NCJ Number
53443
Date Published
1977
Length
223 pages
Annotation
IN A STUDY EXAMINING FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH PROPENSITY TO REPORT CRIME, 1,183 CHICAGO, ILL., CITIZENS WERE ADMINISTERED VICTIMIZATION INTERVIEWS OVER THE TELEPHONE.
Abstract
THERE WERE SEVEN MAJOR HYPOTHESES IN THIS STUDY: (1) BELIEF IN POLICE INEFFECTIVENESS INHIBITS CRIME REPORTING, (2) A LOWER ESTIMATE OF QUALITY OF POLICE PERFORMANCE INHIBITS REPORTING, (3) A LOWER PERCEIVED THREAT OF CRIME RESULTS IN LESSENED REPORTING, (4) A PERCEPTION OF UNEQUAL POLICE PROTECTION RESULTS IN LESSENED REPORTING, (5) UNFAVORABLE PRIOR CONTACTS WITH POLICE INHIBIT REPORTING, (6) HOME OWNERSHIP IS ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASED REPORTING, AND (7) RACIALLY AND ETHNICALLY HOMOGENEOUS COMMUNITIES WILL HAVE INCREASED REPORTING. INTERVIEW SCHEDULES WERE COMPOSED OF BOTH CLOSE ENDED AND OPEN ENDED ITEMS. MULTIPLE REGRESSION AND FACTOR ANALYSIS WERE USED. DEMOGRAPHIC (I.E., RACE, SEX, FAMILY AND MARITAL STATUS) AND ECOLOGICAL VARIABLES WERE CONSIDERED. THE FOUR HYPOTHESES RELATED TO POLICE EFFICACY WERE ALL SUPPORTED BY THE DATA. IT WAS ALSO FOUND THAT A LOWER PERCEIVED THREAT OF CRIME ASSOCIATED SIGNIFICANTLY WITH LESSENED REPORTING. HOME OWNERSHIP AND HOMOGENEITY OF COMMUNITY WERE NOT SIGNIFICANTLY ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASED REPORTING. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT GOOD POLICE-COMMUNITY RELATIONS ARE IMPERATIVE TO IMPROVE CRIME REPORTING. THE PUBLIC MUST BE CONVINCED THAT POLICE WILL BE EFFECTIVE IN HANDLING COMPLAINTS, THAT OFFICERS ARE GENUINELY CONCERNED ABOUT PUBLIC WELL-BEING, AND THAT OFFICERS ARE FAIR. FUTURE RESEARCH SHOULD ADDRESS THE EXTENT TO WHICH REPORTING BEHAVIOR IS RELATED TO PROPENSITY TO INTIATE OTHER KINDS OF HELPING BEHAVIOR. TABLES, REFERENCES LISTED BY TOPIC, AND THE INTERVIEW SCHEDULE ARE INCLUDED. (MLC)