000 people - The number of robberies in a city in a year per 1 000 people residing in the city - The number of motor vehicle thefts in a year per 1 000 households - The number of motor vehicle thefts in a year per 1 000 motor vehicles
Box 18 Example list of elements of stalking According to the survey on stalking carried out by the University of Leicester 1, the most common methods of stalking experienced by victims can be summarised as follows: Following the victim Sending unsolicited letters/other written material Making unsolicited phone calls Sending unsolicited e-mails Sending unsolicited text messages on mobile phones (SMS) Trying to communicate in other ways against the victim s will Taking photographs of the victim without their agreement Abusing the victim s pet(s) Threatening to harm the victim s pet(s) Vandalising the victim s home Vandalising the victim s car Vandalising other property/destroying something valuable to the victim Harassing the victim s family/friends/neighbours/colleagues Physically assaulting the victim Threatening to physically assault the victim Sexually assaulting the victim Threatening to sexually assault the victim Harassing the victim s children Threatening to harm the victim s children Breaking into the victim s home Making unsolicited visits to the victim s home / standing outside the victim s home Making unsolicited visits to the victim s workplace/school/university / standing outside the victim s workplace/school/university Spying on the victim Leaving unwanted items for the victim to find Turning up at places where the victim was even though the offender had no business being there Sending unwanted presents (e.g. flowers) The victim feeling manipulated by the offender The offender spreading lies about the victim
Summary of Chapters (ctd.) Chapter V Questionnaire design: typical question patterns that may be included in crime victimization surveys; use of screener questions, incident questions, answer modalities and question response patterns. Pre-testing of survey questionnaires and use of pilot surveys
(a) Use recall time period(s) that are either the same or equivalent: For example, last calendar year; (b) (c) (d) Contain the same core elements to the offences described: For example, for assault: (i) personally attacked or threatened, (ii) in a way that really frightened you, (iii) either at home or elsewhere ; Manage counting of incidents in a consistent manner: For example, if a respondent was a victim of a particular crime more than once in the recall period, the survey wording should ensure that the number of events is accurately recorded but that details of the crime are consistently obtained with reference to the last event or the most serious event. Manage attempts to commit the offence in a consistent manner: For example, many crime victim survey questionnaires count burglary and attempted burglary as separate crimes but deal with robbery and attempted robbery as one crime.
Telescoping effect Reference Period
THEFT OF PERSONAL BELONGINGS The Italian Citizens Safety Survey (ISTAT) In the last three years, has anyone attempted to steal or stolen money or items you didn t carry with you, for example money or jewellery in a locker room, bags or cases on a train, books at school or at work, money, cash card or cheque book at work (don t consider things stolen from your car, house or outside the house)? The Canada General Social Survey (GSS) (Other than the incidents already mentioned,) was anything of yours stolen during the past 12 months from your place of work, from school or from a public place, such as a restaurant? The British Crime Survey (BCS) And [apart from anything you have already mentioned], in that time has anything (else) of yours been stolen, from a cloakroom, an office, a car or anywhere else you left it? The International Crime Victim Survey (ICVS) Apart from theft involving force, there are many other types of theft of personal property, such as pickpocketing or theft of a purse, wallet, clothing, jewellery, sports equipment. This can happen at one s work, at school, in a pub, on public transport, on the beach or in the street. Over the past five years, have you personally been the victim of any of these thefts?
Summary of Chapters (ctd.) Chapter VI - Interviewing (if not a selfresponse survey): conduct of interviews, including non-response, use of proxy respondents, training of interviewers, quality control throughout the interviewing process
Summary of Chapters (ctd.) Chapter VII - Data processing, estimation and analysis: data process, transfer of data from the questionnaire, coding processes, checking and editing. Ways in which victimization survey data may be analysed and presented, including how data should be interpreted with a view to communicating key findings and results.
Box 59 Examples of errors that can arise in the data Coverage errors (arising from the omission or duplication of responses) duplicate records loss of records incomplete canvassing Content errors (arising from incorrect reporting or recording) errors in questionnaire design such as poorly worded questions misunderstanding of questions by respondents mis-keying during data entry out-of-range or invalid responses (i.e. age given as 130 years) incorrect units (i.e. response given in days rather than weeks) incorrect scale (numerical items expressed as thousands instead of millions) inconsistent data items (i.e. age of child provided when number of children given as zero) failing to follow correct skip patterns incorrect balances (i.e. sum of parts on numerical item does not equal total)
Summary of Chapters (ctd.) Chapter VIII Ethical considerations: ethical considerations addressing both the protection of respondents through ensuring informed consent and protection of privacy and confidentiality, and data dissemination standards. Chapter IX - Publication and dissemination: principles and guidelines for data dissemination and documentation, including dissemination formats, and standards for metadata and references; issue of media relations and data disclosure controls, including the importance of preserving confidentiality of respondents. Chapter X - Closing the circle evaluating completed surveys: demonstrating the importance of the evaluation process in the life cycle of crime victimization surveys.
APPENDICES APPENDIX A. Glossary of survey related terms APPENDIX B. Other surveys on crime and victimisation (business surveys, surveys on corruption) APPENDIX C. Lessons from the pilot study of the International Violence Against Women Survey (IVAWS) APPENDIX D. Main results of the 2005 UNODC- UNECE inventory of victim surveys
Thank you for your attention sass.crime@unodc.org Statistics and Surveys Section Policy Analysis and Research Branch