NCJ Number
46243
Editor(s)
A L PAEZ
Date Published
1978
Length
63 pages
Annotation
FINDINGS OF A 1974 VICTIMIZATION SURVEY, TAKEN IN OAKLAND, CALIF., REGARDING RESIDENTS' ATTITUDES ABOUT CRIME AND RELATED MATTERS, ARE PRESENTED.
Abstract
THIS URBAN VICTIMIZATION SURVEY WAS PART OF A NATIONAL CRIME SURVEY PROGRAM AND WAS BASED ON A SCIENTIFICALLY DESIGNED SAMPLE OF HOUSING UNITS WITHIN THE JURISDICTION; ATTITUDE QUESTIONS WERE ASKED OF THE OCCUPANTS OF HALF OF THE HOUSING UNITS RANDOMLY SELECTED FOR THE VICTIMIZATION SURVEY. ATTITUDINAL DATA PRESENTED IN THIS REPORT WERE OBTAINED FROM INTERVIEWS WITH THE OCCUPANTS OF 4,271 HOUSING UNITS (8,187 RESIDENTS AGED 16 AND OVER), OR 94.7 PERCENT OF THE UNITS ELIGIBLE FOR INTERVIEW. RESULTS OF THESE INTERVIEWS WERE INFLATED BY MEANS OF A MULTISTAGE WEIGHTING PROCEDURE TO PRODUCE ESTIMATES APPLICABLE TO ALL RESIDENTS AGED 16 AND OVER AND TO DEMOGRAPHIC AND SOCIAL SUBGROUPS OF THAT POPULATION. BASED ON 37 STATISTICAL DATA TABLES, THE DISCUSSION CENTERS ON PERCEPTIONS AND ATTITUDES RELATING TO TRENDS IN CRIME, FEAR OF CRIME, RESIDENTIAL PROBLEMS AND LIFESTYLES, AND LOCAL POLICE PERFORMANCE. FOUR-FIFTHS OF THE SURVEYED POPULATION BELIEVED THAT CRIME WAS ON THE INCREASE IN THE NATION, AND ABOUT HALF OF THESE THOUGHT THAT CRIME WAS ALSO INCREASING IN THEIR OWN NEIGHBORHOOD. TWO-THIRDS OF THE CITY'S INHABITANTS BELIEVED THAT THEIR OWN CHANCES OF BEING ATTACKED OR ROBBED HAD INCREASED DURING THE 2 YEARS PRIOR TO THE SURVEY; A MAJORITY HAD MODIFIED THEIR OWN ACTIVITIES BECAUSE OF CRIME OR A FEAR OF CRIME; AND MOST SAID THAT THEY FELT UNSAFE WHEN OUT ALONE IN THEIR OWN NEIGHBORHOOD AT NIGHT. HOWEVER, MOST RESIDENTS HAD NOT BEEN DETERRED FROM SHOPPING OR PURSUING ENTERTAINMENT. FEW INHABITANTS FELT THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD IN WHICH THEY LIVED WAS MORE DANGEROUS THAN OTHERS WITHIN THE METROPOLITAN AREA, AND FEW INDICATED THAT THE DANGERS IN THEIR OWN NEIGHBORHOOD WERE SUFFICIENTLY GRAVE TO CONSIDER MOVING ELSEWHERE. APPENDED MATERIALS INCLUDE A LIST OF THE 37 DATA TABLES USED AS A BASIS FOR THE REPORT; A COPY OF THE SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE; AND INFORMATION ON SAMPLE DESIGN AND SIZE, THE ESTIMATION PROCEDURE, RELIABILITY OF ESTIMATES, AND SIGNIFICANCE TESTING, AS WELL AS STANDARD ERROR TABLES. A GLOSSARY IS PROVIDED. (VDA)