National Crime Victimization Survey
The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) is a key federal program in the United States that gathers extensive data on crime, focusing on both reported and unreported incidents. Originally launched in 1973 as the National Crime Survey, the NCVS engages approximately 100,000 individuals aged twelve and older from around 50,000 households to create a representative sample of the U.S. population. This survey aims to address limitations found in the Uniform Crime Reports (UCR), which only capture crimes reported to law enforcement, thereby missing a significant number of incidents—estimated at over two million violent crimes annually.
Conducted biannually, the NCVS collects fresh recollections from respondents, allowing for timely insights into crime trends. The methodology has evolved over the years, with significant updates in 1992 and a current redesign initiated in 2023. The data collected not only sheds light on the characteristics of victims and offenders but also explores community dynamics and police performance. Despite some skepticism surrounding self-reported data accuracy, the NCVS is widely regarded as a credible and valuable resource for understanding crime dynamics and trends in the United States. This comprehensive approach enables researchers and policymakers to better address and respond to crime-related issues.
National Crime Victimization Survey
SIGNIFICANCE: The statistics collected by the National Crime Victimization Survey are considered an outstanding source for understanding crime in the United States.
The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) program was originally published as the National Crime Survey (NCS) in 1973. The federal program collects data through surveys of approximately 100,000 individuals, aged twelve and older, from about 50,000 households. The survey methodology attempts to offer a sample that represents nearly all sociodemographic and geographical categories in the United States. The large sample size allows the NCVS to offer comprehensive pictures of reported and unreported crimes.
The Bureau of the Census collects the data under the direction of the Bureau of Justice Statistics. This bureau’s work allows researchers to address the primary flaw in the Uniform Crime Reports (UCR), run by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Because data from the UCR include only crimes that are reported to police, many crimes go unrecorded. Recent reports suggest that more than two million violent crimes go unreported every year in the United States.
Because the survey is performed every six months, respondents’ recollections of details are considered reasonably fresh in their minds. Also, publishing data from each year allows for an understanding of crime trends. The survey was updated and redesigned in 1992, but continued to measure specific annual crime rates in a consistent and reliable manner. Another redesign began in 2023. Most of those surveyed have not experienced victimization, so the survey, when finished, will also ask questions about the community and police performance.
Data from this survey make it possible to study characteristics of crime victims and offenders and relationships among them and the consequences they face, as well as actual crime incidence rates, whether or not reported to the police. The data also make possible clearer understanding of crime trends by providing consistent crime definitions and measures over time and location.
Some professionals in the field of criminal justice have questioned the validity of the NCVS because self-reported data may be inaccurate and not subject to detailed scrutiny of respondents’ reported validity. However, the survey methodology itself is widely respected as a legitimate source of understanding the nature of crime in the United States.
Bibliography
Doerner, William G. Victimology. Cincinnati: Anderson Publishing, 2002.
Evans, Laura. "Reflections on the NCVS at 50, and Why It Still Matters." Bureau of Justice Statistics, 21 Sept. 2023, bjs.ojp.gov/blogs/reflections-ncvs-50-and-why-it-still-matters. Accessed 8 July 2024.
Mosher, Clayton J., Terance D. Miethe, and Dretha Phillips. The Mismeasure of Crime. Thousand Oaks: Sage, 2002. Print.
SEARCH, The National Consortium for Justice Information and Statistics. Public Attitudes Toward Uses of Criminal History Information. Washington, D.C.: Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2001.