The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) collects analyzes publishes, and disseminates statistics on the amount and type of crime committed against households and individuals in the U.S. Since 1972, the NCVS has been providing national data on personal and household victimization, both reported and not reported to police. The data collection allows the BJS to fulfill its mission of collecting, analyzing, publishing, and disseminating information on victims of crime. Together with the Federal Bureau of Investigationâs (FBI) statistics on crimes reported to law enforcement agencies, the NCVS provides an understanding of the nature of and changes in the nationâs crime problems. The BJS is specifically requesting clearance for the core NCVS from August 2018 through August 2021. The core NCVS includes the administration of the NCVS-1 (screener) and NVCS-2 (crime incident report) instruments to a nationally representative sample of persons age 12 or older living in households in the United States, including samples of persons representative of the 22 most populous states in the U.S. The core NCVS survey instrument covers nine general areas: 1) incidence of rape or sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, simple assault, personal larceny, burglary, motor vehicle theft, and other theft; 2) characteristics of these victimizations, including location, time, presence of a weapon, injury, and property/monetary loss; 3) characteristics of victims, including sex, age, race, Hispanic origin, disability, and occupation; 4) relationship between victim and offender and offender characteristics, including sex, age, race and Hispanic origin; 5) emotional impact of victimization; 6) victim self-defense and bystander intervention; 7) offender characteristics; 8) reporting to police and police response; and 9) bias- or hate-motivated victimizations. NCVS core work also includes the analysis and dissemination of data products and reports stemming from the core collection, as well as technical and methodological analyses and reports based on the sampling for, administration of, and analysis of data from the NCVS-1 and NCVS-2 instruments.
The estimated total annual hours for 2018 through 2020 (120,810) is greater than the 106,399 requested in 2015 because the NCVS sample was redesigned and increased to reflect changes in the U.S. population based on the 2010 Decennial Census and to allow for estimation for the 22 most populous states. In 2016, a redesign of the NCVS sample was necessary to account for shifts in the population. The increased sample size will allow BJS to generate three-year rolling average estimates of victimization in these 22 states with adequate precision (average RSE 10%), in addition to the regular national level estimates. Additionally, the number of responses for 2018 through 2020 properly captures the annual frequency of responses (2 per year). The currently approved burden worksheet does not properly reflect 2 interviews per respondent annually. This is corrected in this request.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.