NCJ Number
86577
Date Published
1980
Length
25 pages
Annotation
This report identifies the psychological factors that affect the public's receptivity (or lack of it) regarding mass-mediated messages about crime prevention.
Abstract
The analysis is based upon focused group interviews conducted in Denver, Colo., in August 1980. Six separate groups composed of about 10 adult men and women representing a wide range of backgrounds were interviewed in 6 sessions. A special guide was used in the interviews. Print versions from the initial 'Detective Dog' were shown to each group as a device to stimulate discussion. Based on the interviews, it was determined that crime prevention action is related to complex interactions of (1) perceived susceptibility to being victimized, (2) perceived seriousness of the consequences of victimization, and (3) perceived benefits (minus costs in time, effort, and money) of taking recommended actions to reduce crime threats. For people who believe they are vulnerable to crime but who see no or little benefit to be derived from suggested preventive actions, action in response to such suggestions is unlikely. Persons who feel vulnerable to victimization and who may see even limited efficacy in the crime prevention recommendations but who find the suggested actions either too complicated, too costly, or too inconvenient will not comply. Those whose perceptions of the threat of personal victimization are weak and who see no benefits in the actions recommended will take none of the suggested crime prevention actions. The interview guide and tabular data from the interviews are provided.