Ncvs-r: Screener Cognitive Interview Youth Screener Test

NCVS-R: SCREENER COGNITIVE INTERVIEW YOUTH SCREENER TESTING PROTOCOL

Long Cues

Interleaf	Cue Length
Yes	Long

Date:_______________ Time_____ ID #:_____Interviewer Initials:_______________

1. Introduction

Thank you for taking the time to help us out today. The session will take approximately an hour and a half. I’ll give you a little background about what we’ll be doing today.

Westat is working on this project for the Bureau of Justice Statistics, which is part of the U.S. Department of Justice. We are interested in how people think about different experiences that may happen to them to help us test questions that may be used on the National Crime Victimization Survey. The NCVS is administered every year nationwide and collects information on victimization. Anyone age 12 or older is eligible to be selected for this national survey.

Today, I’ll ask you a series of questions being considered for the NCVS. I’d like you to pretend that I am interviewing you in your home. After you answer all of the questions, we will talk about the answers you gave.

This is a research project and your participation is voluntary. You can skip any question and you can stop at any point. We would very much appreciate your permission to audio record this conversation. The audio recording will be used for note-taking purposes only and may be listened to by the project or the BJS staff. It will be destroyed when the project is over. When we are finished, we will give you 40 dollars in gratitude for your assistance. We are interested in everything you have to say and we encourage you to speak openly about the questions and your answers.

2. Consent Process

Hand the ASSENT form to participant, answer any questions, and obtain ASSENT before continuing. This form contains all of the things I just told you about your rights in this interview. Please read it over and if you are willing to take part in the study, I will sign both copies.

[Start recorder and get oral permission to record.] It is [DATE AND TIME], do I have your permission to audio record this conversation? ~~~~ Thank you.

Do you have any questions before we get started?

ADMINISTER QUESTIONNAIRE. BEGIN WITH POLICE ASK-ALL ITEMS. OTHERWISE BEGIN WITH SCREENER ITEMS.

Follow-up Probes

DURING THE SESSION – STATE THE QUESTION NUMBER SO ANY OBSERVERS AND THE RECORDING KNOW AT ALL TIMES WHICH QUESTION IS BEING ASKED.

IF RESPONDENT ASKS A QUESTION OR HAS A PROBLEM WITH A QUESTION AS YOU ARE ASKING IT OR AS THEY ARE ANSWERING IT, IMMEDIATELY PROBE TO UNDERSTAND THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEM.

EXAMPLE PROBES

• You seemed to have taken a long time to answer that question. Can you tell me what you were thinking about?

• What part of the question doesn’t make sense to you? Tell me more.

• Tell me more about what you thought that question was asking?

• How did you decide on your answer?

IF RESPONDENT REMEMBERS AN ADDITIONAL INCIDENT AT ANY POINT DURING THE PROBING, MAKE A NOTE IN THE PROTOCOL AND FOLLOW-UP IMMEDIATELY TO ASK:

• What made you think of that particular incident just now?

• Can you tell me more about what happened to you in that incident?

GENERAL PROBES TO ASK AFTER POLICE ITEMS:

DO NOT SPEND MORE THAN 15 MINUTES ON THESE PROBES

PQ1: Now I’d like to focus just on the first question I asked, which said:

Have you had contact with police in your area in any of the following ways during the past 6 months? Please exclude contact with guards or other security personnel who are not part of the police.

What, in your own words, is this saying?

When you think about “police in your area”, what comes to mind?

What about an SRO, or school resource officer? Were you thinking about that type of person when you answered these questions? Is that person a police officer, or some other type of security person?

What kinds of contact or interactions with police were you thinking about?

IF NEEDED: What about the phrase “in your area”, what geographic area comes to mind when you hear that?

(FOR EACH YES RESPONSE TO ITEMS A-L) Can you tell me more about what you were thinking about when you said yes to this item?

I’ve asked you about a number of ways you might have dealt with members of the local police. Can you think of any (other) way you have dealt with or gotten to know police officers or sheriff’s deputies? (IF ANY NEW WAY MENTIONED: How long ago was that? How well do you know them?)

PQ2: Then I asked you a series of items to rate the police in your area. What did you think about this series of items?

How easy or difficult was it to answer these questions?

Which police were you thinking about when you answered these questions?

(LISTEN FOR: local police, police from other local areas, only the police I’ve interacted with, etc.)

How did you decide on your answers to these questions? (LISTEN FOR: based on experiences you’ve had, what you hear in the media, other people’s experiences)

Before we move on, do you have any other feedback on this series of questions?

RETURN TO QUESTIONNAIRE TO ASK SCREENING ITEMS:

GENERAL PROBES TO ASK AFTER SCREENING ITEMS:

Now I’d like to ask you some questions about the questions I just asked.

A.1 First, what did you think about this series of questions I asked you?

A.2 I am interested in both what worked well and what didn’t work well with the questions.

• What did you like about the questions?

• Was there anything you didn’t like about the questions?

A.3 What time period were you thinking about as you answered the questions?

• (IF NOT 12 MONTHS) Tell me more about why you were thinking about that time period.

• How easy or difficult was it to remember what happened to you in the past 12 months?

• At the beginning, I asked you to think about something that happened to you in (Month/Year)? How helpful was that to remember what happened to you in the past 12 months?

THEFT

First I asked you if something belonging to you was stolen.

• What kinds of things get stolen from kids these days? (IF NECESSARY: If you had to guess, what would you say are the top 3 things that get stolen from kids?)

• Where do things get stolen from kids these days?

• I also asked you if anyone tried to steal anything from you. What do you think I meant by that?

• (IF YES) You said yes to (READ ITEMS). Can you tell me briefly about what happened to you?

  • (IF NEEDED) Can you tell me more about why you decided to say yes to this particular item?

  • How easy or difficult was it to remember the month and year when this/these happened?

  • (IF INTERLEAF ITEM 1_3B WAS ASKED) I also asked you if anyone had, or tried to have, sexual contact with you that you DID NOT CONSENT TO and that YOU DID NOT WANT to happen as part of this incident. What do you think this question was asking about?

    • What do you think is meant when the question said “Did not consent and did not want it to happen”?

ATTACKS

Now let’s talk about the questions I asked about if anyone attacked you or tried to attack you.

• When you hear the word “attack”, what do you think of?

• What are some different ways that people your age are attacked by others?

• In one of the questions, I asked if someone had attacked you with something that was used as a weapon, like a baseball bat, scissors, or a stick. Can you think of any other objects that someone could use as a weapon to attack a person?

• When I asked if someone “tried” to attack you, what do you think that means?

• What are some of the places where a youth might be attacked?

• (IF YES TO ANY) You said yes to (READ ITEMS). Can you tell me briefly about what happened to you?

  • (IF NEEDED) Can you tell me more about why you decided to say yes to this particular item?

  • How easy or difficult was it to remember the month and year when this happened?

  • (IF YES TO ANY INTERLEAF ITEMS, PROBE ON ANY CONFUSION NOTED DURING INTERVIEW)

• (ASK ALL) I also asked whether anyone “threatened to attack you but did not actually do it”. What do you think is meant by a “threatened attack”?

  • If someone threatened you in a text or in social media, like Snapchat or Instagram, would you say yes or no to this question?

• (ASK ALL) Then I asked you to think about any attacks by someone you know, like a boyfriend or girlfriend, someone at school, a friend, or a family member. Had you already been thinking about these types of people in the previous questions, or did this make you think of any other types of situations that happened to you? (Explain)

  • What do you think is meant by the phrase “boyfriend or girlfriend”? What’s the best language to use these days to refer to relationships between boys and girls?

SEXUAL CONTACT

Then I asked about sexual contact in the past 12 months that you DID NOT CONSENT TO and that YOU DID NOT WANT to happen.

• First of all, what do you think the phrase “sexual contact that you DID NOT CONSENT TO” means?

• What do you think is meant by “sexual contact that YOU DID NOT WANT TO HAPPEN”?

I also reminded you before I read these questions that the information you provide is confidential.

• What do you think I meant by that?

• Why do you think I said that before I read the question?

Then I asked if anyone “forcibly” touched or grabbed your private parts.

• What do you think is meant by “forcibly”?

• And when you hear “private parts”, what parts of your body does that include?

Then I asked you whether anyone had, or tried to have sexual contact with you – while you were passed out, unconscious, blacked out, asleep, or unable to consent because you were drunk or high.

• What types of situations do you think this question is asking about?

• We want to make sure this language is understandable to youth your age.

  • What do you think is meant by “passed out”?

  • How about “unconscious”?

  • “Blacked out”?

  • What about “unable to consent because you were drunk or high”?

Next, I went through and summarized all of the incidents that you had told me about. (REVIEW LIST IF NECESSARY)

• How accurate was I in summarizing what had happened to you?

• [IF ANY ADDITIONAL INCIDENTS MENTIONED IN Q8b] Can you tell me more about what happened in this incident?

  • What made you think about this incident now, at this point in the interview, rather than earlier?

• We’ve talked about a lot of different types of things today.

  • Did all of the things you told me about happen in the past 12 months?

  • is there ANYTHING else that happened to you in the past 12 months that we haven’t talked about today?

    • [IF YES] What happened?

NARRATIVE

Finally, I asked you to tell me the story of what happened to you during the incident. How did you feel about sharing the details of the incident?

If an interviewer came to your home to administer this survey, how would you feel about sharing this level of detail?

Vignettes – IF NO VICTIMIZATIONS WERE REPORTED, OR IF TIME PERMITS

Now I’d like to read you a few different situations and then will ask you some questions about the person in the situation. Listen carefully to the story, and if you want me to repeat anything, I will.

Here is the first situation.

T1: (Attempted theft – Q1a=NO, Q1h=YES) While Joe is at the library looking for a book, he sees someone looking through his backpack that he left on the table. As Joe walks back towards his backpack, the person quickly walks away. Nothing seems to be missing. How should Joe answer these questions?

1. These questions ask about different things that might have been stolen from Joe. This may have happened to Joe while at home, at school, or somewhere else. In the past 12 months…

Was something belonging to Joe stolen, such as things that he carries, like a cell phone, money, a wallet, purse, or backpack?

Yes

No

1h. (Besides what you’ve already told me), in the past 12 months, did anyone TRY to steal anything belonging to Joe?

1 Yes

2 No

PROBES:

• How would you describe what happened to Joe in your own words?

• Help me understand how you came up with your answers to the questions. (IF NEEDED: What part of the story led you to answer this way?)

Let’s go through one more situation.

T2: (Theft of item not on cue list – Q1B OR 1C-YES) Tia left her scooter in her driveway after school. When she goes back outside after dinner, the scooter is gone.  How should Tia answer these questions?

1. In the past 12 months…

Was something belonging to Tia stolen, such as things that she carries, like a cell phone, money, a wallet, purse, or backpack?	Yes	No
Was anything stolen from her porch, lawn, garage, or other part of her property, such as a bicycle?	Yes	No
Were any other things that belong to Tia stolen in the past 12 months?	Yes	No

PROBES:

• How would you describe what happened to Tia in your own words?

• Help me understand how you came up with your answers to the questions. (IF NEEDED: What part of the story led you to answer this way?)

Now I’d like to read you a few different situations, and then will ask you some questions about the person in the situation.

A1: (Verbal threat – Q2A-E=NO, Q2F=YES, Q2G=1) Lucilla gets into an argument with a boy in the cafeteria at school. The boy tells Lucilla that he is going to come after her and she better watch out. How should Lucilla answer these question?

2. In the past 12 months…

Has anyone attacked or tried to attack Lucilla with a weapon, for instance, a gun or knife?	Yes	No
Has anyone attacked or tried to attack her with something else that was used as a weapon, like a baseball bat, scissors, or a stick?	Yes	No
Has anyone attacked or tried to attack her by throwing something at her, such as a rock or bottle?	Yes	No
Has anyone attacked or tried to attack her by slapping, grabbing, kicking, punching, or choking her?	Yes	No
Has anyone attacked, tried to attack, or used force against Lucilla in any other way in the past 12 months? Please mention it even if you are not certain it was a crime.	Yes	No

2f. In the past 12 months, did anyone THREATEN to attack Lucilla, but not actually do it?

Yes - CONTINUE

No – SKIP TO 2h

2g. (IF YES TO 2f) How was Lucilla threatened? Was it face-to-face, by phone or text, or online?

1 Face-to-face

2 By phone or text

3 Online

4 Some other way (e.g., by mail, to a third party)

PROBES:

• How would you describe what happened to Lucilla in your own words?

• Help me understand how you came up with your answers to the questions. (IF NEEDED: What part of the story led you to answer this way?)

Let’s go through one more situation.

A2: (Attempted attack – Q2D=YES) Langston is riding the school bus home, and a student on the bus throws a punch at him. Langston ducks out of the way, and doesn’t get hit or hurt. How should Langston answer these questions?

2. In the past 12 months…

Has anyone attacked or tried to attack Langston with a weapon, for instance, a gun or knife?	Yes	No
Has anyone attacked or tried to attack him with something else that was used as a weapon, like a baseball bat, scissors, or a stick?	Yes	No
Has anyone attacked or tried to attack him by throwing something at him, such as a rock or bottle?	Yes	No
Has anyone attacked or tried to attack him by slapping, grabbing, kicking, punching, or choking him?	Yes	No
Has anyone attacked, tried to attack, or used force against Langston in any other way in the past 12 months? Please mention it even if you are not certain it was a crime.	Yes	No

2f. In the past 12 months, did anyone THREATEN to attack Langston, but not actually do it?

Yes - CONTINUE

No – SKIP TO 2h

2g. (IF YES TO 2f) How was Langston threatened? Was it face-to-face, by phone or text, or online?

1 Face-to-face

2 By phone or text

3 Online

4 Some other way (e.g., by mail, to a third party)

PROBES:

• How would you describe what happened to Langston in your own words?

• Help me understand how you came up with your answers to the questions. (IF NEEDED: What part of the story led you to answer this way?)

Closing and Incentive

Those are all the questions I have for you. Is there anything we haven't discussed that you would like to mention?

DISCUSS ANY RESPONDENT COMMENTS.

This interview may have brought up some sensitive issues for you. In case you would like to talk to someone after this interview, here is a list of resources that you can use.

HAND RESOURCES LIST TO RESPONDENT.

Thank you for your time.

NCVS-R Youth Protocol for Screener Testing – Long, Interleaf 18