National Crime Victimization Survey

National Crime Victimization Survey

REFRESHER TRAINING WORKBOOK_NCVS_531 1_08_2011

National Crime Victimization Survey

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NCVS-531.1 (8/2011)

NCVS CAPI Refresher Training Workbook:
A Renewed Focus on Data Quality

This document does not contain any Title 13 data or other Personally Identifiable
Inform ation. All data are fictitious and any resemblance to actual data is coincidental.
Consistent with Field Division policy, any names referenced in practice interviews
or other exercises are not meant to refer to any actual businesses, schools, group
quarters, or persons, especially any current or form er Census Bureau employees.

NCVS-531.1 Refresher Training Workbook (8/2011)

Lesson 1

Refresher Training Agenda

Day One

Time

Elapsed Time

Lesson 1 - Welcome and Reintroduction to NCVS

0:45

45 minutes

Lesson 2 - The NCVS Screener

1:15

2 hours

Break

0:15

2 hours 15 minutes

Lesson 3 - The Crime Incident Report

1:00

3 hours 15 minutes

Lunch

1:00

4 hours 15 minutes

Lesson 3 - The Crime Incident Report Practice
Interviews

1:00

5 hours 15 minutes

Lesson 4 - The Contact History Instrument (CHI)

0:30

5 hours 45 minutes

Break

0:15

6 hours

Lesson 5 - NCVS Concepts and Definitions

1:00

7 hours

Lesson 6 - Refresher Knowledge Test Review

1:00

8 hours

Day Two

Time

Elapsed Time

Paired Practice Interviews

1:00

1 hour

Lesson 7 - Regional Office Topics

0:30

1 hour 30 minutes

Break

0:15

1 hour 45 minutes

Lesson 8 - NCVS Data Quality Indicators

1:00

2 hours 45 minutes

Lesson 9 - Conclusion

0:30

3 hours 15 minutes

Training Evaluation

0:30

3 hours 45 minutes

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NCVS-531.1 Refresher Training Workbook (8/2011)

Lesson 1

This 1980s cartoon (from “Ripley’s Believe It or Not”) used estimates
from the National Crime Survey (predecessor to the NCVS) to show
that more than half of all violent crimes were never reported to police,
and therefore never measured by the Uniform Crime Report (UCR).
Without the NCVS, we would be basing our understanding of crime
on a small fraction of crime that actually occurs.

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NCVS-531.1 Refresher Training Workbook (8/2011)

Lesson 1

NCVS in the News

Gov't survey confirms violent, property crime drop
Published October 13, 2010 | Associated Press
The government's most comprehensive crime survey shows violent and
property crimes continue to decrease last year even as the nation's economy
slumped, confirming an earlier FBI report.
The National Crime Victimization study, released Wednesday by the Justice
Department's Bureau of Justice Statistics, showed violent and property crime
last year reached the lowest level ever recorded in the survey, which was first
published in 1973. The survey estimated that violent crime dropped by 11.2 percent
and property crimes 5.5 percent from 2008 levels. The survey interviews more than
135,000 U.S. residents, so it captures not only crimes reported to the police but also
those that went unreported. Studies show more than half of crimes are never
reported to the police.
Last month, the FBI's annual Uniform Crime Report showed a 5.3 percent drop in
reports to police of violent crimes last year and a 4.6 percent decline in
reported property crimes.
Professor Alfred Blumstein of Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz School of
Public Policy, an expert on crime trends who has often advised the government on
crime statistics, said the data on crime victims bolster's the FBI's report,
which seemed to buck historical trends of higher crime rates during periods of
economic distress.
"I think it's encouraging in terms of interpreting the UCR's seemingly anomalous
drop in crime," Blumstein said. "That's a reinforcement."
Statisticians are most certain of crime trends when the two crime reports show
similar results.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/10/13/govt-survey-confirms-violent-property-crime/

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NCVS-531.1 Refresher Training Workbook (8/2011)

Lesson 1

Dayton Daily News
By Cornelius Frolik, Saturday, January 15, 2011

Property crimes easy to commit, difficult to solve
Locked doors and windows, security systems and lighting help
prevent thefts.
An unknown suspect on Jan. 4 slipped in the unlocked back door of Michael
Blake’s home in Huber Heights while the residence was empty and stole his
PlayStation 3, his roommate’s Xbox 360 and their games, police said.
Blake, 26, said he never thought to jot down the serial number of his video
game system and as a consequence police will likely have a difficult time
tracking down the stolen electronics and the person responsible for stealing
them.
Only a fraction of burglaries and property crimes are solved.
“I’ve calmed down a little bit by now,” Blake said. “I was angry for a couple
of days there.”
At a time when property and violent crimes are on the decline across the
country, some cities in the Miami Valley are reporting an uptick in
burglaries.
There were 192 burglaries reported in Huber Heights in 2010, 22 more than
in 2009 and 54 more than 2008.
Vandalia had 108 burglaries reported last year, compared to 57 in 2009 and
63 in 2008.
Vandalia police Chief Douglas Knight said property crime is the most
common type of crime because it is often easy to commit and difficult to
solve.
He said people leave their cars, homes and garages unlocked, which make
it easy for thieves to gain entry, rummage for valuables and flee without
attracting attention or leaving behind much evidence.
“These are crimes of opportunity that produce quick cash and be a quick
turnaround for the thief,” Knight said. (Cont’d next page)

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NCVS-531.1 Refresher Training Workbook (8/2011)

Lesson 1

A determined criminal will find a way to break into the place he or she is
targeting, but the more casual would-be burglar may be deterred by the
most basic security measures, officials said.
Police data shows that the increase in burglaries is not uniform across the
region.
Beavercreek’s and Riverside’s numbers have dipped in the last several
years, while incidents in Springboro and Xenia have held fairly constant.
Centerville police report that burglaries are way down from past years.
Michael Norris, a Wright State University associate professor of sociology
and assistant director of the school’s criminal justice problems, said data
shows that criminal activity has defied expectations during the recession.
“With 41 million people in poverty and double-digit unemployment, many
people have been waiting for desperate people to start committing more
crimes,” he said, “but according to FBI data for 2010, burglary is down 1.4
percent, motor vehicle theft is down 9.7 percent, larceny theft is down 2.3
percent from 2009.”
Police officials said oftentimes a spike in crime is caused by one serial
burglar or group of professional thieves, whose crime spree skews the
numbers.
Only about 10 percent of homeowners are victims of property theft, Norris
said.
About 60 percent of property crimes are not reported to police, according
to the National Crime Victimization Survey.
“If you left your garage open, you are going to be embarrassed to report
the theft of your riding lawnmower, and you think the police are really busy
and short-handed due to layoffs, so what’s the use,” Norris said. “It is a
good idea to report it to police, if for no other reason because it increases
the accuracy of our statistics.”

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NCVS-531.1 Refresher Training Workbook (8/2011)

Lesson 1

USA Today, January 13, 2009

Unprecedented U.S. Survey Tracks Scope Of Stalking
NEW YORK (AP) — An estimated 3.4 million Americans identified themselves as
victims of stalking during a one-year span, according to federal crime experts who
on Tuesday released the largest-ever survey of the aggravating and often
terrifying phenomenon.
About half of the victims experienced at least one unwanted contact per week
from a stalker, and 11% had been stalked for five or more years, according to the
report by the Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Statistics. It covered a
12-month period in 2005-06. The study was described as a groundbreaking effort
to analyze the scope and varying forms of stalking, which had not been featured
in previous versions of the National Crime Victimization Survey.
The researchers defined stalking as a course of conduct, directed at a specific
person on at least two separate occasions, that would cause a reasonable person
to feel fear. The most commonly reported types of stalking were unwanted phone
calls (66 percent), unsolicited letters or e-mail (31 percent), or having rumors
spread about the victim (36 percent). More than one-third of the victims reported
being followed or spied upon; some said they were tracked by electronic
monitoring, listening devices or video cameras.
Nearly 75% of victims knew their stalker in some capacity — most commonly a
former spouse or ex-boyfriend/girlfriend. Women were far more likely than men to
be stalking victims, and people who were divorced or separated were more
vulnerable than other marital categories. People aged 18-24 were more likely to
be stalked than older people.
Victims reported suffering a range of emotions because of the stalking. Their
most common fears included not knowing what would happen next (46 percent)
and fearing the stalking would continue indefinitely (29 percent). Nine percent of
the victims said their worst fear was death.
Mary Lou Leary, a former federal prosecutor who is executive director of the
National Center for Victims of Crime, said she was struck by the persistence of
some of the stalking behavior depicted in the report. "When you consider the
impact that stalking has on a victim's life, five weeks is forever — five years is
incredible," she said. "They often have to give up their current life, leave their
jobs, their homes, establish a whole new identity."

(Note to readers: the inform ation in this article from USA Today is from an NCVS supplem ent on stalking
conducted in 2006.)

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NCVS-531.1 Refresher Training Workbook

Lesson 2

NCVS Screener Questions
(In the following screener questions, question stems are in regular font. Cues are in italics.)

SQTHEFT, “I’m going to read some examples that will give you an idea of the kinds of crimes
this study covers.
As I go through them, tell me if any of these happened to you in the last 6 months, that is, since
(date).
Was something belonging to YOU stolen, such as
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–

Things that you carry, like luggage, a wallet, purse, briefcase, book –
Clothing, jewelry, or cellphone Bicycle or sports equipment Things in your home, like a TV, stereo, or tools Things outside your home, such as a garden hose or lawn furniture Things belonging to children in the household Things from a vehicle, such as a package, groceries, camera, or CDs, OR
Did anyone ATTEMPT to steal anything belonging to you?”

Ask if necessary: Did any incidents of this type happen to you?

SQBREAKIN, “Has anyone -–

–
–

Broken in or ATTEMPTED to break into your home by forcing a door or window, pushing
past someone, jimmying a lock, cutting a screen, or entering through an open door or
window?
Has anyone illegally gotten in or tried to get into a garage, shed, or storage room? OR
Illegally gotten in or tried to get into a hotel or motel room or vacation home where you
were staying?”

Ask if necessary: Did any incidents of this type happen to you?

SQTOTALVEHICLES, “What was the total number of cars, vans, trucks, motorcycles, or other
motor vehicles owned by you or any other member of this household during the last 6 months?
Include those you no longer own.”

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Lesson 2

SQMVTHEFT, “During the last 6 months, was/were any of the vehicle(s)
–
–
–
–

Stolen or used without permission?
Did anyone steal any parts such as a tire, car stereo, hubcap, or battery?
Did anyone steal any gas from it/them? OR
Did anyone attempt to steal any vehicle or parts attached to it/them?”

Ask if necessary: Did any incidents of this type happen to you?

SQATTACKWHERE, “Since (date) were you attacked or threatened OR did you have
something stolen from you
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–

At home including the porch or yard,
At or near a friend’s, relative’s, or neighbor’s home,
At work or school,
In places such as a storage shed or laundry room, a shopping mall, restaurant, bank, or
airport,
While riding in any vehicle,
On the street or in a parking lot,
At such places as a party, theater, gym, picnic area, bowling lanes, or while fishing or
hunting, OR
Did anyone ATTEMPT to attack or ATTEMPT to steal anything belonging to you from
any of these places?

Ask if necessary: Did any incidents of this type happen to you?

SQATTACKHOW, “Has anyone attacked or threatened you in any of these ways
–
–
–
–
–
–
–

With any weapon, for instance, a gun or knife,
With anything like a baseball bat, frying pan, scissors, or stick,
By something thrown, such as a rock or bottle,
Include any grabbing, punching, or choking,
Any rape, attempted rape, or other type of sexual attack,
Any face to face threats, OR
Any attack or threat or use of force by anyone at all? Please mention it even if you are
not certain it was a crime,”

Ask if necessary: Did any incidents of this type happen to you?

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NCVS-531.1 Refresher Training Workbook

Lesson 2

SQTHEFTATTACKKNOWNOFF, “People don’t often think of incidents committed by someone
they know. Did you have something stolen from you, or were you attacked or threatened by
–
–
–
–

Someone at work or school,
A neighbor or friend,
A relative or family member,
Any other person you have met or known?”

Ask if necessary: Did any incidents of this type happen to you?

SQSEXUAL, “Incidents involving forced or unwanted sexual acts are often difficult to talk about.
Have you been forced or coerced to engage in unwanted sexual activity by
–
–
–

Someone you didn’t know,
A casual acquaintance, OR
Someone you know well?”

Ask if necessary: Did any incidents of this type happen to you?

SQCALLPOLICECRIME, “During the last 6 months, did you call the police to report something
that happened to YOU which you thought was a crime?”

SQNOCALLPOLICECRIME, “During the last 6 months, did anything which you thought was a
crime happen to YOU, but you did NOT report to the police?”

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NCVS-531.1 Refresher Training Workbook (8/2011)

Table 1. Personal and property crimes, 2008

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Lesson 3

NCVS-531.1 Refresher Training Workbook (8/2011)

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Lesson 3

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Lesson 3

NCVS-531.1 Refresher Training Workbook (8/2011)

Lesson 3

GUIDELINES FOR COMPLETING THE SUMMARY
SECTION OF THE NCVS CAPI INSTRUMENT
WHERE RESPONDENT WAS DURING INCIDENT: A specific description about where respondent was and what
they were doing when the incident occurred.
Examples – Respondent was at home sleeping; respondent was watching TV at home, respondent was in
restaurant; respondent was at work.
WHERE INCIDENT HAPPENED: If the incident occurred in or near the respondent’s residence, then the incident
should have an entry in Item LOCATION_IN_HOME or in Item LOCATION_NEAR_HOME. Please specify in the
summary where exactly in or near the respondent’s residence the incident occurred. If the incident happened on a
porch, specify whether the porch was an open porch or whether it was an enclosed porch.
Example – Offender stole lawn furniture from respondent’s enclosed front porch.
RESPONDENT MENTIONS A GARAGE: Specify whether the garage was attached to the house or detached from
the house. Specify how the offender entered the garage.
Examples – Offender entered attached garage through an opened door; offender entered detached garage after
breaking glass in a locked window.
CAR STOLEN/BROKEN INTO: Specifically describe where the car was parked at the time it was stolen/broken into.
Examples – Car was in parking lot at work/shopping mall; car was in the respondent’s driveway; car was in the
respondent’s attached/detached garage.
RESPONDENT WAS THREATENED: Describe specifically the nature of the threat.
Examples – Threatened to hurt the respondent; threatened to rape the respondent; threatened to kill the respondent;
threatened to burn the respondent’s house down
WEAPON PRESENT: Describe the weapon used or threatened to be used. Describe how the weapon was used or
threatened to be used.
Examples – Offender threatened to hit the respondent with a wrench; offender pointed a gun at the respondent.
PURSE OR WALLET STOLEN WHILE OUT SHOPPING OR RUNNING ERRANDS: Describe when the respondent
noticed the item was stolen.
Examples – Respondent noticed her purse was gone while at the counter paying; several hours later the respondent
discovered his wallet was missing.
PROPERTY BROKEN INTO WAS A VACATION/RENTAL HOME: How is property used, that is, exclusively as a
rental property or does the respondent stay there sometimes.
Examples – Respondent’s vacation home where they live 6 months out of the year was broken into while they were
at the sample address; while respondent was renting their vacation home to renters someone broke into it.
WHEN A POLICE OFFICER WAS THE OFFENDER (Item POLICEFINDOUT = 16): Was the victim/respondent
arrested? Did the victim/respondent press charges against the police officer? What did the police officer do? (A
description of the police officer’s actions) What did the respondent/victim do? Was any property confiscated by the
police? Was the confiscated property returned, kept as evidence, etc.? Did the police officer use, or attempt to use,
a hand gun or billy club? (Was it drawn or used) Was the police officer on or off duty?
Example – Respondent arrested for drunk driving, officer on duty cuffed and frisked respondent, respondent took no
action, no property confiscated, respondent did not press charges, no weapon used .

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NCVS-531.1 Refresher Training Workbook (8/2011)

Lesson 3

Examples of “Good” Summary Reports with Adequate Information
(

At 10 p.m . on Aug. 4, L1's drunken ex-spouse (nonhousehold m em ber) was arguing & using
abusive language while in L1's hom e/ex-spouse refused to leave & threatened to burn down the
house if L1 didn't take him back/police arrested ex-spouse/no injury to L1/lam p broken valued @
$40.

(

At 12:30 p.m . on Oct. 10, L1 (school teacher) had $10 stolen from desk drawer in classroom while
eating lunch in school cafeteria/police not notified/off. never caught/$10 not returned.

(

At 4 p.m . on Feb. 3, L2 (apt. m gr.) was shot in the arm by angry evicted tenant in L2's office/sm all
hand gun used/police notified & off. arrested/L2 hospitalized overnight.

(

At 2 a.m . on Dec. 12, off. attem pted to break into L1's hom e/no one present/security alarm scared
off. & off. ran away/dam age to door & lock valued @ $50/police notified/off. not found.

(

At 11 a.m . on May 5, L2's antique shop robbed at gunpoint by two off./$1,500 taken from shop
register/$50 taken from L2/gold necklace & purse taken from custom er/no injuries or store
dam age/ police notified/off. caught & prosecuted.

(

At 9 p.m . on July 10, off. threatened to rape L2 at gunpoint/siren from passing police car scared
off./L2 got free & ran to drug store for help/L2 bruised/police notified/off. never found.

(

At 5 p.m . on Aug. 4, off. forcibly grabbed L2/kissed L2 against L2's will/ran his hands up & down
L2's buttocks/L2 kneed off. in his groin & got away/no police report/no injuries to L2.

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NCVS-531.1 Refresher Training Workbook (8/2011)

Lesson 3

EXERCISE - Examples of “Bad” Summary Reports with Inadequate Information
For each sum m ary below, list the reasons why the sum m ary is inadequate.
;

1. There was unwanted sexual contact between off. and L2 with no injuries.

;

2. Sam was threatened by his co-worker in an office building. There were no injuries.

;

3. Rsp. sd she was shot at while walking down the street/offenders were arrested.

;

4. Rsp. was involved in a car jacking/threatened to shoot/not far from hom e/police notified.

;

5. W as on way to school/m usic com pact discs stolen/$75/no police.

;

6. Garage broken into/HH sleeping at tim e/bike stolen/no police/no injuries.

;

7. Lawnm ower stolen from prem ises/hh on vacation/no threats, attack, or injury.

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NCVS-531.1 Refresher Training Workbook (8/2011)

Lesson 3

Lesson 3 - Practice Exercise Writing Summary Reports
Instructions:

Based on the inform ation provided, write a sum m ary report for each of the crim e incidents
keeping in m ind the key points to cover and the suggested abbreviations and sym bols.

Incident #1
Roster: L1 Robert Voe
L2 Jackie Voe
At about 8:30 p.m . on Novem ber 21, Jackie was leaving the shopping m all and walking to her car in the
m all parking garage when a young m an approached her. He was carrying a knife and dem anded her
purse, shopping bags, car keys & car or he would kill her. She gave him what he asked for and ran back
to the m all to call the police and her husband, Robert. The offender drove off in her car with her purse and
shopping bags. She was not injured. The offender was caught the next day and all her belongings were
returned to her undam aged, including the contents of her purse.

Incident #2
Roster: L1 Lionel Goe
Lionel runs a unrecognizable auto repair business in the detached garage behind his hom e. Tools and car
parts were stolen seven different tim es (series of crim es) between March and May. During the last
incident, the offender broke a garage window and stole an air com pressor and two carburetors, while
Lionel was away from hom e at a party. It cost Lionel about $800 to repair the broken window and replace
the stolen property. Lionel did notify the police, but the offender was never apprehended and the stolen
property was never recovered.

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NCVS-531.1 Refresher Training Workbook (8/2011)

Lesson 3

Incident #3
Roster: L1 Kathleen Voe
L2 Betsy Voe
Betsy was riding hom e from a dance club April 17 when the driver who was a casual acquaintance
stopped the car, pushed her down, and raped her. Betsy confirm ed that the incident was forced sexual
intercourse. During the incident, she fainted. W hen she awoke, she found herself lying in a hospital bed.
She spent two nights in the hospital and then returned hom e. W hile in the hospital, the police questioned
her about the incident. The offender was apprehended, but the case hasn't gone to trial yet.

Incident #4
Roster: L1 Gregory Moe
L2 Nancy Moe
L3 Phillip Moe
On May 23 while the whole fam ily was sleeping, a group of teenagers vandalized their property by spray
painting their windows and bushes. They also stole their pet dog, Bingo. The Moe fam ily was not aware of
these crim es until they awoke the next m orning. No one attem pted to get into their hom e. Nancy called
the police and her neighbors. One of the neighbors found their dog, Bingo, in a nearby park. He appeared
to have a broken leg, which was confirm ed by the veterinarian. It cost the Moe household about $200 to
clean all the spray paint off the windows and bushes, and $130 to pay the veterinarian. The four offenders
were caught.

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NCVS-531.1 Refresher Training Workbook (8/2011)

Lesson 3

Answer Key - Writing Summary Reports
(Each summary report should be similar to the ones in this answer key and cover all pertinent
facts.)
Incident #1
8:30pm 11/21 L2 was threatened & robbed by one off. while walking to car in mall shopping
garage/off. threatened to kill L2 if L2 didn't give off. car, car keys, purse & shopping bags/off. took
car, car keys, purse & shopping bags/no injury to L2/police & L1 notified/off. caught & belongings
returned undam aged/nothing taken from purse.
Incident #2
Series of crimes (7 incidents of theft) committed against L1s unrecognizable auto repair business
in detached garage behind home/last incident-off. broke garage window & stole air compressor &
two carburetors/L1 not present/cost of repairing window & replacing stolen property was
$800/police notified/off. not caught & property not recovered.
Incident #3
4/17 L2 was raped by casual acquaintance while getting ride home from dance club/off. pushed L2
down in car & forced L2 to have sexual intercourse/during incident, L2 fainted & was taken to
hospital/police questioned L2 in hospital/L2 spent 2 nights in hospital/off. apprehended & awaiting
trial.
Incident #4
5/23 Group of teenagers spray painted windows & bushes @ home & stole dog, while HH slept
inside home/no attempted illegal entry/incident discovered next morning/L2 notified police &
neighbors/dog found with broken leg/cleanup cost $200/Vet. bill $130/all off. caught.

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NCVS-531.1 (8/2011) Refresher Training Workbook

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Lesson 4

NCVS-531.1 (8/2011) Refresher Training Workbook

Lesson 4

Contact History Instrument (CHI)
Scenario #1
It’s 2:00 p.m . and you drive by a household that you have not been able to reach to see if you can catch
som eone at hom e and get the interview. You pull up to 101 Railroad Drive. There are no cars in the
driveway. You knock on the door, but no one answers. After a few m inutes, you leave an advance letter
along with a card that has your nam e and telephone num bers (for both your hom e and cell phone) and
return to your car. In your car, you enter the contact attem pt inform ation into CHI.
CASE M ANAGEM ENT
CASE CONFIRM ATION
CTATEM PT
TIM EOFCT
PERORTEL
CTSTATUS
NCTPER
STRATEGS

Highlight 101 Railroad Drive and press F12.
Click OK.
Enter 1.
Enter 1.
Enter 1.
Enter 3.
Enter 1.
Enter 1, 3.

After pressing OK at the Case Managem ent dialog box, click on the “Contact History” tab and review your
entries. Notice that the entries you just m ade are there. Also, click on the snowflake next to the
“Strategies” colum n. You will see that both strategies, leaving an advance letter and leaving an
appointm ent card appear in the contact strategy pop-up box.
Click Close.
Contact History Instrument (CHI)
Scenario #2
It’s 7:30 pm and you are heading hom e after com pleting the last interview you had scheduled for the day.
You decide to drive by 105 Beach Road to see if anyone is hom e. You knock on the door and no one
appears to be hom e. There is a wom an working in the yard next door, who tells you, “They are not hom e,
they went on vacation. Try back in a week.” You thank her and leave a note on their door with your nam e
and telephone num bers. You go back to your car and your cell phone rings. It’s respondent Megan Moe
from 104 Ocean View Lane, which is a tim e in sam ple 3 household. The day before you left her a note
requesting an appointm ent. She has participated in the survey before, but now refuses to be interviewed
because she is busy and doesn’t have tim e to schedule an appointm ent. She doesn’t think she wants to
participate this tim e. Once you get hom e, you decide to m ake your entries in CHI for both contact
attem pts.
Start with the first one, 105 Beach Road. Rem em ber, since this is not an im m ediate contact attem pt, the
instrum ent will ask for the date and tim e of the attem pt. The com puter enters the date autom atically, so if
you are not entering the inform ation on the sam e day that you m ade the contact attem pt, you m ust change
the date m anually. For the purposes of this exercise, it is the sam e day, so at that item , press ENTER.

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NCVS-531.1 (8/2011) Refresher Training Workbook

CASE M ANAGEM ENT
CASE CONFIRM ATION
CTATEM PT
TIM EOFCT
FR_DATE
FR_TIM E
PERORTEL
CTSTATUS
NCTPER
STRATEGS

Lesson 4

Highlight 105 Beach Road and press F12.
Click OK.
Enter 1.
Enter 2.
Press Enter.
Enter 730P.
Enter 1.
Enter 2.
Enter 1, 9, and 10.
Enter 3.

After pressing OK at the Case Managem ent dialog box, click on the “Contact History” tab and review your
entries. You can see that the entries you just m ade are there. Also, click on the snowflake next to the
“Description” colum n. You can see that all three entries you m ade are there. No one was hom e, you spoke
with a neighbor, and she inform ed you that the household was on vacation.
Click Close.
The next entry you need to m ake is for the callback you received from the respondent Megan Moe at 104
Ocean View Lane. Even though you didn’t initiate the attem pt, we still want you to record it in the CHI. CHI
isn’t really set up to record these types of instances, but we still want to capture the data. Treat it as a
contact attem pt with the sam ple m em ber. In this exam ple we’re going to use the NCVS special procedure
where we enter the respondent’s line num ber at STRATOTH.
CASE M ANAGEM ENT
CASE CONFIRM ATION
CTATEM PT
TIM EOFCT
FR_DATE
FR_TIM E
PERORTEL
CTSTATUS
CTTYPE
NONINTER
RSPNDENT
STRATEGS
STRATOTH

Highlight 104 Ocean View Lane and press F12.
Click OK.
Enter 1.
Enter 2.
Press Enter.
Enter 730P.
Enter 2.
Enter 1.
Enter 3.
Enter 2, and 3.
Enter 1, 2, 5, and 9.
Enter 8, 9, 23.
Enter LN2

After pressing OK at the Case Managem ent dialog box, click on the “Contact History” tab and review your
entries. You can see the entries you just m ade are there.
Click Close.

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NCVS-531.1 (8/2011) Refresher Training Workbook

Lesson 4

Contact History Instrument (CHI)
Scenario #3

It’s 4:00 p.m . and you are doing a m onth-in-sam ple one interview. You stop by 106 Robin Street, and both
household m em bers are hom e. You com plete both Jane Voe’s and Andrew Voe’s interviews during the
visit, and m ake the entries in CHI after you com plete each interview.
CASE M ANAGEM ENT
CASE CONFIRM ATION SCREEN
CTATEM PT
TIM EOFCT
FR_DATE
FR_TIM E
PERORTEL
CTSTATUS
CTTYPE
RSPNDENT
STRATEGS
STRATOTH

Highlight 106 Robin Street and press F12.
Click OK.
Enter 1.
Enter 2.
Press Enter.
Enter 400P.
Enter 1.
Enter 1.
Enter 1.
Enter 22.
Enter 23.
Enter LN1.

Then you have to get back into the sam e case to enter the inform ation for the respondent who is line
num ber 2.
CASE M ANAGEM ENT
CASE CONFIRM ATION SCREEN
CTATEM PT
TIM EOFCT
FR_DATE
FR_TIM E
PERORTEL
CTSTATUS
CTTYPE
RSPNDENT
STRATEGS
STRATOTH

Highlight 106 Robin Street and press F12.
Click OK.
Enter 1.
Enter 2.
Press Enter.
Enter 400P.
Enter 1.
Enter 1.
Enter 1.
Enter 22.
Enter 23.
Enter LN2.

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NCVS-531.1 (8/2011) Refresher Training Workbook

Lesson 4

NCVS-Specific Person-Level CHI Procedures
Because the NCVS is a person-level survey rather than a household survey, you must keep
track of your contacts with each individual household member. In order to do this, you must
enter a line number at item STRATOTH where contact with a sample unit member has been
indicated (when response option ‘1’ is selected at item CTSTATUS). The line number entered at
STRATOTH helps in the analysis of person level CHI data. Follow the steps outlined below:
1.

When you've entered precode (1), “Contact with SAMPLE unit member” at CTSTATUS,
DO NOT select precode (22) at the STRATEGS screen. Doing so will keep you from
entering the line number of the person for whom the CHI record is being collected,
because STRATOTH will not appear. (However, you can enter precode (23) in
conjunction with precodes (1)- (21)).

2.

Always select Precode (23) “Other” at the STRATEGS screen, which asks about contact
strategies, when you've entered precode (1) to CTSTATUS. You then proceed to item
STRATOTH, which asks about “other contact strategies.”

3.

Enter the line number of the respondent for whom you are entering the CHI data in the
input field on the STRATOTH screen in the following manner: type LN and the
respondent’s line number, for example, LN7, in the “Other-specify” field. (See illustration
below.)

If there is other information you would like to share at STRATOTH please separate this
information from the line number information using a semicolon. For example, assume there is
a legitimate “other contact” strategy that you need to document for LN6. When answering CHI
for LN6, record the line number and the legitimate “other contact” strategy information in the
“Other - specify” field on the STRATOTH screen by typing “LN6; other legitimate contact
strategy” there.
You must return to the case management screen and enter the CHI again for each person
whose CHI information you wish to update.

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NCVS-531.1 (8/2011) Refresher Training Workbook

Lesson 4

An illustration of what item STRATOTH looks like if you follow this procedure correctly:

4-6

NCVS-531.1 Refresher Training Workbook (8/2011)

Lesson 5

CRIME HIERARCHY: NCVS CRIMES IN ORDER OF SERIOUSNESS
VIOLENT/PERSONAL CRIMES (to take an accurate incident report for a violent crime, the
victim must be marked “present” in the NCVS instrument)
Rape:

Forced sexual intercourse including both psychological coercion as well as physical force.
Forced sexual intercourse m eans vaginal, anal, or oral penetration by the offender(s).
This category also includes incidents where the penetration is from a foreign object such
as a bottle. Includes attem pted rapes, m ale as well as fem ale victim s and both
heterosexual and hom osexual rape. Attem pted rape includes verbal threats of rape.

Sexual
assault:

A wide range of victim izations, separate from rape or attem pted rape. These crim es
include attacks or attem pted attacks generally involving unwanted sexual contact between
victim and offender. Sexual assaults m ay or m ay not involve force and include such things
as grabbing or fondling. Sexual assault also includes verbal threats.

Robbery:

Com pleted or attem pted theft, directly from a person, of property or cash by force or
threat of force, with or without a weapon, and with or without injury.
Completed/property taken - The successful taking of property from a person by force or
threat of force, with or without a weapon, and with or without injury.
Completed with injury - The successful taking of property from a person, accom panied by
an attack, either with or without a weapon, resulting in injury.
Completed without injury - The successful taking of property from a person by force or the
threat of force, either with or without a weapon, but not resulting in injury.
Attempted to take property - The attem pt to take property from a person by force or threat
of force without success, with or without a weapon, and with or without injury.
Attempted without injury - The attem pt to take property from a person by force or the
threat of force without success, either with or without a weapon, but not resulting in injury.
Attempted with injury - The attem pt to take property from a person without success,
accom panied by an attack, either with or without a weapon, resulting in injury.

Assault:

Attack without a weapon resulting either in no injury, m inor injury (for exam ple, bruises,
black eyes, cuts, scratches, or swelling) or in undeterm ined injury requiring less than two
days of hospitalization. Also includes attem pted assault without a weapon.
W ith minor injury: An attack without a weapon resulting in such injuries as bruises, black
eyes, cuts or in undeterm ined injury requiring less than two days of hospitalization.
W ithout injury: An attem pted assault without a weapon not resulting in injury.

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NCVS-531.1 Refresher Training Workbook

Lesson 5

NON-VIOLENT/PROPERTY CRIMES
Burglary:

(also Household burglary) - Unlawful or forcible entry or attem pted entry of a residence.
This crim e usually, but not always, involves theft. The illegal entry m ay be by force, such
as breaking a window or slashing a screen, or m ay be without force by entering through
an unlocked door or an open window. As long as the person entering has no legal right to
be present in the structure a burglary has occurred. Furtherm ore, the structure need not
be the house itself for a burglary to take place; illegal entry of a garage, shed, or any other
structure on the prem ises also constitutes household burglary. If breaking and entering
occurs in a hotel or vacation residence, it is still classified as a burglary for the household
whose m em ber or m em bers were staying there at the tim e the entry occurred.
Completed burglary - A form of burglary in which a person who has no legal right to be
present in the structure successfully gains entry to a residence, by use of force, or without
force.
Forcible entry - A form of com pleted burglary in which force is used to gain entry to a
residence. Som e exam ples include breaking a window or slashing a screen.
Unlawful entry without force - A form of com pleted burglary com m itted by som eone
having no legal right to be on the prem ises, even though no force is used.
Attempted forcible entry - A form of burglary in which force is used in an attem pt to gain
entry.

Motor
vehicle theft:

Stealing or unauthorized taking of a m otor vehicle, including attem pted thefts.
Completed motor vehicle theft - The successful taking of a vehicle by an unauthorized
person.
Attempted motor vehicle theft - The unsuccessful attem pt by an unauthorized person to
take a vehicle.

Theft:

Com pleted or attem pted theft of property or cash without personal contact. Incidents
involving theft of property from within the sam ple household would classify as theft if the
offender has a legal right to be in the house (such as a m aid, delivery person, or guest). If
the offender has no legal right to be in the house, the incident would classify as a
burglary.
Completed - To successfully take without perm ission property or cash without personal
contact between the victim and offender.
Attempted - To unsuccessfully attem pt to take property or cash without personal contact.

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NCVS-531.1 Refresher Training Workbook

Lesson 5

HHMEMBERPRESENT Check Item

This check item appears if you mark “No” or “Don’t know” in Item
HHMEMBERPRESENT, which asks “Were you or any other member
of this household present when this incident occurred?” W hen the check
item appears, take a moment to verify that you marked presence
correctly. If you need to change your answer to HHMEMBERPRESENT,
click the “Close” or the “Goto” button to return to the prior question to
change the answer. If you do not need to change your answer, click
“Suppress.”

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NCVS-531.1 Refresher Training Workbook

Lesson 5

Presence - Exercise
For each incident scenario, mark whether the respondent was present or not present.
Present

Not present

______

______

1. Mary is napping in her house while offenders steal license plates from
her car, which is parked on the street in front of the house.

______

______

2. Jean falls asleep at the beach. Her cell phone is lying on the towel
next to her when an offender com es by, grabs the phone, and runs off
with it.

______

______

3. Dan goes to a restaurant and leaves his briefcase at the coat check.
W hen he goes back to retrieve it, he discovers that it has been stolen.

______

______

4. Janet’s ex-boyfriend is waiting for her outside her house when she
com es hom e from work. They get into an argum ent, which ends with
him putting his hands around her neck and choking her. He then gets
in his car and drives off.

______

______

5. Karen goes to a friend’s dorm room . W hile she is there, he sexually
assaults her.

______

______

6. Jim watches out the kitchen window as offenders break into his
detached backyard shed and steal som e tools.

______

______

7. Dave is in the kitchen of his house while offenders steal firewood from
a breezeway that is attached to the house.

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NCVS-531.1 Refresher Training Workbook (8/2011)

Lesson 6

NCVS CAPI Refresher Training 2011
Pretest Answer Key - Annotated
Section A.
1.

Household Contact and Roster

W hich of the following is the best answer to a respondent’s question, “W hy was I selected for this
survey?” (Mark only one)
G 1.

The econom ic status of this household m eets the requirem ents for the survey.

G 2.

A com puter scientifically selects people at random to be in the sam ple.

: 3.

Your address was selected to be in the sam ple, not you individually.

G 4.

The office supervisor selects the addresses that are in the sam ple.

We selected your address, not you personally. Using statistical methods, we select a
sample of addresses across the country to represent the entire population.
(NCVS-550, Page A2-30)
2.

True or False: W hen trying to gain cooperation with a respondent, it is appropriate to tell them that
the NCVS asks questions about crim e and that their interview won’t take m ore than 5-10 m inutes.
(Mark only one)
True

G

False

:

When respondents ask how long the interview will take, give them an honest answer as
to its length. The NCVS interview takes, on average, about 25 minutes to complete for
each household member, but this can vary depending on each person’s experiences
during the reference period. (NCVS-550, Page A2-22)
3.

True or False: W hen conducting a telephone interview, you m ust verify the sam ple address to
confirm that the person you are speaking to still lives at the sam ple address. (Mark only one)
True

:

False

G

One of the most important purposes of the VERADD_CP screen is to verify that you
have reached the correct sample address and make sure the household did not move
to a different address while keeping the same phone number. (NCVS-550, Page A3-11)

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NCVS-531.1 Refresher Training Workbook (8/2011)
4.

Lesson 6

For which of the following scenarios is a personal visit required? (Mark “Yes” or “No” for each item)
Yes

No

a.

:

G

The address is in sam ple for the first tim e.

b.

G

:

A sam ple address is in its fifth interview period, but it is the first tim e the case has
been assigned to you.

c.

G

:

A sam ple address is in its third interview period, but it is the first tim e respondents will
be asked the new supplem ent questions.

Yes

No

:

G

d.

A sam ple address is in its second interview period, and a new fam ily has m oved into
the house.

For the first enumeration period, a sample household is always scheduled
for a personal visit interview. Other qualifications that must exist before you can conduct
the NVCS interview in person include: the sample household has not been interviewed
in any previous enumeration period, or the sample household does not have a
telephone, or the sample household does not want to be interviewed over the
telephone, or the sample household has a privacy detector that requires the caller to
enter a personal identification number. (NCVS-550, Page A5-3)
5.

Generally, what is the m inim um age for an eligible NCVS household respondent? (Mark only one)
G 1.

12

G 2.

14

G 3.

16

: 4.

18

In most cases the household respondent must be a household member, at least 18
years of age, and knowledgeable about the household. (NCVS-550, Page C1-15)
(Exceptions to this rule are in the NCVS-550, Pages A2-11, C1-16 and C1-17)
6.

W hich of the following criteria are used to determ ine if a person on the household roster is a
m em ber of the sam ple household? (Mark “Yes” or “No” for each item)
Yes

No

a.

G

:

How long the person has been living at the sam ple address

b.

:

G

W hether the person has a usual place of residence elsewhere at the tim e of the
interview

c.

G

:

W hether the person had a usual place of residence elsewhere at any tim e in the six
m onths before the interview

:

W hether the person is related to the household respondent

d.

G

For a person to be considered a member of a sample household, he/she must be:
using the sample address as his/her usual place of residence at the time of the current
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NCVS-531.1 Refresher Training Workbook (8/2011)

Lesson 6

interview, OR staying temporarily at the sample address at the time of the current
interview and DOES NOT have a usual place of residence elsewhere. (NCVS-550,
Page C1-5)
7.

W hat is the m inim um age for a household m ember to be eligible for an NCVS interview? (Mark
only one)

: 1.

12

G 2.

14

G 3.

16

G 4.

18

Any household member of the sample address who is 12 years of age or older and
lives in the United States is eligible for the NCVS. (NCVS-550, Page A1-8)
8.

W hich of the following criteria are used to determ ine if a person qualifies as a household
respondent? (Mark “Yes” or “No” for each item)
Yes

No

a.

:

G

Age of the person

b.

:

G

Household m em bership of the person

c.

G

:

Education level of the person

d.

:

G

W hether the person is knowledgeable about the people living in the household

e.

G

:

W hether the person has been living at the address for the entire reference period

A household respondent is the household member that is selected to be the first
household member interviewed and is almost always a self-response interview. The
household respondent must be able to provide information for all persons in the sample
household, as well as for himself/herself. (NCVS-550, Page C1-15)
9.

W hich of the following are correct procedures if you attem pt a personal visit and find that the
respondents from the prior interview have m oved out and that the unit is currently vacant? (Mark
“Correct” or “Incorrect” for each item)

Correct Incorrect

a.

G

:

Attem pt to contact the previous household m em bers to conduct the interview

b.

G

:

Code the current case as Type B - Usual Residence Elsewhere

c.

G

:

Create a replacem ent household and code the new case as a Type B – Vacant

d.

:

G

Code the current case as a Type B – Vacant

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NCVS-531.1 Refresher Training Workbook (8/2011)

Lesson 6

A household is classified as a “Type B, vacant” when the unit is vacant and the
occupants have permanently left the unit and no new household has moved in.
(NCVS-550, Page A6-19)
10.

During a m onth-in-sam ple 4 interview, you contact a household that has refused to be interviewed in
previous interview periods. They tell you that they distrust the governm ent and that they still refuse
to cooperate. How do you code the case? (Mark only one)

: 1. Type A
G 2. Type B
G 3. Type C

Code refusal households as Type A. (NCVS-550, Pages A6-14 and A6-15)
11.

You contact a sam ple address that had ten household m em bers in the last interview period, m ostly
between the ages of 12 and 18. This interview period there are two new people living at the sam ple
address. These new m em bers are ages 11 and 14, began living at the sam ple address within the
last week, and have no other residence. W hich of the following is the correct procedure? (Mark only
one)
G 1. Add the 14 year old to the roster but not the 11 year old since the 11 year old is not eligible for
the NCVS.

: 2.

Add both the 11 and 14 year old to the roster since they both are living or staying at the
sam ple address at the tim e of interview.

G 3. Add neither to the roster since they have not been living at the sam ple address for the past 6
m onths.

For a person to be considered a member of a sample household, he/she must be:
using the sample address as his/her usual place of residence at the time of the current
interview, OR staying temporarily at the sample address at the time of the current
interview and DOES NOT have a usual place of residence elsewhere. (NCVS-550,
Page C1-5)
12.

For which of the following scenarios do you record a replacem ent household? (Mark “Yes” or “No”
for each item)
Yes

No

a.

G

:

The sam ple address has been condem ned due to flooding.

b.

G

:

Three of the four household m em bers m oved since the last interview period.

c.

G

:

d.

:

G

You discover, during a telephone contact attem pt, that the household has m oved
from the sam ple address.
A personal visit confirm s that a com pletely new household has m oved into the
sam ple address since the last interview.

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NCVS-531.1 Refresher Training Workbook (8/2011)

Lesson 6

A replacement household happens when there are no members of the original
household living at the address and you have verified that new respondents have
moved into the sample address. (NCVS-550, Page A3-13 and Page B2-17)
13.

For which of the following scenarios are you allowed to accept a proxy interview? (Mark “Yes” or
“No” for each item)
Yes

No

a.

G

:

b.

:

G

A m other refuses to allow you to interview her 13 year old daughter, but says that she
will answer for the daughter.

c.

:

G

A household m em ber is away on business until after the interview period. His 20 year
old son has already been interviewed and agrees to be a proxy respondent for his
father.

d.

G

:

An 18 year old household m em ber is perm anently physically incapacitated and unable
to be interviewed. His care-taker agrees to conduct the interview while the m other is
at work.

e.

G

:

A fam ily is on vacation until after the interview period, but their in-laws who live next
door are very knowledgeable about the fam ily and agree to conduct the interview.

You have interviewed all of the household m em bers, except the teenaged son who
seem s to always be working or at school when you call. His sister volunteers to
conduct a proxy interview for him .

Acceptable reasons for proxy interviews are: 1) A parent will not allow you to speak to
his/her 12 or 13 year old child to conduct the interview; 2) An eligible household
member is temporarily absent during the entire interview period, or 3) An eligible
household member is physically or mentally incapacitated during the entire interview
period. (NCVS-550, Page C1-19 and C1-20) A proxy respondent should be a
household member who is at least 18 years old, very knowledgeable about the
proxy person, and has already completed his/her own interview by self-response.
(NCVS-550, Page C1-22) (Exceptions found in NCVS-550, Page C1-22, C1-23.)

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NCVS-531.1 Refresher Training Workbook (8/2011)
Section B.
14.

Lesson 6

NCVS Screening Questions

W hich of the following are correct procedures for dealing with a respondent who is becom ing
annoyed and im patient with the screening questions (Mark “Correct” or “Incorrect” for each item)

Correct Incorrect

a.

G

:

If the respondent says he is absolutely sure that he has not been a victim of crim e in
the last 6 m onths, enter 'No' responses to all the rem aining NCVS screening
questions to m ove on with the interview.

b.

G

:

To speed up the interview and avoid a refusal, only ask the core question, that is, only
ask “W as something belonging to you stolen?“ or “W ere you attacked or threatened?”
but do not read the rest of the question, which gives exam ples of the kinds of
incidents that m ay have happened.

c.

:

G

Explain that you are required to ask each question as worded, and proceed to do so.

d.

:

G

If you are unable to ask all of the screening questions exactly as worded, code the
respondent as a noninterview.

Even if you are interrupted, read each and every subcategory in its entirety. Explain to
the respondent that NCVS procedure is to read all of the categories in order to jog the
respondent’s memory and to ensure consistent application of the screener questions
across all interviews. (NCVS-550, Page A2-35, A2-36, A2-46)
15.

W hich of the following are correct statem ents about the NCVS screening questions? (Mark “Correct”
or “Incorrect” for each item)
Correct

Incorrect

a.

:

G

The screening questions are designed to give the respondent concrete exam ples of
the kinds of crim es included in the NCVS.

b.

G

:

Reading the screening questions with only slight wording changes will not adversely
affect the quality of the data because slight wording changes will not affect which
crim es a respondent reports.

c.

:

G

Screening questions help to prom pt recall of all NCVS incidents that occurred during
the respondent’s six-m onth reference period.

The screening questions are designed to give respondents concrete examples of the
types of crimes included in the NCVS, and they help to prompt recall of all NCVS
incidents that occurred during the six-month reference period. Wording changes, even
slight ones, can affect which crimes a respondent reports, therefore negatively affecting
data quality. (NCVS-550, Pages B3-9 through B3-12)

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NCVS-531.1 Refresher Training Workbook (8/2011)
16.

Lesson 6

W hich of the following item s indicate that an incident was reported in a prior screen question? For
exam ple, if a theft was reported in the screening question SQTHEFT, what is different about the
questions asked in the rem aining screening questions? (Mark “Yes” or “No” for each item)
Yes

No

a.

G

:

The interview instruction “If unsure ask” is displayed along with the question text.

b.

G

:

There is no difference; the question is the sam e whether or not a crim e has been
previously reported.

c.

:

G

The phrase “other than any incidents already m entioned” is included in the question
text.

For remaining screen questions, the phrase “other than any incidents already
mentioned” is automatically displayed when at least one incident was reported in a
previous screen question by the current respondent. This lets the respondent know that
they do not need to report it again and helps us to avoid recording duplicate incident
reports for the same incident. (NCVS-550, Page B3-13)
17.

If the respondent reports their car was stolen when being asked the question in Item
SQATTACKW HERE, in which screening question do you record the incident? (Mark only one)
G 1. SQTHEFT

Asks if som ething belonging to the respondent was stolen.

G 2. SQMVTHEFT

Asks if a vehicle was stolen, used without perm ission, or was there a
theft or attem pted theft of parts of a m otor vehicle.

: 3. SQATTACKW HERE

Asks if the respondent was attacked, threatened, or had som ething
stolen from them )

Record incidents as a respondent reports them, regardless of whether the screening
question relates to the type of incident reported. (NCVS-550, Page B3-10)
Section C.
18.

NCVS Incident Report

At item LOCATION_GENERAL, which response would you record for the following scenario: An
offender gets into or attem pts to get into an enclosed structure on the sam e property as the
respondent’s hom e. Did this incident happen... (Mark only one).

:1
G
G
G
G
G
G
G

2
3
4
5
6
7
8

...In your hom e or lodging?
...Near your hom e or lodging?
...At, in, or near a friend’s/relative’s/neighbor’s hom e?
...At a com m ercial place?
...In a parking lot or garage?
...At school?
...In open areas, on the street, or on public transportation?
...Som ewhere else?

Enclosed structures that are on the respondent’s property but are detached from the
main structure are considered to be at the respondent’s home for the NCVS. (NCVS550, B4-19 and B4-20)
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NCVS-531.1 Refresher Training Workbook (8/2011)

19.

Lesson 6

W hich of the following are correct statem ents related to the INCIDENTDATE item ? (Mark “Correct”
or “Incorrect” for each item
Correct Incorrect

a.

:

G

W hen you report in item INCIDENTDATE that an incident occurred outside of the
current reference period, a check item appears to confirm that the incident occurred
outside the reference period.

b.

G

:

If you are filling out an incident report and the respondent rem em bers that the incident
occurred seven m onths ago, you should continue to collect the crim e incident report
and indicate that the incident occurred outside the six m onth reference period in the
incident sum m ary.

c.

:

G

If the date of an incident is outside of the reference period, no incident report is
collected.

d.

:

G

If you are filling out an incident report and the respondent realizes that the incident
was outside the reference period, you should back up to INCIDENTDATE and change
the entry to reflect the correct incident date.

(NCVS-550, Pages B4-5 and B4-6)
20.

For the following scenarios, indicate whether the respondent was present or not present while the
crim e took place: (Mark “Present” or “Not Present” for each item)
Present Not present

a.

G

:

Respondent is sleeping in her apartm ent while an offender steals tires from her
vehicle, which is in the parking lot outside her front window.

Respondent is not present; she is indoors while the incident takes place outdoors;
therefore not at the immediate scene of the crime. The fact that she is asleep makes no
difference.
Present Not present

b.

G

:

Respondent goes to a concert and hangs her coat on a rack in the lobby of the
concert hall. W hen the concert ends, she discovers that som eone has stolen her
coat.

Respondent is not present because concert hall is a public area; she is not at the
immediate scene of the crime.
c.

G

:

Respondent is inside his residence when he sees a truck pull up. A m an gets out
and rem oves lawn furniture from the yard, putting it into the back of the truck.

If the respondent watched the offender from inside the house, then the respondent was
not present during the incident because they were not at the immediate scene of the
crime. (NCVS-550, Page C3-23)
d.

:

G

Respondent has a cleaning crew in the house; he stays in his den working while
the crew cleans all the other room s. After they leave, he discovers that $200 he
usually keeps in the cookie jar in the kitchen has been stolen.

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NCVS-531.1 Refresher Training Workbook (8/2011)

Lesson 6

Respondent is present because he is at the immediate scene of the crime, even though
he was in another room.
e.

:

G

Respondent is out for the evening and com es hom e to find a burglar in his house.
As the respondent com es in the front door, the offender leaves through the back
door.

Respondent is present because he is at the immediate scene of the crime; both the
offender and the victim were in the house at the same time.
f.

:

G

Respondent is inside her residence; offender tries to break through the door on
the attached garage.

Respondent is present because garage is attached; therefore considered to be at the
immediate scene of the crime.
g.

G

:

Respondent is inside his residence while offender is trying to break into detached
garage.

Respondent is not present because garage is detached, therefore not considered to be
at the immediate scene of the crime.
h.

G

:

Respondent is inside his residence while offender is trying to steal the
respondent’s car, which is parked in the driveway of the residence.

Respondent is not present; he is indoors while the incident takes place outdoors.
i

:

G

During a party at the respondent’s hom e, the respondent is in his fam ily room
while a party guest steals m oney from the bedroom dresser.

Respondent is present because respondent was at the immediate scene of the crime
(that is, inside the same structure).
Present Not present

j.

G

:

The respondent looks out her kitchen window and sees som eone steal her son’s
bicycle from the backyard.

Respondent is not present; she is indoors while the incident takes place outdoors and
therefore not at the immediate scene of the crime. The fact that she can look out the
window and witness the incident makes no difference.
k.

:

G

The respondent was taking a nap in an upstairs bedroom when som eone stole
the lawnm ower from the attached garage.

Respondent is present because respondent was at the immediate scene of the crime
(that is, inside the same structure). Respondent’s being asleep makes no difference.
l.

:

G

The respondent looks out his living room window and sees a stranger steal a
package from his m ailbox. The respondent goes outside and yells at the stranger
to stop, but the offender flees.
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NCVS-531.1 Refresher Training Workbook (8/2011)

Lesson 6

If the respondent went outside during the incident and the offender flees because the
respondent attempted to intervene, then the respondent was present during the
incident. Victim and offender were both at the immediate scene of the crime before the
offender fled. (NCVS-550, Page C3-22)
In general, a respondent is “present” during an incident if they 1) were at the immediate
scene of the crime during the incident, and 2) was in a place that was reachable by the
offender, so that the offender could have or did attack, threaten to attack, or steal
something directly from the household member. (NCVS-550, Pages C3-19 through C325)
21.

W hich of the following are correct procedures when writing a sum m ary report for a crim e incident?
(Mark “Correct” or “Incorrect” for each item)
Correct Incorrect

a.

:

G

Sum m arize all pertinent facts involving the reported crim e incident.

b.

:

G

Add details that were not included in the incident report item s, if necessary, to
create a clear picture of the incident.

c.

G

:

Use respondent first nam es, if necessary, to avoid confusion.

d.

:

G

Use respondent line num bers to identify respondents in the sum m ary report.

e.

G

:

Include identifying inform ation about the household, such as address or
telephone num ber.

When writing summary reports, summarize all pertinent facts, add clarifying details that
were not included in the incident report items, and use only line numbers to identify
household members. Never use names, addresses, or telephone numbers in the
incident summary. (NCVS-550, Pages B4-282 through B4-288)
Section D. SERIES OF INCIDENTS
22.

True or False: Classifying six or m ore sim ilar incidents as a “series “ should be done only as a last
resort. (Mark only one)
True

False

:

G

Classifying six or more similar incidents as a “series” should be done only as a last
resort, since the NCVS will be losing detailed information for all but the most recent
incident. (NCVS-550, Page C3-4)

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NCVS-531.1 Refresher Training Workbook (8/2011)
23.

Lesson 6

W hich of the following are correct statem ents about com pleting one incident report for a series of
incidents? (Mark “Correct” or “Incorrect” for each item)
Correct Incorrect

a.

G

:

Any num ber of separate incidents can be reported as a series of incidents

b.

:

G

All incidents m ust occur during the respondent’s 6-m onth reference period

c.

:

G

All incidents m ust have been reported in the sam e screen item .

d.

G

:

The incidents do not have to be sim ilar in nature

e.

:

G

Com plete one incident report for a series of incidents if the respondent cannot
provide enough detail to com plete an incident report for each incident

A series of crimes consists of six or more separate incidents that all occurred during the
six-month reference period, were all reported in the same screener question, are all
similar in nature, and cannot be described separately in enough detail so that you can
complete most items in the incident report section of the instrument. (NCVS-550, Page
C3-4)

Section E. UNDUPLICATION OF INCIDENTS
24.

The following incidents occurred within the reference period. W hich of the incidents are
considered duplicate incidents? (Mark “Yes” or “No” for each item)
Yes No

a.

G

:

Two bikes were stolen from the household respondent during the reference period. One
bike was stolen in May and one bike was stolen in August. Are these duplicate incidents?

These are not duplicate incidents because they happened at two different times.
Although similar in that the same item was stolen, this is not the same incident, so they
are not duplicates. Fill one incident report for each incident. (NCVS-550, Pages C1-26
through C1-28)
b.

:

G

The household respondent reports an attem pted break-in at the sam ple household last
m onth. In her interview, the household respondent’s wife reports the sam e attem pted
break-in of the sam ple address last m onth. Are these duplicate incidents?

These are duplicate incidents because no household member was threatened,
attacked, or personally victimized during the incident, and the incident has already been
reported by the household respondent. We only want to keep one incident report for
each property crime where no household member was personally victimized. Keep only
one incident report. (NCVS-550, Pages C1-26 through C1-28)

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NCVS-531.1 Refresher Training Workbook (8/2011)

Lesson 6

Yes No

G

c.

:

A husband and wife both report that last week, as they were leaving a m ovie theater, an
offender threatened to shoot them if the wife didn’t hand over her purse and the husband
didn’t hand over his wallet. Are these duplicate incidents?

These are not duplicate incidents because both household members were threatened,
attacked, or personally victimized during the incident. Fill one incident report for each
incident. (NCVS-550, Pages C1-26 through C1-28)
G

d.

:

A respondent reports that her car was stolen from the parking space in front of her
residence and that later that day, she was threatened with harm at work. Are these
duplicate incidents?

These are not duplicate incidents because they happened at two different times.
(NCVS-550, Pages C1-26 through C1-28) Fill one incident report for each incident.
25.

W hich of the following are correct statem ents about unduplication? (Mark “Correct” or “Incorrect”
for each item)

Correct Incorrect

a.

:

G

Unduplication ensures that only one set of incident report questions is com pleted for each
incident or personal victim ization reported in the screen questions.

b.

:

G. Unduplication is used to avoid recording duplicate incidents that happened in a previous
enum eration period and did not happen again during the current enum eration period.

c.

G

:

The unduplication section of the instrum ent com pares each incident reported by a
respondent during the current reference period only to other incidents reported in the
sam e reference period.

d.

:

G

Unduplication is used to avoid recording the sam e household crim e (in which no
household m em bers were threatened or personally victim ized) m ore than once for the
current enum eration period.

Unduplication is an NCVS process to ensure that only one set of incident report
questions is completed for each incident or personal victimization reported in the screen
questions. This process is designed to avoid duplicate incidents that could occur when
the incident actually occurred during a previous enumeration period and did not occur
again during the current enumeration period. It is also designed to avoid duplicate
incidents when an incident was already reported by another household member during
the current enumeration period, such as a household break-in in which no household
members were threatened, attacked, or personally victimized during the crime incident.
(NCVS-550, Pages C1-26, C1-27)
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NCVS-531.1 Refresher Training Workbook (8/2011)

Lesson 6

Section F. OTHER/GENERAL
26.

For each of the following statem ents about the NCVS, indicate if the statem ent is true or false.
(Mark “True” or “False” for each item)
True False

a.

:

G

The NCVS is the only ongoing source of detailed national inform ation on the
characteristics of both the victim and the crim e in the U.S.

b.

G

:

The NCVS is sponsored by the Federal Bureau of Investigation

(NCVS-550, Page A1-2)
c.

:

G

The purpose of the NCVS is to collect inform ation from victim s of nonfatal violent and
property crim es, reported and not reported to the police, against persons age 12 or older.

(NCVS-550, Pages C2-3 through C2-5)
d.

:

G

The NCVS is the only ongoing source of detailed national inform ation on crim es that are
not reported to police in the U.S.

(NCVS-550, Page A1-4)
e.

G

:

The NCVS produces national statistics on hom icides.

(NCVS-550, Pages C2-3 through C2-5)
27.

W hich of the following are correct statem ents about the Contact History Instrum ent (CHI)? (Mark
“Correct” or “Incorrect” for each item)
Correct Incorrect

a.

:

G

The NCVS has special CHI procedures which instruct you to record the line num ber of the
respondent in the STRATOTH screen when you m ake contact with a sam ple unit m em ber
listed on the household roster.

b.

G

:

You cannot see CHI data from previous interview periods.

c.

G

:

Only record inform ation in CHI only when you establish contact and have a personal
interaction with a household m em ber.

You must follow special NCVS CHI procedures for collecting contact information for
each individual household member. CHI data are sent back each month, allowing the
current FR to see how easy or difficult it was to conduct the interview in previous
interview periods. Each time you attempt to make contact or make contact with a
household, enter information into the CHI. (NCVS-550, Page D1-19)

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NCVS-531.1 Refresher Training Workbook (8/2011)
28.

Lesson 6

True or False: The quality of data collected from sufficient partial interviews is just as good as
fully com pleted interviews. (Mark only one)
True
G

False
G

The correct answer is “False.” For any survey, the data from a completed interview is
better than data from a partial interview. More complete interviews make survey data
more complete and therefore, more accurate. (This item does not count toward test
score.)
29.

True or False: In your opinion, do you get m ore reliable crim e incident inform ation if you interview
each household m em ber privately? (Mark only one)
True
G

False
G

The correct answer is “True.” Research has shown that you get more complete and
reliable information if you interview respondents in private. (This item does not count
toward test score.)
30.

W hich of the following statem ents do you m ost agree with? (Mark only one)
G 1.

Achieving the highest possible response rate is more important than collecting quality
data

G 2.

Achieving the highest possible response rate is equally as important as collecting quality
data

G 3.

Achieving the highest possible response rate is less important than collecting quality
data

The correct answer is 2, “Achieving the highest possible response rate is equally as
important as collecting quality data.” We want you to keep total survey quality in mind
as you complete your monthly assignments. (This item does not count toward test
score.)

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NCVS-531.1 Refresher Training Workbook

Lesson 8

NCVS Data Quality Indicators
1. Quick Screener Time Indicator Report (Pace of NCVS Screener Questions) – This
indicator identifies all FRs that do not meet the minimum established time for asking the series
of household respondent or individual respondent screener questions. The minimum time to ask
the screener questions was determined by completely asking each screener question as
worded. To account for the fact that household respondents are asked ten screener questions
while individual respondents are asked seven, we identify whether the person interviewed was
the household respondent and compare their actual screener times to the correct screener time
threshold.
2. Household Response Rate Indicator Report – This indicator report measures the success
that the FR has had in gaining household cooperation and getting complete interviews for the
cases assigned during each NCVS data collection period. This indicator report measures the
response rate that each FR attains for the entire workload of assigned NCVS cases each
month. Survey response rates are a performance measure that should be well understood both
in terms of importance and in terms of many strategies and approaches to attain and sustain
high levels of survey response.
FRs are regularly provided feedback on their response rates and annually rated upon their
response rate performance for the survey to which they are assigned. For each survey
including NCVS each Regional Office has established 5-tier response rate performance
standards which are used to measure FR response rate performance. For the NCVS response
rate quality indicator, the upper response rate percentage for each Regional Office's Level 2
NCVS response rate standard will be used as the indicator threshold.
3. Type Z Non-Response Rate Indicator Report – This indicator measures the success
(NCVS Type Z rate) that the FR has had in gaining cooperation and getting complete interviews
for each individual respondent for each assigned NCVS case. This report will provide three
measures of the Type Z rate for each FR: 1) the Type Z rate for noninterviews of the eligible
persons, 2) the Type Z rate for noninterviews of household members in the 12 - 17 age range
and 3) the Type Z rate for noninterviews of household members in the 18 - 24 age range.
Obtaining NCVS interviews for household members in the 12 - 17 age group is particularly
essential because persons in this age group have the highest rates of crime victimization.
Indicator thresholds for the overall Type Z rate of eligible persons are under development.
4. Overnight Starts Indicator Report – This indicator identifies any person level interview that
was started between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.
5. Early Starts Indicator Report – This indicator identifies any case where a person level
interview began prior to the 1st of interview month. Opening a case to ‘look’ at it before the
interview period starts does not count as an ‘early start’ unless data are collected.

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NCVS-531.1 Refresher Training Workbook

Lesson 8

6. Quality of Crime Incident Report Indicator Report (number of changes made during the
post-data collection editing/coding incident review and referral operation) – This indicator is to
identify the total number of incident data items that changed for each incident collected by a
particular FR. There must be at least one incident data item that was changed in order for that
incident to be identified on this indicator report. This report is created when changes are made
based on the comparison between the summary and the crime incident report data items. The
number and percentage of data items changed and changes made to Location of Incident,
Presence, and Theft will be shown.
This report will be available with a lag of no less than 2 months. For example, the May 2011
report would be available in August 2011. Any delays in the closeout of the
editing/coding/referral operation would impact the availability of this report.
7. Late Starts Indicator Report – This indicator identifies any case where person interviews
were started on or after the 15th of the interview month. This report is associated with the use of
the Contact History Instrument (CHI) records.
8. Completeness of the NCVS Screener Questions Indicator Report (Excessive Don’t
Know and Refusal responses) – This indicator identifies NCVS person interviews with two or
more don’t know or refusal responses across all of the NCVS screener questions.
9. Completeness of Crime Incident Data Items Indicator Report (Excessive Don’t Know
and Refusal responses) – This indicator identifies NCVS person interviews where 50 percent
of the crime incident data items for that report are don’t know or refusal responses.
10. Quick Crime Incident Report Time Indicator Report (Pace of Crime Incident Report) –
This indicator identifies all incident reports that do not meet the minimum established time for
asking crime incident questions for each general type of crime.
11. No CHI Records Indicator Report (transmitted cases with no CHI records) – This
indicator identifies transmitted cases with no associated CHI records (at FR level). FRs are
instructed to complete CHI for each contact they attempt.
12. CHI Special Procedures Noncompliance Indicator Report (CHI records where contact
was established with a sample unit member and the special NCVS CHI procedures are
not followed) - This indicator identifies CHI records where contact was established with a
sample unit member and the special NCVS CHI procedures are not followed.

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