Question

Compare and contrast the strengths and weaknesses of the National Crime Victims Survey with those of the Uniform Crime Reports. Be specific

Answer 1

The National Crime Victims Survey started in 1929, The National crime victim survey and Uniform crime reports are designed to gather national crime rate. National Crime Victims information depends upon the data collected from individuals and household whether reported or not reported to the police, they collect their samples from 43000 households that consist of approximately 76000 people. About 150000 interviews are conducted from the person above the age of 12. These samples have to remain at the given address continuously for three years, the outgoing samples are replaced by new samples, they are interviewed every six months,

Under National Crime Victim survey the data is collected annually for nonfatal offenses like rape or sexual assault, simple assault, robbery and household property crime like the burglary, theft motor vehicle theft whether reported or not reported,, The NCV data uses both person weights and household weights that represent person representing the samples and house weight represents population of the US in comparison.

The Uniform Crime Report stared in the year 1929. with the intention to collect data for the crime reported to the law enforcement authority, UCR prepares it’s to report on the monthly basis which includes crime like robbery, forcible rape, manslaughter murder, theft burglary arson, etc., each report is thoroughly verified, and checked it checks for the variation in the report if large variation exists that shows incomplete reporting or changed in the report, It represents the crime count for the whole nation, as well as region, states counties, college universities, cities, The reports are published which gives statistics of trend in the crime rate, its tendency.

As can be seen, the National Victim Report Surveys depends upon samples interviews which in person face to face for the first time then it is either in person or on the telephone, The NCVS includes that are reported or not reported thus the correct data cannot be obtained, The definition of crime does differ between this two reporting systems, for example, UCR rates for the crime per capita, while NCVS rates for per household.

This two-system have both its strength and limitation but it helps to understand the rate and trend of the crime pattern, these system provides valuable information about aspects of the Nation’s crime problem