Heidelberg Victim Survey: Telephone Interviewing of Victims of Violent Crime; A New Approach to Unreported Crime? (From Victims and Criminal Justice, P 441-467, 1991, Gunther Kaiser, Helmut Kury, et al., eds. -- See NCJ-132477)

• NCJ Number: 132494
• Author(s): M C Baurmann; D Hermann; H U Storzer; F Streng
• Date Published: 1991
• Length: 27 pages
• Sale Source: Max-Planck-Institute Fur Auslandisches und Internationales Strafrecht
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: Germany (Unified)

Annotation

This pilot study that involved a victimization survey in Heidelberg, West Germany, was designed as a methodological pretest for a comprehensive quantitative victim survey by telephone to determine violent-crime victimization for West Germany.

Abstract

The advantages anticipated in a telephone victimization survey are distance between the interviewer and interviewee that allows the discussion of matters more difficult to discuss in face-to-face encounters and the lower cost compared to face-to-face interviews. For the pilot study, a random sample of 523 persons who resided in Heidelberg and two neighboring towns was selected. A total of 373 persons (71.7 percent) provided completed interviews regarding violent crimes they had personally experienced, including violent sexual offenses. The sample proved to be representative. Overall, the results indicate that the measurements were objective and valid. The survey's use of the telephone received a high level of acceptance among respondents, and the response rate compared favorably with face-to-face interviews and mail surveys. 1 table, 34 footnotes, and 48 references