Estimating the Incidence of Rape and Sexual Assault (2014) / Chapter Skim
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10 New Directions for Measuring Rape and Sexual Assault
10 New Directions for Measuring Rape and Sexual Assault
Pages 161-182
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From page 161... ...
These obstacles led to the conclusion that the needed changes could not be adequately implemented within the framework of the existing survey, and that best practices for measuring rape and sexual assault would require that these measurements be decoupled from the NCVS. CONCLUSION 10-1 The best methods for measuring rape and sexual assault cannot be implemented without separating that measurement from the measurement of other criminal victimizations.
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From page 162... ...
As a part of the entire program design, the panel also offers several recommendations regarding improved training and monitoring of interviewers and regarding obtaining useful input and feedback from data users and the broader statistical community. A NEW SURVEY TO MEASURE RAPE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT Sample Design Enhanced Multiple-Frame Design The proportion of a population with a specific attribute (in this case, having been victimized by rape or sexual assault)
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From page 163... ...
This will make the estimates more precise, while the survey weights will ensure that this process does not artificially inflate the criminal victimization rate. This approach has significant drawbacks.
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From page 164... ...
The panel's analysis looked at a simplified case of two overlapping sampling frames with simple random sampling in each frame.2 One frame (the administrative frame) is completely contained in the other more complete frame (the household frame)
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From page 165... ...
, there were 116,300 such criminal victimizations reported to police. Thus the proportion of the population within this administrative frame, experiencing this criminal vic timization, PA, is estimated as: PA = 116,300 / 140,000 = 0.83 The household frame (similar to that used by the NCVS)
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From page 166... ...
For instance, supplementary administrative lists could be developed within selected primary sampling units (PSUs; from the household frame) so that national administrative frames would not be necessary.
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From page 167... ...
BJS currently publishes annual estimates of the criminal victimizations of rape and sexual assault. The panel does not recommend less frequent data collection or publication, but one cost-saving variation would be to develop a formal rolling estimation process similar to that used for the ACS, which has a relatively modest annual sample size for the intent to produce small area estimates.
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From page 168... ...
Considerable research would be needed to develop and calibrate these models.4 RECOMMENDATION 10-3 The Bureau of Justice Statistics should continue to publish annual estimates of rape and sexual assault criminal victimizations, using the recommended new survey to do so. However, if that is not possible, then the Bureau should conduct the recom mended new survey on a fixed schedule, such as every 2 or 3 years, and use data from both the National Crime Victimization Survey and the new survey to calculate annual estimates of rape and sexual assault.
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From page 169... ...
Research should be conducted to determine an opti mal length of reference period specifically for reporting rape and sexual assault victimizations. The Bureau of Justice Statistics should reassess the methodology used to adjust for forward telescoping if data from the bounding interview are used in estimation.
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From page 170... ...
Research has shown that a change to behaviorally specific questions increases reporting of the criminal victimizations (Fisher, 2009)
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From page 171... ...
This would be straightforward in a survey specifically designed for measuring rape and sexual assault. It would be very difficult to do for an omnibus survey because the demographics more "at risk" would be different for different types of victimizations.
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From page 172... ...
SOURCE: Panel modification to current NCVS definitions (Bureau of Justice Statistics, n.d.-b)
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From page 173... ...
The design of the recommended new survey with a focus on sexual violence provides an opportunity to review and enhance the set of covariates that are collected along with the criminal victimization variables. Researchers who study criminal victimizations have identified certain types of information about people's lifestyle and routine activities that can provide insight into, and perhaps lead to identifying causal relationships between, the context and likelihood of future victimization (Fisher et al., 1998; Schreck, Stewart, and Fisher, 2006)
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From page 174... ...
If not, alternative data collection procedures should be developed based on research (including cognitive testing) designed to better understand how to retrieve information on series victimizations.
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From page 175... ...
This reassessment should involve formal input by experts on outlier adjustment techniques and by data users who can help assess the relative tradeoffs in quality. SPECIALIZED TRAINING AND MONITORING There is a clear need for improved training for Census Bureau field representatives who administer the NCVS (see Chapter 8)
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From page 176... ...
regardless of the feasibility of the multiple-frame option, whether design integration with a household survey conducted by another federal statistical agency (e.g., the American Community Survey conducted by the Census Bureau) would be a statistically and practically feasible way to generate the household sample that will be needed for the recom mended stand-alone survey.
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From page 177... ...
because of their relatively high risk of criminal victimization. COMMUNICATION WITH DATA USERS Principles and Practices for a Federal Statistical Agency identifies as one of its key principles the need to maintain credibility among data users.
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From page 178... ...
BJS has made use of expertise and advice from the American Statistical Association's Committee on Law and Justice Statistics. BJS has also sponsored an annual 4-week summer workshop at the University of Michigan's Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research to train data users on analyses techniques for their datasets.
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From page 179... ...
Recommendation 10-14 The Bureau of Justice Statistics should hold a regular (annual or biennial) data users' conference for users of the Bureau of Justice Statistics criminal victimization data.
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From page 180... ...
Following the decision to change, communication with data users needs to be frequent and clear. For example the publication Criminal Victimizations, 2011 (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2012a)
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From page 181... ...
Addressing data user questions about its current methodology for measuring the incidence of rape and sexual assault, the BJS sought advice from the National Research Council, which led to the creation of this panel. The panel concludes that "best practices" for measuring rape and sexual assault on BJS household surveys would involve a decoupling of that measurement from the NCVS, and it provided guidelines for making that change.
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