NCJ Number
228608
Date Published
2008
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This paper reports on the progress to date of the Statistical Office of the European Communities' (Eurostat's) efforts to "establish European instruments for collecting, analyzing, and comparing information on crime and victimization and their respective trends in the Member States, using national statistics and other sources of information as agreed indicators."
Abstract
The focus of this paper is on that part of the Action Plan that requires the development of a survey module on victimization. This involves the establishment of a methodology for a common survey module on victimization, mid-2007; the translation and testing of a common survey module on victimization; and implementation of a common survey module on victimization, 2008-2009. A consultative process has produced a number of decisions regarding the victimization module. First, it should cover the standard crime types, such as property crimes and crimes against the person. Second, it should include some nontraditional crime types appropriate for a household survey, such as consumer fraud, identity theft, credit card fraud, and computer security. Third, the module should collect data on general safety issues, such as feeling safe, the availability of security systems, and the prevalence of weapons. Fourth, an effort should be made to obtain a measure of domestic violence, taking into account practical difficulties and sensitivity issues. A strategy for implementation of the module has also been developed. A task force recommended testing of the module, followed by an analysis of the feasibility of the module. Based on the evaluation of the testing, there should be a proposal for implementing a survey module on victimization for uniform use in member states of the European Union. The development of the victimization module has also involved input from the European Institute for Crime Prevention and Control, which is affiliated with the United Nations.