Offender Characteristics Questions

Proposed Offender Characteristics Questions

ONEORMOREOFFENDERS

Ask or verify:

Was the crime committed by only one or by more than one offender?

1. Only one – SKIP to SINGOFFENDERKNEW

2. More than one – SKIP to HOWMANYOFFENDERS

3. Don't know – Go to KNOWOFFENDERS

KNOWOFFENDERS

Do you know anything about one of the offenders?

1. Yes – SKIP to SINGOFFENDERKNEW

2. No – SKIP to THEFT

Single Offender

SINGOFFENDERKNEW

Was the offender someone you knew or a stranger you had never seen before?

1. Knew or had seen before – SKIP to SINGOFFENDERHOWWELL

2. Stranger – Go to SINGOFFENDERRECOG

3. Don't know – Go to SINGOFFENDERRECOG

SINGOFFENDERRECOG

Would you be able to recognize the offender if you saw him/her?

1. Yes – SKIP to SINGOFFENDERSIGHT

2. Not sure (possibly or probably) – SKIP to SINGOFFENDERSIGHT

3. No – SKIP to SINGOFFENDERGENDER

SINGOFFENDERHOWWELL

How well did you know the offender - by sight only, casual acquaintance, or well known?

1. Sight only – Go to SINGOFFENDERSIGHT

2. Casual acquaintance – SKIP to SINGOFFENDERRELATION

3. Well known – SKIP to SINGOFFENDERRELATION

SINGOFFENDERSIGHT

Would you have been able to tell the police how they might find the offender, for instance, where he/she lived, worked, went to school, or spent time?

1. Yes

2. No }    All SKIP to SINGOFFENDERGENDER

3. Other - Specify

SINGOFFENDERRELATION

How well did you know the offender? For example, was the offender a friend, cousin, etc.?

RELATIVE:

1. Spouse at time of incident

2. Ex-spouse at time of incident

3. Parent or step-parent

4. Own child or step-child }    All SKIP to SINGOFFENDERGENDER

5. Brother/sister

6. Other relative - Specify

NONRELATIVE:

7. Boyfriend or girlfriend, ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend

8. Friend or ex-friend

9. Roommate, boarder

10. Schoolmate

11. Neighbor

12. Customer/client

13. Patient

14. Supervisor (current or former) }    All SKIP to SINGOFFENDERGENDER

15. Employee (current or former)

16. Co-worker (current or former)

17. Teacher/school staff

18. Other nonrelative - Specify

SINGOFFENDERGENDER

Was the offender male or female?

1. Male

2. Female }    All go to SINGOFFENDERAGE

3. Don't know

SINGOFFENDERAGE

How old would you say the offender was?

1. Under 12

2. 12-14

3. 15-17

4. 18-20 }    All go to SINGOFFETHNICITY

5. 21-29

6. 30 or older

7. Don't know

SINGOFFETHNICITY

Was the offender Hispanic or Latino?

1. Yes

2. No

3. Don’t know }    All go to SINGOFFRACE

SINGOFFRACE

What race or races was the offender?    You may mark more than one.    Was the offender…

• Enter all that apply, separate with commas.

1. White?

2. Black or African American?

3. American Indian or Alaska Native?

4. Asian? }    All Go to SINGOFFENDERGANG

5. Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander?

6. Don’t know

SINGOFFENDERGANG

Was the offender a member of a street gang, or don’t you know?

1. Yes ( a member of a street gang)

2. No (not a member of a street gang) }    All go to SINGOFFENDERDRINKDRUG

3. Don’t know (if a member of a street gang)

SINGOFFENDERDRINKDRUG

Was the offender drinking or on drugs, or don’t you know?

1. Yes (drinking or on drugs) – Go to SINGOFFENDERDRINKORDRUG

2. No (not drinking/not on drugs) – SKIP to SINGOFFENDERONLYTIME

3. Don't know (if drinking or on drugs) – SKIP to SINGOFFENDERONLYTIME

SINGOFFENDERDRINKORDRUG

Which was it? (Drinking or on drugs?)

1. Drinking

2. On drugs

3. Both (drinking and on drugs) }    All go to SINGOFFENDERONLYTIME

4. Drinking or on drugs - could not tell which

SINGOFFENDERONLYTIME

Was this the only time this offender committed a crime or made threats against you or your household?

1. Yes (only time)

2. No (there were other times) }    All SKIP to THEFT

3. Don't know

Multiple Offenders

HOWMANYOFFENDERS How many offenders?

• Enter a number between 2-96. – Go to MULTOFFENDERKNEW

MULTOFFENDERKNEW

Were any of the offenders known to you, or were they all strangers you had never seen before?

1. All known – SKIP to MULTOFFENDERHOWWELL

2. Some known – SKIP to MULTOFFENDERHOWWELL

3. All strangers – Go to MULTOFFENDERRECOG

4. Don't know – Go to MULTOFFENDERRECOG

MULTOFFENDERRECOG

Would you be able to recognize any of them if you saw them?

1. Yes – SKIP to MULTOFFENDERSIGHT

2. Not sure (possibly or probably) – SKIP to MULTOFFENDERSIGHT

3. No – SKIP to MULTOFFENDERGENDER

MULTOFFENDERHOWWELL

How well did you know the offender(s) - by sight only, casual acquaintance, or well known?

• Probe: Anything else? 

• Enter all that apply, separate with commas.

1. Sight only – Go to MULTOFFENDERSIGHT

2. Casual acquaintance – SKIP to MULTOFFENDERRELATION

3. Well known – SKIP to MULTOFFENDERRELATION

MULTOFFENDERSIGHT

Would you have been able to tell the police how they might find any of them, for instance, where they lived, worked, went to school, or spent time?

1. Yes

2. No }    All go to MULTOFFENDERGENDER

3. Other - Specify

MULTOFFENDERRELATION

How did you know them? For example, were they friends, cousins, etc.?

• Probe: Anything else? 

• Enter all that apply, separate with commas.

RELATIVE:

1. Spouse at time of incident

2. Ex-spouse at time of incident

3. Parent or step-parent

4. Own child or step-child }    All go to MULTOFFENDERGENDER

5. Brother/sister

6. Other relative - Specify

NONRELATIVE:

7. Boyfriend or girlfriend, ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend

8. Friend or ex-friend

9. Roommate, boarder

10. Schoolmate

11. Neighbor

12. Customer/client }    All go to MULTOFFENDERGENDER

13. Patient

14. Supervisor (current or former)

15. Employee (current or former)

16. Co-worker (current or former)

17. Teacher/school staff

18. Other nonrelative - Specify

MULTOFFENDERGENDER

Were they male or female?

1. All male – Go to MULTOFFENDERYOUNG

2. All female – Go to MULTOFFENDERYOUNG

3. Don't know sex of any offenders – Go to MULTOFFENDERYOUNG

4. Both male and female – If only 2 offenders, go to MULTOFFENDERYOUNG.    Else go to MULTOFFENDERMOSTGENDER

MULTOFFENDERMOSTGENDER

Were they mostly male or mostly female?

1. Mostly male

2. Mostly female

3. Evenly divided }    All go to MULTOFFENDERYOUNG

4. Don't know

MULTOFFENDERYOUNG

How old would you say the youngest was?

1. Under 12

2. 12-14

3. 15-17

4. 18-20 }    All go to MULTOFFENDEROLD

5. 21-29

6. 30 or older

7. Don't know

MULTOFFENDEROLD

How old would you say the oldest was?

1. Under 12

2. 12-14

3. 15-17

4. 18-20 }    All go to MULTOFFETHNICITY

5. 21-29

6. 30 or older

7. Don't know

MULTOFFETHNICITY

Were any of the offenders Hispanic or Latino?

1. Yes - Go to MULTOFFENDERMOSTETHNICITY

2. No - SKIP to MULTOFFENDERRACE

3. Don’t know - SKIP to MULTOFFENDERRACE

MULTOFFENDERMOSTETHNICITY

Were the offenders mostly Hispanic, mostly non-Hispanic, or an equal number of Hispanic and non-Hispanic?

1. Mostly Hispanic

2. Mostly non-Hispanic

3. Equal number of Hispanic and non-Hispanic }    All go to MULTOFFENDERRACE

4. Don’t know

MULTOFFENDERRACE

What race or races were the offenders?    Were they…

• Enter all that apply, separate with commas.

1. White?

2. Black or African American?

3. American Indian or Alaska Native?

4. Asian? }    If only one entry made go to MULTOFFENDERGANG

5. Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander? }    Else go to MULTOFFENDERRACEMOST

6. Don't know

MULTOFFENDERRACEMOST

What race were most of the offenders?

1. Mostly White

2. Mostly Black or African American

3. Mostly American Indian or Alaska Native

4. Mostly Asian

5. Mostly Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander }    All go to MULTOFFENDERGANG

6. Equal number of each race

7. Don't know

MULTOFFENDERGANG

Were any of the offenders a member of a street gang, or don’t you know?

1. Yes ( a member of a street gang)

2. No (not a member of a street gang) }    All go to MULTOFFENDERDRINKDRUG

3. Don't know (if a member of a street gang)

MULTOFFENDERDRINKDRUG

Were any of the offenders drinking or on drugs, or don’t you know?

1. Yes (drinking or on drugs) – Go to MULTOFFENDERDRINKORDRUG

2. No (not drinking/not on drugs) – SKIP to MULTOFFENDERONLYTIME

3. Don't know (if drinking or on drugs) – SKIP to MULTOFFENDERONLYTIME

MULTOFFENDERDRINKORDRUG

Which was it? (Drinking or on drugs?)

1. Drinking

2. On drugs

3. Both (drinking and on drugs) } All go to MULTOFFENDERONLYTIME

4. Drinking or on drugs - could not tell which

MULTOFFENDERONLYTIME

Was this the only time any of these offenders committed a crime against you or your household or made threats against you or your household?

1. Yes (only time)

2. No (there were other times) }    All go to THEFT

3. Don't know