NCJ Number
243284
Journal
Canadian Journal of Criminology and Criminal Justice Volume: 55 Issue: 2 Dated: April 2013 Pages: 239-261
Date Published
April 2013
Length
23 pages
Annotation
This study re-examined Canadian criminal incidence rates by exploring the degree to which capping affects the estimates calculated from the Canadian Victimization Survey.
Abstract
This article re-analyses official 2004 criminal incidence rates in Canada. Currently, official incidence rates are calculated using a technique known as capping, meaning that any respondent can represent a maximum of three incidents per crime type, regardless of how many incidents the individual reports. Given that research on other victimization surveys has cast doubt on the practice of capping, this research assesses the effects of capping in the Canadian Victimization Survey. Findings illustrate that there is significant cause to question the way in which official incidence rates are calculated. Specifically, this research shows that violent crime increases by 87 percent and household crime increases by 36 percent when all reported incidents are included. This pattern not only underscores the importance of understanding how incidence rates are produced but also suggests that capping may ignore genuine incidents because individuals who are victims of violent crimes are the most likely to be repeatedly victimized. These findings indicate numerous rates should be published, and more research needs to be conducted to understand recall in victimization surveys and determine the most accurate methods for incidence rate estimation. (Published Abstract)