SAYING YES, BUT DOING NO? - A SURVEY OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VERBAL ATTITUDES AND ACTUAL BEHAVIOR INVOLVED IN FEELING OF UNSAFENESS BECAUSE OF CRIMINALITY

• NCJ Number: 67460
• Journal: Tijdschrift voor criminologie Dated: (NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1979) Pages: 257-273
• Author(s): J J M VANDIJK; N NIJENHUIS
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 17 pages
• Corporate Author: Gasgracht 10, Pob 58
• Publication Format: Article
• Country: Netherlands

Annotation

CONVERGENCES AND DIVERGENCES BETWEEN PUBLIC ATTITUDES TOWARD DANGER OF VICTIMIZATION AND ACTUAL BEHAVIOR IN THE FACE OF A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION ARE EXPLORED USING A SAMPLE OF 110 RESIDENTS OF THE HAGUE.

Abstract

TO ASSURE ACCURATE MEASUREMENT OF THE ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOR OF THE RANDOM SAMPLE, VERBAL ATTITUDES TOWARD OPENING OR NOT OPENING THE DOOR FOR AN UNKNOWN VISITOR LATE AT NIGHT WERE ASSESSED IN A SURVEY. THEN THE REACTION OF STUDY SUBJECTS WAS ACTUALLY OBSERVED BY RINGING THE DOORBELL LATE AT NIGHT 6 MONTHS AFTER THE SURVEY. FINALLY, A FOLLOW UP INTERVIEW WAS CONDUCTED IN PERSON WITH THE INDIVIDUALS WHO OPENED THEIR DOORS AND BY TELEPHONE WITH THOSE WHO DID NOT. THE OBSERVATIONS WERE MADE BETWEEN 9:30 AND 10:30 P.M. FROM DECEMBER 11 TO DECEMBER 15, 1978. RESULTS INDICATE THAT THREE-FOURTHS OF BOTH THE RESPONDENTS WITH POSITIVE ATTITUDES (55) AND THOSE WITH NEGATIVE ATTITUDES (55) BEHAVED IN KEEPING WITH THEIR EXPRESSED ATTITUDES. INDIVIDUALS WITH POSITIVE ATTITUDES WHO DID NOT OPEN THE DOOR USUALLY DID NOT WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN ANY SURVEY, HAD ALREADY GONE TO BED, OR WERE NOT HOME. REAL INCONSISTENCIES BETWEEN ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOR OCCURRED ONLY IN ABOUT 10 PERCENT OF THE CASES AND USUALLY INVOLVED INDIVIDUALS WITH NEGATIVE ATTITUDES WHO INEXPLICABLY OPENED THE DOOR. NONE OF THE INCONSISTENT RESPONDENTS WITH NEGATIVE ATTITUDES LIVED IN APARTMENT HOUSES, PERHAPS BECAUSE THE NATURE OF THE LIVING FACILITY MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO VIEW THE FACE OF THE UNKNOWN VISITOR AND FORM AN IMPRESSION OF HIS FEATURES. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE ATTITUDES EXPRESSED BY STUDY SUBJECTS GENERALLY REFLECT THEIR ACTUAL BEHAVIOR WITH REGARD TO FEAR OF CRIME, AND THAT THE POSTINTERVIEW OBSERVATION PROCEDURE IS AN EFFECTIVE MEANS OF CHECKING THE VALIDITY OF SURVEY ATTITUDES. THE USEFULNESS OF THIS STUDY TECHNIQUE FOR VALIDATING THE FINDINGS OF OTHER STUDIES ON THE FEAR OF CRIME IS EMPHASIZED. NOTES, A BIBLIOGRAPHY, AND TABLES ARE SUPPLIED.