Public Communications and the Prevention of Crime - Strategies for Control - An Executive Summary

• NCJ Number: 80505
• Author(s): H Mendelsohn; G J O'Keefe; J Liu; H T Spetnagel; C Venglar; D Wilson; M O Wirth; K Nash
• Date Published: 1981
• Length: 36 pages
• Grant Number(s): 78-NI-AX-0105
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute of Justice (NIJ); US Dept of Justice NIJ Pub
• Corporate Author: University of Denver
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This is the executive summary of the final report of an evaluation study that assessed the effects of the 'McGruff' crime prevention campaign.

Abstract

Launched in the autumn of 1979 in the form of public service media advertisements, the campaign featured a trench-coated cartoon dog character who offers a variety of hints about actions that could prevent victimization from street crimes. Two separate surveys were used to evaluate the impact of the first 4-month phase of the campaign and to gather additional appropriate information concerning crime prevention behavior. One survey was based on personal interviews with a national probability sample of 1.500 adults; the second survey entailed use of a two-wave panel design -- a smaller sample was interviewed both before and after the onset of the campaign. Because communicators (LEAA) were unable to control either the placement or the timing of the spots assigned for their public service advertising, they were unable to control exposure, and thus the effects of the communication. The study addressed five major questions, beginning with what structural-situational issues must be accepted as 'given' by any public communications crime prevention effort. Next, crime prevention action-taking was examined for relationships to demographic characteristics, the nature of the advocated actions, beliefs regarding responsibility for crime prevention and self-competence, victimization experience, information about crime prevention, and opinion leadership and participation in citizens' organizations. The study also investigated what happens when crime prevention advertisements are produced and disseminated exclusively as 'public service advertisements' and what awareness, attitude, or action-making or action-taking changes were generated by the McGruff campaign. The study also identified other strategies for effective crime prevention communication, including the need to control targets, themes and appeals, beliefs, fear, source credibility, and risk perceptions. The summary also outlines guidelines for formulating risk/benefits messages and discusses controlling action demands and considering the communications consumer. A short characterization of the McGruff campaign is included.