THE CRIME AND JUSTICE SURVEY Research, Development and Statistics BUILDING A SAFE, JUST AND TOLERANT...

THE CRIME AND JUSTICE SURVEY

Research, Development and Statistics

BUILDING A SAFE, JUST AND TOLERANT SOCIETY

Tracey Budd

Crime and Justice Survey

Background The Crime and Justice Survey is a self-report offending and drug use survey

Such surveys have been undertaken since the 1950s to establish levels of delinquency in different populations; evaluate interventions and to inform theory

Surveys have covered known offenders (e.g., prisoners) and general population samples (often focused on young people). Some are cross-sectional (sometimes repeated); others panel surveys

HO previously undertaken several large-scale cross-sectional self report studies of known offenders and young people in the general population


Background There are relatively few longitudinal self-report offending surveys in UK. Those that exist are small scale and often based on local samples (e.g. Camberwell study)

The Crime and Justice Survey is the first large-scale, nationally representative longitudinal survey of young people in England and Wales


Aims and Objectives To measure the number of offenders in the general household population and the offences they commit, including those not processed through the criminal justice system

To estimate the proportion of offenders and offences that come to the attention of the criminal justice system

To estimate the proportion of active offenders who are young people and the proportion of crime they commit

To provide information on the nature of offences committed and, in particular, offender motivations


More Aims and Objectives To provide information on patterns of drug and alcohol use, particularly among children and young people

To provide trend information on the level of youth offending and drug use

To collect data on criminal careers and in particular to identify the risk factors associated with the onset and continuation of offending and drug use, and factors associated with desistence


Information on Criminal Careers

Prevalence of offending

Frequency of offending

Age of onset

Age desist

Career duration

Risk factors

Contact with CJS

Continuity and change

Co-offending

Motives

Criminal

Careers


Cross-sectional or longitudinal data?

Many of the aims and objectives of the survey could have been met by a one off or repeated cross-sectional self-report offending survey of a representative general household sample

However, a key objective of the survey was to allow us to examine criminal careers - how different delinquent behaviours develop over time and the factors associated with different patterns of development


The age range?

Some of the key objectives (knowing the proportion of offenders who were young people) required the survey to cover a wide age range

However, a representative sample of a wide age range would mean we would need a very large sample size to get a sufficient number of young people for detailed analysis (a key group of interest)

Most longitudinal self-report studies focus on young people, following up cohort(s) over a long period


2003 C&JS Design

2003 Survey

Probability sample of c 12,000 people aged 10 to 65 living in private households in E&W

10,079 core sample, including 4,574 10-25s

Additional ethnic minority booster sample of 1,882 (10-65s)

CAPI, CASI and Audio CASI

£10 voucher ‘incentive’

Respondents asked at end of interview if willing to be re-contacted in future (parents also for under 16s and 17/18s in parental home). Stable address contact details


2004-2006 C&JS Design

The rotating panel (5,000 each sweep)

In 2004 - 10-25s (in 2003) willing to be re-contacted at end of 2003 interview followed up for interview. Supplemented with a fresh sample of 10-25s to reach 5,000 target

In 2005 - those willing to be re-contacted at end of 2004 interview followed up. Supplemented with a fresh sample of 10-25s to reach 5,000 target

In 2006 - those willing to be re-contacted at end of 2005 interview followed up. Supplemented with a fresh sample of 10-25s to reach 5,000 target


Use of dependent interviewingExamples in C&JS...

Household box. Respondents asked to confirm if each person still in household or not and if any new members.

Respondent age. Very important for routing on many questions.

‘Ever’ questions - many questions in 2003 asked ‘ever’ and ‘last 12 months’. For panel only asked ‘last 12 months’. E.g. offending, homeless, suspensions

If know parent deceased from prior interview don’t ask why parent not in household

If committed offence last interview but not this asked why desisted


Bounding? Possibility of reminding respondents what offences they admitted to at last interview to help ‘bound’ the recall period

Decided against this because information self-completion and wanted to avoid interviewer involvement

Respondent may be uncomfortable with knowing possible to feed forward such information - may feel confidentiality threatened

Could remind them that if they do admit to offences in the interview they will be asked lots of questions!


Advantages/disadvantages

Advantages

Reduced respondent burden to some extent

Sensitivity to respondent circumstances eg deceased parent

Disadvantages

More complex routing/textfills in CAPI. Can the programme cope? Did experience some technical difficulties.


Story so far... 2003 C&JS successfully completed. 74% response rate for core sample, including 10-25s. Lower on ethnic sample - around 50%

95% of 10-25s agreed to follow up in 2004

In 2004 c82% of these were successfully interviewed - total of 3464 cases. In addition there were 1810 fresh cases. (Preliminary figures)

2005 option exercised and will go into the field in January

First reports from 2003 prepared and awaiting publication


Questions...

Contact details:

Tracey Budd 020 7273 3760

Debbie Jennings 020 7273 2355

Clare Sharp 020 7273 4636

Guy Weir 020 7273 3552

email:[email protected]

website:

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/offending1.html

THE CRIME AND JUSTICE SURVEY Research, Development and Statistics BUILDING A SAFE, JUST AND TOLERANT...

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