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pdfNCVS-550
(1/2018)
National Crime
Victimization Survey
Interviewing Manual
for Field Representatives
This document does not contain any Title 13 data or other Personally Identifiable Information.
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
former Census Bureau employees.
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (1/2018)
Summary of Changes
Summary of Changes Since 8/2017 Version
Version Section Description of Change
1/2018
A2
Updates to legal citations. The U.S. Office of the Law Revision made an
editorial reclassification to the United States Code (U.S.C.) that caused the
legal citations that refer to Title 42 U.S.C. to change. Nothing has changed in
the way NCVS data is treated or handled. This change is only to the number of
the law.
The authority for BJS to collect NCVS was Title 42 U.S.C., Section 3732, which
changed to Title 34 U.S.C., Section 10132.
Confidentiality of NCVS data was protected by
42 U.S.C., Section 3789g, which changed to 34 U.S.C., Section 10231, and
42 U.S.C., Section 3735, which changed to 34 U.S.C., Section 10134.
NOTE: The date on the header of each chapter reflects the last time that chapter was updated.
Summary of Changes
i
Table of Contents
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (1/2018)
Table of Contents
PART A
The National Crime Victimization Survey and You
Chapter
1
Title
Page
An Overview of the National Crime Victimization Survey ...............A1-1
Topic
1 Purpose and Sponsor .........................................................A1-2
2 Historical Overview ..............................................................A1-5
3 Sample Design ....................................................................A1-7
4 Data Products and Their Uses.............................................A1-9
2
Conducting the National Crime Victimization Survey Interview........A2-1
Topic
1 NCVS Authorization and Introduction ..................................A2-2
2 Confidentiality ......................................................................A2-6
3 Eligible Respondents ...........................................................A2-9
4 Maintaining Respondent Rapport ........................................A2-18
5 Answering Respondents' Questions ....................................A2-23
6 General Interviewing Techniques ........................................A2-32
7 Closing the Interview and “Thank You” Letters ....................A2-46
3
General National Crime Victimization Survey Procedures ...............A3-1
Topic
1 Basic Survey Procedures ....................................................A3-2
2 Monthly Tasks .....................................................................A3-6
3 Daily Tasks..........................................................................A3-8
4 Specific Household Procedures...........................................A3-10
4
Your Job Duties and Performance Standards .................................A4-1
Topic
1
Interviewing ......................................................................A4-2
2
Group Quarters ................................................................A4-6
3
Performance Standards ....................................................A4-7
4
Field Evaluations - Observation and Reinterview ..............A4-11
Table of Contents
ii
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (1/2018)
Chapter
5
Table of Contents
Title
Page
Personal Visit vs. Telephone Interviews ..........................................A5-1
Topic
1
2
3
4
5
6
Identifying the Method of Interview ...................................A5-2
Qualifications for Using the Personal Visit Method............A5-3
Qualifications for Using the Telephone Method ................A5-8
Instructions for Conducting Telephone Interviews.............A5-10
Telephone Interviewing Skills ...........................................A5-17
Noninterviews .................................................................................A6-1
Topic
1
2
3
4
5
7
Overview of Noninterview Types and Procedures.............A6-2
Type A Noninterview Categories ......................................A6-9
Type B Noninterview Categories ......................................A6-16
Type C Noninterview Categories ......................................A6-21
Type Z Noninterview Persons ...........................................A6-25
Interviewing Materials .....................................................................A7-1
Topic
1
2
3
Description of Materials ....................................................A7-2
Materials Kept from Month to Month .................................A7-5
Materials Supplied Monthly ...............................................A7-6
Table of Contents
iii
Table of Contents
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (1/2018)
PART B
The National Crime Victimization Survey CAPI Instrument
Chapter
1
Title
Page
Overview of the NCVS Instrument ..................................................B1-1
Topic
1 Introduction .........................................................................B1-2
2 Screen Layout .....................................................................B1-5
3 Selection of Questions and Screen Content ........................B1-8
4 Methods of Making Entries ..................................................B1-12
5 Navigation and Using Function Keys ...................................B1-16
6 Partial Interviews and Callbacks ..........................................B1-20
7 CAPI Outcome Codes .........................................................B1-24
8 How to Use the Tool Bar .....................................................B1-26
2
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument ............................................B2-1
Topic
1 Introduction .........................................................................B2-2
2 Screen Layout and Instructions for START_CP...................B2-3
3 CAPI Personal Visit Interview for Household Respondent and
Individual Respondent(s) (Screen Layout and Instructions for
START_CP through INTRO_REC_CP) ...............................B2-5
4 CAPI Telephone Interview for Household Respondent and
Individual Respondent(s) (Screen Layout and Instructions for
START_CP through INTRO_REC_CP) ...............................B2-18
5 Selecting a New Household or Individual Respondent during CAPI
Personal Visit and Telephone Interviews (Screen Layout and
Instructions for NEWHHR_CP, HELLO_ALT2_CP,
HELP_OTH_CP, ALTERNATE1_CP, TOOLATE_CP, and
NEXTPERSON) ..................................................................B2-31
6 Completing Self Response and Proxy Interviews and Coding Initial
Refusals (Screen Layout and Instructions for INTERVIEWSTATUS
through INTROFORNEWRESPONDENT) ...........................B2-38
7 Verifying Sample Address, Primary Telephone Number and Mailing
Address (Screen Layout and Instructions for GETLETTER_CP
through NEWMAILGQDESCRIPTION_CP) ........................B2-51
8 Housing Unit Characteristics (Screen Layout and Instructions
for TENURE through RESTRICTEDACCESS) ....................B2-60
9 Household Roster Demographic Characteristics (Screen Layout
and Instructions for HHROSTER_FNAME through
ANY_OTHERCHNG)...........................................................B2-78
Table of Contents
iv
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (1/2018)
Chapter
3
Table of Contents
Title
Page
Middle Section of the NCVS Instrument: Introduction
And Screening Items.......................................................................B3-1
Topic
1 Introduction .........................................................................B3-2
2 Screening Questions ...........................................................B3-3
3 Screener Section Closing Screens ......................................B3-30
4 Socio-Demographic Questions ............................................B3-32
5 Informing the Household Respondent, Household Income,
Other Languages, End Screens, and Choosing the Next
Respondent to Interview ......................................................B3-59
4
Middle Section of the NCVS Instrument: Incident Report Items.......B4-1
Topic
1 Screen Layout and Instructions for Items
INCIDENTINTRO Through HAPPEN ..................................B4-2
2 Screen Layout and Instructions for Items ONEORMOREOFFENDERS
Through ANYTHINGFURTHER ..........................................B4-128
3 Screen Layout and Instructions for Items DOINGATINCIDENTTIME
Through SUMMARY ...........................................................B4-230
5
Middle Section of the NCVS Instrument: Additional Incidents,
Unduplication, and Help Screens ....................................................B5-1
Topic
1 Screen Layout and Instructions for the Additional
Incidents Items ....................................................................B5-2
2 Screen Layout and Instructions for the
Unduplication Items .............................................................B5-7
3 Help Screens and Abbreviations .........................................B5-11
6
Back Section of the NCVS Instrument.............................................B6-1
Topic
1 Introduction .........................................................................B6-2
2 Screen Layout and Instructions ..........................................B6-3
Table of Contents
v
Table of Contents
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (1/2018)
PART C
Survey Concepts
Chapter
1
Title
Page
Basic NCVS Concepts ....................................................................C1-1
Topic
1 Overview of Chapter 1 .........................................................C1-2
2 Reference Period ................................................................C1-3
3 Household Membership.......................................................C1-5
4 Reference Person ...............................................................C1-11
5 Household and Individual Respondents ..............................C1-14
6 Proxy Interview ....................................................................C1-18
7 Unduplicating/Bounding Interviews ......................................C1-24
8 Out-of-Scope Incident..........................................................C1-28
9 Overview of NCVS Process .................................................C1-29
10 Replacement Households ...................................................C1-32
2
Screening for Crimes ......................................................................C2-1
Topic
1 Overview of Chapter 2 .........................................................C2-2
2 Crimes Measured by the NCVS ...........................................C2-3
3 Threats ................................................................................C2-7
4 Recognizable/Unrecognizable Businesses ..........................C2-9
5 Ownership of Motor Vehicles ...............................................C2-16
6 Months/Years Living at Address ..........................................C2-18
7 Frequency of Household Moves ..........................................C2-21
3
Reporting Crime Incidents ...............................................................C3-1
Topic
1 Overview of Chapter 3 .........................................................C3-2
2 Series of Crimes ..................................................................C3-3
3 Right to Legally Enter Home/Lodging ..................................C3-7
4 Restricted Areas/Areas Open to the Public..........................C3-10
5 Illegal Entry (With or Without Force) ....................................C3-12
6 Presence During an Incident ...............................................C3-16
7 Weapons .............................................................................C3-22
8 Rape/Unwanted Sexual Contact..........................................C3-29
Table of Contents
vi
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (1/2018)
Chapter
3
Table of Contents
Title
Reporting Crime Incidents (Continued)
Page
Topic
9 Theft/Attempted Theft of Cash/Property ..............................C3-36
10 Value of Stolen Property/Methods Used
to Determine Value ..............................................................C3-44
11 Property Ownership .............................................................C3-47
12 Recovered Money and/or Property ......................................C3-51
13 Medical Care .......................................................................C3-55
14 Medical Expenses ...............................................................C3-57
15 Race of Offenders ...............................................................C3-59
16 Other Victimized Household Members ................................C3-62
17 Damage to Property During an Incident ...............................C3-65
18 Job/Business at Time of the Incident ...................................C3-70
19 Major Activity During Week of the Incident ..........................C3-71
20 Incident Occurred at Work Site ............................................C3-74
21 Incidents Involving a Police Officer ......................................C3-76
22 Writing Summary Reports ...................................................C3-78
23 Type of Industry and Occupation .........................................C3-85
Part D
NCVS Case Management and Contact History Instrument
Chapter
1
Title
Page
Case Management..........................................................................D1-1
Topic
1
Getting Into Case Management .........................................D1-2
2
Transmissions....................................................................D1-14
2
Person Level Contact History Instrument (pCHI) ........................D2-1
Topic
1 Overview of the pCHI ..........................................................D2-2
2 The pCHI and Case Management .......................................D2-4
3 The pCHI and Households Without a Roster .......................D2-13
4 The pCHI and Households With a Roster ............................D2-28
5 How to Code the pCHI in Specific Situations .......................D2-46
Table of Contents
vii
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part A, Chapter 1
Chapter 1
An Overview of the National Crime Victimization Survey
Table of Topics
Topic
Page
1 Purpose and Sponsor
A1-2
2 Historical Overview
A1-5
3 Sample Design
A1-7
4 Data Products and Their Uses
A1-9
An Overview of the National Crime Victimization Survey
A1-1
Part A, Chapter 1
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Topic 1. Purpose and Sponsor
Primary Purpose
The primary purpose of the National Crime Victimization
Survey (NCVS) is to get (from respondents who are 12
years of age and older) an accurate and up-to-date
measure of the amount and kinds of crime committed during
a specific six-month reference period. The NCVS also
collects detailed information about specific incidents of
criminal victimization that the respondent reports for the
six-month reference period.
Secondary Purpose
The NCVS also serves as a vehicle for obtaining
supplemental data on crime and the criminal justice system,
including:
Attitudes toward crime and police officers;
Incidents of identity theft; and
Crime incidents in our schools.
This supplemental information is collected periodically,
along with the standard NCVS data.
Importance of NCVS
The NCVS serves a variety of roles and is the only ongoing
national program that can provide information not only on
how much crime occurs and who is victimized by that crime,
but also tell us about the impact crime has on victims. The
NCVS measures crimes both reported and not reported to
police. NCVS data are important because:
Since its inception in 1972, the NCVS has provided
much of the information we now know about crime and
its impact on victims. The only other ongoing system
measuring the extent of crime in the United States is the
FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting program, or UCR, which
only measures crimes reported to police.
Survey estimates are important because they are
national in scope and based on interviews with a large
number of people about their experiences with crime
victimization. Because crime is relatively rare, a large
sample is necessary to get reliable estimates.
An Overview of the National Crime Victimization Survey
A1-2
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Survey Sponsor
Part A, Chapter 1
The survey provides information that can be, and has
been, used to support and develop programs to address
crime and its impact on victims. For example, the
survey’s estimates on violence against women and
intimate partner violence were key elements in raising
awareness of these crimes, which ultimately led to the
passage of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994.
The survey provides a platform for research into the
nature of crimes and its causes and consequences.
Survey public use data files, stripped of all identifying
information, are archived and used by researchers to
explore a variety of issues.
The NCVS is sponsored by the Bureau of Justice Statistics
(BJS), which is part of the U.S. Department of Justice. At
this time, it is the largest ongoing statistical survey
sponsored by the BJS.
The BJS is responsible for collecting, analyzing, publishing,
and disseminating statistical information on crime, its
perpetrators and victims, and the operation of justice
systems at all levels of government. The BJS is also
responsible for providing timely and accurate data about
crime and the administration of justice to the President,
Congress, other government officials, and the general
public. Respondents can send questions and comments
about the NCVS by E-mail to: askbjs@usdoj.gov.
Respondents can also write or call the following office to
obtain the most recent reports from the NCVS data:
National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS)
P.O. Box 6000
Rockville, MD 20849-6000
1-800-851-3420 or for TTY service for the hearing
impaired 1-301-240-6310.
Respondents can also access the NCJRS and the BJS
Internet sites at: www.ncjrs.gov for the NCJRS and
www.bjs.gov for the BJS.
An Overview of the National Crime Victimization Survey
A1-3
Part A, Chapter 1
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
To provide timely and reliable statistics on crime and its
impact on society, the BJS contracts with the U.S. Bureau of
the Census to conduct the NCVS, which is the main source
of information for measuring crime and assessing its impact.
NCVS vs. Police Reports
Most estimates on the amount and nature of crime are
derived from police reports. However, evidence has proven
that a significant number of crimes are never reported to the
police. Victims have cited some of the following reasons for
failing to inform the police about crimes:
Victim felt that nothing could be done.
Victim thought that the crime incident was not important
enough to report to the police.
Victim decided that the incident was too private or
personal.
Victim felt that the police would not want to be bothered
with the incident.
Police departments often lack the personnel or technical
resources necessary to record and publish the kind of
detailed data from crime victims that are required for
comprehensive criminal justice planning, evaluation, or
analysis. The Census Bureau has both the personnel and
the technical resources to conduct and supply reliable and
detailed statistics on victims of crimes reported to the police
as well as those not reported to police. Your work as an
NCVS field representative (FR) will allow us to succeed in
providing the BJS with the type of crime victimization data
that police reports cannot.
An Overview of the National Crime Victimization Survey
A1-4
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part A, Chapter 1
Topic 2. Historical Overview
How the NCVS Began
Between January 1971 and July 1972, the Census Bureau
conducted the first nationwide victimization survey as a
supplement to the already established Quarterly Household
Survey (QHS). During that period, only minor changes were
made to the survey questions in an effort to improve data
quality.
In July 1972, the National Crime Survey (NCS), as it was
called before 1991, became a separate national sample
survey as a pioneering effort. The first sponsor of the NCS
was the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration
(LEAA). This survey began when the LEAA received a
mandate set forth by Section 515b of Public Law 93-83 to
collect, evaluate, publish, and disseminate information on
the progress of law enforcement within the United States.
The NCS was intended to complement the crime
information that the FBI reports annually to law enforcement
agencies in the Uniform Crime Reports. The NCS is
designed to provide a detailed picture of crime incidents,
regardless of whether or not they were reported to the
police. This survey also provides a picture of crime victims
and crime trends as seen from the victim's perspective.
In December 1979, the NCS was transferred to the Bureau
of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice. During that
same year, the first major attempt was made to improve the
quality and utility of the NCS data.
Improving Accuracy and
Usefulness
In the mid-1970s, the National Academy of Sciences
evaluated the accuracy and usefulness of the NCS.
Although the NCS was effective in measuring crime, they
did pinpoint certain aspects of the survey that could be
improved. During 1979 to 1985, a group of experts in
criminology, survey design, and statistics conducted a
detailed study and testing of the NCS. Their findings
resulted in a survey redesign that would:
Increase reporting of crime victimization, and
Provide additional details on individual crime incidents.
An Overview of the National Crime Victimization Survey
A1-5
Part A, Chapter 1
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
The recommended changes were phased in as part of a
two-stage process--near-term and long-term. The
"near-term" changes were not substantial enough to affect
the comparability of the crime rates for previous years, and
these changes were implemented in July 1986. On the other
hand, the long-term changes have had a substantial impact
on the NCS crime rates. These long-term changes were
phased in gradually starting in 1989, and were fully
implemented by July 1993.
To achieve the redesign objectives, the following
improvements were made between 1986 and 1993:
Better "short cue" screening questions were added to
stimulate respondent recall of incidents.
More thorough descriptions of crime incidents were
added as an effort to help all respondents interpret NCS
concepts correctly.
Computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) was
introduced to improve data collection for selected
sample areas. (However, CATI interviewing was
discontinued effective July 2007.)
Specific questions about rape and sexual assaults were
added to improve measures of these crimes.
Screening questions were reworded and added to get a
better measure of domestic violence.
As part of all the redesign changes, BJS decided in late
1991 to rename the NCS to its current name, the National
Crime Victimization Survey.
In July 2006, the NCVS converted to a fully CAPI automated
environment. Other changes have been made to the NCVS
questions over the years to maintain the relevancy of the
survey. For example, new socio-demographic questions
were added in July 2016 including questions on citizenship,
sexual orientation, and gender identity among others.
An Overview of the National Crime Victimization Survey
A1-6
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part A, Chapter 1
Topic 3. Sample Design
NCVS Sample Population
and Size
Any noninstitutionalized person who is 12 years of age or
older and lives in the United States is eligible for the NCVS.
Every 6 months, over 100,000 housing units and other living
quarters, such as college dormitories and religious group
dwellings, are designated for sample.
Persons who are not included in the scope of this survey
include:
Primary Sampling Units
Crew members of merchant vessels,
Armed Forces personnel living in military barracks, and;
Institutionalized persons, such as correctional facility
inmates.
The households to be interviewed for the NCVS are
selected by scientific sampling methods from specific
sampling areas across the United States. We refer to these
sampling areas as Primary Sampling Units (PSUs).
Formation of PSUs begins with listing counties and
independent cities in the target area. For the NCVS, the
target area is the entire country. The counties are either
grouped with one or more contiguous counties to form
PSUs or are PSUs all by themselves. The groupings are
based on certain characteristics such as total land area,
current and projected population counts, large metropolitan
areas, and potential natural barriers such as rivers and
mountains. The resulting county groupings are called PSUs.
Sample Unit Selection
Each stratification PSU is made up of two different sampling
frames—Unit and Group Quarters (GQ). Sample units from
each of these sampling frames are selected for the NCVS.
For the Unit and GQ frames, sample addresses are
obtained from decennial census files.
Interviewing Pattern
NCVS uses a rotating sample. The sample consists of
seven groups for each month of enumeration. Each of these
groups stays in the sample for an initial interview and six
subsequent interviews; these six subsequent interviews are
each 6 months apart.
An Overview of the National Crime Victimization Survey
A1-7
Part A, Chapter 1
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
During the course of a 6-month period, a full sample of
seven rotation groups will be interviewed (one-seventh each
month). One rotation group enters the sample for its first
interview each month. Therefore, during one interview
month, you may have sample housing units who are getting
their first, second, third, forth, fifth, sixth, and/or seventh
NCVS interview.
Most NCVS interviews are conducted during the first 2
weeks of each month. When a household falls in sample for
the first time, the initial interview with a sample household or
at least with the household respondent is always conducted
by personal visit and used to establish a time frame to avoid
duplication of crimes during subsequent interviews.
Whenever possible, subsequent NCVS interviews are
conducted by telephone.
An Overview of the National Crime Victimization Survey
A1-8
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part A, Chapter 1
Topic 4. Data Products and Their Uses
Types of NCVS Data
Products
All data that we collect for the NCVS are tabulated in the form
of statistical summaries. No individuals who participate in this
survey can be identified from the statistical totals that are
released to the public.
Once we provide these statistical summaries to the sponsor,
the BJS, a special analysis group analyzes the data and
produce several types of publications on an annual basis.
Some of the past publications released from this survey
include:
Criminal Victimization in the United States
Changes in Criminal Victimization
Violent Victimization of College Students
The BJS routinely distributes copies of their publications to:
State and regional planning agencies,
Colleges and universities,
Commercial and industrial groups,
Citizen groups,
Professional associations,
Federal, state, city, and local police,
Courts and correctional agencies, and
Legislative bodies.
The BJS also makes selected crime victimization data
available through the Internet at the following site:
www.bjs.gov.
After the survey results have been modified to protect the
confidentiality of our respondents, NCVS public use data files
are released to the Inter-University Consortium for Political
and Social Research (ICPSR) at the University of Michigan.
The ICPSR uses a grant awarded by the BJS to release the
NCVS data in a format that makes them more accessible to
the public, criminal justice practitioners, and researchers.
An Overview of the National Crime Victimization Survey
A1-9
Part A, Chapter 1
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Who Uses the NCVS Data
and Why
Users of the NCVS data cover a wide audience of groups and
persons who are all concerned about crime and crime
prevention. These users include:
Researchers at academic, government, private, and
nonprofit research institutions;
Community groups and government agencies;
Law enforcement agencies; and
Print and broadcast media.
Researchers use the NCVS data to prepare reports, policy
recommendations, scholarly publications, testimony before
Congress, and documentation for use in courts.
Researchers also use the NCVS information to investigate:
Why certain persons are victimized more than others,
The characteristics of attempted versus actual
victimizations,
The reasons why persons do not report crime incidents to
the police, and
Victimization among juveniles, domestic violence,
gun-related crimes, multiple victimizations, and so forth.
Community groups and government agencies use the
data to develop neighborhood watch and victim assistance
and compensation programs.
The NCVS produces several facts relevant to projecting costs
of victim compensation programs. After reviewing specific
NCVS facts, it was revealed that some eligibility restrictions
for existing compensation programs were not entirely relevant
to the types of people most likely to be victimized. This was
determined by examining data on age, employment status,
and family income of victims of personal crimes, together with
findings about victim/offender relationships in these crimes.
An Overview of the National Crime Victimization Survey
A1-10
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part A, Chapter 1
Law enforcement agencies use the NCVS findings for
training purposes, and the findings can be seen in crime
prevention public service announcements and in crime
documentaries.
Law enforcement agencies in various cities also use NCVS
data to increase:
Citizen cooperation with officials in deterring and
detecting crime,
Special police strike forces to combat those crimes which
the survey indicates as being most prevalent, and
Street and park lighting programs in those areas with the
highest reported crime rates.
Print and broadcast media regularly cite NCVS findings
when reporting on a host of crime-related topics.
Some other reasons why data users want NCVS data:
Planning for public education programs, police patrol
strategies, and new communities and housing projects.
This type of planning requires knowledge of the
characteristics of victimized persons and households, as
well as when and where victimizations occur.
Conducting feasibility studies and planning programs for
the restitution and compensation to victims of crime.
These studies and programs require information on the
nature and extent of injury and loss that results from
criminal victimization.
Assessing the need for property identification programs.
These programs require information on the amount of
property recovered after burglaries and thefts.
Understanding more about the nature and extent of
biases in police data on known offenses. These studies
require knowledge of levels of nonreporting to the police,
together with information on kinds of victimization that are
disproportionately not reported to the police.
An Overview of the National Crime Victimization Survey
A1-11
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (1/2018)
Part A, Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Conducting the National Crime Victimization Survey Interview
Table of Topics
Topic
Page
1 NCVS Authorization and
Introduction
A2-2
2 Confidentiality
A2-6
3 Eligible Respondents
A2-9
4 Maintaining Respondent Rapport
A2-18
5 Answering Respondents' Questions
A2-23
6 General Interviewing Techniques
A2-32
7 Closing the Interview and
"Thank You" Letters
A2-46
Conducting the National Crime Victimization Survey Interview
A2-1
Part A, Chapter 2
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (1/2018)
Topic 1. NCVS Authorization and Introduction
NCVS Authorization
Currently, the BJS is authorized to collect statistics on
victimizations through Title 34, United States Code, Section
10132 of the Justice Systems Improvement Act of 1979.
Although this law authorizes the BJS to collect victimization
information, it does not make respondent participation
mandatory.
The Census Bureau is authorized to collect this data under
Title 13, United States Code, Section 8. Title 13 Section 9
also requires that all information collected from respondents
be kept confidential, so that individual respondents or
households cannot be identified from the survey results.
(See Topic 2 of this chapter for more details about
confidentiality.)
Why We Use Introductory
Letters
The NCVS uses two different introductory letters to comply
with the provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974. This Privacy
Act requires that all Federal agencies provide specific facts
to anyone from whom they plan to collect personal
information. These facts include:
The legal authority for collecting the information;
The principal purposes for collecting the information;
The various uses for the data after it is collected; and
The mandatory or voluntary nature of the survey and
penalties, if any, for not providing information.
One introductory letter, the NCVS-572(L), is mailed to a
household just before it comes into sample for the first
enumeration period. The other introductory letter, the NCVS573(L), is mailed before each subsequent enumeration
period.
In addition to complying with the Privacy Act of 1974, both
letters prepare the household for your visit or telephone call
and provide the household with your regional office contact
information.
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How To Use Introductory
Letters
Part A, Chapter 2
The National Processing Center is responsible for mailing
out introductory letters to sample households for the current
interview period. Your assignment materials will also
include copies of both introductory letters in case you need
to hand them out during personal visit interviews.
Since the first interview with a household respondent must
be conducted in person, ask the household respondent, at
the end of your introduction, whether or not he/she received
the NCVS introductory letter. (This is done automatically in
the instrument at GETLETTER_CP.) If the household
respondent states that he/she did not receive it or doesn't
recall seeing it, hand the respondent a copy of the NCVS572(L). As you hand the letter to the respondent, say
something similar to: “I would like you to have this letter
which introduces this survey and the purpose of my visit.”
Allow the respondent time to read the letter before
beginning the interview.
In most cases, when conducting an NCVS interview by
telephone, it is not necessary to mention the introductory
letter. However, there are a few instances when you would
need to ask about the introductory letter or provide the
Privacy Act information to households. These exceptions
include households that were Type A noninterviews during
the first enumeration period, and cases where you discover
a replacement household.
You will find the Privacy Act and Paperwork Reduction Act
Information (which appears in your Information Card
Booklet (NCVS-554)) useful, even when the respondent has
received our letter and still has questions about the survey's
purpose, any penalties for not participating in the survey, or
the importance of each sample household's participation.
For example, you may say:
"The U.S. Census Bureau is conducting the National
Crime Victimization Survey for the Bureau of Justice
Statistics of the United States Department of Justice.
The survey's purpose is to provide information on the
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kinds and amount of crime committed against
households and individuals throughout the country.
Your responses will be used for statistical research.
The U.S. Census Bureau is required by law to protect
your information. The Census Bureau is not permitted
to publicly release your responses in a way that could
identify you.
This survey is authorized by Title 34, Section 10132, of
the United States Code.
Participation in this survey is voluntary and there are
no penalties for refusing to answer any questions.
However, your cooperation is extremely important to
help ensure the completeness and accuracy of this
much needed information."
Introducing Yourself and
the Survey
After making contact with a household, you must introduce
yourself. When conducting a personal visit of households
that are in sample for the first time, if you are not sure if the
person who greets you at the door is at least 18 years of
age, mention to the respondent that you need to talk to
someone who is at least 18 and knowledgeable about the
household and ask whether or not that would be the
respondent. When conducting telephone interviews with
households previously in sample, ask to speak with the
household respondent from the last interview. The NCVS
CAPI instrument provides this information for you to read at
the appropriate NCVS screens.
For cases entering the sample, or "time-in-sample 1" cases,
the first screen that appears is Item GEN_INTRO_CP,
where you identify yourself, hand the respondent an
introductory letter, and select a household respondent. You
then proceed through CAPI_INTRO_B (“Is respondent
ready to complete the interview?”), GETLETTER_CP
(which introduces the survey further and asks if the
household received the introductory letter; see below), and
VERADD_CP (for address verification; also see below).
For all other cases (second through seventh interviews,
which are interviewed by phone), once someone answers
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the telephone, introduce yourself and who you represent at
the HELLO_1_CP screen which reads:
“Hello. This is (your name) from the U.S. Census
Bureau. May I please speak with (name of last
household respondent)?” After you have determined an
eligible household respondent, explain the purpose of your
contact and verify that you contacted the correct sample
address by reading the text from the GETLETTER_CP
screen:
“Hello. I’m (your name) from the U.S. Census Bureau.
I’m calling concerning the National Crime Victimization
Survey. The Census Bureau is conducting a survey
here and throughout the nation to determine how often
people are victims of crime. We contacted your
household for this survey several months ago. Did you
receive our introductory letter in the mail?”
The instrument then prompts you to verify the household
address at VERADD_CP:
“I have your address listed as (read the sample address
from the screen). Is that your exact address?”
Verifying that you have contacted the correct address is
very important, particularly when conducting telephone
interviews, since some households continue to use the
same telephone number after moving to a new address.
(Refer to Part A, Chapter 2, page A2-31 if a respondent
says you should not be calling because their
household is listed on the national “Do Not Call”
registry.)
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Topic 2. Confidentiality
How We Define
Confidentiality
By law (Titles 13 and 34 of the United States Code), the
Census Bureau can only use survey information for
statistical research and is NOT permitted to publically
release survey responses in a way that could identify the
respondent or their household.
As an FR, you should NEVER make survey information
available to anyone except sworn Census Bureau
employees who have a work related need to know the
information. Do not permit any unauthorized persons,
even members of your own family, to see the
information that you collect.
Confidentiality and Your
Job
While working as an FR, avoid mentioning or providing
anyone (other than sworn Census Bureau employees with
a work related need to know) with any survey materials
that may link a household or person with a specific survey.
Never reveal any information collected during an interview
to an unauthorized person or allow unauthorized persons
to listen to or overhear an interview.
No One Home
When conducting personal visit interviews, if you find that
no one is home at a sample address, be very careful how
you inquire about the best time to reach someone there. If
you ask a neighbor, apartment manager, or someone else
living nearby, DO NOT mention the survey name or
attempt to describe the survey.
Here's an example of what to say:
"Hello, I am (your name) from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Here is my identification (Show ID.). I need to interview
the household at (sample address), but no one is at
home now. Do you know when I might find someone at
home?"
Nonhousehold
Member Proxy
Respondent
In the few cases where it is acceptable for you to allow a
nonhousehold member as a proxy respondent, you
cannot give the proxy respondent any information
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provided by household members in earlier interviews/
enumeration periods. This includes information on
household composition, marital status, education,
income, and any other responses.
Using an Interpreter
There may be instances when you need the assistance of
an interpreter. Perhaps the respondent speaks a language
that you don't understand or he/she is unable to speak at
all. Only use an interpreter that the respondent is willing to
accept. If the respondent objects to a particular interpreter
or you can't locate an interpreter, call your supervisor for
help in finding an acceptable interpreter.
Telephone Interviews
When conducting an interview over the telephone, do not
permit unauthorized persons, such as your family
members or neighbors, to listen to an interview.
Personal Visit
Interviews and
Interviewing in Private
For the NCVS, interview respondents in private, out of the
hearing of others whenever possible. In a survey like the
NCVS, which can cover some sensitive topics, if a
respondent is interviewed in front of other people, they
may not be fully truthful about their victimization
experiences. This can happen when interviews are
conducted in the presence of others – whether they are
household members, family, or friends. In general, you get
more accurate, complete information when you interview in
private.
You may say something to the respondent like: “Research
has shown that we get better data when we interview in
private. We would also like to ensure confidentiality for
each household member. Is there some place we can talk
away from others?”
Try to arrange private interviews, out of hearing distance of
any other person, for the NCVS. If household members sit
down together for the interview, tell them that you wish to
interview separately to ensure the confidentiality of each
respondent’s answers, and to ensure that we get the most
complete and quality data. ONLY continue to interview with
others present if the respondents refuse to be interviewed
privately or a private interview is not possible (for example,
in a small space such as a studio apartment). Even in front
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of others, you must still conduct each interview at a
conversational pace, and ask each respondent all the
screen questions in their entirety.
Reassuring Respondents
Some respondents may feel uneasy about providing the
requested information. Here are some facts that you can
give respondents concerned about confidentiality:
Before any NCVS data are released, all personal
information is removed. By law, the Census Bureau is
not permitted to publicly release survey responses in a
way that could identify the respondent or their
household.
The Census Bureau takes its confidentiality promise to
respondents very seriously. A Census Bureau
employee can be fined up to $250,000 and/or
imprisoned for up to 5 years if found guilty of an
unauthorized disclosure of individual information
provided to the Census Bureau.
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Topic 3. Eligible Respondents
Types of NCVS
Respondents
There are three types of respondents for the NCVS:
Household respondents,
Individual respondents, and
Proxy respondents.
For the NCVS, certain sets of questions within the
instrument require different respondents. There are
specific questions in the NCVS instrument that relate to the
household and are asked only once during each
enumeration period. We refer to the respondent for these
questions as the "household respondent."
All other questions for the NCVS are considered "selfresponse" questions. In other words, each household
member who is 12 years of age or older is expected to
answer for himself/herself. We refer to these respondents
as "individual respondents."
As a last resort and only under specific conditions, we will
allow another person to answer questions for a household
member. We refer to this person as a "proxy
respondent." In most cases, a proxy respondent will be
another household member. Strict rules are in place for
when to accept a proxy interview, since a proxy
respondent is more likely not to report a crime incident and
less likely to know the full details concerning reported
incidents.
Interpreters and
Signers
"Interpreters" are acceptable for respondents who cannot
read or speak English, and "Signers" are acceptable for
respondents who are deaf. However, interpreters and
signers are not considered "proxy respondents," because
they are not responding for the household member.
Interpreters are translating the NCVS questions into the
respondent's language and then translating the
respondent's answers into English for you. Signers are
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using sign language to relay the NCVS questions to the
respondent, the respondent uses sign language to answer
the questions, and then the signer tells you the
respondent's answers. Whenever you have the assistance
of an interpreter or a signer, note that fact in any interview
notes that you complete for the respondent.
Rules for Household
Respondents
Your goal for selecting a household respondent is to find
the most knowledgeable household member who is at
least 18 years of age. By most knowledgeable, we mean
the household member who is most likely to give accurate
answers to the household questions. Most often the
household respondent will be the reference person (one of
the persons who owns or rents the home). (See Part C,
Chapter 1, for more details about reference persons
and household respondents.)
First Person to
Interview
You must select and interview the household respondent
before interviewing any other household members,
regardless of whether you interview by personal visit or
telephone.
For a first enumeration period household, ask to speak
with one of the persons who owns or rents the home, as
soon as you have introduced yourself and verified that you
are at the correct address.
For a second through seventh enumeration period
household, the NCVS CAPI instrument automatically
prompts you to ask to speak with the person who was the
household respondent during the previous enumeration
period, as soon as you have introduced yourself and
verified that you have contacted the correct address. If that
person is not available, you can ask to speak to the
reference person, another household member who
owns/rents the home, or a household member who is at
least 18 years of age and knowledgeable about the
household.
Whenever you want to see the household roster for a
sample case, press the “Shift” and “F1” keys
simultaneously and the roster screen will appear, showing
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the names of all household members. You can also access
the roster by clicking on the “HH Roster” tab at the top of
the pane.
Exceptions to the Age
Requirement
There are only two instances when a household
respondent can be under 18 years of age.
When the household's reference person (one of the
person's who owns or rents the home) or the spouse of
the reference person is 17 years of age, you can select
either person as the household respondent. Because
they are MARRIED, either person qualifies as a
household respondent, even though one person is 17
years of age.
When you have a household in which ALL household
members are 17 years of age, select the most
knowledgeable household member as the household
respondent. However, if the household has at least one
17-year-old household member and the remaining
members are under 17 years of age, select the 17year-old household member as the household
respondent.
NOTE: If you encounter a household in which ALL
household members are under 17 years of age,
contact your supervisor who will discuss this
situation with HQ staff and let you know how to
handle the case.
Changing Household
Respondents
If it becomes obvious that you are interviewing a
household member who is unable to answer the household
questions, you must:
Find a more knowledgeable household respondent, or
Arrange to return to or call the household back when a
more knowledgeable respondent is available.
If you have to change household respondents, click on the
“New HHR” tab at the top left of the NCVS interview
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screen. The screen that appears, Item NEW_HHR allows
you to select a different household respondent. At
NEW_HHR, select the line number of the new household
respondent; then continue with the interview.
Rules for Individual
Respondents
After you are done interviewing the household respondent,
then you can interview each of the remaining household
members who are 12 years of age and older. We want
self-responses from each of these household members.
This may require you to make callbacks, so that you can
talk directly to each household member. For “first time in
sample” cases, you can call back other household
members, provided that the household respondent’s
interview was conducted in person.
Rules for Proxy
Respondents
To be eligible as a proxy respondent, a household member
must be:
At least 18 years of age,
Knowledgeable about the household member for whom
he/she is responding, and
A completed NCVS interview himself/herself before
providing a proxy interview.
The only time a proxy respondent can be under 18 years
of age is when the reference person or the spouse of the
reference person is under 18 or all household members
are under 18 years of age.
All proxy interviews are reviewed to determine whether
NCVS procedures were followed correctly. If not, some of
these cases could be made Type A noninterview
households. For this reason, it is very important that you
follow proper procedures for proxy interviews.
When to Accept a Proxy
Interview
One of the following circumstances must exist before you
can accept a proxy interview:
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A parent does not want you to interview his/her 12- or
13-year-old child. In this case, any knowledgeable
household member who is at least 18 years of age can
be the proxy respondent for the child.
A household member who is 12 years of age or older is
temporarily absent and will not be back to the address
until after the interview closeout date. In this case,
make sure that the person is still a household member.
Check Page 5 of the Information Card Booklet (NCVS554) if you need help determining household
membership. If the absent person is still considered a
household member, you can accept a proxy interview.
If a household member who is at least 12 years of age
is considered physically and/or mentally incapacitated,
you can accept a proxy interview. To qualify as
physically and/or mentally incapacitated, the household
member must have health and/or mental illness
problems that are continuous throughout the entire
interview period and these problems make it
impossible for the person to be interviewed.
The following problems DO NOT qualify as health or
mental illness problems:
Colds or the flu,
Drunkenness or drugs, or
Emotional problems that might be aggravated due
to some NCVS questions, such as those dealing
with sexual assaults.
When Not to Accept a
Proxy Interview
Under the following circumstances, DO NOT accept a
proxy interview:
You are unable to reach a household member at the
sample address, despite repeated attempts throughout
the interview period. For example, a high school
student who goes to school, works part time, and is
involved in several sports activities.
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In a two-person household, one of the members tells
you that she can’t take the time to answer your
questions. Instead, she wants her husband to answer
all the NCVS questions for both of them.
A household member refuses to let you interview
someone in the household who is over 13 years of age,
such as a 14-year-old son or daughter or a 90-year-old
parent.
A respondent does not understand English and you are
unable to find an acceptable interpreter, including
another household member.
If you encounter any of these situations, you must classify
the individual respondent as a Type Z Noninterview.
Remember that you can never classify a household
respondent as a Type Z Noninterview. If none of the
household members qualify as a household respondent,
then you must classify the entire household as a Type A
noninterview.
Proxy Respondents
Who Are Not
Household Members
Before you can accept a nonhousehold member as a
proxy respondent, all of the following conditions must
apply:
All household members cannot be interviewed due to
health problems or mental incompetence.
During the entire reference period, all household
members have been unable to leave home unless they
were accompanied by a caretaker who is a
nonhousehold member.
Proxy interviews are provided by the nonhousehold
member caretaker for ALL eligible household
members, including the household respondent's
interview.
The nonhousehold member caretaker must be at least
18 years of age.
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During the entire reference period, the nonhousehold
member caretaker had responsibility for the care of
each eligible household member.
The only time you are allowed to take a proxy interview for
a household respondent is when all of the conditions for a
nonhousehold member proxy respondent have been met
and the nonhousehold member is the proxy respondent for
the household respondent and all remaining eligible
household members. Otherwise, one of the eligible
household members must serve as the proxy respondent.
When Not to Use a
Nonhousehold Member
If any of the household members, who require proxy
interviews, have not been under the care of the
nonhousehold member for more than a few days during
the reference period, do not accept a proxy interview from
the nonhousehold member.
Here are a few examples of when NOT to accept a
nonhousehold member caretaker as a proxy respondent:
A nonhousehold member goes on a 2-week vacation
and is not with the household member during those 2
weeks.
The household member is in a hospital or a nursing
home or visiting with relatives for one or more months.
During that time, the nonhousehold member caretaker
is not staying with the household member.
If you are not sure whether to accept a nonhousehold
member caretaker as a proxy respondent, always check
with your supervisor before conducting the proxy interview.
Protecting the Rights of
Household Members
Make sure that a nonhousehold member caretaker is an
acceptable proxy respondent before conducting a proxy
interview. If you allow an unacceptable nonhousehold
member to be a proxy respondent, you run the risk of:
Violating the sample household's right to confidentiality,
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Violating the sample household's right to choose
whether or not to participate in the survey, and
Interviewing a proxy respondent who is not
knowledgeable enough to provide complete and
accurate information.
When accepting a nonhousehold member caretaker as a
proxy respondent, remember not to provide him/her with
any information that the household member(s) provided
during previous interviews. This includes information on
household composition, marital status, education, income,
and so on, as well as any other information previously
given by household member(s).
Procedures for Conducting
Proxy Interviews
There are specific items in the NCVS instrument that are off
path or reworded automatically when conducting a proxy
interview.
The instrument will not ask the following questions during a
proxy interview:
Sexual orientation questions (ORIENTATION_MALE or
ORIENTATION_FEMALE), nor
Gender identity questions (GENID_BIRTH,
GENID_DESCRIBE, and GENID_CONFIRM).
The instrument items that are reworded for proxy interviews
are as follows:
WHOOWNEDSTOLENPROPERTY- The answer
categories show the name of the person for whom the
proxy interview is being taken, NOT the proxy
respondent.
SEEOFFENDER through POLICE INFORMED - As
appropriate, the word “you” is replaced with either the
name of the person for whom the proxy interview is
being taken or the applicable pronoun for the proxy
person.
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POLICEFINDOUT through ANYTHINGFURTHER - For
these questions, we want the proxy respondent to
answer for himself/herself, not for the person for whom
the proxy interview is being taken. The NCVS
instrument automatically words these questions so that
they make sense when you ask them of a proxy
respondent.
DOINGATINCIDENTTIME through
TELLPOLICEHATECRIME - As appropriate, the word
“you” is replaced with either the name of the person for
whom the proxy interview is being taken or the
applicable pronoun for the proxy person.
Only accept a proxy interview as a last resort. Also, only
accept a proxy respondent who is able to answer questions
about the household member accurately and completely.
Rules for Interpreters and
Signers
Before using an interpreter or a signer, make sure that the
person is acceptable to the respondent. The interpreter or
signer can be a family member, a neighbor of the
respondent, an official interpreter or signer, or even you, if
you speak the person's language or can sign well enough.
If you have difficulty finding a suitable interpreter or signer,
contact your supervisor. NEVER accept a proxy respondent
when you cannot locate a suitable interpreter. However, you
can use a proxy respondent for a deaf respondent, when a
suitable signer is not available.
If you complete a crime report for a respondent who
required the assistance of an interpreter or signer, note in
the case level notes that an interpreter or signer was used.
Whenever you use an interpreter who is not a household
member, complete a Form 1415, Contract for Interpreter
Services. Details for completing this form are contained in
the Administrative Handbook, Form 11-55.
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Topic 4. Maintaining Respondent Rapport
Starting Off on the Right
Foot
As soon as the respondent answers the door or the
telephone, start building a harmonious relationship with
him/her. Maintaining this rapport throughout the interview
will ensure that you collect full and valid information.
As you introduce yourself and the survey, create a
comfortable atmosphere by showing sincere
understanding and interest in the respondent. If the
respondent feels comfortable, he/she will be more willing
to provide honest and full responses.
Keys to a Successful
Introduction
Creating a Good
Impression
The following key points will help you deliver a successful
introduction:
For personal visit interviews, always have the NCVS
introductory letter handy to give any respondent who
did not receive it in the mail.
Be enthusiastic and friendly. Remember that a smile
helps you open many doors.
Be prepared for any type of responses or questions
from respondents. By knowing the survey, you will be
able to handle any questions.
Knowing the NCVS well is a major key to creating a good
impression with respondents. Pay attention and play an
active role during your training sessions and make sure
that you complete all self-studies. Also, make sure to read
this manual, NCVS-550, and refer to it whenever you have
questions about the NCVS procedures.
Before you start interviewing for the NCVS, make sure that
you understand:
The purpose of the survey;
How the survey results are used;
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Being Professional,
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Part A, Chapter 2
The types of questions asked in the interview; and
How to answer respondent questions.
One of your greatest assets in creating a good impression
is to conduct interviews in a professional, friendly, and
sincere manner. Always keep in mind that you are a
representative of the United States Government. This role
requires you to take a professional approach towards your
work.
Interviewing in a professional manner does not mean that
you cannot smile or be friendly. However, showing too
much friendliness or concern about a respondent's
personal matters can cause a respondent to hold back
information or provide biased information.
Listening carefully and showing a sincere interest in what
each respondent tells you will make your interviewing
easier and more enjoyable.
Staying Neutral and
Objective
During an interview, it is important to develop an objective,
non-threatening, non-judgmental atmosphere. Don't let the
respondent see any signs of approval or disapproval after
he/she gives you information.
Be careful not to give your personal opinion either by your
words, facial expressions, or the tone of your voice. Since
some of your respondents will be victims of crime and will
be telling you personal or sensitive information about the
crime incident, you must be careful not to show any
surprise, disapproval, or sympathy. Any of these
expressions could cause the respondent to give untrue
answers or withhold information.
Staying neutral and creating an objective atmosphere
during an interview is not easy. It comes with experience.
Practice using neutral expressions and gestures, such as
"Uh-huh," "I've got that," "Yes, I see," or simply a nod of
your head. These signs will tell the respondent that you are
listening, without leading, influencing, or biasing the
information that you receive during an interview.
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Here are some reasons for not showing your reactions to
what a respondent says:
Believing in Yourself
and the NCVS
Guidelines for Gaining
Cooperation From
Respondents
Your actions, as well as your words, can help or hinder
an interview.
If you frown or shake your head, the respondent will
sense your disapproval just as clearly as if you put it
into words.
If a respondent thinks that you favor one answer more
than another, this could influence how the person
answers the question.
Before you make contact with a respondent, believe that:
You "have what it takes" to get a good NCVS interview.
The data you collect for the NCVS is important.
Each respondent is going to participate in the NCVS.
Be Positive - Approach each household expecting to
obtain an interview.
Introduce Yourself Properly - Always deliver your
introduction and be sure to include the following:
Your full name, first and last
Who you are representing (the U.S. Census Bureau,)
Show your identification badge when conducting
personal visit interviews,
Explain the nature of the survey, and
Ask whether the household received our introductory
letter.
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How Long Will This Take? - 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 the person's experiences
during the reference period. If the respondent is reluctant,
offer to start the interview and, if he/she does not have
time to finish, you can return later or call back to complete
the interview.
Know Your Survey - The better you know the survey on
which you are working, the more successful you will be.
Know the purposes of the survey and be prepared to
answer any questions about its importance. This will be
your best defense against respondent objections.
Appearance - When conducting personal visit interviews,
dress in a professional manner. The initial impression you
make can be the deciding point between whether or not
the respondent participates. Dress for the neighborhood in
which you are working. Do not overdress. A businesslike
appearance is essential.
Use Survey Aids - For personal interviews, be ready to
show respondents the appropriate survey "fact sheet,"
brochures, or local newspaper/magazine articles that make
use of the NCVS facts. This will help the respondent
understand the importance of his/her participation.
Be Flexible - Be available to complete the interview at the
respondent's convenience. Offer to contact the respondent
at a different time if the respondent cannot do the interview
when you contact him/her. Leave your name and
telephone number when you find that no one is home. Be
persistent, but do not be pushy.
It's Voluntary - A few respondents may choose not to
participate because the survey is voluntary and there are
no penalties for not participating. If this happens, explain
that the overall quality of our data could be affected when
sample persons refuse to participate. Persuade the
respondent into letting you start the interview, and explain
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that they may choose not to answer any questions they
find objectionable.
Leave the Door Open - Always maintain a pleasant and
businesslike manner, no matter how hostile the respondent
may be. This will facilitate any future contacts.
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Topic 5. Answering Respondents' Questions
Importance of Answering
Respondent Questions
Keep a good, positive attitude about the NCVS, and be
prepared to answer almost any type of respondent
question with conviction and accuracy. The Census
Bureau prides itself on having a qualified staff of FRs who
consistently receive high marks for gaining respondent
cooperation. This is impressive, considering that in recent
years the general public has become frustrated with all
forms of government. We attribute this success to the good
attitude and preparedness of our FRs.
Even though we provide sample households with basic
information about the NCVS in the introductory letter, some
respondents may still have questions to ask either before
the start of the interview or at different points during the
interview.
Types of Respondent
Questions
Item Specific Questions
The questions that respondents may ask can be divided
into two main categories:
Item specific questions and
General survey questions.
A respondent may ask you:
Why a particular question is needed,
What a particular word or phrase from a question
means, or
Who needs the information.
This manual has the information you need to answer any
such questions that respondents may ask. We do not
expect you to memorize all of the information provided in
this manual, but you do need to know where to look within
the manual for specific types of information. Refer to Part
B, Chapter 1 The National Crime Victimization Survey
Instrument, to help you answer respondents’ questions
about why we ask certain questions and who uses the
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information from specific questions. Use Part C, Chapter 1
NCVS Survey Concepts, when you need to find the
meanings of specific words or phrases as used in the
NCVS questions.
General Survey Questions
Most of the time, respondents will ask general survey
questions at the very start of the interview. Although we
cannot predict every question that a respondent may ask,
we have compiled a list of commonly asked general survey
questions with some suggested responses to help you.
A condensed list of some of the most commonly asked
questions are shown:
On the back side of both NCVS introductory letters,
AND
FAQ (General Help) Screen
In the front of your Information Card Booklet, NCVS554.
Some respondents may want to know more about the
survey before they will let you interview them. The NCVS
instrument provides answers to commonly asked questions
together with suggested answers. The answers provided
for these typical questions and comments can be useful to
you whenever a respondent starts asking questions. To
view the FAQ/general help screen, press the "Shift" and
"F2" keys simultaneously, or click on the “FAQs” tab at the
top of the information pane.
After accessing the FAQs screen, you will see a menu with
selections. Entering the appropriate menu selection will
route you to one of the following reference screens.
(Read words in all capital letters only to yourself, NOT
to respondents):
Confirm call/survey
To verify that I am calling from the Census Bureau, you
may call our toll free number:
provide your regional office number.
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When you call, please provide your name and the following
identification number: (case ID number)
READ IF NECESSARY:
To verify that the toll free number is legitimate, you may
call Directory Assistance on: 1-800-555-1212.
Wasting taxpayers’
money
The survey tells us about the amount and nature of crime
as well as crime trends and crimes not reported to the
police. It can help save taxpayer money when new
programs are developed by focusing on the people who
are most likely to be victims of crime and making crime
prevention and control programs more effective.
Why don't you ask the
policeabout crimes?
Less than half of all crimes are reported to police. The
survey is the only way we have to find out about these
crimes. We also get the details about the characteristics of
the crimes and the effects of the crime on the victim. The
survey provides much more detailed information than we
get from the police on both reported and unreported crime.
Who uses this
information?
What good is it?
The survey is widely used by policy makers at all levels of
government, crime prevention groups, people who help
crime victims, researchers in many fields, the media, as
well as others. It has sometimes been used by the
Supreme Court in making decisions. The survey informs
our users in a neutral, unbiased way to help them make
public policy.
Why so many questions
when I told you “No
crimes”?
We have studied asking fewer questions, but have found
that people sometimes don’t think of a crime until a specific
question reminds them about it. We need to ask all
respondents the same questions to guarantee the quality
of the data.
No crimes here, so go
ask somebody else.
Your participation is important whether or not you report a
crime. We cannot accurately find out the percentage of
people who experience crime, unless we get information
from both victims and non-victims.
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Survey doesn't seem to
be working, crimes still
occur.
It may not be possible to eliminate all crime, although we
want to reduce it as much as possible. The survey is also
used to develop and improve programs for assisting those
who have become crime victims.
How many times will I
be contacted?
You will probably be contacted a total of seven times over
three years. We hope that you will not become a victim of
crime during that time, but we need to keep asking the
questions to find people who do become victims. Research
has shown that by contacting the same households a
number of times we get the most accurate information.
How can I get
information regarding
BJS/NCVS?
You can find detailed results from the survey at the BJS
website at: www.bjs.gov
Many newspapers and television stations write about the
survey results when reports come out so you may see
something there too.
OMB NOTICE statement for
respondents with a serious
grievance
OMB No. 1121-0111: Approval Expires: mm/dd/yyyy
The U.S. Census Bureau is required by law to protect your
information. The Census Bureau is not permitted to
publicly release your responses in a way that could identify
you. We are conducting this survey for the Bureau of
Justice Statistics of the United States Department of
Justice under the authority of law (Title 13, United States
Code, Section 8). The Bureau of Justice Statistics is
authorized to collect this survey information by law (Title
34, United States Code, Section 10132). Federal law
protects your privacy and keeps your answers confidential
(Title 13, United States Code, Section 9 and Title 34,
United States Code, Sections 10231 and 10134). Per the
Federal Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2015, your
data are protected from cybersecurity risks through
screening of the systems that transmit your data.
This collection has been approved by the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB). The eight-digit OMB
approval number that appears on your survey letter
confirms this approval. If this number were not displayed
we could not conduct this survey.
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Send comments regarding any aspect of this survey to the
Chief, Victimization Statistics Branch, Bureau of Justice
Statistics, Washington, DC 20531.
Why does the NCVS ask
about sexual orientation
and gender identity?
Research has shown that sexual orientation and gender
identity are correlated with crime victimization. These
questions are included in the NCVS to better understated
the relationship between these characteristics and
experiences with criminal victimization. Additionally,
discrimination against persons because of their sexual
orientation and gender identity is prohibited by federal hate
crime statutes and the 2013 reauthorized Violence Against
Women Act (VAWA). Since the NCVS includes measures
of hate crime and the provision of victim services, the
inclusion of these items in the NCVS will allow researchers
to better address policy-relevant questions about
victimization and victim services.
WHAT IS MEANT BY “SEXUAL ORIENTATION?”
The direction of one’s romantic or sexual attraction to
members of the same sex, opposite sex, or both sexes.
WHAT IS MEANT BY “GENDER IDENTITY?”
A person’s internal sense of gender, that is, being male,
female, or a blend of both.
NCVS At a Glance
In addition to being listed above, a shorter list of general
survey questions and suggested answers is shown on your
NCVS Job Aid, NCVS At a Glance (NCVS-550.1). This
short job aid can also help you answer questions from
respondents. The first few pages provide information about
the survey's purpose, its sponsor, data users and uses,
length of interview, and participation requirements, along
with answers to frequently asked questions. The last few
pages contain reference information to help you with
NCVS key concepts and definitions.
Information on the first few pages is worded so that you
can read the information directly to a respondent as
needed. The last pages on key concepts and definitions
are written for you to read to yourself as needed.
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General Survey Questions and Answers
What is this survey all
about?
The National Crime Victimization Survey is conducted to
collect information on the kinds and amount of crime in the
United States.
From a sample of households throughout the United
States, we interview all household members who are at
least 12 years of age.
What information do you
get from this survey?
This survey collects information on the types and amount
of crimes committed, the characteristics of victims, and the
characteristics of offenders who have committed violent
crimes. The following types of information are also
collected for reported crimes:
When and where crimes occur,
Economic loss to the victim,
Extent of injuries suffered by the victim,
Whether the victim knew the offender or whether they
were strangers,
Whether the offender used a weapon, and
Whether the police was were notified.
Why can't you get this
information from police
records?
Based on information received in previous survey years,
we have found that over half of all crimes go unreported to
the police. Since this survey includes crimes that are both
reported and unreported, data users can get a more
complete picture of crime in the United States from this
survey.
What kind of results are
released from this survey?
Our sponsor, the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS),
releases results periodically from the National Crime
Victimization Survey, together with reports on specific
topics. By law, the BJS and the Census Bureau can only
use your responses for statistical research; they are not
permitted to publicly release your responses in a way that
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could identify you. BJS publishes statistical summaries of
the data.
Do you have any statistics
from this survey that I can
see?
For personal visit interviews-Yes. You can have this Fact Sheet, which contains
statistical graphs, charts, and figures from the National
Crime Victimization Survey. (Hand the respondent a copy
of Form NCVS-110.)
For telephone interviews-Yes. I can mail you a copy of a recent Fact Sheet showing
statistical graphs, charts, and figures from the National
Crime Victimization Survey. (Mail respondent a copy of
Form NCVS-110.)
Why, was I selected for this
survey?
Actually, we selected your address, not you personally. We
scientifically selected a sample of addresses across the
country to represent the entire population. If your
household should move away while your address is still in
the survey, we would interview the new family that moves
into the home.
I am pretty busy. How long
will this interview really
take?
We expect the interview to take about 25 minutes. Your
interview may be somewhat shorter or longer depending
on your circumstances. If you have any comments on this
survey or any recommendations for reducing its length, I
can give you an address to use.
(When asked, here is the address:)
Chief, Victimization and Statistics Branch
Bureau of Justice Statistics
Washington, DC 20531
I thought that your agency
just takes a Census every
10 years. What else does
your agency do?
Besides the decennial census, which we conduct every ten
years, we collect many different kinds of
information through other censuses and surveys. These
surveys provide current information on such
topics as housing, crime, unemployment rates, health,
manufacturing, and education.
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How many times will I be
interviewed?
You will probably be contacted a total of seven times over
three years. We hope that you will not become a victim of
crime during that time, but we need to continue asking the
questions to find people who do become victims. Research
has shown that by contacting the same households a
number of times, we are able to obtain the most accurate
information.
Is this survey authorized
by law?
Yes. We are conducting this survey for the Bureau of
Justice Statistics of the U. S. Department of Justice under
the authority of law (Title 13, United States Code, Section
8). The Bureau of Justice Statistics is authorized to collect
this survey information by law (Title 34, United States
Code, Section 10132).
Do I have to participate?
Participation is voluntary and there are no penalties for not
participating. However, it is very important that we have
your cooperation in this survey to ensure the validity and
accuracy of the survey results.
Why can't you just mail me
a questionnaire?
The survey design and the nature of the questions require
a trained person to record the information. This method of
interview is the least expensive way to obtain this
information.
How can I know for sure
that you are who you say
you are?
Besides my identification badge, I can give you a
telephone number to call so you can verify with my
supervisor that I work for the U.S. Census Bureau.
How can this survey help
to fight crime?
The results of this survey show a variety of information
about crime victims, offenders, types of crimes being
committed, and types of places where these crimes occur.
All of this information is put to good use by law
enforcement agencies, community groups, and
government agencies throughout the country to lower the
incidence of crime.
Why do you need to
interview me when I don't
have any crimes to report?
We are interested in getting information from both victims
and nonvictims. By examining the differences between
victims and nonvictims, we can try to determine why
certain individuals become victims, while others do not.
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Why waste my tax dollars
on a silly survey?
Why are you calling me
since my phone number is
listed on the “Do Not Call”
registry?
Part A, Chapter 2
We are always concerned about survey costs; however,
the National Crime Victimization Survey is the ONLY
source of information on crimes not reported to police.
Legislators and planners use this data to make informed
decisions on numerous crime-related programs. This data
is also used to:
estimate the cost of victim compensation programs;
determine the types of programs needed for elderly
crime victims; and
measure the effects that police behavior and the
criminal justice system have on crime levels.
The “Do Not Call” registry was initiated for the sole
purpose of restricting telemarketing calls and does not limit
a call made for the sole purpose of conducting a survey.
Therefore, telephone calls from the Census Bureau for
survey data collection are NOT restricted by this registry.
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Topic 6. General Interviewing Techniques
Applying General
Interviewing Techniques
In addition to creating a good impression and answering
respondent questions, we want all FRs to use the same
interviewing techniques. By following uniform techniques,
we can ensure that the final survey results are more
complete and accurate.
Pacing the Interview
Remember the following key point about pacing the NCVS
interview -- DO NOT RUSH to complete an interview under
any circumstances. Maintain a calm, unhurried manner
and ask the questions in an objective and deliberate way.
This will not only relax the respondent, but also help to
keep the respondent's attention.
When respondents sense that you are rushing through an
interview, they may withhold information thinking that it
would take too long to explain the crime incident. On the
other hand, do not let respondents waste too much time
talking about unrelated information. Try to tactfully steer
respondents back to the interview without making them
feel as if you are hurrying to finish.
An average NCVS interview will take about 25 minutes to
complete. However, the actual time required to interview all
eligible members of a sample household will vary
depending on the household's composition and crime
experiences during the reference period.
Always assume that each respondent has time to be
interviewed when you contact him/her. If the respondent
tries to rush you through the interview or tries to cut you
off, arrange to continue the interview at a more convenient
time for the respondent. Whenever possible, make every
attempt to complete at least the household respondent's
interview during your first contact for the interview period.
This will make any callbacks for remaining household
members easier.
When conducting interviews, speak as clearly and
distinctly as possible. Avoid talking too fast or too slow.
Talking too fast may give the impression that you think the
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questions are either unimportant or sensitive in nature. By
speaking in a confident voice and at a moderate pace,
respondents are more likely to stay relaxed and
responsive.
Asking Questions as
Worded
When asking NCVS questions, avoid changing the words
or omitting parts of questions. Even if the change seems
insignificant to you, it could change the way the
respondent interprets the question. We want each
respondent to interpret the NCVS questions the same way,
so the answers that we receive are comparable throughout
the entire sample.
For example:
Item BUSINESS -Does anyone in this household operate a business
from this address?
Item BUSINESS after an FR omits words -Does anyone in this household operate a business?
By rewording this question, you may get a different
response than an FR who reads the question as it appears
in the instrument. By leaving out "from this address,"
respondents could misinterpret the true intent of this
question.
Words in Black Bold
Type
When looking at item questions and answers in the NCVS
instrument, any words shown in bold type are meant for
you to read to the respondent.
Words in Blue Type
Words shown in blue text are instructions for you and are
NOT to be read to the respondent.
Words in Grey Type
Words shown in grey type are often repeats of introductory
phrases that have already been read in previous
questions. Use only if necessary.
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Phrases in Parentheses
Some of the questions contain a phrase in parentheses,
such as the question in CONTACTAUTHORITIES.
Item CONTACTAUTHORITIES -Have you (or someone in your household) had contact
with any other authorities about this incident (such as
a prosecutor, court, or juvenile officer?)
When you see a phrase in parentheses, decide whether
the text must be read to the respondent if further
clarification is needed.
Reading the Entire
Question
Most of the questions you ask to screen for crime incidents
have at least three subcategories and some have as many
as eight subcategories. This type of question may prompt
some respondents to give you an answer before you finish
reading each subcategory. We prefer that you finish
reading each subcategory before the respondent gives an
answer. Even if you are interrupted, read each and every
subcategory in its entirety.
The following technique may help you get through all the
subcategories of a screen question before getting a
respondent's answer:
1
After reading each subcategory, only pause long
enough to let the respondent know that you are about
to start reading a new subcategory. If you pause too
long, the respondent may feel that you are waiting for
an answer.
2
After reading all subcategories for a question, pause
long enough to allow the respondent to reply. If the
respondent doesn't give you an answer, then read the
question, "Did any incidents of this type happen to
you?"
3
If you get a "Yes" response, enter precode (1). Then
ask the respondent "How many times?" and enter the
number of times that the incident occurred. Then ask
the respondent, "What happened?" Based on the
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answer you receive, enter a brief description of each
reported crime incident in the space on the screen.
4
If you get a "No" response, enter precode (2). Then
continue with the next appropriate screen question.
If this technique doesn't work and a respondent either
interrupts you in the middle of reading a subcategory or
before you finish reading all the subcategories for a
question, follow these steps:
Respondent answers in the middle of reading a
subcategory-1
Stop and thank the respondent, but explain that there
is more to the question which he/she needs to hear
before giving an answer.
2
Reread the unfinished subcategory again from the
beginning.
If the respondent gives you a "No" answer after you
finish reading the entire subcategory, tell the
respondent that you need to finish reading all the
subcategories for the question.
If the respondent gives you a "Yes" answer before you
have read all subcategories, then follow the next set of
instructions.
Respondent answers "Yes" before you have read all
subcategories-1
Enter precode (1) at that screen.
2
When the “number of times” screen appears for a
specific screen question, ask the respondent "How
many times?" and enter the number of times that the
incident occurred. Then ask, "What happened?" Based
on the answer you receive, enter a brief description of
the crime incident in the space provided on the
“number of times” screen and press the "Enter" key.
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3
Next, press the “Up” arrow until you return to the
original screen question. After returning to this screen,
start by saying, "Other than any incidents already
reported..." and finish reading the remaining
subcategories for the screen question.
4
If the respondent mentions any additional crime
incidents, press the "Enter" key and you will see the
“Number of times” screen again. Correct the "Number
of times" entry and add a brief description of the
additional incident(s) mentioned.
By using these techniques, there is less chance of missing
any crime incidents, which occurred during the reference
period.
Marking All Answers That
Apply
There are several questions in the NCVS instrument that
are designed to get multiple answers. Here's an example:
Item OTHWORSE - How did they make the situation
worse? Probe: Any other way?
This item has six answer categories:
Led to injury or greater injury to respondent
Caused greater loss of property or damage to property
Other people got hurt (worse)
Offender got away
Made offender angrier, more aggressive, etc.
Other - Specify
To ensure that we get all answers that apply to this
question, you must continue asking, "Any other way?" until
the respondent answers, "No."
Asking Questions in the
Right Order
Always interview the household respondent first. Once
you have completed the household respondent's interview,
interview the remaining household members one at a
time. In most households, each individual respondent will
answer the questions for himself/ herself. Do not attempt to
interview more than one household member at the same
time.
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Once you start to interview a household member, ask the
questions as instructed on each questionnaire. A great
deal of planning and forethought has gone into designing
the NCVS, so you can get the best results from each
interview. Remember:
Carefully follow all FR instructions in the instrument.
Ask questions as they are worded without adding or
deleting words or phrases.
Do not skip a question when a respondent has already
given you the answer. In most cases, ask the question
as worded without adding or deleting words or phrases.
Verifying a respondent's previously given answer
without reading the question is only permissible for
items that have an "Ask or Verify" instruction. If you do
not see an "Ask or Verify" instruction, always ask the
question as worded in the instrument.
Do not assume that you know the answer without
asking or verifying a question.
Listening to the
Respondent
As an FR, your listening skills are of utmost importance.
Listen carefully to what each respondent has to say and
continue listening until the respondent is done giving
his/her answer. By improving your listening skills, you can
increase your chances for recording complete and
accurate information.
Here are some listening "Do's and Don'ts":
Do's:
Repeat the question as worded in a clear and distinct
voice when the respondent appears to have
misunderstood the question.
Repeat the respondent's answer when it's necessary to
check your understanding of what the respondent said.
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Then pause in hopes that the respondent will expand
and clarify his/her answer.
When a respondent mentions a crime incident, make
sure to fully capture each reported incident, even if the
respondent makes light of the situation or says that it
was not "serious."
Some screens have an FR instruction: “Ask or verify:” If the
respondent has already given you the answer to that
question, you may verify the answer rather than asking the
full question. Using active listening techniques like this
one; let the respondent know you are paying attention to
what they say and can help you build rapport.
Don'ts:
Do not tune out what a respondent says when you start
recording an answer. You may need the information to
either clarify the answer or change the way you
interpret the answer.
Do not interrupt respondents before they are finished,
even if they hesitate while giving their answer. Be
patient and allow respondents sufficient time to recall
the facts.
Also, remember that some respondents may say, "I
don't know," when they really mean, "Let me think
about it." When you experience this situation, allow the
respondent time to finish his/her statement before
repeating the question or probing in some other way.
Stay neutral and avoid showing shock or disapproval
while a respondent is answering questions.
Using Appropriate
Gestures
Your gestures, both verbal and non-verbal, need to convey
to respondents that you are conscientious, concerned, and
courteous. Poor use of gestures can portray a lack of
interest, an indifferent attitude, or even disdain.
As you speak, be mindful of the inflection of your voice, its
tone, and its volume. Also, be aware of what your eye
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contact, use of hands and arms, and facial expressions
might be saying to a respondent.
Probing When Necessary
Probing is a technique whereby you casually get the
respondent to provide an answer that meets the question's
objective. Probing is a necessary interviewing technique
because some respondents:
May not hear the question correctly because of poor
hearing or background noise;
May not understand the meaning of a word or phrase
used in the question;
May give you an answer that is too general; or
May say, "I don't know," because they are trying to:
-- Avoid the subject of the question,
-- Buy some time before giving an answer, or
-- Avoid saying that they did not understand the
question.
Probing can be done with all NCVS questions as needed
except for the sexual orientation questions
(ORIENTATION_MALE and ORIENTATION_FEMALE)
and the gender identity questions (GENID_BIRTH,
GENID_DESCRIBE, and GENID_CONFIRM). You may
repeat these questions and provide definitions of terms as
needed, but do not probe on these questions.
Understanding the
Intent of the NCVS
Questions
Before you can decide whether or not to probe, you need
to understand the intent of each question. By
understanding a question's purpose, you can better decide
when to probe and which probing technique to use.
Here is an example of what can happen when you do not
understand a question's objective:
Item LOCATION_GENERAL reads:
Did this incident happen...
In your home or lodging?
Near your home or lodging?
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At, in, or near a friend's/relative's/neighbor's
home?
At a commercial place?
In a parking lot or garage?
etc.
Respondent Answers:
In the parking garage of a shopping mall.
Bad Probe:
Would that be a commercial or noncommercial parking
garage?
Good Probe:
Were you charged a fee to park in the garage?
If you do not ask the right probing question, you will not get
an accurate answer. By using a bad probe, the FR is
either:
Probing Techniques
Assuming that the respondent knows what we mean by
the terms "commercial or noncommercial" or
Failing to understand that we want to differentiate
between parking lots/garages charging a fee and those
allowing free parking.
Don't assume that a respondent's answer is always
correct. When you get an answer that does not make
sense to you, decide which probing technique will work
best in the situation.
Choosing the best probing technique will help you to
casually persuade the respondent to expand and/or clarify
an answer.
Here are some standard probing techniques:
Brief Assenting Comments - Use a comment like,
"Yes, I see," when you want to stimulate the
respondent to talk further. This will also show that you
are giving attention to the respondent's answer.
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Here's an example:
Item SQNOCALLPOLICECRIME reads:
During the last 6 months, other than any incidents
already mentioned, did anything which you thought
was a crime happen to YOU, but you did NOT
report to the police?
Respondent Answers:
Yes, I saw a prowler.
Brief Assenting Comment:
Yes, I see. Can you tell me more?
An Expectant Pause - During a personal visit
interview, use an expectant pause together with an
inquiring look to convey to the respondent that you
expect him/her to give you more information.
Repeating the Question - Repeat the question when
the respondent does not understand or misinterprets
the question, seems unable to make up his/her mind,
or strays from the subject.
For example:
Item MULTOFFENDERONLYTIME reads:
Was this the only time any of these offenders
committed a crime against you or your household
or made threats against you or your household?
Respondent Answers:
No, one of the offenders was arrested 2 years ago
for a bank robbery.
Repeating the Question:
Was this the only time any of these offenders
committed a crime against you or your household
or made threats against you or your household?
Repeating the Respondent's Reply - Repeat the
respondent's reply exactly as the respondent gives it to
you, when you need to clarify the answer and prompt
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the respondent to expand his/her answer. Never
interject your own ideas when repeating the
respondent's reply.
For example:
Item MULTOFFENDERHOWWELL reads:
How well did you know the offender(s) - by sight
only, casual acquaintance or well known?
Respondent Answers:
She's just one of the girls on the block.
Repeating Respondent's Answer:
She's just one of the girls on the block? So did you
know the offender by sight only, casual
acquaintance or well known?
Respondent Answers:
I don't even know her name. I just see her around,
so I guess sight only.
Neutral Questions and a Neutral Tone of Voice Use neutral questions when you need to get a fuller,
clearer response. Always use a neutral tone of voice so
you don't sound demanding and upset the respondent.
Here is an example:
Item PERMISSIONGIVEN reads:
Had permission to use the (car/motor vehicle) ever
been given to the offender(s)?
Respondent Answers:
Well, I said maybe he could use it when it wasn't so
new.
Neutral Probe:
Did the offender have permission to use the
car/motor vehicle?
Sometimes a respondent may still misunderstand a
question's meaning or give you an unintended response. If
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this happens, you can read a question's answer categories
to the respondent as a "last resort."
If you use this technique, do not bias the respondent's
answer by only reading a few of the answer categories. By
reading all answer categories for a question, you will help
the respondent understand the type of answers the
particular question is attempting to get.
Staying Neutral
Be careful not to ask leading questions and not to make
the respondent feel insulted. A "leading" question is one
that could influence a respondent's answer or
unnecessarily prolong the interview.
Do not assume that you know what the answer should be,
and then lead the respondent to that answer. Keep your
probing questions as neutral as possible, so the
respondent can think objectively about the question and
give an accurate answer.
General Screening
Guidelines
The screening portion of the NCVS interview is very
important. This portion of the NCVS instrument is designed
to give each respondent every opportunity to remember
any crime incidents that occurred during the 6-month
reference period. The BJS and the Census Bureau have
specific reasons for the wording of each question and the
sequencing of each group of questions.
While conducting the screen interview, do not jeopardize
the interview by entering “Don’t know” or “Refused”
answers without asking the questions in the instrument.
Asking Applicable
Questions
During each enumeration period, ask the household
respondent and all remaining household members ALL
applicable screen questions. Since respondents can easily
forget many crime incidents, it is essential to ask all
applicable questions each time the sample household is
assigned for interview. This is the only way we can ensure
that we collect complete and accurate information.
Handling Difficult
Respondents
Some respondents may not want to go through the screen
questions for various reasons, and may say:
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Let's save some time. I can tell you up front that I
haven't been a victim of crime since the last time I
talked to you.
OR
You don't need to read all those examples of stolen
items, because nothing was stolen from me or anyone
else in this household.
When you need to convince a respondent to complete the
entire screen interview, try the following techniques:
"To guarantee that I don't miss any crime incidents, I'm
required to ask each question and allow you time to
make sure that you haven't forgotten anything. Some
crime incidents are easily forgotten. By asking these
screen questions, you may remember something that
you've put out of your mind."
"Even if you haven't been a victim of crime during the
last 6 months, we are also interested in any other
changes in your life, such as marital status, household
income, and job changes. These characteristics also
play a part in examining criminal victimizations in the
United States. I'm required to ask these questions each
time your household is assigned for interview.
Otherwise, we can't get a complete and up-to-date
picture of both crime victims and nonvictims for
comparative purposes."
(Only use this technique when a supplement is
attached to the NCVS interview.)
"For this interview, our sponsor has added a few new
questions for a specific study they are authorized to
undertake. The information we collect from these new
questions, along with the original questions, is
essential to our sponsor and to the completion of this
study."
NEVER tell the respondent that you do not remember what
you were told during the last interview or that all the
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information he/she provided during the last interview has
gone to Washington.
General Guidelines for
Recording Answers
After listening carefully to a respondent's answer, take
great care to record the answer accurately. By recording
accurate answers and incident descriptions, you can help
guarantee that the information you collect is understood
clearly by editors who may need to process your
completed work.
Correcting Answers
If you need to change an answer, you can backspace over
the incorrect entry and enter the correct one.
"Refused" or "Don't
Know" Entries
Most items in the NCVS instrument will allow you to enter a
"Refused" or "Don't know" answer. However, some
screens may not display these answer categories as
options.
If a respondent flatly refuses to answer a particular
question despite your persuasive efforts, enter “Ctrl + R" in
the answer space. Make every effort to avoid these entries,
because too many "Refused" answers:
For a household respondent, could cause the sample
address to be classified as a noninterview case, and
For an individual respondent, could cause the
household member to be classified as a noninterview
person.
If a respondent does not know the answer for a specific
question, try to probe for an accurate answer. When
probing isn't possible or successful, enter the appropriate
precode for “Don’t know,” or enter Ctrl + D in the answer
space.
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Topic 7. Closing the Interview and "Thank You" Letters
Leaving on Good Terms
Since you or someone else from the Census Bureau may
need to contact a sample household again, always leave
the household with a good feeling towards you and the
Census Bureau. By ending every interview with a friendly
and polite "Thank You," you are paving the way for future
contacts.
Tell respondents that we appreciate the time that they
gave for the interview, and that they may be contacted
again for this survey. Be sensitive, concerned, and
courteous throughout the interview.
By closing the interview properly, you are nurturing a
positive image of our agency, and improving chances for
successful follow-up contacts during reinterview or other
surveys.
Using "Thank You" Letters
We have two different "Thank You" letters for your use -the NCVS-593(L) and the NCVS-594(L). Each letter has a
specific purpose, and we do not intend for you to hand or
mail a "Thank You" letter after every NCVS interview. Both
of these "Thank You" letters are printed in English and
Spanish.
These letters not only thank the household for their
cooperation, but also relay to them how important this
survey is. Depending on the circumstances, you can either
hand or mail the appropriate letter to the household. If you
mail the "Thank You" letter, make sure that you use the
"mailing address" you see in Case Management.
Whether or not you give the household a "Thank You"
letter, always remember to thank them yourself at the end
of the interview.
First Through Sixth
Enumeration Period
For first through sixth enumeration period households, use
the NCVS-593(L) "Thank You" letter whenever you feel
that the household shows any signs that they may refuse
to be interviewed again. For example, a household
member may become annoyed at the length of the
interview or at the number of times you have contacted the
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household. In these situations, a "Thank You" letter does
not guarantee cooperation, but it may help to leave a
positive impression and make it easier to gain their
cooperation for future interviews.
Seventh Enumeration
Period
At the end of the seventh enumeration period interview,
always make sure to either hand or mail the respondent a
NCVS-594(L), "Thank You" letter.
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Part A, Chapter 3
Chapter 3
General National Crime Victimization Survey Procedures
Table of Topics
Topic
Page
1 Basic Survey Procedures
A3-2
2 Monthly Tasks
A3-6
3 Daily Tasks
A3-8
4 Specific Household Procedures
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Topic 1. Basic Survey Procedures
Length of Time in Sample
Each address selected as a sample unit for the NCVS is
usually interviewed seven times. These interviews are
conducted once every 6 months over a 3-year period. This
allows us to compile a continuous record of the sample
household's experiences at a reasonable cost and with the
least amount of inconvenience to the household.
Enumeration Periods
We refer to each time a sample household's address is
assigned for interview as an "enumeration period." Since we
interview or attempt to interview each sample household
seven times, there are seven "enumeration periods" for
each sample address.
When you access a sample case on your computer, the
instrument screen that identifies the case's enumeration
period is the START_CP screen. The enumeration period is
also displayed on the “HH Roster” tab on the upper left hand
side of the screen.
Reference Periods
For the NCVS, the reference period covers the 6-month
time period prior to the interview date. When conducting
interviews, we are interested only in crime incidents that
occurred during a household member's specific 6-month
reference period.
Even though the NCVS instrument inserts the appropriate
reference period start date, you must understand how a
household member's reference period is determined.
For the first enumeration period, each household
member's reference period will start on the first day of the
month 6 months prior to the interview date, and end on the
day prior to the interview date.
For example: If a household respondent's first enumeration
period interview is conducted on July 3, 2017, then the
current reference period for the household respondent is
January 1, 2017 through July 2, 2017.
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If the remaining household members were interviewed for
the first enumeration period on July 5, 2017, then the
current reference period for each of these household
members is January 1, 2017 through July 4, 2017.
For a first enumeration period household, all household
members have the same reference period start date, but
each household member's end date may vary based on the
member's current interview date.
After the first enumeration period, reference periods for all
remaining enumeration periods will start on the date of
the household member's last interview and end on the day
prior to the member's current interview date. Unlike the first
enumeration period, each household member could have a
different reference period start date for the second through
seventh enumeration period based on the member's last
interview date.
The following two terms are often used to describe this type
of reference period:
Period-to-period recounting or
Floating reference period.
By using this type of a reference period, we can compile a
continuous record of the household's experiences for the
three years that they are in sample.
While interviewing, it is important to keep reminding the
respondent of the starting and ending dates for the
reference period. If a respondent seems to have difficulty
keeping track of the reference period dates, try adding the
actual dates after reading "in the last 6 months." This will
help the respondent to stay focused on the correct time
frame for the interview.
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Incidents Outside of
Reference Period
Only complete the incident report screens of the NCVS
instrument when a reported incident occurred during the
reference period for the current interview. The introductory
screens of the instrument’s incident report section provide
questions to make sure that a reported incident did occur
during the household member’s reference period. If you
discover that the incident is outside of the reference period,
the instrument progresses to OSINCNOTNEEDED, which
tells you that the incident is outside the reference period. No
further information about that incident is collected.
Incidents Occurring on
the Day of the Interview
If a respondent reports an incident that occurred on the
same day that you are interviewing him/her, complete the
incident report section of the instrument as usual, even
though it is outside the reference period. Incidents will be
reviewed during post-data collection processing and
categorized as either being “in scope” or “out of scope.”
Incidents collected during the interview will be used for
comparison during unduplication in the next enumeration
period. Summarize the details of this incident on the NOTES
screen at the end of the current NCVS interview as a
reminder for the next enumeration period interview.
Interview Scheme
All households in the NCVS sample are divided into panels
and rotations. For 2010 design sample cases, there are two
rotations. A rotation is introduced semiannually for the new
sample. Sample units for most sample-rotations will be
interviewed once every 6 months.
Each rotation is further divided into six panels or months.
Thus one-sixth of a rotation will be interviewed each month
during a 6-month period.
This interviewing scheme enables us to spread out the
interviewing work fairly evenly throughout the year, so we
can maintain a regular staff of FRs with routine monthly
NCVS assignments.
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Interview Period
Part A, Chapter 3
An interview period is the time that you are allowed to
complete all of the NCVS interviews assigned to you for an
interview month. Typically, your interview period begins on
the first day of the month. Complete your assignment as
quickly as possible once the interview period begins. Your
supervisor will give you the interview closeout date for each
interview month. This is the date by which all NCVS cases
assigned to you for the month must be completed and
transmitted.
The majority of the NCVS cases in each assignment will
require telephone interviews, but some will require personal
visits. Always try to complete all of your telephone
interviews:
Before conducting your personal visit interviews; and
Within the first few days of the interview period.
This procedure allows you to detect any replacement
households or other situations from your telephone
interviews that could require personal visit interviews
before you plan your personal visit work schedule.
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Topic 2. Monthly Tasks
Monthly Instructions
About one week prior to the start of the interview month,
your regional office will send you a memorandum with
specific instructions for the upcoming interview month.
When you receive your monthly memorandum, read the
entire memorandum very carefully and contact your
supervisor if you have any questions about the information
provided.
Preparing to Interview
When you receive the monthly memorandum each month,
you also receive:
Your interviewing assignment for the month (through
case management; see Part D, Chapter 1 of this manual
for details),
Any supplies you may need.
Checking New
Assignments
As soon as you receive your monthly package of interview
materials, check the items listed on the Transmittal Form
11-35 that accompanies these materials. If anything listed
on the transmittal is missing from your package, call your
supervisor immediately.
Organizing Your Work
Schedule
As you organize your assignment for the interview month,
consider the geographic distribution of your cases:
Step
1.
Always conduct your telephone interviews FIRST.
2.
Try to conduct your personal visit with first
enumeration period households next. This will allow
sufficient time should you encounter unexpected
problems with these cases. For first enumeration
period households, you must conduct the household
respondent's interview IN PERSON. However, if the
remaining household members are not available at the
time of your visit, it is acceptable to interview these
household members by telephone once you have
completed the household respondent's interview in
person.
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NOTE: Regardless of the enumeration period, the
household respondent always must be the
FIRST household member interviewed and
he/she must be at least 18 years of age and
knowledgeable about the household. For
example, the reference person or one of the
other household members who owns or
rents the home. (See page A2-11 for
exceptions to the age requirement.)
3.
Completing Your
Assignment
Conduct any remaining personal visit interviews in a
logical sequence so that you keep to a minimum any
backtracking or return trips.
Always attempt to complete your interviewing assignment
as early in the interview month as possible. Transmit your
completed work on a flow basis as frequently as possible.
Your supervisor will provide you with a final transmittal date
or closeout date for each interview month.
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Topic 3. Daily Tasks
Planning Your Daily
Schedule
Assembling Your Materials
Conducting Telephone
Interviews and Callbacks
Plan your daily schedule so that you get the maximum
amount of interviewing work accomplished during your
workday. Keep the following points in mind as you plan:
Geographic location of assigned addresses,
Any previously made appointments, and
Interview time preferences (accessible by using the
Control + T function for an individual case)
When conducting personal interviews, make sure that you
have everything you might need to carry you through your
entire interviewing schedule for the day. Take current
versions of the following items with you:
Your laptop and NCVS Function Keys template
NCVS-554, Field Representative's Information Card
Booklet factsheet
Copies of both introductory letters, NCVS-572(L) and
NCVS-573(L), and the Factsheet brochure, NCVS-110
Copies of thank-you letters, NCVS-593(L) and
NCVS-594(L)
Since the primary purpose of conducting NCVS interviews
by telephone is to reduce travel costs and save money,
AVOID traveling to assigned cases that can be completed
by telephone interviews. Make every effort to obtain the
telephone number when making a personal visit so the
household can be contacted by phone in the future.
Typically, interviews for second through seventh
enumeration period households are conducted by
telephone. Always check to see when the household prefers
to be contacted.
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Conducting Personal Visit
Interviews
Part A, Chapter 3
In addition to the first enumeration period households, other
sample households may require personal visit interviews
because they:
Do not have a telephone on which they can be
contacted,
Refuse to give their telephone number,
Tell us that a telephone interview is not acceptable, or
Are replacement households.
Sending "Thank You"
Letters
As needed, mail "Thank You" letters to respondents using
the mailing address from the case in the instrument. (See
Part A, Chapter 2, Topic 7, for more details about
sending "Thank You" letters.)
Transmitting Completed
Work
Transmit your completed work on a flow basis, daily when
possible.
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Topic 4. Specific Household Procedures
Starting With the
Household Respondent
Once you have introduced yourself, ask to speak with:
The previous household respondent, or
One of the persons who owns or rents the home,
A household member who is at least 18 years of age
and knowledgeable about the household.
Remember to show your identification card for each
personal visit interview. When you know that you are
speaking to a household member at the sample address,
then you can introduce the survey.
For cases being interviewed for the first time, a personal
visit with the household respondent is required. (Other
individual respondents in the household may be interviewed
by telephone if necessary.) For these cases, the instrument
prompts you at the GEN_INTRO_CP screen to give the
household an introductory letter and continue the interview
to verify the address and start building the household roster.
For all other cases, at the HELLO_1_CP screen, the
instrument prompts you to ask to speak with the household
member who was the household respondent for the
previous enumeration period. If that household member is
not available, you are instructed to identify another eligible
household respondent at the HELLO_ALT2_CP screen.
The HELLO_ALT2_CP screen shows only those
household members who qualify as a possible household
respondent.
ALWAYS complete the household respondent's interview
before interviewing any remaining eligible household
members (household members who are 12 years of age
and older). Without a completed interview from an eligible
household respondent, the sample household will classify
as a Type A noninterview. We prefer that the household
respondent be one of the household members who owns or
rents the home or his/her spouse. If that is not possible, a
household member who is at least 18 years of age and
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knowledgeable about household matters can qualify as a
household respondent.
Once you are speaking to an eligible household respondent,
you will introduce the survey, explain the purpose of your
telephone call, and verify that you have reached the correct
sample address at the VERADD_CP screen.
Verifying That You Have
Reached the Correct
Address
One of the most important purposes of the VERADD_CP
screen is to verify that you have reached the correct sample
address. Before you see the VERADD_CP screen, you will
already know that you have reached the same household
that was interviewed at the sample address during the
previous enumeration period (except for those households
that are in sample for the first time). However, it is possible
that you may have reached a different address if the
household moved and kept the same telephone number.
Make sure that you enter the correct precode at
VERADD_CP, so that you follow the correct path and
collect the necessary information for the situation.
VERADD_CP has the following four precodes/answer
categories:
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
SAME address
MOVED (NOT same address)
Haven't moved, but address has changed
Incorrect address previously recorded
Enter Precode (1) when the respondent verifies that the
household still lives at the address shown on the
VERADD_CP screen and there are no changes/corrections
to the sample address.
Enter Precode (2) when the respondent tells you that the
household has moved from the sample address and is
currently residing at a different address.
Enter Precode (3) when the respondent tells you that the
household still resides at the sample address shown on the
screen, but some part of the address has changed since the
last enumeration period. For example, a county may have
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changed house numbers and/or street names to aid in
dispatching emergency medical services. After entering
Precode (3), you will see the NEWADD screens
(NEWADDHNO_CP, NEWADDSTRNAME_CP, and so on)
where you can correct the address for the sample unit.
Enter Precode (4) when the respondent tells you that the
household still resides at the sample address shown on the
screen, but some part of the address is not appearing
correctly on the VERADD_CP screen. After making sure
that the household has not moved out of the sample
address and that the sample address has not changed
since the last enumeration period, enter Precode (4) and
correct the address for the sample unit at the NEWADD
screens as discussed in the paragraph above.
Replacement
Households
At HHNUM_VR_CP, the instrument asks, “Is this a
replacement household?” A replacement household
happens when there are NO members of the original
household interviewed during the previous enumeration
period living at this address. If this occurs, answer Precode
(1), “Yes.” Item CK_REPLACE_CP appears; “A
replacement household means that there are no members
of the original household living at this address. Are you sure
this is a replacement household?” Enter Precode (1), “Yes.”
A pop-up then appears: “This is the last screen before the
roster and all incoming data is deleted and must be
re-entered. You are about to start a new case, and this
action cannot be undone without the case being restarted.”
Click “Suppress” if you are sure it is a replacement
household; otherwise, click “Cancel.” The instrument then
continues with GET_LETTER_CP. You then enter a roster
and household data for the replacement household and
interview as usual.
Control Card
Information
The next set of instrument screens contain questions that
you ask of the household respondent. This information is
used to obtain or update information about the household
and to ensure that we are aware of any household
composition changes.
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NOTE that a maximum of 30 household members may be
entered in the household roster. If you have a household
larger than 30 members, Items ROS2BIGOVER30 and
ROS2BIGHOWMANY ask the number of household
members over 30, but do not collect any information for
them.
Screening for Crime
Incidents
Starting with the TIMEATADDRESS screen, the next set of
screens in the NCVS instrument presents questions for you
to ask of the household respondent. This set of questions
start by asking about the household respondent's mobility
(TIMEATADDRESS) and then whether or not anyone in the
household operates a business from the sample address
(BUSINESS).
Starting with the introduction on the SQTHEFT screen, the
next set of questions is designed to determine whether the
household respondent or the sample household has
experienced any crime incidents during the 6-month
reference period. The screen questions that you ask the
household respondent involve thefts, break-ins, illegal
entries, motor vehicle thefts, attacks, attempted attacks,
verbal threats of harm, and unwanted sexual acts (sexual
assault, rape, and attempted rape). We are interested in
both attempted incidents and actual incidents.
If the household respondent answers "Yes" to any of these
screen questions, you must:
Indicate the number of times the incident happened and
Enter a brief description of what happened during the
incident. (100 character limit)
After you are done asking all screen questions of the
household respondent, you see the INC_REPORTS screen
which shows you how many incidents were reported by the
household respondent. If no incidents were reported by the
household respondent, then you see the NO_CRIMES
screen.
NOTE that a maximum of 30 incidents may be reported in
the NCVS instrument.
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Reporting Crime
Incidents
If the household respondent reported one or more crime
incidents, then you proceed through the incident report
screens for each reported incident that occurred during the
6-month reference period. The incident report screens start
with the INCIDENTINTRO screen. These screens are
designed to gather detailed information, such as:
1.
Where the incident took place.
2.
Whether or not the respondent or other household
members were present during the incident.
3.
How the incident happened.
4.
Any injuries that the respondent or other household
members may have experienced during the incident.
5.
Information about the offender(s).
6.
Details about the respondent’s employer and job
when the incident occurred while the respondent
was working or on duty.
7.
Whether or not the police were notified and reasons
for reporting or not reporting the incident to the
police.
8.
What the respondent was doing when the incident
happened.
Writing a Summary
Report
After completing all the incident report screens, you see a
SUMMARY screen. (Note that the SUMMARY screen has a
limit of 300 characters.) Use the SUMMARY screen to enter
a concise and accurate summary of the crime incident,
including all pertinent facts (who, what, where, when, and
how). More instructions for writing summary reports are
included in Parts B and C of this manual.
Adding Additional
Incidents
Once you have collected information on the incident report
screens for all incidents reported by the household
respondent, the INCIDENTTOADD screen appears, which
is used to ensure that we collect information for all NCVS
crimes which took place during the reference period.
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This screen allows you to:
Enter Precode (1) to add another crime incident that the
household respondent may have mentioned while
answering the incident report questions.
Enter Precode (2) to indicate that no additional incidents
need reporting.
Avoiding Duplicate
Reports
Starting with the INTRO_UNDUP screen, you see a set of
screens to be used to get your assessment about whether
each reported incident is unique and is not a duplicate of
another incident reported by the respondent or household in
the current and previous enumeration periods. Do not
discuss incidents with the respondent. After checking a
crime incident against incidents already reported in the
current enumeration period, the NCVS instrument also
allows you to check the incident against up to four incidents
reported in a previous enumeration period.
Socio-Demographic
Questions
Once you have completed the incident report section of the
instrument for all reported crime incidents, the instrument
continues with the individual socio-demographic questions.
If the household respondent did not report any crime
incidents, the instrument continues with the
socio-demographic questions.
Interviewing Individual
Respondents
You must complete the household respondent's interview
before you can interview any other eligible household
members. When you finish interviewing the household
respondent, complete any remaining eligible household
member's interviews one at a time.
During your initial contact with a sample household, always
try to complete as many interviews with individual
respondents as possible. Try to keep household callbacks
for individual respondents to a minimum.
Your initial contact with a first enumeration period
household must be in person. However, after interviewing
the household respondent in person, any individual
respondents in the household who are unavailable during
your initial contact can be interviewed later by telephone.
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When interviewing the next eligible respondent,
re-introduce yourself using the text on the
INTROFORNEWRESPONDENT screen. The text on this
screen also allows you to explain who you represent, which
survey you are conducting, and why you are calling the
household.
Unlike the household respondent's interview, the interviews
for the remaining household members who are eligible for
the NCVS does not include any questions pertaining to
general information about the household. Those questions
are asked only of the household respondent.
Screening for Crime
Incidents
Some of the questions relating to the entire sample
household are asked only of the household respondent and
will not appear as you ask screen questions of individual
respondents in the household. With the exception of the
following types of questions, the remaining questions in the
screening portion of the instrument will remain the same for
individual respondents in the sample household.
Screening questions NOT asked of individual
respondents determine-
Whether the household operates a business from the
sample address (BUSINESS).
Whether the household has experienced any break-ins
or illegal entries (either actual or attempted)
(SQBREAKIN).
How many vehicles are owned by the sample household
(SQTOTALVEHICLES).
Whether any of the household's vehicles were stolen or
someone attempted to steal any of them
(SQMVTHEFT).
After you finish asking all screen questions of an individual
respondent, either NO_CRIMES or INC_REPORTS
appears, displaying the number of incidents reported by the
respondent.
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Reporting Crime
Incidents
If the individual respondent reported one or more crime
incidents, you proceed through the incident report screens
for each reported incident that occurred during the 6-month
reference period. The incident report items start with
INCIDENTINTRO and are designed to gather the same
information as described earlier in this chapter for the
household respondent.
Writing a Summary
Report
After completing all the incident report screens, you see a
SUMMARY screen. Use this screen to enter a concise and
accurate summary of the crime incident, including all
pertinent facts (who, what, where, when, and how). More
instructions for writing summary reports are included in
Parts B and C of this manual.
Adding Additional
Incidents
Once you have completed the incident report screens for all
incidents reported by the individual respondent,
INC_TO_ADD appears. This screen allows you to:
Avoiding Duplicate
Reports
Enter Precode (1) to add another crime incident that the
individual respondent may have mentioned while
answering the incident report questions.
Enter Precode (2) to indicate that no additional incidents
need reporting.
Starting with the INTRO_UNDUP screen, you will see a set
of screens that you will use to make sure each reported
incident is unique and is not a duplicate of another incident
already reported for the respondent or the sample
household in the current and previous enumeration periods.
Do not discuss incidents with the respondent.
For example, a sample household member may report a
household crime that has already been reported by the
household respondent in the current interview or the
household member may report a crime incident that
occurred and was reported in a previous enumeration
period. After checking a crime incident against incidents
already reported in the current enumeration period, the
NCVS instrument also allows you to check the incident
against up to four incidents reported in a previous
enumeration period.
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NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Socio-demographic
Questions
Callback, Thank You, and
Notes Screens
Once you have completed the incident report section of the
instrument for all reported crime incidents, then the
instrument continues with the socio-demographic
questions. If the respondent did not report any crime
incidents, the instrument continues with the
socio-demographic questions.
In the back portion of the NCVS instrument, you have
access to a set of screens that enables you to identify the
day and time that is best to re-contact the household and
interview members who are currently unavailable but still
need to be interviewed.
A variety of "Thank you" screens are also available to satisfy
each type of interview situation. The instrument is
programmed so that the appropriate "Thank you" screen
appears automatically when you are ending an interview
with a respondent.
NOTES Screen
Before exiting the case, you always see the CASE NOTES
screen. This screen is designed so that you can:
Review "old" notes already entered about the case.
Enter any notes about the case that you feel would help
the next interviewer who contacts the sample
household.
Press F10 to end your notes and exit.
If the case does not require any notes, press F10 to exit the
CASE NOTES screen. This indicates that you are done
reviewing and/or entering notes.
F7 Notes
You can also enter a note relating to a specific instrument
item/screen. We call this the "F7 Notes" option. You can
add an "F7 Note" to include more details for an answer or to
explain an unusual situation relating to a specific instrument
item/screen. After pressing the "F7" function key, you can:
Review any previously entered "F7 Notes." After
reviewing previous notes, press the ESC key to exit the
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“F7 Notes” option.
Enter a note that relates to the case as a whole.
F7 notes are not carried forward to the next enumeration
period.
Refused After Starting
Interview
If you are interviewing the household respondent and
he/she refuses to continue with the interview and does not
want to set up an appointment to be interviewed later, press
the "F10" function key, which takes you to
REFCBBREAK_CP.
REFCBBREAK_CP asks, “Did this interview end because
of a refusal, a callback was needed, or a breakoff
occurred?” Enter (1) for a refusal, (2) for a callback, or (3) for
a breakoff. (2), “Callback,” takes you to the APPT item when
interviewing the household respondent, which says, “I
would like to schedule a date and time to complete the
interview. What date and time would be best?” For refusals
or breakoffs, you exit the instrument.
Finally, CASE NOTES appears. Use this screen to enter
any notes about the case. Be as specific as possible, such
as “L1 mistrusts all government workers, but L2 may be
willing to cooperate as the household respondent.”
There are a handful of screens in the instrument on which
you should NEVER hit F10. These screens have blue
instruction text warning you DO NOT F10 OUT OF THIS
SCREEN. If you F10 from these screens, you will not
have a completed interview from the respondent and
doing so may cause the instrument to loop or glitch in
some way. If you need to exit the interview and are at one
of the screens instructing you to NOT F10, make the
appropriate entry on the screen and F10 at the next
appropriate screen.
Individual Respondent
Refusals
When there is more than one eligible respondent, the
refusal of one individual respondent does not end NCVS
interviews in the sample household. Continue to interview
other eligible household members.
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Refused at the
INTROFORNEW
RESPONDENT Screen
The INTROFORNEWRESPONDENT screen is where you
re-introduce yourself to the new respondent, introduce the
survey and state the purpose of your telephone call. If the
individual respondent refuses to be interviewed at this
screen, back up to NEXTPERSON.
At NEXTPERSON, either identify the next household
member to be interviewed or enter Precode (31),
“Respondent refused for someone else” to code the
respondent as a refusal.
Refused After Starting
Interview
If you are interviewing an individual respondent and he/she
refuses to continue and does not want to set up an
appointment to be interviewed later, press the "F10"
function key. These screens appear to exit the instrument:
REFCBREAK_CP
PERSAPPT
VERIFY
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Part A, Chapter 4
Chapter 4
Your Job Duties and Performance Standards
Table of Topics
Topic
Page
1 Interviewing
A4-2
2 Group Quarters
A4-6
3 Performance Standards
A4-7
4 Field Evaluations - Observation
and Reinterview
A4-11
Your Job Duties and Performance Standards
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Part A, Chapter 4
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Topic 1. Interviewing
Overview
As a Field Representative for the NCVS, you are assigned
work in one or more of the NCVS sample areas or Primary
Sampling Units (PSUs). PSUs are often the same as a
county or county equivalent. Most of your duties are the
same for each interview month.
Interviewing Assignments
Each interview month, you receive the addresses of sample
cases where you will conduct interviews. Generally, each
sample address is in the NCVS for seven interviews – one
interview every six months, over the course of 3 years.
Personal Visit
Interviews
Interview cases in sample for the first time with a personal
visit. The personal visit allows you to meet the household
members face-to-face, so you can introduce yourself, show
your Census ID, and gain their cooperation. At the end of
the first interview, you will ask for household phone
number(s) and arrange to call the household members for
future interviews.
Telephone Interviews
If household members have agreed to telephone interviews,
conduct interviews by telephone after the first interview.
Finding Sample Addresses
Most addresses in the sample are city-style with a house
number and street name. In some rural areas with few
city-style addresses, the sample addresses are a location
description. For example, “House on right ½ mile from the
intersection of Oak Ln and Rte 27.”
Most addresses will have a map spot with longitude and
latitude geo-coordinates. Use Census maps and/or
navigation devices to help you find sample addresses.
If you are unable to locate the sample address, contact your
Regional Office immediately for review.
Best Times for Interviewing
– Evenings and Weekends
Interviewing at sample addresses is not a regular 9 to 5 job
when most people are working. Often, you can find people
at home in the evenings and on weekends.
Sometimes you will have to try to contact them at various
times of day and on different days of the week.
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pCHI and Returning pCHI
pCHI stands for “Personal Contact History Instrument”.
pCHI appears when you close a case or partially complete
case. pCHI prompts you to record data about your contact
attempts and the strategies you are using to contact
household members.
Returning pCHI is pCHI contact data collected six months
ago by the FR(s) who were interviewing household
members at this sample address. This may be useful for
contacting household members at this address during the
current month.
See Part D, Chapter 2 of this manual for more pCHI details.
FR Bulletin, Memos,
Self-Studies, CBTs, and
Refresher Training
Monthly FR Bulletins contain an FR calendar, current and
upcoming FR activity information, a review of procedures for
recent problems, and routine survey activity reminders. FR
Memorandum (Memos) communicate changes to policies
and procedures.
Self-Studies and CBTs (computer-based-training) are used
for training on Supplements – additional questions asked for
a variety of topics. For example – the School Crime
Supplement (SCS), the Identity Theft Supplement (ITS),
and the Police Public Contact Supplement (PPCS).
Refresher Training is used for training experienced NCVS
FRs on procedural changes, new survey questions, etc.
These memos, self-studies, CBTs and Refresher Training
are provided to help you do a better and more efficient job.
Getting a Good Start,
Identifying Challenging
Cases Early
Arrange your work schedule so you can complete most of
your cases early in the interview period. If you delay
interviewing until later in the interview period, you run the
risk of not completing your assignment by the closeout date.
Most sample households require more than one contact to
complete interviews for all eligible household members.
Also, identifying challenging cases early in the interview
period will provide you more time to implement field
strategies and complete cases before closeout.
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Planning Your Travel Route
Plan an efficient travel route to move from one sample
address to another using the least amount of time and
mileage. Use your navigation device, if necessary.
Introducing Yourself – The
Respondents’ First
Impression
The NCVS survey is voluntary. Your job is to convince
household members to participate by answering the NCVS
questions. Make a good first impression with them.
Memorize your introduction. This will help you to introduce
yourself in a confident, business-like, polite and friendly
way.
“Good evening, I’m (state your name) from the U.S Census
Bureau. Here is my Census ID (show Census ID).”
Always conduct your interviews with discretion and
courtesy; both are important in gaining a respondent's
confidence and continued cooperation.
Keeping Callbacks to a
Minimum
Plan your personal visits during the most productive hours
of the day and days of the week, so you can find household
members at home. Evening hours and weekends are
usually the most productive interviewing times in areas
where many household members work outside the home.
To minimize the number of trips to sample addresses, make
personal visit callbacks in areas where you still have some
initial visits, to save a trip. Also, if no one is at home, find out
the best time to contact the household from a neighbor,
apartment manager, etc., before you leave the sample area.
DO NOT mention the survey name to neighbors or
other non-household members.
Conducting Efficient
Interviews
Some pointers for conducting efficient interviews:
Know what is in the NCVS instrument.
Understand how to enter answers in the NCVS
instrument.
Know possible answer categories for NCVS questions.
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Answer respondents' questions clearly and concisely.
To help, review the introductory letters, the job aid,
NCVS At a Glance (NCVS-500.1), the NCVS
Factsheet (NCVS-110), and this manual (NCVS-550).
Understanding NCVS
Concepts
Throughout the screening and incident reporting sections of
the NCVS instrument, there are several concepts you need
to understand before you can excel at interviewing for the
NCVS. (See Part C of this manual for detailed
information about NCVS concepts.)
Entering Accurate
Information
Throughout the NCVS instrument, enter precodes or typed
descriptions at each screen to indicate answers or to
proceed to the next screen. Make accurate entries so you
can follow the correct paths through the NCVS instrument.
Keeping Accurate Records
Accurate administrative records are important for both you
and your supervisor. Each workday record:
The time you spent on NCVS work,
The miles you traveled for NCVS interviewing.
Strive for the highest possible degree of accuracy and
efficiency. To help you meet and maintain this goal, the
Census Bureau has developed performance standards by
which your supervisor can rate your performance. (See
Topic 3 of this chapter for more details about
performance standards.)
11-55, Administrative
Handbook
For more general information about your job, refer to Form
11-55, Chapter 1 of the Administrative Handbook for
Intermittent and Part-Time Schedule A Employees.
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Part A, Chapter 4
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Topic 2. Group Quarters
Overview
As a Field Representative for the NCVS, you will be
assigned to work in one of the NCVS sample areas or
Primary Sampling Units (PSUs). You will spend the most
time interviewing.
Listing Assignments
During your first month on the job, you do not do any TOI
listing. You begin learning the listing and coverage
procedures during your second month on the job.
Unit – from the 2000 Census Master Address File
GQ – Group Quarters in Unit frame blocks or GQs found
while listing Area segments.
Most NCVS cases are in unit segments.
For Single Unit Addresses: No listing is necessary and
you do not receive listing sheets for these addresses.
For Multi-Unit Addresses: For multi-unit addresses,
locate the unit designation for the current NCVS sample and
conduct the interview.
Group Quarters (GQ)
A Group Quarters is a type of living quarters where the
residents share common facilities or receive authorized
care or custody. There are three types of GQs –
Institutional, Noninstitutional, and military barracks. Only
noninstitutional GQ units are eligible for interview. By
definition, a GQ is not a housing unit.
A GQ segment is made up of one or more GQs that were
identified in the 2010 census blocks originally screened for
unit segments.
.
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Part A, Chapter 4
Topic 3. Performance Standards
Overview
The success of the NCVS is dependent on accurate and
complete information. We count on you, our Field
Representatives, to help us succeed in this effort.
We depend on you to complete NCVS accurately and
efficiently so NCVS can stay on schedule and within budget.
Performance Ratings
Strive for a high level of quality and productivity with NCVS
work. New Field Representatives are not expected to begin
with an "outstanding" performance rating. You are expected
to improve as you gain more NCVS experience.
To help you meet and maintain high performance
standards, we have established measures for various
elements of your job. Your supervisor will evaluate your
performance on a continuing basis and keeps monthly
records on your level of performance. In addition, your
supervisor will rate your performance with a rating of Level 1
through 5 Level (1 is lowest, 5 is highest), twice a year.
Production Standards
Completing your assignment within the specified interview
period is not only important from a cost standpoint, but is
also essential for meeting processing deadlines. With the
exception of holidays, always begin your assignment on the
first working day of the month.
Try to complete all interviews assigned for an interview
month as quickly as possible. Keep in mind that a case you
are working on is “partial” interview until you have
interviewed all eligible household members. For “Partial”
households (where some eligible “Type Z” persons have not
been interviewed), if it is:
Still possible to interview the Type Z persons, hold the
partial case until you get the missing interviews.
Not possible to interview the Type Z persons, send the
case in as a partial interview.
Schedule your work so that your assignment is completed
before the closeout date for the interview month.
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Part A, Chapter 4
Quality Interviews
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
The quality of your work is just as important as your
productivity. Incomplete or inaccurate work is not
acceptable.
This manual provides procedures for conducting NCVS
interviews efficiently and accurately. If you have special
situations or problems that are not covered in this manual,
contact your supervisor immediately.
Response Rates
The Response Rate calculation is:
(Interviews + Partials) / (Interviews + Partials + Type As)
Type B and Type C cases are not in the Response Rate.
Your monthly response rate is one of the Data Quality
Indicators that is in your performance plans.
Maintaining a high response rate helps to ensure that the
NCVS sample data represents the entire U.S. population.
Type A Rates
The Type A Response rate calculation is:
(Type As) / (Interviews + Partials + Type As)
Type B and Type C cases are not in the Type A Rate.
When you cannot interview ANY household members
(including the household respondent) for a sample case,
code the case as a Type A noninterview. Type A
noninterview reasons include:
No one home,
Temporarily absent through the entire interview period,
Refused
Keep Type A noninterviews to a minimum.
Type Z Rates
Type Zs are eligible household members (age 12 and older)
who did not complete the screener questions. The Type Z
Response Rate comes from the calculation:
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Type Zs / Eligible Persons in HH
When you cannot interview all eligible household members
for a sample case, code the persons not interviewed as
Type Zs. Type Zs can bias survey results if the Type Z
persons have very different victimization experiences than
those who are interviewed.
Type Z noninterview reasons include persons who are:
Minimizing Type As and
Type Zs
Best strategies for minimizing Type As and Type Zs:
Performance Standards or
Data Quality Indicators
(DQIs)
Never available,
Refused, parent or other person refused for respondent.
Refused, person refused for themselves
Physically and/or mentally unable to answer and no
proxy respondent is available, and
Temporarily absent and no proxy respondent is
available
Review pCHI data from current and previous month.
Get phone numbers for potential Type Z persons.
Discuss strategies with Field Supervisor
Improve your salesmanship skills to gain cooperation
Contact respondents when they are available
Several other data performance standards are used to
evaluate your performance. These standards are referred to
as “Data Quality Indicators” or DQIs. DQIs may include:
Quick screener times
Quick crime incident report times
Household response rates
Overnight interviews
Quality/completeness of crime incident report
Late starts (after the 15th of the month)
Completeness of NCVS screener
Completeness of personal Contact History Instrument
(pCHI) records
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Part A, Chapter 4
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Your supervisors will explain the data quality indicators
(DQIs) that are in your performance plan. The DQIs may
change from year to year.
Data collected from NCVS interviews ends up in several
report systems - ROSCO, CARMN, Giant Panda and UTS.
Reports
ROSCO Reports
Updated every time
completed work is
checked in
The Regional Office Survey Control or ROSCO Reports are
used to monitor current survey work. RO staff use ROSCO
to make assignments and monitor the completion of work at
the FR, FS, RSM and RO level.
CARMN Reports
Updated once a day in the
morning
RO management staff can generate individual performance
reports from the Cost and Response Management Network
(CARMN). These reports include:
The Monthly Data Quality Feedback report that shows
data quality indicators (DQIs) from the current month,
the previous month and from six months ago (the last
time this month’s cases were in sample)
The 11-39, FR Performance Summary Report, shows
DQI data for the current rating year in a separate row for
each month and a cumulative row for year to date.
CARMN Reports combine data from ROSCO, WebFred and
other payroll systems.
GIANT PANDA Reports
Updated once a week
Giant Panda Reports are RO summary reports that contain
data quality indicator (DQI) information used by RO staff to
monitor survey performance. Giant Panda reports have a
drill-down feature that displays DQI data at the FR level.
Giant Panda data comes from the NCVS interviews.
UTS Reports
Update once a day at
midnight
The Unified Tracking System is a data warehouse that
provides a view of Census data over time, across surveys,
and from different data capture sources at one time; all of
the data in one place to view, analyze, and make more
efficient and effective decisions. UTS reports help RO staff
to monitor survey performance at a variety of levels.
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Part A, Chapter 4
Topic 4. Field Evaluations--Observation and Reinterview
Observations
Your Field Supervisor (FS) will periodically observe you
interviewing.
The first two on-the-job or induction observations provide
post-classroom training during actual work situations on
interviewing techniques and NCVS concepts. Both of these
observations are conducted within your first two months on
the job.
All other observations are to evaluate and improve your
on-the-job performance. Normally, you are observed at
least once a year for a minimum of six hours. This is the
average length of time required for reviewing your general
performance and rectifying specific performance problems.
Observations provide an opportunity to get individual
assistance with any problems and to improve your
performance measures.
Before your observation, the observer makes the final
arrangements and gives you any pre-observation
instructions. These instructions may vary, depending on the
purpose of the observation.
For a Low Response
Rate
If one of the purposes for the observation is to help you
improve a low response rate, you may be instructed to:
Delay interviewing households where you suspect that
you might experience problems; and
Keep interviewing materials for problem households
that you have already contacted.
This allows the observer to work with you on these cases
and help you improve your techniques for gaining the
cooperation of sample households.
For a High Number of
Minutes per Case
If one of the purposes for the observation is to help you use
work time more efficiently, be prepared to discuss how you:
Plan your itinerary,
Use the Census maps or your navigation device to
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Part A, Chapter 4
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
For Conducting
Screeners or Crime
Incident Reports
Too Fast
If one of the purposes of the observation is to help you slow
down your pace for conducting screeners or the Crime
Incident Report section of the interview, you may be
instructed to:
Reinterview
locate assigned addresses,
Use the telephone, and
Decide when to contact assigned households.
Save a few cases that will potentially may require
screeners and/or crime incident reports.
Practice at home on slowing down the pace of asking
the screener and/or crime incident report questions.
Reinterview is a method we use to independently evaluate
your on-the-job performance. At least once a year, your
supervisor or his/her representative recontacts a portion of
your assignment for the interview month. You will not know
when your work assignment is in reinterview.
The reinterviewer verifies that:
A Census FR recently interviewed the correct eligible
household respondents,
The household screens were completed or updated
properly, ie. the household roster, demographic
characteristics, and household income and tenure
The interviewer was polite and professional,
Some screener questions are re-asked in reinterview to
analyze the consistency of the responses and all
answers recorded,
Any noninterviews were classified accurately, and
If this original interview was by personal visit, and if the
FR collected the data on a laptop.
Once the reinterview is completed, the reinterviewer
contacts you so you can review the results together. During
this review, errors are discussed and the appropriate
concepts and procedures are reviewed. The extent and type
of errors may require a "special needs" observation and/or
retraining.
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Part A, Chapter 5
Chapter 5
Personal Visit vs. Telephone Interviews
Table of Topics
Topic
Page
1 Identifying the Method of Interview
A5-2
2 Qualifications for Using the Personal
Visit Method
A5-3
3 Qualifications for Using the
Telephone Method
A5-8
4 Instructions for Conducting
Telephone Interviews
A5-10
5 Telephone Interviewing Skills
A5-17
Personal Visit vs. Telephone Interviews
A5-1
Part A, Chapter 5
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Topic 1. Identifying the Method of Interview
Checking Case
Management
Each interview month, some of your interviews are
designated as personal visit interviews and some
designated as telephone interviews. “P” indicates “personal
visit” and “T” for “telephone” interviews in the “P/T” column
in the “details” portion of the case management display. For
more detail about the information found in laptop case
management, refer to the NCVS-521 self-study.
Also review your notes for each case using the “Notes”
function in case management for more information about a
respondent’s preferred interviewing method.
Notify your supervisor immediately if you have any
questions about whether or not the sample addresses in
your assignment must be interviewed by personal visit or by
telephone.
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Part A, Chapter 5
Topic 2. Qualifications for Using the Personal Visit Method
Overview
Since telephone interviews are more cost effective, most of
your NCVS interviews will be by telephone. The following
qualifications must exist before you can conduct an NCVS
interview in person:
The sample household is assigned for a first enumeration
period interview.
First Enumeration Period
Households
The sample household has not been interviewed in any
previous enumeration period (sample address was a
Type A or B noninterview previously or a replacement
household now lives at the sample address).
The sample household does not have a telephone on
which they can be reached.
The sample household does not want to be interviewed
by telephone.
The sample household has a privacy detector that
requires the caller to enter a personal identification
number (PIN).
For the first enumeration period, a sample household is
always scheduled for a personal visit interview. When using
the personal visit method, try to complete interviews for the
household respondent and all other eligible household
members during your initial visit. If the household
respondent refuses to do the interview in person, you can
take a telephone interview for the initial visit. However, try to
avoid this situation whenever possible.
Only the household respondent's interview must be done in
person for a first enumeration period interview. Any other
eligible household members who are not available during
your initial visit can be interviewed by telephone.
Checking the Case
Data in Laptop Case
Management
By reviewing the various tabs in laptop case management
for a sample address, you can tell whether a sample
address needs to be interviewed by personal visit. For a first
enumeration period household, most of the data, such as
the roster items will be blank.
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Household Not Interviewed
in Previous Enumeration
Periods
Regardless of the enumeration period, your first contact
with a sample household must be in person. After the first
enumeration period for a sample address, a sample
household may not have been interviewed because:
The sample household was classified as either a Type A
or a Type B noninterview in all previous enumeration
periods.
The sample household is not the same household as
was interviewed in the previous enumeration period.
The new household at the sample address is referred to
as a "replacement" household.
If you discover that a replacement household is now living at
the sample address, you must interview the household
respondent in person, along with any remaining household
members who are eligible for interview and available at the
time of your visit. Any callbacks for individual respondents
may be done by telephone.
Checking the Case
Data in Laptop Case
Management
No Telephone Available
Checking the Case
Data in Laptop Case
Management
Look at the “History” tab in laptop case management, to tell
whether or not the sample household was a noninterview in
the previous enumeration period. If a sample household has
been a noninterview in all of the previous enumeration
periods, then use the personal visit method for the current
interview period.
If you find that a sample household does not have a
telephone, you must conduct the interview in person. To
conduct a telephone interview, the sample household must
have a telephone at home or elsewhere on which all eligible
household members can be contacted.
Look at the “Assignment” tab in laptop case management to
verify that the household has a telephone on which all
eligible household members can be interviewed and that at
least one telephone number is listed. The telephone number
and type can be edited in laptop case management, which
lists up to three telephone numbers for the household.
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Telephone Interview Not
Acceptable
Part A, Chapter 5
If a sample household does not want to be interviewed by
telephone, then you must conduct personal visit interviews
for the household.
Checking the Case
Data in Laptop Case
Management
Laptop case management does not specifically display
whether a respondent requested not to be contacted by
telephone, although the presence of the letter “P” in the
“P/T” column could be the result of such a request. You can
look at the “Notes” tab to see if any information was
recorded regarding contacting the household. Within the
instrument, this information can be found at the VERIFY
screen in the back of the instrument.
Special Situations
Requiring Personal Visit
Interviews
Some special situations can require cases that would
normally be interviewed by telephone to have personal visit
interviews. These situations include:
Entire Sample
Household Refuses a
Telephone Interview
In some cases, you may encounter a sample household
in which all household members refuse to be
interviewed by telephone. Instead of classifying the
household as a Type A noninterview, you must attempt
to conduct these interviews in person.
Household Member
Unable to Complete a
Telephone Interview
In a single-person sample household, the household
member is either too hard-of-hearing or is mentally
and/or physically unable to complete the interview by
telephone. Attempt to conduct the interview in person
and explain the reason for the personal visit in the case
level notes.
Incorrect Telephone
Number
If you discover that the telephone number listed on the
laptop case management or the instrument is incorrect,
verify that you have reached the sample address. If you
have not reached the sample address, try to get the
correct telephone number from directory assistance,
etc. If you cannot get a good telephone number for the
sample address, then you must make a personal visit
and explain the reason for that personal visit in the case
level notes.
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No One Answers
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
If you have tried several times to reach a sample
household by telephone and have been unsuccessful,
you must:
Verify the accuracy of the telephone number either in
a local telephone directory or with directory
assistance.
Telephone the contact person if one is listed in the
“Contacts” tab. If you can reach this contact person,
try to find out why you have been unable to reach the
sample household by telephone.
As a last resort, make a personal visit to the sample
address and explain briefly the reason for the personal
visit in the case level notes.
You Get a Recorded
Message
If you get a recorded message saying that the phone
number has been changed, call the new number (if
given) and make sure that you have reached the sample
address before starting the interview(s). Enter the new
telephone number in the appropriate screen in the
instrument or in the case level notes, along with the
appropriate “phone type code.” You can also record the
new number in the “Assignment” tab in laptop case
management.
If the recorded message says that the number is
disconnected or has changed and a new number is not
provided, try to find a new number from a local directory
or directory assistance.
As a last resort, visit the sample address and explain
briefly the reason for personal visit in case level notes.
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Privacy Detectors
Part A, Chapter 5
Privacy detectors are devices that respondents may
have on their telephones requiring incoming callers to
identify themselves either through speaking their name
or providing a PIN before the call rings through to the
respondent. If you encounter a privacy detector which
allows you to identify yourself, as well as the purpose of
your call (to conduct a survey for the Census Bureau),
you may do so. However, if this method does not result
in telephone contact with the respondent or if you
encounter privacy detectors which require a PIN and no
other telephone contact with the respondent is possible,
you must conduct the interview by personal visit.
During the personal visit, you may ask the household
respondent if it is acceptable to contact the household
by telephone for future interviews (that is, if the current
interview is not the final interview for the household). If
future telephone interviews are acceptable, find out
what instructions are necessary to ensure that future
calls will not be blocked by the privacy detector. Write
any such instructions clearly in the case level notes.
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Topic 3. Qualifications for Using the Telephone Method
Overview
You conduct most of your assigned interviews for second
through seventh enumeration period households by
telephone. The following qualifications must exist before
you can conduct an NCVS interview by telephone:
The sample household was assigned for a personal visit
interview in a previous enumeration period and at least
the household respondent was interviewed in person in
a previous enumeration period. Refer to the
“History” tab for this information.
The sample household must have a telephone on which
all eligible household members can be interviewed.
Refer to the “Assignment” tab in laptop case
management for this information.
The sample household must be willing to be interviewed
by telephone. Refer to the “Notes” tab or the “P/T”
column in laptop case management or the VERIFY
screen in the instrument for this information.
Once a sample household is assigned for a telephone
interview and there is no special situation requiring a
personal visit, then interview all eligible household
members by telephone for the current and all future
enumeration periods.
Household's First Time in
Sample
As covered in Topic 2 of this chapter, only the household
respondent's interview must be completed in person when a
household first enters the NCVS sample (regardless of the
enumeration period). Once the household respondent's
interview is completed in person, any callbacks for other
household members should be conducted by telephone.
This helps us lower interviewing costs.
Type Z Noninterviews
If a sample household is designated for a telephone
interview and an eligible respondent, other than the
household respondent, refuses to be interviewed, classify
the respondent as a Type Z noninterview.
Do not make a personal visit in an attempt to convert a
refusal for an individual respondent. (See Part A, Chapter
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Part A, Chapter 5
6, for instructions on classifying a respondent as a
Type Z noninterview.)
Type A Noninterviews
Require a Personal Visit
If either the household respondent or the entire household
refuses to be interviewed during a telephone interview, then
you are required to make a personal visit to conduct the
interviews.
Never classify a sample household as a Type A
noninterview following a telephone interview. You must
attempt to convert the refusal in person before
classifying a household as a Type A noninterview.
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Topic 4. Instructions for Conducting Telephone Interviews
Timing of Interviews
Once the interviewing month begins, get started on
reviewing your assignments. Start with telephone
interviews. It is possible that you will discover cases marked
as telephone interviews that require you to make a personal
visit (as covered in Topic 2 of this chapter). By working
through your telephone interview work first, you can
minimize the number of trips to an area and help us save
money by reducing travel costs.
Because of these possible personal visits, it is extremely
important that you attempt to complete all telephone
interviews in the first few days of the interview period.
As you plan your itinerary for your personal visit cases,
make sure to include any telephone interview cases that
now require personal visits. Try to make the least number of
trips as possible into an area to complete your assignment.
Whenever you discover a case that was scheduled for a
telephone interview and now requires a personal visit
interview, briefly explain the reason for the personal visit in
the case level notes.
Starting the Interview
When you are ready to start a telephone interview, look at
the information in case management. By reviewing these
items, you will be prepared for situations where:
The telephone number provided rings somewhere other
than the sample household's residence. Look at the
“Notes” tab to see if notes were entered with this
information.
The telephone number might be for a pager, cell phone,
FAX machine, etc. The code beside the phone number
in the “Assignment” tab provides this information.
You are unable to contact the household on the first
telephone number listed in the “Assignment” tab, but a
second telephone number is also entered in the same
tab.
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Part A, Chapter 5
The sample household does not want to be interviewed
by telephone. The “Notes” tab in laptop case
management or the VERIFY screen at the back of the
instrument may have this information.
The sample household indicated the best time to call or
visit them and/or when they do not wish to be contacted.
Press “Ctrl” + “T” in the instrument or use the “Interview
Time Preference” tab in case management to get this
information.
The sample household indicated that they do not want
to be contacted on a Sunday. Press “Ctrl” + “T” in the
instrument or use the “Interview Time Preference” tab in
laptop case management to get this information.
The sample household indicated in the “Assignment”
tab that someone in the household needs his/her
interview conducted in Spanish.
By reviewing these items before dialing the telephone
number, you will be more likely to reach the household and
less likely to bother them at an inconvenient or unwanted
time. You also will be better able to start the interview in a
confident and prepared manner.
Ask for Previous
Household
Respondent
After dialing the telephone number listed in the
“Assignment” tab or at the DIAL_CP screen in the
instrument, start by identifying yourself and asking to speak
to the household respondent from the previous enumeration
period. This person is listed in the “Assignment” column in
laptop case management. The instrument is also set up to
ask for the household respondent from the previous
enumeration. If that person is not available, then make sure
that you have reached the correct sample address.
Once you know that you have reached the correct sample
address and are speaking to a household member, you can
continue with your introduction. You don't want to describe
the NCVS to someone who is not a sample household
member.
Then ask to speak with a household member who is at least
18 years of age and knowledgeable about the household,
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preferably one of the owners or renters of the home. This
person will be your household respondent for the current
interview.
A Typical Introduction
The following introduction appears in the instrument at
GEN_INTRO_CP and HELLO_1_CP.
"Hello, I'm (your name) from the United States Census
Bureau." (After reaching a sample household member,
continue with...) "I’m calling concerning the National
Crime Victimization Survey. The Census Bureau is
conducting a survey here and throughout the Nation to
determine how often people are victims of crimes. We
last contacted this address six months ago. I would like
to talk to someone in the household who is at least 18
years of age and knowledgeable about this household.
Would that be you?"
Explaining the Purpose
of the NCVS
Some respondents may want to ask some questions about
the NCVS before agreeing to answer the survey questions.
Be prepared to answer their questions briefly and
accurately.
The following sources provide answers to some commonly
asked questions from respondents:
Information Card Booklet, NCVS-554,
NCVS At a Glance, NCVS-550.1 Job Aid,
The FAQ tab in the NCVS instrument, and
Part A, Chapter 2, Topic 5, of this manual, NCVS-550.
Mentioning the
Introductory Letter
For both personal visits and telephone interviews, the
instrument prompts you to verify whether the respondent
received the introductory letter. Have a copy of the letter
with you in case a respondent has a question about it. If you
conduct the interview in person, hand him/her a copy of the
introductory letter if they did not get it in the mail.
Identifying Yourself
Unlike a personal visit interview, you cannot show any
formal identification to a respondent over the telephone. If
you identify yourself, your agency, the survey, and your
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Part A, Chapter 5
purpose for calling, most respondents will believe you and
agree to be interviewed. For those respondents who doubt
what you tell them, suggest that they call your regional
office's (1-800) number (if available) or call collect to confirm
who you are and why you are calling them.
Explaining the Purpose
of a Telephone
Interview
Some respondents may want to know why you are calling
them instead of coming to their home for the interview. If this
happens, just explain that telephone interviews help us to
reduce our survey expenses. Therefore, as a cost saving
measure, we attempt to conduct most interviews by
telephone if the household has indicated to us in a previous
interview that a telephone interview is acceptable.
Explaining Our
Exemption From the
“Do Not Call” Registry
The “Do Not Call” registry does not limit a call made for the
sole purpose of conducting a survey. Therefore, calls from
the Census Bureau for survey data collection are not
restricted by this registry.
Verifying the Accuracy of
Your Contact
For the NCVS we are following the sample address and not
a specific household. If a household moves out of a sample
address between enumeration periods, you no longer
interview that household. Instead, you interview the current
residents at the sample address.
If you call the telephone number and reach the same
household from the previous enumeration period, don't
assume that you have reached the sample address. It is
possible that the household could be using the same
telephone number at their new address.
Always verify that the household is still living at the address
listed in the VERADD_CP screen. If you are given an
address that doesn't identify an exact unit or is slightly
different from the address displayed in VERADD_CP, ask
the respondent if the household has moved since their last
interview.
If the household has moved out of the sample address and
continues to use the same telephone number, use the
procedures for coding movers in Part B, Chapter 2, Topic 7.
Thank the respondent for their cooperation and explain that
you do not need to interview his/her household, since they
no longer live at the sample address for this survey.
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Any time you discover that a new or replacement household
is currently living at the sample address, you are required to
collect the demographic information for the new
respondents and conduct the interviews with the
replacement household by personal visit for the current
enumeration period, when a new household has moved into
the sample address. However, if the sample address is
vacant because no new respondents have moved in, the
original case will not be coded as a replacement; rather, it
will be coded as a Type B noninterview.
Selecting a Household
Respondent
Once you are sure that you have reached the sample
address and the same household from the previous
enumeration period, you need to speak to the household
member who will be the "household respondent." Because
of the type of information this person needs to provide both
for the Roster Demographics Section and the Basic Screen
Questionnaire, you need to select a household member
who is at least 18 years of age and knowledgeable about
the household.
Listed below is the order of preference for selecting a
household respondent:
Using the Information Card
Booklet (NCVS-554) and
the F1 Key
First
Ask for the household respondent from the
previous enumeration period.
Second
Ask for one of the persons who owns or rents the
home.
Third
Ask for a household member who is at least 18
years of age and knowledgeable about the
household.
Questions that display the icon of an open book in the upper
left corner (for example, EDUCATIONATTAIN,
SP_ORIGIN, RACE, and HOUSEHOLDINCOME) instruct
you to show a flashcard to the respondent for personal visit
interviews. When several answer categories are listed for
an item, it is much easier for a respondent to read the
flashcard and select the correct answer. You may also
press F1 to read the answer categories for all of the
questions listed below during a telephone interview.
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Part A, Chapter 5
Item
EDUCATIONATTAIN,
Educational
Attainment
If you are conducting a telephone interview for a third, fifth,
or seventh enumeration household or during an even
numbered enumeration where there are any NEW
household members, ask item EDUCATIONATTAIN and
enter the appropriate precode. More information about this
item can be found in Part B, Chapter 2, Topic 9.
Item SP_ORIGIN,
HISPANIC Origin
Since your telephone interview cases will be sample
addresses that have been interviewed in a previous
enumeration period, you will only ask Item SP_ORIGIN for
NEW household members that you add for the current
enumeration period.
If the respondent hesitates to answer once you have asked
the question in SP_ORIGIN, then turn to the categories in
your Information Card Booklet (NCVS-554) and ask the
respondent if the added person's ethnic origin is one of the
following origins...(then read the origins listed).
Item RACE, Race
For your telephone interviews, only ask the race question
for any NEW household members for the current
enumeration period. If the respondent does not give you the
NEW household member’s race(s) after you ask the
question for RACE, then read the race categories listed.
Item HOUSEHOLD
INCOME, Household
Income
If you are conducting a telephone interview for a third, fifth,
or seventh enumeration period household, you must update
Item HOUSEHOLDINCOME with the household
respondent. Follow these steps:
Step 1 -
Ask the question in Item HOUSEHOLDINCOME, "What
was the total combined income of all members of this
household during the past 12 months?"
Step 2 -
If necessary, explain to the respondent that you need to
identify the broad income range that best fits the total
combined income during the past 12 months for all
household members who are 14 years of age or older.
Exclude the income of any household member who left the
household and is not a household member at the time of the
interview. If the respondent seems confused about which
household member's income to include, read the list of
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current household members who are over 14 years of age
by clicking on the HHRoster tab in the instrument.
Step 3 -
If the respondent gives too broad an income range, probe
by reading the answer categories from the question that are
within the broad range.
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Part A, Chapter 5
Topic 5. Telephone Interviewing Skills
Overview
Every interviewing situation is unique. Do not allow a difficult
interview or a sharp refusal to shake your confidence or
affect subsequent interviews. Begin each interview as if it
were your first interview of the workday. Keep a
businesslike attitude and a positive frame of mind at all
times.
Successful telephone communication is dependent on how
the respondent perceives you based on your vocal
expression. Your language usage, grammar, voice quality,
rate of speech, and enunciation are all key elements in
creating a favorable impression over the telephone.
General Rules
When you conduct a telephone interview, be professional.
You can accomplish this if you are easy to understand and
always try to sound confident, polite, and businesslike.
Listed below are some general rules that can help you to
promote a professional image.
Clarity
Avoid talking to respondents with anything in your mouth -mints, gum, etc. Speak directly into the mouthpiece and
guard against placing the mouthpiece at chin level. Instead
of raising your voice when a respondent is having difficulty
hearing or understanding you, first make sure that you are
holding the mouthpiece between your nose and your lower
lip. This improves the quality of the transmission and allows
you to speak in your normal tone of voice.
Enunciation
Pronounce your words carefully; never mumble. This is
important because the English language is full of similar
sounds, such as the letters "T" and "D," and "P," "B," and
"V." Careful enunciation saves you from repeating and
helps avoid misunderstandings.
Courtesy
Courtesy is important during a telephone interview. When a
respondent tries your patience, remain calm and do not
allow him/her to hear any impatience or frustration in your
voice. Never take anything a respondent says personally.
Avoid letting your emotions push you into saying anything
that may upset or excite a respondent.
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Also, as a courtesy to the respondent, explain why you are
pausing between questions. The respondent may be more
patient and willing to wait if he/she knows that you are
pausing to enter pertinent facts about an incident. Your job
is to conduct complete and accurate interviews in a
"professional" manner.
Rate of Speech
Find a rate of speech that is comfortable for you and the
majority of your respondents. The average rate of speech is
120 words per minute. If you speak too rapidly, your words
tend to run together, and if you speak too slowly, the
respondent may still have difficulty understanding what you
say.
Pitch and Inflection
Speak in a moderate pitch and avoid talking in a monotone
voice. When reading questions, it is especially helpful to use
a rising inflection towards the end of a question. If you put a
"smile" in your voice and avoid sounding like a robot, you
are more likely to keep your respondent's interest.
Use a Brief
Introduction
Avoid using lengthy introductions. Be brief and to the point
and begin interviewing as soon as possible.
Start Fresh
Do not let your emotions from a "tough" interview or a
refusal carryover into the next interview. Each respondent
deserves a fresh start and the best that you have to give
them. Do not allow "tough" interviews and refusals to shake
your confidence.
No Rushing
Do not rush respondents or make them feel that they are
taking too long to answer your questions. We want
respondents to relax and take their time, so they can
remember all the pertinent facts about an incident. If
respondents feel like you are rushing them, they may
purposely leave out information.
Ending the Interview
As you finish interviewing each eligible respondent in a
sample household, thank him/her and ask to speak to the
next respondent. When the time comes to end the
telephone call, always let the respondent hang up first. This
technique gives the respondent a feeling of control over the
situation.
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Listening Skills
Part A, Chapter 5
It takes much more than just asking questions to be a good
interviewer. Listening attentively to your respondent is just
as important for conducting a successful interview. Listed
below are some listening techniques which all interviewers
need to practice:
Limit your own talking so that the respondent has ample
time to explain incidents. Remember that it is very
difficult to talk and listen well at the same time.
When you do not understand something said or you feel
that you may have missed a point, always try to get a
clear understanding of the situation. Sometimes
repeating what the respondent said in your own words
may help to straighten out the misunderstanding.
Telephone interviews may require more probing than
personal visit interviews.
Try not to interrupt a respondent before he/she is
finished replying. A long pause does not always mean
that the respondent is done answering your question.
Never rush a respondent when he/she needs more time
to recall specific facts.
Shut out distractions while conducting interviews.
Concentrate on focusing your mind on what each
respondent is telling you.
The occasional use of interjections like "Yes" or "I see"
reassures the respondent that you are paying attention
to what he/she is saying. Be especially careful to use
neutral comments that will not bias the interview in any
way. Avoid saying things like "That's good" or "That's
too bad."
Listen attentively and objectively. Do not allow a
respondent's words to irritate you or a respondent's
harsh manner to distract you from your professional
manner.
Avoid jumping to conclusions or assuming that a
respondent will say something before they finish
explaining the incident. Be patient and let the
respondent finish his/her thought. Do not lead the
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respondent and possibly bias the interview.
Telephone Techniques
Every interviewing situation is unique. It is important that
you adapt to each new respondent. Do not let your reactions
to one interview carry over and affect the next interview.
Here are some techniques you can follow to help in
conducting your telephone interviews:
Select a good working space
Choose a quiet place where you can conduct your
telephone interviews without distractions and in privacy.
Make sure that you have adequate space and light.
Be prepared
Before you begin a telephone interview, make sure that
you have all the materials you need within your arm’s
reach. Make sure that you have adequate supplies of
paper, pens, pencils, and forms, together with this
manual and any job aids. If you need to leave the
telephone for some unexpected reason, always excuse
yourself politely and never let the respondent wait more
than a minute. If your telephone has a "call waiting"
feature, disable the "call waiting" feature before you
start any telephone interviews.
Learn from mistakes
Whenever possible, try to evaluate your performance for
each interview. See if you can improve your technique in
any area of the interview process. Try to improve your
technique with each new interview and do not continue
making the same mistakes over and over.
Learn from successes
When you feel an interview went well, think about why.
Perhaps your telephone manner made a difference
because you were able to maintain your confidence and
project a pleasant, businesslike attitude. Concentrate on
the positive aspects of a successful interview and
continue to improve your technique.
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Part A, Chapter 6
Chapter 6
Noninterviews
Table of Topics
Topic
Page
1 Overview of Noninterview Types
and Procedures
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2 Type A Noninterview Categories
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3 Type B Noninterview Categories
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4 Type C Noninterview Categories
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5 Type Z Noninterview Persons
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Noninterviews
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Part A, Chapter 6
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Topic 1. Overview of Noninterview Types and Procedures
Noninterview Cases
Noninterview Categories
When you are assigned an NCVS case and cannot get a
completed interview, you must classify the case into one of
three noninterview categories: Type A, Type B, or Type C.
A sample address is classified as a noninterview if:
The living quarters is occupied but you are unable to get
any completed interviews.
The living quarters is occupied by persons who are not
eligible respondents for the NCVS.
The living quarters is vacant.
The living quarters is not eligible for sample because it is
no longer used as a residence, it no longer exists, or it
does not qualify based on the current listing and
coverage rules.
Qualifications for each of the three noninterview categories,
Type A, B, and C, are as follows:
Type A
Some sample households consist of persons who are
eligible for interview, but none of these persons can be
interviewed for a specific reason. These cases will classify
as Type A noninterviews. Type A noninterview reasons for
the NCVS are:
Language problems
No one home
Temporarily absent
Refused
Other occupied (Use this Type A reason for occupied
sample units that you cannot reach due to impassable
roads; for sample households that you cannot interview
due to serious illness or death in the household; or for
sample units that you are unable to locate.)
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Type B
A sample address could be vacant or occupied entirely by
persons who have a usual residence elsewhere. Although
these cases are not eligible for interview during the current
interview period, they could become eligible at a later time.
These cases will classify as Type B noninterviews. Type B
noninterview reasons for the NCVS are:
Vacant - regular
Vacant - storage of household furniture
Temporarily occupied by persons with usual residence
elsewhere (URE)
Unfit or to be demolished
Under construction, not ready
Converted to temporary business or storage
Unoccupied site for mobile home, trailer, or tent
Permit granted, construction not started
Other (Only use this Type B reason if none of the other
Type B reasons are appropriate for the situation.)
Type C
Some situations can require that a sample address be
permanently removed from the NCVS sample. These cases
will classify as Type C noninterviews. Type C noninterview
reasons for the NCVS are:
Unused line of listing sheet
Demolished
House or trailer moved
Outside segment
Converted to permanent business or storage
Merged
Condemned
Unit does not exist or is out of scope
Unlocatable sample address
Permit abandoned or other (Only use the Type C
“Other” reason when none of the specific Type C
reasons are appropriate for the situation.)
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Type Z Noninterviews
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Classify an eligible household member as a Type Z
noninterview when you are unable to interview an eligible
household member and the household member is not the
household respondent.
Unlike Type A, B, and C noninterviews, a Type Z
noninterview relates to an eligible household member (other
than the household respondent) and does not relate to the
entire sample household. Another difference is that a
personal visit is not required before classifying a person as
a Type Z noninterview.
However, if you are unable to interview the household
respondent, the entire sample household is a Type A
noninterview because:
You must interview the household respondent before
interviewing anyone else in the household.
AND
You cannot classify a household respondent as a Type
Z noninterview person.
Minimizing Noninterviews
It is important to keep both Type A and Type Z
noninterviews to a minimum, so that:
Your response rate does not suffer and
The sample data you collect is truly representative of the
entire U.S. population.
Individuals who are difficult to find at home or who resist
being interviewed may have different victimization
experiences than persons who are readily available for
interviews. Therefore, failure to get interviews from all
eligible household members could introduce serious bias
into the survey results.
Procedures for Type A, B,
and C Noninterviews
If you have a case that is a Type A, B, or C noninterview,
select Precode (4), “Noninterview,” at Item START_CP.
Descriptions and instructions for each noninterview type are
outlined below, starting at Item NONTYP.
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Type A Noninterview
Procedures
Part A, Chapter 6
At Item NONTYP, select Precode (1), “Type A.” Item
TYPEA appears; there are six options:
1. Language problems [outcome code 213]
2. No one home [outcome code 216]
3. Temporarily absent - Specify [outcome code 217]
4. Refused [outcome code 218]
5. Other occupied - Specify [outcome code 219]
If you select precodes (1) (2) or (4), Item TYPEA_CK
appears, which asks, “Are you sure this is a Type A
noninterview?” If you are sure, enter Precode (1), “Yes.” If
not, enter Precode (2), “No.”
If you select Precode (3) in TYPEA, “Temporarily absent Specify,” Item TYPEA_SPEC3 appears and says, “Enter
the date this household is expected to return.” Enter the
date of the household’s expected return. Then TYPEA_CK
appears (see paragraph above.)
If you select Precode (5), Item TYPEA_SPEC5 appears,
which says, “Enter the description for Other - Occupied.”
Then TYPEA_CK appears (see above).
Proceed with Item TYPEOFHOUSINGUNIT_AB, which
asks you to “Please select one box that describes the type
of housing unit” from twelve options:
1. House, apartment, flat
2. HU in nontransient hotel, motel, etc.
3. HU permanent in transient hotel, motel, etc.
4. HU in rooming house
5. Mobile home or trailer with no permanent room added
6. Mobile home or trailer with one or more permanent
rooms attached
7. HU not specified above - Describe
8. Quarters not HU in rooming or boarding house
9. Unit not permanent in transient hotel, motel, etc.
10. Unoccupied site for mobile home, trailer, or tent
11. Student quarters in college dormitory
12. Other unit not specified above - Describe
Items BCNAME, BCTITL, and BCNUM appear (when
Precode 3 is selected in TYPEA), which ask for the contact
person’s name, title, and telephone number. (A contact
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person is someone who is knowledgeable about the
household - a neighbor, mail carrier, postal carrier, etc.)
Select an answer and proceed with Item THANKYOU_CP,
which ends the interview.
Type B Noninterviews
At Item NONTYP, select Precode (2), “Type B.” Item
TYPEB appears; there are nine options:
1. Vacant - regular [outcome code 226]
2. Vacant - storage of household furniture
[outcome code 227]
3. Temporarily occupied by persons with URE
[outcome code 225]
4. Unfit or to be demolished [outcome code 228]
5. Under construction, not ready [outcome code 229]
6. Converted to temporary business or storage
[outcome code 230]
7. Unoccupied site for mobile home, trailer, or tent
[outcome code 231]
8. Permit granted, construction not started
[outcome code 232]
9. Other - Specify [outcome code 233]
If you select any of Precodes (1) through (8), Item
TYPEOFHOUSINGUNIT_AB appears, then Items
BCNAME, BCTITL, and BCNUM appear, which ask for the
contact person’s name, title, and telephone number. (A
contact person is someone who is knowledgeable about the
household - a neighbor, mail carrier, postal carrier, etc.) If
the determination of a Type B was made by observation,
enter “None” in the contact information fields, and enter
Precode (2), “Yes” at BCOBS.
If you select Precode (9), “Other - Specify,”
TYPEOFHOUSINGUNIT_AB appears,
thenTYPEB_SPEC9, “Enter the description of the Other
Type B reason.” Then Item BCNAME appears (see
paragraph above).
Proceed with Item THANKYOU_CP, which ends the
interview.
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Type C Noninterviews
Part A, Chapter 6
At Item NONTYP, select Precode (3), “Type C.” Item
TYPEC appears; there are eleven options:
1. Unused line of listing sheet [outcome code 247]
2. Demolished [outcome code 240]
3. House or trailer moved [outcome code 241] (Note that
this code is for a case where the actual trailer or
house has moved and not just its occupants)
4. Outside segment [outcome code 242]
5. Converted to permanent business or storage
[outcome code 243]
6. Merged [outcome code 244]
7. Condemned [outcome code 245]
8. Unit does not exist or is out of scope [outcome code 259]
9. Unlocatable address [outcome code 258]
10. Permit abandoned [outcome code 248]
11. Other – Specify [outcome code 248]
If you select any of Precodes (1) through (10),
TYPEC_WARN appears, then Items BCNAME, BCTITL,
and BCNUM appear, which ask for the contact person’s
name, title, and telephone number. (A contact person is
someone who is knowledgeable about the household - a
neighbor, mail carrier, postal carrier, etc.) If the
determination of a Type B was made by observation, enter
“None” in the contact information fields, and enter Precode
(2), “Yes” at BCOBS.
If you select Precode (11), Item TYPEC_SPEC appears,
which says, “Enter the description of the other Type C
reason.” Enter the description. Then Item TYPEC_WARN
appears: “You have made this case a Type C - OtherSpecify.” If this is correct, enter Precode (1) to proceed. If
you have made an error classifying the case, use the up
arrows to go back to previous items and change your
responses, after entering (1) to continue. Item BCNAME
appears, which is described in the previous paragraph.
Proceed with Item THANKYOU _CP, which ends the
interview.
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Part A, Chapter 6
Procedures for Type Z
Noninterviews
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
A Type Z noninterview indicates that you completed
interviews with at least the household respondent but were
unable to complete an interview with one or more eligible
members.
If the household contains any members who have not been
interviewed, either because they refused, had a partial
interview, were never available despite repeated attempts
to interview them, they were temporarily absent and no
proxy was available, you must specify the Type Z
noninterview reason for every noninterview person in the
household before you can transmit the case.
This process can only be done at the time you are ready to
transmit the case, so it is important that you identify any
eligible household members as noninterviews early in the
interview period, and annotate the reason(s) in the CAPI
notes so you do not forget them when you are ready to
transmit the case later.
Designating household
members as Type Z
noninterviews
Enter the case; click on the household roster (HH Roster)
tab on the toolbar to check interview status of eligible
household members. Designate a Type Z noninterview
reason for all those whose interview status is “Need self,”
“Need proxy,” “Partial int,” or “Refused.” Proceed as follows:
Click on the “Main” tab to go to the START_CP screen and
enter Precode (5), “Ready to transmit case - no more
followup.(Type Z’s)” A pop-up screen appears that says,
“Are you ready to transmit this case?.” Click “Suppress.”
The TYPEZ screen appears: “No survey data were
collected for (NAME). Enter the reason that best describes
why (NAME)’s survey date were not collected.” There are
six options:
1. Never available
2. Parent Refused
3. Resp. Refused
4. Physically/Mentally Unable
5. TA - No proxy available
6. Other
Enter the applicable reason, then exit the case. Note that
the case is automatically removed from the main Case List.
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Part A, Chapter 6
Topic 2. Type A Noninterview Categories
Overview
Since Type A noninterviews mean the loss of valuable
information, keep Type A noninterviews to a minimum. If we
fail to get NCVS data from sample households, the data we
do collect may not be representative of the U.S. population.
It is not always possible to avoid Type A noninterviews, but
there are ways to keep them at a minimum. These include:
Establishing good relations with your respondents,
Contacting sample households when they are most
likely to be at home, and
Conducting the interview in a positive and professional
manner.
The following reasons can cause a sample unit to be
classified as a Type A noninterview:
The sample household cannot be interviewed during the
interview period because of language problems.
After making repeated contacts during the interview
period, you are never able to reach anyone at home.
All members of the sample household are temporarily
away from home during the entire interview period.
The sample household refuses to allow any interviews.
An occupied sample unit cannot be interviewed due to
impassable roads.
The sample household cannot be interviewed during the
interview period because of a serious illness or a death
in the family.
You are not able to locate the sample unit.
Before you classify a telephone interview case as a Type
A noninterview, you must attempt to make contact in person
and interview the household. Also, make sure that you call
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your Regional Office before sending in a Type A
noninterview.
Procedures for “Language
Problems” - Precode (1),
(Outcome 213)
Before you can classify a sample household as “Language
Problems,” you must make attempts to find an interpreter
who is acceptable to the household respondent. The
interpreter can be a family member, a neighbor of the
respondent, an official interpreter, or even you, if you speak
the person’s language. If you have difficulty finding a
suitable interpreter, contact your supervisor before
classifying the case as a Type A Precode (1). Only use
Type A Precode (1) as a last resort.
Procedures for "No One
Home" - Precode (2),
(Outcome 216)
Before you can classify a sample household as "No One
Home," you must make several attempts to contact the
household and verify that they are only gone for a short
while and plan to return during the interview period. If the
household is away from home and isn't expected to return
before your closeout date, use Type A Precode (3),
Temporarily Absent, instead of using Type A Precode (2).
For personal visit interviews:
If no one is home at the time of your first visit for the
interview period, check with neighbors or anyone else who
may know when the household is expected to return home.
Remember, do not mention the survey name when making
any inquiries. Listed below is a suggested way of making
inquiries:
"Hello, I am (your name) from the United States Census
Bureau. Here is my identification (show ID). I am trying
to contact someone at (sample address), but no one is
at home. Do you know when it is likely that someone
would be there?"
Follow the procedures shown below when you discover that
the household is expected to return home sometime within
the interview period:
Fill out a Request for Appointment (Form 11-38 or
11-38A) indicating when you plan to return. For
identification purposes, enter the case's control number
and your name and telephone number on the form.
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Use the back of the instrument (when in the instrument)
or the case level notes to enter the callback date and
time for your return visit.
Note:
Another alternative is to leave your business card
at the sample address with a preprinted peel-off
sticker attached to it saying:
IMPORTANT
Please call me at the number on the attached card.
I am required to contact an adult household
member and I am obligated to return until contact
has been made.
(Enter your name)
U.S. Census Bureau Field Representative
Procedures for
"Temporarily Absent" Precode (3), (Outcome 217)
If it is not practical to use a Request for Appointment
form, try to determine the best time to contact the
household and make a return visit then.
If all these efforts fail, then classify the case as a Type A
Code 216, No one home, as described in Topic 1 of this
chapter.
For personal visit interviews:
When you make your first visit to a sample address for an
interview month and find that no one is home, try to
determine from neighbors or anyone else who may know
how long the household may be gone.
Before classifying a case as a Type A Precode (3),
Temporarily Absent, all of the following conditions must
exist:
All household members are temporarily away and not
expected to return home until the current closeout date
has passed. They might be on vacation, a business trip,
caring for sick relatives, or some other similar reason.
All of the household's personal belongings are still
in the sample unit. In other words, the sample
household has not moved their personal belongings to
another location. This is especially important if you see
a "For Sale" or "For Rent" sign on the property.
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The sample unit is not a summer cottage or a unit
used only for vacation purposes. In other words, the
sample unit is the primary residence for the sample
household.
Once you determine that the case qualifies as a Type A
Precode (3), Temporarily Absent, take the following actions:
Procedures for "Refused" Precode (4), (Outcome 218)
After entering Precode (3), enter the date when the
sample household is expected to return to the sample
address in TYPEA_SPEC3.
Use the BC_CONTACT screens to enter the name, title,
contact type code, address, telephone number, and
telephone type code for the person who provided the
information about the household.
If there is any possibility that the household will return
before your closeout date, attempt to interview the
household prior to your closeout date when feasible, do
not code the household as a Type A yet.
When you know that the household definitely will not
return before either closeout dates, complete the rest of
the noninterview section according to the instructions in
Topic 2 of this chapter. Make sure that you enter the
"Return date" when filling Item TYPEA_SPEC3.
Although our response rates are high, you may occasionally
experience households who refuse to be interviewed. When
you encounter such households, impress upon them that
the information they can provide is valuable and the survey
results will benefit their household and their community.
Make every reasonable effort to obtain cooperation from
each sample household assigned to you.
Despite all your efforts, a sample household may still refuse
to answer the survey questions or may insist that an
interview is not necessary since their household had no
changes or crimes to report for the past 6 months. You are
still required to complete and/or update the appropriate
items in the control card section and to complete the
NCVS-1 interviews with a household respondent and all
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remaining eligible household members, even if no crimes
occurred.
When you are unable to change the way a household feels
about participating in the NCVS and they just refuse to
cooperate, follow these procedures:
For personal visit interviews:
Your supervisor may instruct you to notify her/him by
telephone and explain the refusal situation. If your
supervisor will be in the sample area on other business,
she/he could visit the refusal household and try to
change their minds.
When all efforts to convert a refusal are unsuccessful,
complete the noninterview section as described in Topic
2 of this chapter, below.
As soon as your Regional Office becomes aware of a
refusal household, they will mail a letter to the household
requesting their cooperation and letting them know that you
will contact them again. The office will also send you a copy
of this letter.
If your Regional Office notifies you that a refusal household
is considered a "confirmed" refusal, you will no longer
attempt to interview the refusal household. For future
enumeration periods, verify with neighbors or other
knowledgeable sources whether or not the same household
is still living in the sample unit.
If the confirmed refusal household is still living at the sample
unit:
Enter Type A Precode (4) in Item TYPEA.
Complete the Noninterview section as described in
Topic 2 of this chapter, below.
In the Case Level Notes, enter "Confirmed refusal
household - Do not attempt to interview household."
If you discover that a new household has moved into the
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sample unit, visit and interview the new or "replacement"
household as specified in this manual on Pages C1-32 and
C1-33.
Group Quarters (GQ)
Refusals
Some of your NCVS assignments may include sample units
within GQs, such as hotels, college dormitories, homeless
shelters, and so forth. If either the manager or owner of a
group quarters refuses to allow you to interview persons
residing in sample GQ units, notify your supervisor
immediately. Based on the situation, your supervisor will
provide you with specific instructions.
Procedures for "Other
Occupied" - Precode (5),
(Outcome 219)
Most Type A noninterviews fall under one of the reasons
already mentioned: Language problems, No one home,
Temporarily absent, and Refused. However, you could
encounter other situations that force you to classify an
eligible and occupied sample unit as a Type A noninterview.
For example, the following situations could justify classifying
a case as a Type A noninterview, Other occupied:
A family member died very recently.
The sample household has been quarantined.
The sample household lives in a gated and/or guarded
community and you cannot gain access to the sample
address. Notify your supervisor immediately and he/she
will provide you with specific instructions.
A storm or other natural disaster prevents you from
getting to sample addresses in your assignment. In
recent years, weather-related interviewing problems,
such as floods, mud slides, earthquakes, fires, and
heavy snow, have become more prevalent. If you
encounter these problems, try to identify which sample
addresses are occupied and which sample addresses
are vacant.
For previously interviewed households:
Determine occupancy based on the unit's status during
the last enumeration period, unless a knowledgeable
person tells you otherwise.
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For first time households:
If a sample unit is assigned to you for the first
enumeration period, try to discover the occupancy
status from neighbors, local merchants, postal workers,
county recorder of deeds, or other local government
officials. Never mention the survey name when talking
to persons who are not household members at the
sample address.
More than two of the household respondent’s screen
questions are left unanswered because the household
respondent refused to answer them and you are unable
to interview another eligible household member as the
household respondent.
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Topic 3. Type B Noninterview Categories
Overview
Type B noninterviews include cases which you cannot
interview during a specific interview period because they
are either:
Unoccupied or
Temporarily occupied by persons who are ineligible for
interview because they have a usual residence
elsewhere (URE).
Any case that you classify as a Type B noninterview could
become eligible for interview in a later enumeration period.
A sample unit may be classified as a Type B noninterview
for any of the following reasons:
Vacant, regular
Vacant, storage of household furniture
Temporarily occupied by persons with a usual residence
elsewhere (URE)
Unfit or to be demolished
Under construction, not ready
Converted to temporary business or storage
Unoccupied site for a mobile home, trailer, or tent
Permit granted, construction not started
Other Type B
Procedures for "Vacant,
Regular" - Precode (1)
(Outcome 226)
The majority of unoccupied units that you discover will
classify as "Vacant, regular." If you discover that a sample
address is unoccupied and the following conditions exist,
you can classify the unit as a Type B noninterview, Vacant,
regular:
The unit is vacant and the occupants have permanently
left the unit.
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The unit is for sale or rent.
The unit is being held off the sales market.
The unit is seasonally closed (e.g., a vacation home).
A dilapidated unit that is still considered a living
quarters, such as a housing unit that is very run down, in
need of many repairs, and still occupied as a living
quarters. Do not include unoccupied units that are
condemned, unfit for human habitation, awaiting
demolition or being demolished.
A vacant living quarters such as a mobile home, tent, or
a similar structure.
A GQ unit that may be vacant in transient quarters.
Special Situations
You may discover a vacant sample unit that is in the
process of being converted to make more units or merged to
make fewer units. Classify the unoccupied units created
by the conversion or merger as Type B, Precode (1),
Vacant, regular, if:
The conversion or merger has progressed to the stage
where you can identify the converted or merged units as
they will be when completed, or
A responsible person can tell you how the units will be
when completed.
Otherwise, classify the original sample unit as a Type B,
Precode (1), Vacant, regular.
The same procedures used for conversions and mergers
also apply to sample units that are undergoing repairs or
alterations.
Procedures for "Vacant,
Storage of Household
Furniture" - Precode (2),
(Outcome 227)
Only use Type B, Precode (2) when an unoccupied sample
unit is used solely for the storage of excess furniture. This is
not the same as a vacant unit that is fully furnished and
awaiting a potential renter or owner. For a vacant, furnished
unit that is waiting to be rented or sold, use Type B, Precode
(1), Vacant, regular.
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Procedures for
"Temporarily Occupied by
Persons With a URE" Precode (3), (Outcome 225)
If an entire household is staying at a sample unit temporarily
(e.g., on vacation) and the household has a usual residence
elsewhere (URE), they are not eligible household members;
do not interview them. If you discover this situation, classify
the unit as a Type B, Precode (3), Temporarily occupied by
persons with a URE.
Procedures for "Unfit or to
be Demolished" - Precode
(4), (Outcome 228)
Consider an unoccupied sample unit as unfit for human
habitation if the unit is no longer protected from the
elements because the roof, walls, windows, or doors are
either damaged or missing. This may have been caused by
vandalism, fire, or deterioration from neglect and age.
If you see the following conditions, the likely classification
for the unit is Type B, Precode 4, Unfit or to be demolished:
Windows are broken
Doors are either missing or swinging open
Parts of the roof or walls are missing or destroyed
leaving holes in the unit's structure
Part of the structure has been blown or washed away
Part of the structure has collapsed or is missing.
Do not use Type B, Precode 4, for the following two
situations:
When doors and windows are boarded up to keep them
from becoming destroyed by vandalism or bad weather.
When doors and windows are not intended to be used in
a structure, such as in some rural sections of the
country.
Also, use the "Unfit or to be demolished" reason for vacant
sample units that you can verify as being scheduled for
demolition. You must see positive evidence, such as a
demolition sign, notice, or mark on the sample unit or on the
building that houses the sample unit.
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Procedures for "Under
Construction, Not Ready" Precode (5), (Outcome 229)
Part A, Chapter 6
Type B, Precode (5) is intended for sample units that are in
the process of being newly constructed and are not yet
ready for occupancy because the following items have not
been installed:
Exterior windows and doors and
Usable floors.
Once the newly constructed sample unit is ready for
occupancy, but is still vacant, classify it as Type B Precode
(1), Vacant, regular.
Procedures for "Converted
to Temporary Business or
Storage" - Precode (6),
(Outcome 230)
Use Type B, Precode (6) when a sample unit that is
intended as a living quarters is used instead for the
temporary storage of commercial or business supplies,
machinery or other products related to a business. If you
can determine that the storage of these business supplies is
permanent, then classify the sample unit as Type C
Precode (5), Converted to permanent business or storage,
not Type B Precode 6.
Do not use "Converted to temporary business or storage," if
you discover that the vacant unit is intended for the storage
of business supplies in the future, but not at the time of your
visit.
There is a separate Type B noninterview reason for a
sample unit that is vacant and used solely to store
household furniture. Do not use "Converted to temporary
business or storage" when it is household furniture that is
being stored in the vacant unit.
Procedures for
"Unoccupied Site for
Mobile Home, Trailer, or
Tent” - Precode (7),
(Outcome 231)
Although mobile homes, trailers, tents, boats, cars, buses,
caves, and so forth are not located within a typical building
structure, they can still be considered housing units if they
meet our housing unit definition. If the sample unit is listed
by its site identification rather than an address, and you find
that the site is vacant, classify the sample unit as Type B,
Precode (7), Unoccupied site for a mobile home, trailer, or
tent.
Noninterviews
A6-19
Part A, Chapter 6
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Procedures for "Permit
Granted, Construction Not
Started" - Precode (8),
(Outcome 232)
There may be instances when you are assigned a sample
unit and discover that the construction permit has been
issued, but construction has not yet started. When this
occurs, classify the sample unit as Type B, Precode (8),
Permit granted, construction not started.
Procedures for "Type B,
Other" - Precode (9),
(Outcome 233)
Most Type B noninterviews will fall under one of the specific
reasons already mentioned. If you discover a rare situation
that is not covered in any of the specific Type B
noninterview reasons, use Type B, Precode (9), Other.
Then, at Item TYPEB_SPEC9, enter a description of the
reason you are coding this case as a Type B.
Noninterviews
A6-20
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part A, Chapter 6
Topic 4. Type C Noninterview Categories
Overview
Type C noninterviews are sample units that are ineligible for
the NCVS sample and need to be removed permanently
from the sample. Many Type C noninterviews occur
because of changes that happen between the time a unit is
listed and the time the unit is assigned for interview. Type C
noninterview reasons include:
Demolished
House or trailer moved
Outside segment
Converted to permanent business or storage
Merged
Condemned
Unit does not exist or is out of scope
Unlocatable sample address
Permit abandoned
Type C, Other
Noninterviews
A6-21
Part A, Chapter 6
Procedures for
"Demolished" - Precode
(2), (Outcome 240)
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
You could be assigned a sample unit and then discover that
it no longer exists because it was demolished or is in the
process of being demolished. If this happens, classify the
case as Type C, Precode (2), Demolished.
When an unoccupied unit is scheduled to be demolished,
but demolition work has not yet begun, do not classify the
unit as Type C, Precode (2). When demolition work has not
yet begun, classify the unit as Type B, Precode (4), Unfit or
to be demolished.
Procedures for "House or
Trailer Moved" - Precode
(3) (Outcome 241)
It is possible that a sample unit could have been moved
from its site after it was listed. This is more likely to happen
when the unit is a mobile home or trailer, but it could also be
a house. If this happens and the unit is listed by its street
address, not its site identification, classify the unit as Type
C, Precode (3), House or trailer moved.
Procedures for "Outside
Segment" - Precode (4),
(Outcome 242)
Use Type C, Precode (4) when the original listing for an
area segment is incorrect and, at the time of interview, you
discover that the unit is physically located outside of the
area segment boundaries.
Procedures for "Converted
to Permanent Business or
Storage" - Precode (5),
(Outcome 243)
Use Type C when a sample unit has been converted
permanently from living quarters to storage space for a
business. The unit may be used to store such items as farm
products, machinery, lumber, business supplies, and so on.
Procedures for "Merged" Precode (6), (Outcome 244)
Merged units occur when two or more apartment units or
two single family homes combine to form one new unit.
Based on the situation and segment type, instructions can
vary for when to classify a sample unit as Type C, Precode
(6), Merged. Detailed instructions for merged units are
provided in Appendix B.
Procedures for
"Condemned" - Precode
(7), (Outcome 245)
Before you can use Type C, Precode (7), the sample unit
must be unoccupied and there must be positive evidence
that the unit is condemned, such as a sign, notice, or mark
on the unit or on the building that houses the unit.
Do not use Type C, Precode (7), Condemned, if:
You see a "condemned" sign, but the unit is occupied. If
the occupants qualify as eligible household members,
try to conduct interviews at the sample unit and ignore
Noninterviews
A6-22
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part A, Chapter 6
the "condemned" sign.
The sample unit is vacant, but you can't find any positive
evidence that the unit is "condemned." If the unit is
vacant and unfit for human habitation, classify it as Type
B, Precode (4), Unfit or to be demolished.
Be careful not to classify a sample unit as a Type C
noninterview when it should be a Type B noninterview. This
type of mistake can remove a unit permanently from the
survey's sample.
Procedures for “Type C,
Unit does not exist or is out
of scope - Precode (8),
(Outcome 259)
Use Type C, Precode (8) in cases where you cannot locate
the sample address because the address information is not
sufficient to locate the sample unit. This precode can only
be used for 2010 sample design cases. If you try to assign
this code to a non-2010 sample design case,
TYPEC259_CK appears: “This outcome code is not valid
for this case, it can only be assigned to 2010 sample design
cases. Return to the TYPEC screen and select the
appropriate non-interview, or press F10 to exit and consult
your manual or with your supervisor for assistance.”
Procedures for “Type C,
Unlocatable Address” –
Precode (9),
(Outcome 258)
Use Type C, Precode (9) for cases when you locate the
sample address but cannot determine which sample unit to
interview. If you try and use this precode for a case with
sufficient address information in Case Management,
TYPEC258_CK appears: “This outcome code can only be
used for cases with minimal to no address information.
Based on the address information in Case Management,this
case does not meet the criteria required to use this outcome
code. If you are unable to locate the sample address for this
case, return to TYPEA and selection Precode (6), “Other,
occupied”. Type “Unable to locate” in the specify screen, or
press F10 and contact your supervisor for assistance.”
Procedures for "Permit
Abandoned" - Precode (10)
(Outcome 248)
At times, you may find from the builder or the permit office
that the builder abandoned the building permit and never
built the structure for a sample unit. If this happens and the
permit will never be used, classify the case as Type C,
Precode (10), Permit abandoned.
Procedures for "Type C,
Other" - Precode (11),
Most Type C noninterviews fall under one of the specific
reasons already mentioned. If you discover a rare situation
Noninterviews
A6-23
Part A, Chapter 6
(Outcome 248)
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
that is not covered in any of the Type C noninterview
reasons already mentioned, use Type C, Precode (11), and
enter the “Other” reason in Item TYPEC_SPEC. An
example of a “Type C, Other” reason is “Basic street
address (BSA) identifies an institutional (or military) GQ.”
Noninterviews
A6-24
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part A, Chapter 6
Topic 5. Type Z Noninterview Persons
What Is a Type Z
Noninterview?
Classify an eligible household member as a Type Z
noninterview when you are unable to interview an eligible
household member and the household member is not the
household respondent.
Unlike Type A, B, and C noninterviews, a Type Z
noninterview relates to an eligible household member (other
than the household respondent) and does not relate to the
entire sample household. Another difference is that a
personal visit is not required prior to classifying a person as
a Type Z noninterview.
However, if you are unable interview the household
respondent, the entire sample household classifies as a
Type A noninterview because:
You must interview the household respondent before
interviewing anyone else in the household.
AND
You cannot classify a household respondent as a Type
Z noninterview person.
Minimizing Type Z
Noninterviews
It is important to keep both Type A and Type Z
noninterviews to a minimum, so that:
Your response rate does not suffer; and
The sample data you collect is truly representative of the
entire U.S. population.
Individuals who are difficult to find at home or who resist
being interviewed may have different victimization
experiences than persons who are readily available for
interviews. Therefore, failure to get interviews from all
eligible household members could introduce a serious bias
into the survey results.
Noninterviews
A6-25
Part A, Chapter 6
Situations Causing Type Z
Noninterviews
Never Available
(Precode 1)
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
There are several reasons why you might be unable to
interview one or more eligible household members in a
sample unit. Some situations will be beyond your control,
while other situations can be overcome by improving your
salesmanship and contacting households when you are
most likely to reach household members.
You may find that an individual respondent within a sample
household is never available when you contact the
household. If all of the following conditions are true, then
you can use Type Z, Precode (1) for an individual
respondent:
You made repeated attempts to reach the individual
respondent.
You are sure that the individual respondent is not
temporarily absent. If the respondent is temporarily
absent, try to get a proxy interview following the proxy
interview procedures provided in Part C, Chapter 1, of
this manual.
You have a completed interview with the household
respondent.
Parent Refused
(Precode 2)
Use Precode (2), Refused, any time another person refuses
to allow an interview with an eligible household member,
such as a household member refusing to let you interview
his/her elderly parent or 14-year-old child.
Respondent Refused
(Precode 3)
Even after you try to persuade a respondent to comply with
our survey, some individual respondents will still refuse to
be interviewed. You cannot take a proxy interview for an
eligible respondent who refuses to be interviewed.
When an individual respondent refuses to be interviewed,
use Type Z Precode (3).
Also, use Type Z Precode (3) for an acceptable proxy
respondent refuses to give an interview for an eligible
respondent who is unable to respond for himself/herself due
to a physical and/or mental problem or due to being
temporarily absent from the sample address.
Noninterviews
A6-26
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part A, Chapter 6
Physically/Mentally
Unable to Answer and
No Proxy Available
(Precode 4)
You are allowed to take proxy interviews for individual
respondents who are physically and/or mentally unable to
be interviewed during the entire interview period.
"Physically/mentally unable to answer" means that the
household member must have health and/or mental illness
problems that are continuous throughout the entire
interview period. If you are unable to find an eligible proxy
respondent for this person, classify the household member
as a Type Z noninterview and use Type Z, Precode (4).
Temporarily Absent and
No Proxy Available
(Precode 5)
If an individual respondent is temporarily away from home
and not expected to return before your closeout date, you
can take a proxy interview. If you cannot find an eligible
proxy respondent for this person, classify the household
member as a Type Z noninterview and use Type Z,
Precode (5).
Other Type Z Situations
(Precode 6)
Use Precode (6) when you are unable to interview an
eligible respondent (other than the household respondent)
and the situation does not fit Type Z Precodes (1) through
(5). Here are some examples:
Household member cannot speak English/no
acceptable interpreter-Another situation you may encounter is a household
member who cannot speak English and an acceptable
interpreter is not available. If this occurs, classify the person
as a Type Z noninterview and use Type Z, Precode (6). Do
not take a proxy interview in this situation.
No acceptable proxy respondent available for a 12- or
13-year-old child-If a 12- or 13-year-old household member is not allowed to
answer for himself/herself and no acceptable proxy
respondent is available, classify the child as a Type Z
noninterview and use Type Z, Precode (6).
Noninterviews
A6-27
Part A, Chapter 6
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
NOTES
Noninterviews
A6-28
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part A, Chapter 7
Chapter 7
Interviewing Materials
Table of Topics
Topic
Page
1 Description of Materials
A7-2
2 Materials Kept Month to Month
A7-5
3 Materials Supplied Monthly
A7-6
Interviewing Materials
A7-1
Part A, Chapter 7
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Topic 1. Description of Materials
Titles and Form Numbers
Listed below are the titles and form numbers of the forms
that you use specifically for NCVS:
Field Representative's Information Card Booklet,
NCVS-554
NCVS At a Glance, NCVS-550.1
NCVS Fact Sheet, NCVS-110
NCVS Introductory Letters, NCVS-572(L) and
NCVS-573(L)
NCVS Thank You Letters, NCVS-593(L) and
NCVS-594(L)
There are other materials you use in the course of your
work, but those materials are generic, such as appointment
slips.
Field Representative's
Information Card Booklet,
NCVS-554
The Information Card Booklet contains flashcard pages for
you to show respondents at in person interviews and pages
with quick reference information for you. By using the
flashcard pages during a personal visit interview, you can
allow respondents to read all the categories before selecting
the appropriate answer.
The Information Card Booklet contains information on the
following:
Explanation of the NCVS which satisfies the Privacy
Act and Paperwork Reduction Act
Answers to frequently asked respondent questions
Information about NCVS data uses and users
Guidelines on when to fill the CAPI case level notes
Guidelines and table to help determine who to
include as a household member
Flashcards for in person interviewing
NCVS definition for the term “rape”
NCVS definition for the term “presence”
Information about classifying Type Z noninterviews.
Information about proxy interviews
Quick reference guide of important NCVS definitions
and concepts.
Guide to help you complete the Summary section of
the instrument
Interviewing Materials
A7-2
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part A, Chapter 7
Information on coding thefts and attempted thefts
List of standard abbreviations to use when writing
summary reports
Instructions for conducting NCVS interviews in
Spanish
List of function keys for case management and the
NCVS CAPI instrument
NCVS At a Glance,
NCVS-550.1
The NCVS At a Glance is a short guide that provides
information about the survey's purpose, its sponsor, data
users and uses, length of interview, and participation
requirements, along with answers to the most common
frequently asked questions. It also contains reference
information to help you with NCVS key concepts and
definitions.
NCVS Fact Sheet,
NCVS-110
The NCVS Fact Sheet (NCVS-110) brochure is available in
both English and Spanish; it provides summarized results
from the most recent NCVS findings. You can hand the
respondent an NCVS Fact Sheet when:
The respondent requests the type of information
provided in this brochure.
You feel that the brochure may encourage a respondent
to cooperate.
NCVS Introductory Letters,
NCVS-572(L) and
NCVS-573(L)
Before you visit a sample household, the National
Processing Center (NPC) will mail the household an
introductory letter which briefly describes the NCVS and lets
them know to expect your visit or telephone call. The
NCVS-572(L) letter is sent to each first enumeration period
household and the NCVS-573(L) letter is sent to each
second through seventh enumeration period household.
At the GETLETTER_CP screen, you ask the household
respondent if they received an introductory letter sent to the
sample household. (This is sent by the NPC.) If the
respondent answers “No,” or they aren’t sure if they
received the letter, hand the respondent a copy of the
appropriate letter and a copy of the NCVS Fact Sheet
(NCVS-110) when conducting the interview in person.
The introductory letters are also available in Spanish,
Interviewing Materials
A7-3
Part A, Chapter 7
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Chinese (traditional and simplified), Korean, and
Vietnamese. Contact your regional office if you need copies
of the letters in these languages.
NCVS Thank You Letters,
NCVS-593(L) and
NCVS-594(L)
There are two different preprinted "Thank You" letters for
you to use as appropriate. The NCVS-593(L) letter is written
to help leave a positive impression with a reluctant
respondent and possibly help you to gain his/her
cooperation during the next enumeration period. After
interviewing a household, mail the NCVS-593(L) "Thank
You" letter to the household if they showed any signs of
refusing in the future.
The NCVS-594(L) letter is written as a "Thank You"
letter for you to mail to sample households who have
completed their interviews for the seventh enumeration
period.
Both of these "Thank You" letters are also available in
Spanish.
Letters in Spanish,
Chinese, Korean, and
Vietnamese
The RO supplies you automatically with "Introductory" and
"Thank You" letters printed in English. If you know that your
assignment area includes households that speak Spanish,
Chinese (traditional and simplified), Korean, or Vietnamese,
request letters in the required languages (Spanish,
Chinese, Korean, or Vietnamese). While the NCVS letters
are available in English, as well as all four of these foreign
languages, the NCVS questions are only available in
English and Spanish.
Valid OMB Control Number
and Expiration Date
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control
number 1121-0111 is required to conduct the NCVS, along
with the current approval expiration date. Use the FAQ tab
in the instrument to access this control number and
expiration date. The OMB number and expiration date also
appear on the Introductory Letters (NCVS-572(L) and
NCVS-573(L)).
Interviewing Materials
A7-4
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part A, Chapter 7
Topic 2. Materials Kept Month to Month
Materials Needed Each
Interview Month
Your regional office provides you with the following supplies
used monthly:
Copies of both "Introductory" letters, NCVS-572(L) and
NCVS-573(L)
Copies of both "Thank You" letters, NCVS-593(L) and
NCVS-594(L)
Copies of "Request for Appointment" slips, Forms 11-38
and 11-38A
Field Representative's Information Card Booklet,
NCVS-554
Copies of the NCVS Fact Sheet, NCVS-110
Notify your regional office whenever you start to run low on
any of these supplies.
Interviewing Materials
A7-5
Part A, Chapter 7
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Topic 3. Materials Supplied Monthly
Assignment Materials for
an Interview Month
Importance of the Monthly
FR Bulletin
Before the start of each interview month, your regional office
sends you:
A detailed bulletin which discusses important current
topics and reminders; and
Any materials and instructions you may need for your
listing and interviewing work. Call your supervisor
immediately if any instructions are unclear to you.
Read all NCVS monthly bulletin carefully so you can
conduct your work accurately for each interview month.
Every month the bulletin covers current monthly topics, as
well as any special reminders. Contact your regional office if
any part of the bulletin is unclear to you.
Interviewing Materials
A7-6
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Overview of the NCVS Instrument
Table of Topics
Topic
Page
1
Introduction
B1-2
2
Screen Layout
B1-5
3
Selection of Questions and Screen Content
B1-8
4
Methods of Making Entries
B1-12
5
Navigation and Using Function Keys
B1-16
6
Partial Interviews and Callbacks
B1-20
7
CAPI Outcome Codes
B1-24
8
How to Use the Tool Bar
B1-26
Overview of the NCVS Instrument
B1-1
Part B, Chapter 1
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Topic 1. Introduction
Learning About the NCVS
Instrument
The NCVS instrument is divided into three sections known
as the front, middle, and back.
The Front Section of the NCVS instrument is designed to:
For new sample cases:
Provide the address for an initial personal visit interview.
For continuing cases:
If available, provide the telephone number to dial and the
introduction to read to the person who answers your
telephone call.
If telephone information has not already been collected,
provides you with screens to collect it.
For both new and continuing cases:
Identify possible interviewing problems.
Verify that you have reached the correct address and
household.
Verify that you are speaking to an eligible household
respondent and, if necessary, to select another eligible
household respondent.
Provide you with general reference information to
answer respondent questions.
Provide you with the appropriate screens to collect,
update or verify information from the sample
household’s demographic information - names, ages,
ethnicity, race, sex, education, and marital status of
household members, and so on.
The Front Section of the NCVS instrument is discussed
further in Part B, Chapter 2, of this manual.
Overview of the NCVS Instrument
B1-2
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 1
The Middle Section of the NCVS instrument is designed to:
Determine whether any of the eligible household
members (12 years of age or older) at the sample
address were victimized by crime during each
household member’s 6-month reference period. These
questions are referred to as the screening items.
The screen items cover a wide variety of situations and
are designed to provide the respondent with concrete
examples of the types of crimes that are typically
reported for the NCVS and could be overlooked by
respondents. These screen items ensure that we collect
ALL incidents of crime that occurred during each sample
household member’s 6-month reference period.
Collect a variety of information about each reported
incidence of crime that occurred during a sample
household member’s 6-month reference period. It is
important to record accurate and complete information
about each crime, so that we have a clear picture of
what happened during the incident. These questions are
referred to as the incident report items.
Add any additional incidents that may have been
discovered while completing the incident report items for
the current incident.
Check the current incident against any previously
reported incidents to avoid reporting duplicate incidents.
The Middle Section of the NCVS instrument is discussed
further in Part B, Chapters 3, 4, and 5, of this manual.
The Back Section of the NCVS instrument is designed to:
Make appointments to call back a sample household so
you or another interviewer can interview sample
household members who are unavailable or who cannot
complete their interview.
Thank each sample household member for his/her time
and participation in the NCVS.
Overview of the NCVS Instrument
B1-3
Part B, Chapter 1
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Enter any final notes about the case which you or
another FR may need for future contacts.
The Back Section of the NCVS instrument is discussed
further in Part B, Chapter 6, of this manual.
In addition to this introduction, Chapter 1 also provides you
with an overview of how:
The NCVS instrument selects the correct questions for
each interview.
A typical NCVS screen is formatted.
To make entries on the NCVS screens during an
interview.
To use the function keys during an interview.
Chapter 1 also provides general instructions for starting the
NCVS interview, setting callback interviews, resuming a
partially completed interview, and recovering from program
errors.
Overview of the NCVS Instrument
B1-4
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 1
Topic 2. Screen Layout
The initial FR training for NCVS provides an in-depth look
at features that you need to be familiar with in the CAPI
instrument. This chapter of the manual highlights those
specific to the NCVS instrument.
Components of a
Screen
Most screens in the NCVS instrument (see example in
Figure A on page B1-27 of this chapter) are divided into
two basic parts:
The Information (Info) Pane, in the upper half of your
computer screen, which includes the tool bar and
question text with the possible answer categories (if
any); and
The Form Pane, in the lower half of the computer
screen. It includes:
Information Pane
The tool bar
Question text in black letters
FR instruction in blue letters (if any). A blue
diamond identifies the FR instruction
The Information (or Info) Pane (see Figure A on Page
B1-27) is located on the top half of the screen.
The Info Pane (see Figure A on Page B1-27) also
includes the list of possible answer categories (if any)
around the middle portion of the screen.
Figure B on Page B1-28 illustrates an Info Pane with
question text in black letters and an FR instruction.
Each option on the list of answer categories has a
pre-determined numeric code or “precode” to distinguish it
from the others. The precode is what you must enter in the
Form Pane (described below) to record the respondent’s
answers.
There are questions that have a long list of possible
answers, and that allow the respondent to report more
than one answer. Each time you enter a precode in the
Overview of the NCVS Instrument
B1-5
Part B, Chapter 1
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Form Pane for those types of questions, you will see the
corresponding text in the answer categories highlighted in
blue. The blue highlighting is intended to help you
distinguish the answers already reported from those not
yet selected.
Form Pane
The Form Pane (see Figure A on Page B1-27) is the
bottom half of the screen, where you make your entries.
The Form Pane provides a summary list of the data items
to be collected, and can give you a sense of where you
are in the interview, and of how much ground you must
cover to complete a given section.
In the NCVS instrument, you will sometimes find that a
single Form Pane will cover a whole section, in which
case the Form Pane will give you a complete list of all the
data items you will collect in that section. More often than
not, however, you will find that more than one Form Pane
is needed to cover a section, especially when the section
has a question with a lengthy answer list.
The Form Pane can appear in one of two basic formats:
In column format; or
In table format
In the NCVS instrument, the column format (see Figure B
on Page B1-28) is used whenever the table format is not
appropriate. In the column format, the instrument will drive
you to navigate from top to bottom for each column that
appears in the Form Pane.
The table format is used when there is sufficient space on
the screen to allow FRs to collect - on a row-by-row basis
- the same set of details for any item listed in the leftmost
column. In the table format (see Figure C on Page
B1-29), the instrument will drive you to navigate from left
to right. Each time you enter an item in the leftmost
column the instrument drives you down the same row,
from left to right, to collect more details about that item.
Overview of the NCVS Instrument
B1-6
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Two-Level Screen
Interaction
Part B, Chapter 1
In the NCVS instrument, each item displayed in the Info
Pane is reflected only as an item label in the Form Pane,
thus allowing space on the bottom half to trace all of the
entries you make in a section. The Info Pane changes as
you move item by item. By contrast, the Form Pane
remains stationary until you either reach the end of the
Form Pane or exit the Form Pane. As you enter the
answers in the Form Pane, the layout of the Form Pane
does not change. Only the contents of the Form Pane
change as the instrument fills in your entries next to the
appropriate item labels.
Overview of the NCVS Instrument
B1-7
Part B, Chapter 1
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Topic 3. Selection of Questions and Screen Content
Selection of Questions
The first interview with the sample household must be made
in person. Once the initial personal visit interview is
conducted, data that you collect about the household and its
members is retained. Based on the household information,
along with the information that you enter during subsequent
NCVS interviews, the instrument determines which
questions to display and how to word these questions
during an interview.
The NCVS instrument also fills the appropriate proper
names, pronouns, verbs, and reference dates into the text
of the NCVS questions. In some cases, a household
member’s answers from a previous interview are pre-filled
on the screen. The following screen shows an example of
the household member’s age, birth date, marital status,
military service, education, Hispanic origin, and race as
reported during the previous enumeration period:
Overview of the NCVS Instrument
B1-8
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Screen Content
NCVS Question
Part B, Chapter 1
A typical NCVS instrument screen contains:
The NCVS question appears in the Info Pane. Most
NCVS instrument screens also include answer
categories, along with precodes to enter for each
answer category.
Specific instructions to you appear on the screen in
blue text, preceded with a diamond symbol. See
Figure B for an example.
CASEID
In the bottom left corner of the form pane, you will see
the case identification number or CASEID, an 8-digit
number used to identify NCVS cases. Each sample
address selected for an NCVS interview is assigned a
unique CASEID.
Item or Screen Name
Next to the CASEID, you will see the Item or Screen
Name, which, in most cases, identifies the NCVS
question shown on the screen. However, not all
screens display an NCVS question. Some screens
provide information for you to read to a respondent or
information for you to read to yourself.
Time, date, and
respondent
information
Next to the item name, time, date, and the name of the
person to whom you are talking, and the name of the
person you are talking about appear.
Screens Without
Questions
Some screens in the NCVS instrument provide
information solely for your benefit and do not provide
any question for you to ask of a respondent. The
START_CP screen shown on the next page is an
example of this type of NCVS screen.
This screen contains text that appears in blue. This
indicates that you are only to read the information to
yourself.
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Overview of the NCVS Instrument
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Part B, Chapter 1
There are also NCVS screens that only display statements
to be read to a respondent, such as INTRO_SOCIO_DEMO
shown below. Note that the text is in bold black print.
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Part B, Chapter 1
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Topic 4. Methods of Making Entries
Types of Entries
Single Entry Questions
Each screen in the NCVS instrument requires you to make
some type of entry to proceed to the next screen. These
entries could be in the form of:
Precodes - Examples include: (1) for “Yes,” or
“Continue,” (2) for “No,” or (3) for “Don’t know.”
Numerical - Examples include: (1-31) for “Days of the
month,” (1 - 999,999) for “Total amount,” or (1-96) for
“Number of years.”
Text or Write In - Examples include: “Jacket stolen
from unlocked car” to describe a crime incident in the
crime screening section or a more lengthy write-in entry
for a crime incident summary report.
Most NCVS items only allow you to enter one precode to
answer a question. Items START_CP, TENURE, and
AGECHECK shown in Figures A, B, and C, respectively,
are examples of single entry questions.
Single entry questions display answer categories preceded
by circles or “radio buttons,” which fill with a black dot when
an answer is selected. The instrument does not allow more
than one “button” to be filled.
Multiple Entry Questions
Some NCVS items allow you to enter more than one
precode to answer a question. We refer to these questions
as “multiple entry” questions. They always include an
instruction to you, such as “ENTER ALL THAT APPLY,
SEPARATE WITH COMMAS.”
Multiple entry questions display answer categories
preceded by squares; as you enter each precode, a check
mark appears next to the corresponding answer category.
By entering the same precode a second time, you can
deselect the answer category and the disappears. You
can also backspace over your entry to deselect. You can
also type in the entry numbers, making sure to separate
them with commas. Precodes may be entered in any order.
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When you are done entering precodes to answer the
question, press “Enter” to indicate that there are no more
entries. NOTREPORTEDPOLICE, shown below, is an
example of a “multiple entry” question.
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Part B, Chapter 1
Don’t Know or Refused
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Some NCVS screens display a numeric precode for “Don’t
know,” while other NCVS screens allow you to enter Ctrl + D
for “Don’t know,” even if it is not displayed on the screen.
We refer to this type of precode as a “blind” code.
If a respondent declines to answer a particular question, you
can enter Ctrl + R for “Refused.”
Always try to convince a respondent to answer a question or
at least get a respondent’s best estimate. Whenever
possible, avoid entering Ctrl + D or Ctrl + R during an
interview.
Invalid Entries
If you enter an invalid precode or press “ENTER” without
making an entry for a screen that requires it, the NCVS
instrument displays a pop-up error message. When you see
an “input invalid” message, click on the “OK” button or hit
the “Escape” key. Enter a valid response for the screen and
then press “ENTER” to proceed to the next screen. In the
case of multiple entry questions, you must enter one or
more valid responses for the screen, then press “Enter” to
indicate that there are no more responses.
Soft and Hard Edits
In order to detect inconsistencies in the data at the time of
data capture, several questions contain edit checks. The
edit checks examine the responses to individual items and
determine if the responses are consistent with the other
data entered. A message appears in a pop-up screen when
possible errors (inconsistencies) are detected in the survey.
The screen displays an error message and identifies the
questions that are inconsistent with one another.
There are two types of edit checks, soft edit checks and
hard edit checks. A soft edit check would be created for a 14
year old attending college (possible but not likely), for
example, and a hard edit would be created for a 4 year old
attending college (not possible). For soft edit checks, you
have the option of accepting the responses and therefore
the inconsistency (select the Suppress button) or resolving
the error by going back (select the GoTo button) to the items
in question and rechecking the responses. To go back and
correct a particular item, make sure that the item displayed
in the "Questions involved" column of the "Edit Check Error
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NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 1
Message" is highlighted, then click the GoTo button, which
takes you to that question so you can correct it.
For hard edit checks, you must go back and resolve the
inconsistency. In many cases, inconsistencies occur
because of keying errors.
Ask or Verify Instruction
Selected screens in the NCVS instrument include an “ASK
OR VERIFY” instruction. If you see this instruction and the
respondent has already provided the answer to the question
during the course of the interview, you are allowed to verify
the answer with the respondent, instead of asking the
question on the screen. However, this is only allowed for
screens that have the “ASK OR VERIFY” instruction. If you
don’t see this instruction, you must always ask the question
exactly as it is worded on the screen.
Overview of the NCVS Instrument
B1-15
Part B, Chapter 1
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Topic 5. Navigation and Using Function Keys
Navigation
There are a number of different ways to navigate in the
NCVS instrument. You can navigate:
With the mouse or the keyboard;
From left to right;
From top to bottom;
Back and forth between sections;
Back and forth (across Form Panes) within a section;
and
Index tabs at top left of the Info Pane: Main, HHRoster,
NewHHR, FAQs, and F10.
Mouse or Keyboard
You can use only the keyboard, or only the mouse that is
embedded in your laptop (immediately below the keyboard),
or you can use both -- going back and forth between the two
-- to navigate through the instrument or to make data
entries. If you wish, you can also use an external mouse.
Arrow Keys
Use the arrow keys mostly when navigating sequentially,
from one item to the next. Use the Left and Right Arrows to
navigate horizontally, and use the Up and Down Arrows to
navigate vertically.
Page Up/Page Down Keys
Use the Page Up and Page Down keys when navigating
sequentially, from one Form Pane to the next. Note that you
cannot page down to the next Form Pane until you have
completed the Form Pane where your cursor is. Note also
that you may have to readjust your cursor when you page
down or page up to a Form Pane, because the instrument
always places you on the first item of the Form Pane.
Tabs
Tabs have two functions: you can use them as place
markers, and you can use them as a “jump” menu.
However, you can use them as a “jump” menu only when
you are using the mouse. To use tabs, position the cursor
over the tab you wish to use and left-click the mouse.
Tabs in the NCVS instrument:
Main - Use this tab to return to the interview after pressing
the “HH roster” or “FAQs” tab.
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Part B, Chapter 1
HH Roster - Use this tab to show the household
composition.
New HHR - This tab allows you to select a new household
respondent if necessary.
FAQs - This tab takes you to the list of frequently asked
questions.
F10 - Use this tab if you need to end the interview because
of a refusal or breakoff, or if a callback must be scheduled.
Purpose of Function Keys
in the NCVS Instrument
Each function key or combination of keys will allow you to
perform specific tasks while working in the NCVS
instrument. The operation of each function key is described
in this topic and summarized on your computer template,
which is shown in Figure D.
F1 - Question Help
Press the F1 function key to show any help screens for the
current question, which are then displayed in a pop-up box.
Questions that have help screens are identified by “?[F1]”
displayed in the top left hand portion of the information
pane.
SHIFT F1 - Display
Household Roster
Press the SHIFT and F1 keys simultaneously to access the
household roster at the SHOWROSCP screen. You can
access the household roster at any time during an NCVS
interview to reference the information shown on this screen.
The SHOWROSCP screen does not allow you to make
changes to the household roster.
F2 - NOT AVAILABLE
The F2 function key is not used in the NCVS instrument.
SHIFT F2 - Frequently
Asked Questions
Press the SHIFT and F2 keys simultaneously to access the
help screens for nine frequently asked NCVS questions
from the FAQMain screen. These screens will help you
answer respondent’s questions.
F3 - NOT AVAILABLE
The F3 function key is not used in the NCVS instrument.
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Part B, Chapter 1
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
F4 - Jump Menu
Press the F4 function key to access a “Jump” menu, which
allows you to jump back to a previously answered section of
the incident report items. Note that this function only works
in the incident report items, which are part of the middle
section of the NCVS instrument.
ALT F4 – Escape Help
Screen
Press the ALT and F4 keys simultaneously to escape from
help screens in the instrument.
SHIFT F5 - Spanish Version
Press the SHIFT and F5 keys simultaneously once you
have passed the START_CP screen, and a pop-up menu
appears. Select the “Spanish” option and the instrument
switches to the Spanish version of the NCVS instrument for
the current question and all subsequent questions. To
return to the English version, just press the SHIFT and F5
keys simultaneously again and select “English” from the
pop-up menu.
F6 - NOT AVAILABLE
The F6 function key is not used in the NCVS instrument.
F7 - Enter Notes
Press the F7 function key to enter notes for several screens
within the NCVS instrument. After pressing F7, a pop-up
“Notes” box appears. Enter the text of your note, then click
the “Save” button in the box to leave the F7 notes mode.
When F7 notes are entered for an instrument screen, a
paperclip icon appears next to the item name on the form
pane telling you that a “Note Exists.”
SHIFT F7 - View Notes
For any screen that indicates a “Note Exists,” press the
SHIFT and F7 keys simultaneously to view these notes and
to add any new notes by typing the text of your new note.
When you press SHIFT and F7, a pop-up notes box
appears. This box lets you view all notes to date; to add
more notes use the F7 function key.
If there are no F7 item notes for an item when you press
SHIFT and F7, a pop-up box appears that tells you there are
no notes for that item.
F8 - Return From Skip
Press the F8 function key, to return or skip back to the item
from which you pressed the F10 key, which skips to the end
of the interview. This may be useful if you press the F10 key
by mistake.
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Part B, Chapter 1
SHIFT F9 - New HHR
Press the SHIFT and F9 keys simultaneously to change the
household respondent (HHR) before the household
respondent’s interview has been completed.
F10 - Skip to End
Press the F10 function key to skip over unanswered
questions when a respondent breaks off the interview
before you can complete it. After pressing the F10 function
key, the instrument goes to the back section, where you can
schedule a callback.
The instrument sets a person’s interview status to “partially
completed,” so that you can resume the interview for that
person later when the respondent is available.
Up Arrow - Back One Item
While in the middle section of the NCVS instrument, the Up
Arrow key allows you to move back one item.
Down Arrow - Forward One
Item
While in the middle section of the NCVS instrument, the
Down Arrow key moves forward one item.
Home - First Item
Press the Home key to move the cursor to the FIRST
screen in the current section.
End - Last Item
Press the End key to move the cursor to the next
unanswered question in the current section.
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B1-19
Part B, Chapter 1
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Topic 6. Partial Interviews and Callbacks
Getting Started
The NCVS interviewing begins on the first day of every
month. It is important to complete as many interviews as
possible within the first few days of the interview period.
Introducing Yourself
Once you have contacted a sample household, it is critical
that you quickly establish a good rapport with the
respondent. Remember to not only be businesslike and
professional, but also try to sound friendly and relaxed.
Keep track of your pace throughout the interview, because
speaking either too quickly or too slowly can make the
respondent feel uncomfortable.
Exiting a Partial Interview
At times, you may have to exit the NCVS instrument, even
though the interview is only partially completed. For
example, this can happen when a respondent breaks off the
interview for personal reasons, whether the respondent
offers to continue the interview at another time, or if the next
eligible respondent is not available at that time.
If this happens, press the F10 function key or the F10 index
tab to exit the unfinished interview. If you are unable to exit
from the current screen, go forward or backward a screen or
two until the instrument allows the F10 function. Pressing
the F10 function key takes you to REFCBBREAK_CP, as
shown on the next page.
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Part B, Chapter 1
To set up a callback, enter (2) at REFCBBREAK_CP. The
instrument goes to APPT, shown on the next page. Use
APPT to indicate the best time for the household
respondent to complete the interview (if the household has
indicated that they are willing to complete the interview at a
later time). The remaining callback screens are covered in
Part B, page B6-3.
Overview of the NCVS Instrument
B1-21
Part B, Chapter 1
Completing a Partial
Interview
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Before you call a sample household to complete a partial
interview, you may:
Review interviewer notes from the previous interview.
Identify which household member’s interview is
incomplete and at which item the interview will resume.
Identify which household members still need to be
interviewed.
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Once you verify certain facts, the instrument continues with
the next unanswered question for the household member
whose interview is incomplete. After passing the
INTRO_PARTIAL_CP screen, press the “end” key to go to
the next unanswered question in the interview.
The instrument also allows you to review previously
answered questions from a household member’s partial
interview, if necessary, by using the up and down arrow
keys.
Recovering From Program
Errors
Occasionally, you may get stuck in a loop where the
instrument continues to cycle through only a few questions.
If the computer does not go to the next appropriate
question, check your answers on each screen carefully as
you step through the loop again. If you discover an incorrect
entry, correcting the entry may correct the loop problem.
If this happens in the incident report items, you can try using
the F4 function key to jump back to another part of the
incident report items and try to continue from that point. As a
last resort, notify your supervisor about the problem before
exiting the case, whenever possible.
Let the respondent know that you are experiencing
computer problems. If you cannot correct the problem in a
relatively short time, press the F10 function key and set a
callback for the case.
Overview of the NCVS Instrument
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Part B, Chapter 1
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Topic 7. CAPI Outcome Codes
Outcome code
Description
200
New case – not yet started/checked in
201
Completed interview (no Type Z’s)
202
Accessed instrument, insufficient partial
203
Sufficient partial – no more follow-up needed
204
Sufficient partial – follow-up needed
213
Type A – Language problems
216
Type A – No one home
217
Type A – Temporarily absent
218
Type A – Refused
219
225
Type A – Other occupied
Type B – Temporarily occupied by persons with usual
residence elsewhere (URE)
226
Type B – Vacant – regular
227
Type B – Vacant – storage of furniture
228
Type B – Unfit or to be demolished
229
Type B – Under construction, not ready
230
Type B – Converted to temporary business or storage
231
Type B – Unoccupied site for mobile home, trailer, or tent
232
Type B – Permit granted, construction not started
233
Type B – Other
240
Type C – Demolished
241
Type C – House or trailer moved
242
Type C – Outside segment
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Part B, Chapter 1
Outcome code
Description
243
Type C – Converted to permanent business or storage
244
Type C – Merged
245
Type C – Condemned
247
Type C – Unused line of listing sheet
248
Type C – Other
258
Type C – Unlocatable sample address
259
Type C – Unit does not exist or is out of scope
Overview of the NCVS Instrument
B1-25
Part B, Chapter 1
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Topic 8. How to Use the Tool Bar
GENERAL
The NCVS Tool Bar has five main sections: Forms,
Answer, Navigate, Options, and Help. Use your mouse to
navigate the Tool Bar. The sections and their menus and
functions are listed below.
Forms - Includes
Save and Exit
functions
Browse Forms - Ctrl + B (not used in NCVS)
Save - Ctrl + S
Check (not used in NCVS)
Exit - F10
Answer - Shortcuts
for various answer
functions
Don’t Know - Ctrl + D
Refused - Ctrl + R
Change Respondent - Shift + F9
Item Notes/Remark - F7
Repeat - F12 (only used in roster section of NCVS)
Show Question Text - Ctrl + F3
Incident to Add - Ctrl + I
Navigate - shortcuts
for navigating
through the
instrument
Jump Menu - F4
Return - F8
Add’l Skip to Next Person/Sec - Ctrl +F9 (not used in NCVS)
Show Function Keys - Ctrl + K
Search Tag - Ctrl + F
Show notes/remarks - Shift + F7
Options miscellaneous
functions
Language - Shift + F5
Interview Time Preference - Ctrl + T
Case Level Notes - Ctrl + F7
Show Original Notes - Shift + F12
Mute (not used in NCVS)
Calculator - F11 - (shows calculator in pop-up window)
Calendar - Ctrl + F11
Help - shows
various help
functions
Question Help - F1 (only for questions with a help screen)
Show Function Keys - Shift + F10
Show HH - Shift + F1
Show Status (not used in NCVS)FAQ - Shift + F2
RI FAQ - (not used in NCVS)
Show Standard Abbreviations - Shift + F11
Report Error - Ctrl + E
Info - Ctrl + H - (Tells what version of Blaise software
you’re using)
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Part B, Chapter 1
Information Pane and Form Pane
Information
(Info)
Pane
Form
Pane
Overview of the NCVS Instrument
B1-27
FIGURE A
Part B, Chapter 1
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Form Pane in Column Format
FIGURE B
FR instructions
Question
text
Answer
categories
Overview of the NCVS Instrument
B1-28
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 1
Form Pane in Table Format
FIGURE C
Overview of the NCVS Instrument
B1-29
Part B, Chapter 1
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
FIGURE D
Function keys for NCVS:
F1
F2
F3
Question
Help
F4
F5
F6
F7
F8
F9
F10
F11
F12
Item
Notes/
Remark
Return
Skip
Forward
Exit
Calculator
Copy Down
(Repeat)
Shift +
F6
Shift +
F7
Shift +
F8
Shift +
F9
Shift +
F10
Shift + F11
Shift + F12
Show
Notes/
Remark
s
Ctrl+F7
New
HHR
Show
Function
Keys
Show
Standard
Abbrev.
Show
Original
Notes (RI)
Ctrl+K
Ctrl+M
Ctrl+R
Ctrl+F11
Ctrl+T
Case
Level
Notes
Show
Function
Keys
Show
DK &
Refused
Refused
Calendar
Interview
Time
Preference
Jump
Menu
Shift +
F1
Shift +
F2
Shift + F3
Shift +
F4
Shift + F5
Show HH
FAQs
RI FAQs
END
HOME
Ctrl+F3
Ctrl+D
Ctrl+F
Ctrl+H
Next
Question
on Path
First
Question
on Path
Show
Question
Text
Don’t
Know
Search
Tag
Info
Language
Overview of the NCVS Instrument
B1-30
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
Table of Topics
Topic
Page
1
Introduction
B2-2
2
Screen Layout and Instructions for START_CP
B2-3
3
CAPI Personal Visit Interview for Household
Respondent and Individual Respondent(s) (Screen
Layout and Instructions for START_CP through
INTRO_REC_CP)
B2-5
CAPI Telephone Interview for Household
Respondent and Individual Respondent(s) (Screen
Layout and Instructions for START_CP through
INTRO_REC_CP)
B2-18
Selecting a New Household or Individual
Respondent for CAPI Personal Visit and Telephone
Interview (Screen Layout and Instructions for
NEWHHR_CP, HELLO_ALT2_CP,
HELP_OTH_CP, ALTERNATE1_CP,
TOOLATE_CP, and NEXTPERSON.
B2-31
4
5
6
7
8
9
Completing Self Response and Proxy Interviews and
Coding Initial Refusals (Screen Layout and
Instructions for INTERVIEWSTATUS through
INTROFORNEWRESPONDENT)
Verifying Sample Address, Primary Telephone
Number and Mailing Address (Screen Layout and
Instructions for GETLETTER_CP through
NEWMAILGQDESCRIPTION_CP)
B2-38
B2-51
Housing Unit Characteristics (Screen Layout and
Instructions for TENURE through
RESTRICTEDACCESS)
B2-60
Household Roster Demographic Characteristics
(Screen Layout and Instructions for
HHROSTER_FNAME through ANY_OTHERCHNG)
B2-78
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-1
Part B, Chapter 2
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Topic 1. Introduction
Overview of the Front
Section
The Front Section of the NCVS instrument is designed to:
Give you case-level information to review before
attempting contact with the sample household;
Guide you through screens for making contact with a
household respondent or an individual respondent for
personal visit or telephone interviews, and record
possible interviewing problems;
Verify that you have reached the correct address and
household, and to code a case as a replacement
household when necessary;
Guide you through screens for selecting a new
household respondent or new individual respondent;
Update sample address, mailing address, and
telephone number information for the household with
the household respondent; and
Provide appropriate screens to update or verify
information from the sample household’s control card
section.
Topic 2 covers most of the NCVS screens that make up the
front section of the NCVS instrument. Some “Front Section”
screens display the instruction, “ASK OR VERIFY.” For
screens which include this instruction, you are allowed to
verify the answer with the respondent without asking the
question, provided the respondent already furnished the
information earlier in the interview. If you do not see this
instruction, you must ask the question exactly as worded on
the screen.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-2
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Part B, Chapter 2
Topic 2. Screen Layout and Instructions for START_CP
CENSUS CATI/CAPI SYSTEM
National Crime Victimization Survey
Case status is: New Case
Date: July 2, 2017
Time: 9:53 am
Incoming/Continuing: Incoming
Interview Number: 01
Confirmed Refusal: No
1 Telephone interview
2 Personal visit interview (See notes)
3 Personal visit interview (Skip all notes and go to GEN_INTRO_CP)
4 Noninterview (Type A/B/C)
5 Ready to transmit case - no more followup (Type Z’s)
6 Quit: Do not attempt now
START_CP
START_CP
START_CP is the first NCVS instrument screen that you
see when you enter a case. As shown above, this screen
gives you the following information:
Survey title
Case status
Current date and time
Incoming/Continuing status
Interview Number (1 through 7) (also referred to in this
chapter as Time in Sample or TIS 1-7)
Confirmed Refusal Status (Yes or No)
After reviewing the information, choose the appropriate
Precode (1-6), then press ENTER to go to the next screen.
Precode (1)
For interviews you conduct by telephone, enter Precode (1).
Telephone interviews are discussed in more detail in Topic
4 of this chapter.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-3
Part B, Chapter 2
Precode (2)
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
For interviews you conduct by personal visit for which you
wish to view information available for the case, enter
Precode (2). Entering Precode (2) allows you to view:
The household roster (SHOW_CP_ROSTER), and
A reminder screen to view case level notes and the
interview time preference grid (Best Time to Call/no
Sunday information) (SHOW_INFO_CP)
Precode (3)
For interviews you conduct by personal visit and for which
you do not wish to view information available for the case,
enter Precode (3). This option is essentially the same as
selecting Precode (2) except that you bypass Items
SHOW_CP_ROSTER and SHOW_INFO_CP. Personal
Visit interviews are discussed in more detail in Topic 3 of
this chapter.
Precode (4)
To code a case as a noninterview (Type A/B/C), enter
Precode (4). These Noninterview outcomes are discussed
in more detail in Part A, Chapter 6.
Precode (5)
To code Type Z reasons for individual respondents in cases
that are a sufficient partial (that is, the interview is complete
for the household respondent) and for which you no longer
will make attempts to interview any remaining individual
respondent(s) in the sample household whose interview(s)
is/are not complete, enter Precode (5). Coding persons as
Type Z noninterviews is also discussed in more detail in
Part A, Chapter 6.
Precode (6)
Enter Precode (6) if you want to exit the case, for example, if
you do not want to attempt interviewing the case at this time.
After entering Precode (6) you will skip to the VERIFY
screen in the back of the instrument. The Back Section of
the instrument is discussed further in Part B, Chapter 6.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-4
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 2
Topic 3. CAPI Personal Visit Interview for
Household Respondent and Individual Respondent(s)
(Screen Layout and Instructions for START_CP
through INTRO_REC_CP)
CENSUS CATI/CAPI SYSTEM
National Crime Victimization Survey
Case status is: New Case
Date: July 2, 2017
Time: 9:53 am
Incoming/Continuing: Incoming
Interview Number: 01
Confirmed Refusal: No
1 Telephone interview
2 Personal visit interview (See notes)
3 Personal visit interview (Skip all notes and go to GEN_INTRO_CP)
4 Noninterview (Type A/B/C)
5 Ready to transmit case - no more followup (Type Z’s)
6 Quit: Do not attempt now
START_CP
START_CP
The START_CP screen is the first NCVS instrument screen
that you see when you enter a case. As shown above, this
screen gives you the following information:
Survey title
Case status
Current date and time.
Incoming/Continuing status
Interview Number (1 through 7) (also referred to in this
chapter as Time in Sample or TIS 1-7)
Confirmed Refusal Status (Yes or No)
After reviewing the information, choose Precode (2) or (3) to
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Part B, Chapter 2
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
continue with a personal visit interview.
When you select Precode (2) at START_CP the instrument
continues with SHOW_CP_ROSTER.
Status of household composition
LN
NAME
REL
MEMBER
SEX AGE
1
2
3
Ted Moe
Megan Moe
Jane Moe
Ref Per
Wife
Daughtr
Member
Member
Member
M 43
F 43
F 14
1
STATUS
NEED SELF
NEED SELF
NEED SELF
Enter 1 to Continue
SHOW_CP_ROSTER
SHOW_CP_ROSTER
SHOW_CP_ROSTER displays the household roster. The
roster includes anyone added to the roster during the time
the case has been in sample. Therefore, persons coded as
nonmembers are also shown at this screen. In addition to
the SHOW_CP_ROSTER screen, you can also view the
household roster at any place in the instrument by clicking
on the HHROSTER index tab at the top of the Info Pane or
by pressing the “Shift” + “F1” keys.
INFORMATION FROM PREVIOUS INTERVIEW
Press Control + F7 to view case level notes
Press Control + T to view interview time preference
Language:
1 Enter 1 to Continue
SHOW_INFO_CP
SHOW_INFO_CP
The SHOW_INFO_CP screen gives you a chance to review
any notes entered for the case since the household first
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
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NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 2
came into sample, by pressing the “Ctrl” + “F7" keys
simultaneously. You can also check for any “Best Time to
Call or No Sunday Information” that was previously entered
in the Interview Time Preferences grid by pressing the “Ctrl”
+ “T” keys simultaneously. Last, this will display any
non-English languages the household may speak based on
entries in the instrument during a previous contact. From
SHOW_INFO_CP, continue with GEN_INTRO_CP when
attempting to contact the Household Respondent or
WHOTOCALL_CP when attempting to reach an Individual
Respondent once the case has reached the status of a
sufficient partial (that is, the interview is complete for the
household respondent).
For interviews you conduct by personal visit and for which
you do not wish to view information available for the case,
the instrument bypasses SHOW_CP_ROSTER and
SHOW_INFO_CP and continues with either
GEN_INTRO_CP (when attempting to contact the
Household Respondent) or WHOTOCALL_CP (when
attempting to reach an Individual Respondent).
Enter the line number of the person with whom you want to speak.
1 Ted Moe
3 Jane Moe
WHOTOCALL_CP
WHOTOCALL_CP
WHOTOCALL_CP appears when you are re-entering a
case where you have already completed the Household
Respondent’s interview. This screen is used to select a
person to contact in order to set up the fills in the question
text in GEN_INTRO_CP as well as other screens in the
Front Section of the instrument with the name of the next
person you are trying to reach.
This screen allows you to enter the line number for any
individual respondent whose interview you have not yet
completed. The instrument only displays those respondents
who have not completed their interview yet.
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Part B, Chapter 2
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Enter the line number of the person you want to speak to
and then press the “Enter” key to proceed to
GEN_INTRO_CP.
? [F1]
Identify yourself - and show I.D.
Hello, I’m (YOUR NAME)...from the U.S. Census Bureau. Here is my identification.
If new household - give introductory letter and allow time to read
ASK FOR: Eligible respondent (a household member at least 18 years of age and knowledgeable
about the household)
Household address is:
101 Ocean View Circle
Anytown, VA 99997
1 Respondent available
2 Respondent not available
3 Unavailable through closeout
GEN_INTRO_CP
GEN_INTRO_CP
Item GEN_INTRO_CP gives you instructions for introducing
yourself and starting the personal visit interview. It also
displays information about who to ask for:
For incoming (TIS 1) households in which you have not
yet established a household respondent, this screen
displays: “ASK FOR:” Eligible respondent (a household
member at least 18 years of age and knowledgeable
about the household).
For incoming (TIS 1) households for which you have
established a household respondent but are making a
callback to complete their interview, or for continuing
cases in which you are interviewing the household
respondent, this screen displays the household
respondent’s name after the interviewer instruction:
“ASK TO SPEAK TO:”
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Part B, Chapter 2
For any (TIS 1-7) household in which you are
interviewing an individual respondent, the individual
respondent’s name displays after the interviewer
instruction that reads: “ASK TO SPEAK TO:” The name
of the individual respondent is filled based upon the line
number you enter in the WHOTOCALL_CP screen. The
WHOTOCALL_CP screen appears in the instrument
front only after you have completed the interview for the
household respondent.
The precodes you enter in GEN_INTRO_CP result in the
instrument progressing to different screens based on the
case’s Time in Sample (that is, whether it is incoming (TIS
1) or continuing (TIS 2-7), and whether you are interviewing
a household respondent on the first attempt, interviewing a
household respondent on a reentry into the case (for
example, to complete a partial interview with the household
respondent), or interviewing an individual respondent.
Precode (1)
Precode (2)
Entering Precode (1), “Respondent available” in
GEN_INTRO_CP takes you to:
CAPI_INTRO_B when you are interviewing a
household respondent whose interview has not been at
least partially completed. (All TIS)
INTRO_PARTIAL_CP when you are interviewing a
household respondent or an individual respondent
whose interview has been partially completed this
interview period. (All TIS)
INTRO_REC_CP when you are interviewing an
individual respondent whose interview has not been at
least partially completed. (All TIS)
If you enter Precode (2), “Respondent not available,” at
GEN_INTRO_CP the instrument goes to:
HHNUM_VR_CP for a continuing case when you are
interviewing a household respondent whose interview
has not been at least partially completed. (TIS 2-7).
NEWHHR_CP for a continuing case when you are
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
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Part B, Chapter 2
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
attempting to interview a household respondent whose
interview has been partially completed this interview
period. (TIS 1-7)
Precode (3)
VERIFY in the back of the instrument for an incoming
case when you are attempting to interview a household
respondent whose interview has not been at least
partially completed. (TIS 1)
ALTERNATE1_CP for a case when you are attempting
to interview an individual respondent who is not
available but there is at least one other individual
respondent in the household who still needs to be
interviewed. ALTERNATE1_CP allows you to select the
line number of the another person to attempt to
interview. (All TIS)
Entering Precode (3), “Respondent not available through
closeout,” in GEN_INTRO_CP progresses to:
VERIFY in the back of the instrument for an incoming
case when you are attempting to interview a household
respondent whose interview has not been at least
partially completed. (TIS 1)
GEN_INTRO_CP_CK when you are conducting an
interview with a TIS 2-7 case. GEN_INTRO_CP_CK is
used to determine whether a new household
respondent is needed or whether a proxy interview is
needed when attempting to reach an individual
respondent.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
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NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 2
(For household respondent):
Are you sure this person is unavailable through closeout? If so, you must select a new
household respondent.
(For individual respondent):
Are you sure this person is unavailable through closeout? If so, try to find a proxy
respondent for this person.
Questions involved
GEN_INTRO_CP: Introduction 1st time
Value
Unavailable through closeout
Suppress
GEN_INTRO_CP_CK
Close
Goto
GEN_INTRO_CP_CK displays FR instructions based on
the situation. When interviewing the Household Respondent
the instrument displays the first FR instruction in the screen
shot above and when interviewing an Individual
Respondent the instrument displays the second FR
instruction.
When the “Suppress” button is selected at this edit check,
the instrument progresses to screens to allow you to select
a new household respondent (Items HELLO_ALT2_CP or
HELP_OTH_CP) or allow you to select a proxy respondent
for an individual respondent (TOOLATE_CP). These
screens are discussed in more detail in Topic 5 of this
chapter.
When the “Close” or “Goto” buttons are selected, the
instrument returns to the GEN_INTRO_CP screen.
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Part B, Chapter 2
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Is respondent ready to complete the interview?
1 Continue
2 Inconvenient time - callback needed
3 Reluctant respondent - hold for refusal follow-up
4 Other outcome -problem/select new household respondent
5 Wrong address (wrong case selected)
CAPI_INTRO_B
CAPI_INTRO_B
CAPI_INTRO_B checks to make sure the respondent is
ready to complete the interview.
The precodes you enter in the CAPI_INTRO_B screen
result in the instrument progressing to different screens
based on the case’s Time in Sample (that is, whether it is
incoming (TIS 1) or continuing (TIS 2-7).
Precode (1)
Precode (1), “Continue,” takes you to:
GETLETTER_CP for an incoming case where there has
not been at least a partial interview obtained with the
household respondent. GETLETTER_CP verifies
whether or not the household received the “Introductory”
or “Continuing Household” letter sent by your Regional
Office.
HHNUM_VR_CP which asks, “Is this a replacement
household?” for a continuing case in which you have not
completed at least a partial interview with the household
respondent.
A replacement household is one in which the
household interviewed in the previous enumeration
period has moved away from the sample address and
has been replaced by a new household.
Precodes (2) and (3)
Entering Precode (2), “Inconvenient time. Callback
needed.” or Precode (3) “Reluctant respondent - hold for
refusal followup”, takes you to:
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
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NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Precode (4)
Part B, Chapter 2
VERIFY (then out of the instrument) for an incoming
case
HHNUM_VR_CP, which asks, “Is this a replacement
household?” for a continuing case in which you have not
completed at least a partial interview with the household
respondent.
Entering Precode (4), “Other outcome OR problem
interviewing respondent” takes you to:
HHNUM_VR_CP screen, for a continuing case.
HHRPICK_CK for an incoming case. HHRPICK_CK is
a hard error pop-up screen that displays the following
message:
Error. You indicated respondent was available to continue the interview or you are trying to
change a household respondent for an incoming case that does not yet have a household
respondent.
Questions involved
CAPI_INTRO_B: Ready for PV?
Value
Other outcome-problem/select new...
Suppress
HHRPICK_CK
Close
Goto
At this edit check, press the “Goto” button to return to
CAPI_INTRO_B and select another precode.
This edit check appears when you have selected Precode
(1), “Respondent available” in GEN_INTRO_CP, as well as
Precode (4), “Other outcome OR problem interviewing
respondent” in CAPI_INTRO_B; which are two inconsistent
answers. It also appears when you are trying to change a
household respondent in an incoming case when the
household respondent has not yet been selected. Selection
of the initial household respondent for an incoming case is
done at PICK1STHHRESP.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-13
Part B, Chapter 2
Precode (5)
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Entering Precode (5), “Wrong address (wrong case
selected),” in CAPI_INTRO_B takes you to VERIFY (and
then out of the instrument) for an incoming or continuing
case.
Is this a replacement household?
If unsure, enter 2 (No)
1 Yes
2 No
HHNUM_VR_CP
HHNUM_VR_CP
This screen is displayed when entering a case, either for a
personal visit interview or telephone interview, where you
have not obtained at least a partial interview with the
household respondent.
If the household is a replacement household, indicate that
by entering Precode (1), “Yes.” The instrument goes to
CK_REPLACE_CP, which is the first of two items that must
be completed before setting up a replacement household.
If the household is not a replacement, enter Precode (2),
“No.” Then interview the household as usual.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
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NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
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A replacement household means that there are NO members of the household interviewed
during the previous enumeration period living at this address.
Are you sure this is a replacement household?
1 Yes
2 No
CK_REPLACE_CP
CK_REPLACE_CP
CK_REPLACE_CP contains an interviewer instruction
asking you to verify that this household is indeed a
replacement household and meets the NCVS definition of a
replacement household. Enter Precode (1) “Yes” to code
this as a replacement household and continue, otherwise
enter Precode (2) “No”. After entering Precode (2), an edit
check pop-up tells you how to proceed.
Inconsistent answers were entered in HHNUM_VR_CP
and CK_REPLACE_CP.
Below select either “HHNUM_VR_CP: Replacement
household? “Yes” and press the “Goto” button to return
to the HHNUM_VR_CP screen to change the answer to
“No” to indicate this is not a replacement household OR
select “CK_REPLACE_CP:Verify replacement “No” and
press the “Goto” button to return to the CK_REPLACE_CP
screen to change the answer to “Yes” to verify this is a
replacement household.
Questions involved
HHNUM_VR_CP: Replacement household?
CK_REPLACE_CP: Verify replacement
Suppress
Close
Value
Yes
No
Goto
This edit check appears when you have coded that this is a
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
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Part B, Chapter 2
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
replacement household in HHNUM_VR_CP and then coded
that it is not a replacement household in
CK_REPLACE_CP. If you selected that this was a
replacement household in error, select the first row in the
“Questions Involved” column to return to the
HHNUM_VR_CP screen and change the answer to “No” to
code that this IS NOT a replacement household. Otherwise,
select the second row in the “Questions Involved” column to
return to the CK_REPLACE_CP screen and change the
answer to “Yes” to code that this IS a replacement
household.
NOTE: Only code a case as a replacement household after
you have confirmed new respondents have moved into the
sample address. If new respondents have not moved in yet,
then the current case should be coded as a Type B
Noninterview. Do not code a vacant sample address as a
replacement household since the original household has
not been replaced yet.
PARTIAL INTERVIEW FOR: Ted Moe
IF NECESSARY: Hello, this is (YOUR NAME) from the U.S. Census Bureau.
We completed part of your interview for the National Crime Victimization Survey and
would like to finish it now.
1 Enter 1 to Continue
INTRO_PARTIAL_CP
INTRO_PARTIAL_CP
INTRO_PARTIAL_CP appears when you are interviewing
a household respondent or an individual respondent whose
interview has been partially completed this interview period.
(All TIS) This screen comes up after entering Precode (1) in
GEN_INTRO_CP or a valid line number in
ALTERNATE1_CP when calling back for a respondent with
a partial interview. Use this screen to reintroduce yourself
and the survey to the respondent before proceeding with the
respondent’s interview. After Entering (1) to continue, you
can press the “End” key to skip to the last unanswered
question in this respondent’s interview. For example, if you
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
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NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 2
stopped the interview with a respondent at
LOCATION_GENERAL in the incident report section during
your original contact, upon callback, enter Precode (1) in
INTRO_PARTIAL_CP and at the next screen that appears
press the “End” key to skip to LOCATION_GENERAL. This
saves you and the respondent valuable time by not having
to go through all of the screens the respondent answered
during the previous contact.
?[F1]
RECALLED RESPONDENT: Jane Moe
IF NECESSARY: Hello, this is (YOUR NAME) from the U.S. Census Bureau.
We are talking with members of your household to obtain statistics on the kinds and amount of
crime committed against individuals 12 years of age or older.
We would like to complete your interview now.
1 Enter 1 to Continue
INTRO_REC_CP
INTRO_REC_CP
INTRO_REC_CP appears when you are interviewing an
individual respondent whose interview has not been at least
partially completed. (All TIS)
This screen comes up after entering Precode (1) in
GEN_INTRO_CP or a valid line number in
ALTERNATE1_CP when calling back for a respondent who
has not been interviewed yet. Use this screen to introduce
yourself and the survey to the respondent before
proceeding with the respondent’s interview. After Entering
(1) to continue, proceed to NEXTPERSON, which will be
prefilled with the respondent’s line number.
Press the “Enter” key to continue to INTERVIEWSTATUS to
begin the respondent’s interview.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-17
Part B, Chapter 2
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Topic 4. CAPI Telephone Interview for
Household Respondent and Individual Respondents
(Screen Layout and Instructions for
START_CP through INTRO_REC_CP)
CENSUS CATI/CAPI SYSTEM
National Crime Victimization Survey
Case status is: New Case
Date: July 3, 2017
Time: 10:06 am
Incoming/Continuing: Continuing
Interview Number: 02
Confirmed Refusal: No
1 Telephone interview
2 Personal visit interview (See notes)
3 Personal visit interview (Skip all notes and go to GEN_INTRO_CP)
4 Noninterview (Type A/B/C)
5 Ready to transmit case - no more followup (Type Z’s)
6 Quit: Do not attempt now
START_CP
START_CP
(Telephone Interview)
START_CP is the first screen when you enter a case. It
shows:
Survey title
Case status
Current date and time.
Incoming/Continuing status
Interview Number (1 through 7)
Confirmed Refusal Status (Yes or No)
After reviewing the information, choose Precode (1) to
conduct the interview by telephone. If you enter Precode (1)
for an incoming case (TIS 1) and you have not yet
completed the interview with the household respondent you
will see the edit check, NEED_PV_CK.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
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NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 2
• This is an incoming case and requires a personal visit interview with the household respondent,
unless this is a last resort.
• If this is a last resort, select “Suppress” to continue with a telephone interview for this case.
Otherwise, select “Goto” to return to the START_CP screen and select personal interview.
Questions involved
START_CP: Start CAPI interview
Value
Telephone interview
Suppress
NEED_PV_CK
Close
Goto
NEED_PV_CK appears for TIS 1 cases as well as
replacement households when Precode (1) is selected at
START_CP when the household has not yet been
interviewed. Although incoming cases should be done by
personal visit, this was added to accommodate households
that request a telephone interview.
To continue with a telephone interview click on the
“Suppress” button, which takes you to DIAL_CP to start a
telephone interview. Otherwise, click on the “Goto” button to
return to START_CP to select Precode (2) or (3) to continue
with a personal visit interview. Personal visit interviews are
discussed in Topic 3 of this chapter.
START_CP
(Telephone Interview)
When entering Precode (1) in START_CP for TIS 2-7 cases
you progress to the following screens to view information
available for the case, that is:
the household roster (SHOW_CP_ROSTER) and
a reminder screen to view case level notes and the
interview time preference grid (Best Time to Call/no
Sunday information) (SHOW_INFO_CP).
(Note that Precodes 2-6 and corresponding instrument
paths are discussed in detail in Topic 2 of this chapter.)
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-19
Part B, Chapter 2
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Status of household composition
LN
NAME
REL
MEMBER
SEX
AGE
STATUS
1
2
3
Ted Moe
Megan Moe
Jane Moe
Ref Per
Wife
Daughtr
Member
Member
Member
M
F
F
43
43
14
NEED SELF
NEED SELF
NEED SELF
1 Enter 1 to Continue
SHOW_CP_ROSTER
SHOW_CP_ROSTER
SHOW_CP_ROSTER displays the household roster. The
roster includes anyone added to the roster during the time
the case has been in sample. Therefore, persons coded as
nonmembers are also displayed at this screen. In addition to
the SHOW_CP_ROSTER screen, you can also view the
household roster at any place in the instrument by clicking
on the HHROSTER index tab at the top of the Info Pane or
by pressing the “Shift” + “F1” keys.
INFORMATION FROM PREVIOUS INTERVIEW
• Press Control + F7 to view case level notes
• Press Control + T to view interview time preference
• Language:
1 Enter 1 to Continue
SHOW_INFO_CP
SHOW_INFO_CP
SHOW_INFO_CP gives you a chance to review any notes
entered for the case since the household first came into
sample, by pressing the “Ctrl” + F7" keys simultaneously.
You can also check for any “Best Time to Call or No Sunday
Information” that was previously entered in the Interview
Time Preferences grid by pressing the “Ctrl” + “T” keys
simultaneously. Last, this displays any non-English
languages the household may speak based on entries in the
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
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Part B, Chapter 2
instrument during a previous contact. From
SHOW_INFO_CP, continue with HHNUM_VR_CP when
first attempting to contact the Household Respondent or the
WHOTOCALL_CP screen when attempting to reach an
Individual Respondent once the case has reached the
status of a sufficient partial (that is, the interview is complete
for the household respondent).
Is this a replacement household?
If unsure, enter 2 (No)
1 Yes
2 No
HHNUM_VR_CP
HHNUM_VR_CP
HHNUM_VR_CP is displayed when entering a case, either
for a personal visit interview or telephone interview, where
you have not obtained at least a partial interview with the
household respondent.
If the household is not a replacement, enter Precode (2),
“No.” Then interview the household as usual.
During a telephone interview, when you have discovered
that the previous household has moved out and entered
Precode (1), “Yes,” at HHNUM_VR_CP, check item
CK_REPLACEFOLLOWUP_CP appears:
You are attempting to code a replacement household
during a telephone interview.
A personal visit followup is required to verify new
respondents have moved into the sample address
before this case can be coded as a replacement.
CK_REPLACEFOLLOWUP_CP
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Follow up with a personal visit to verify the current status of
the sample address (vacant or occupied by new
respondents). Do not code a case as a replacement
household until you have followed up and verified that:
the entire household has moved out of the sample
address
AND
at least one new respondent has moved into the sample
address.
If you determine that the sample address is vacant, code the
case as a noninterview following the instructions in Part A,
Chapter 6. Do not code this situation as a replacement
household, since a new household has not moved into the
sample address.
Enter the line number of the person with whom you want to speak.
1. Ted Moe
3. Jane Moe
WHOTOCALL_CP
WHOTOCALL_CP
(Telephone Interview)
WHOTOCALL_CP appears when you re-enter a case
where you have already completed the Household
Respondent’s interview. This screen is used to select a
person to contact in order to set up the fills in the question
text in DIAL_CP as well as other screens in the Front
Section of the instrument with the name of the next person
you are trying to reach. This screen allows you to enter the
line number for any individual respondent whose interview
you have not yet completed. The instrument only displays
those respondents who have not completed their interview.
Enter the line number of the person you want to speak to
and then press the “Enter” key to go to DIAL_CP.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
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Dial number
Primary Number
(991) 555-9899 EXTENSION:
Phone Type: Home
Other Number:
(991) 555-9898 EXTENSION: 999
Phone Type: Work
Household respondent last enumeration: Ted Moe
Current Household respondent: Megan Moe
Address: 101 Ocean View Circle
Anytown, VA 99997
1 Someone answers
2 No contact/answering machine
3 New telephone number/number disconnected
4 NOT ATTEMPTED NOW
DIAL_CP
DIAL_CP
At DIAL_CP, code the outcome of the call.
Precode (1)
Enter Precode (1) when someone answers; this takes you
to HELLO_1_CP.
Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2) when you get an answering machine or a
busy signal. This precode takes you to the back of the
instrument and VERIFY.
Precode (3)
If you get a recorded message that the number has been
disconnected or a new number is given, enter Precode (3)
which takes you to NEW_NUMBER_CP.
Precode (4)
Entering Precode (4) takes you to VERIFY to exit the
instrument.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
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Record new telephone number.
Enter 0 for no new telephone number.
OLD NUMBER: (991) 555-9899
NEW_NUMBER_CP
NEW_NUMBER_CP
If you find out that the phone number you dialed has been
disconnected and no new number is given, enter 0 (zero) at
NEW_NUMBER_CP to exit the instrument, via VERIFY.
Otherwise, enter the new phone number at this screen.
After typing the new number and pressing “Enter,” the
instrument goes back to DIAL_CP, which directs you to call
using the new number. If you do not enter the full ten-digit
phone number or if you enter an invalid area code, an edit
check pop-up appears that sends you back to the
NEW_NUMBER_CP screen to reenter the new number.
Hello. This is (YOUR NAME)... from the U.S. Census Bureau.
May I please speak with Megan Moe?
1 This is the correct person
2 Correct person called to the phone
3 Person not home now or not available now"
4 Person unknown at this number
5 Person no longer lives here
6 Person unavailable through closeout (includes deceased individuals)
HELLO_1_CP
HELLO_1_CP
HELLO_1_CP provides the introduction for you to use once
someone answers the phone. After saying “Hello,” you are
prompted to introduce yourself and then ask for either the
household respondent from the last enumeration (first time
calling the household this enumeration), the current
household respondent (if you have started the interview with
a household respondent), or the person selected at the
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-24
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 2
WHOTOCALL_CP screen.
The precode you enter at HELLO_1_CP determines what
screen the instrument brings up next, based on whether you
are interviewing a household respondent on the first
attempt, interviewing a household respondent on a reentry
into the case (for example, to complete a partial interview
with the household respondent), or interviewing an
individual respondent.
Precodes (1) and (2)
Precodes (3) or (5)
Entering Precode (1), “This is the correct person or Precode
or (2) “Correct person called to the phone” takes you to:
GETLETTER_CP when you are interviewing a
household respondent whose interview has not been at
least partially completed. (All TIS)
INTRO_PARTIAL_CP when you are interviewing a
household respondent or an individual respondent
whose interview has been partially completed this
interview period. (All TIS)
INTRO_REC_CP when you are interviewing an
individual respondent whose interview has not been at
least partially completed. (All TIS)
Entering Precode (3), “Person not home now or not
available now” or Precode (5), “Person no longer lives here”
takes you to either:
HELLO_ALT2_CP, HELP_OTH_CP, or NEWHHR_CP
when interviewing a household respondent. These
screens are discussed further in Topic 5 of this chapter.
(TIS 2-7)
ALTERNATE1_CP for a case when you are attempting
to interview an individual respondent who is not
available, but there is at least one other individual
respondent in the household who still needs to be
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-25
Part B, Chapter 2
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
interviewed. The ALTERNATE1_CP screen allows you
to enter the line number of the next person you want to
attempt to interview. This screen is discussed further in
Topic 5 of this Chapter. (All TIS)
Entering Precode (4), “Person unknown at this number,”
goes to:
Precode (4)
DIAL_CORRECT_CP, which asks, “Have I reached
(telephone number)?” to ensure that you have dialed the
correct number.
Entering Precode (6) “Other outcome or problem
interviewing respondent” goes to:
Precode (6)
TOOLATE_CP if attempting to interview an individual
respondent. This item asks for a household member
who can serve as a proxy for an unavailable respondent
or a respondent who cannot be interviewed for some
other reason. This item is discussed in more detail in
Topic 5 of this chapter. (All TIS)
Have I reached (991) 555-9899?
1 Yes
2 No
DIAL_CORRECT_CP
DIAL_CORRECT_CP
When you call a household and the person who answers
the phone says they do not know the respondent you
asked for at HELLO_1_CP, the instrument goes to
DIAL_CORRECT_CP to verify that you dialed the correct
telephone number.
If you dialed the number correctly at DIAL_CP AND you
have not yet reached the household respondent, enter
Precode (1), which takes you to:
RTNUM_CP to verify whether you have reached the
household, when you have not contacted the
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-26
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 2
household yet this enumeration period.
NEWHHR_CP if you have already made contact with
the household respondent. At NEWHHR_CP the FR
instruction asks you if you want to change the
household respondent.
ALTERNATE1_CP if you are attempting to contact an
individual respondent and there are other household
members who have not completed their interview, or
to VERIFY, in the back of the instrument, when there
are no other respondents left to interview.
If you did not dial the correct number, enter Precode (2).
You will then see the edit check to verify that the correct
number was not reached:
Select the “Goto” button in order to return to the DIAL_CP screen to redial the phone number for
the household.
Otherwise, select the “Close” button to return to the DIAL_CORRECT_CP screen.
Questions involved
DIAL_CP: Dial phone number
DIAL_CORRECT_CP: Correct number
Value
Someone answers
No
Close
Goto
This edit check appears to verify that you have misdialed
the phone number for the household. If you have
misdialed, select the first row in the “Questions involved”
column to return to DIAL_CP and redial the phone
number. Otherwise, select the second row in “Questions
involved” to return to DIAL_CORRECT_CP and change
the answer to “Yes” to code that you have dialed the
correct number.
After changing the answer in DIAL_CORRECT_CP to
“Yes” the instrument continues with RTNUM_CP.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-27
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 2
I'm trying to reach someone in the Moe household.
Have I reached the correct household?
1 Yes
2 No
RTNUM_CP
RTNUM_CP
RTNUM_CP appears when you code at HELLO_1_CP that
the household respondent you are trying to reach is not
known by the person who answered the phone and that
person confirms that you dialed the correct number.
At RTNUM_CP, verify with the person on the telephone
whether the phone number still belongs to the household
from the last enumeration. If it is the same, enter Precode
(1) and the instrument continues to HELLO_ALT2_CP or
HELP_OTH_CP, depending on the roster composition. See
Topic 5 of this chapter for more information on these two
items.
If you have not reached the correct household, enter
Precode (2); the instrument goes to VERIFY at the back of
the instrument.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-28
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 2
PARTIAL INTERVIEW FOR: Ted Moe
IF NECESSARY: Hello, this is (YOUR NAME) from the U.S. Census Bureau.
We completed part of your interview for the National Crime Victimization Survey and would like
to finish it now.
1 Enter 1 to Continue
INTRO_PARTIAL_CP
INTRO_PARTIAL_CP
INTRO_PARTIAL_CP appears when you are interviewing
a household respondent or an individual respondent whose
interview has been partially completed this interview period.
(All TIS).
This screen appears after entering Precodes (1) or (2) in
Item HELLO_1_CP or a valid line number in Item
ALTERNATE1_CP when calling back for a respondent with
a partial interview. Use this screen to reintroduce yourself
and the survey to the respondent before proceeding with the
respondent’s interview. After Entering (1) to continue, you
can press the “End” key to skip to the last unanswered
question in this respondent’s interview. For example, if you
stopped the interview with a respondent at
LOCATION_GENERAL in the incident report section during
your original contact, upon callback enter Precode (1) in
INTRO_PARTIAL_CP. At the next screen that appears
press the “End” key to skip to LOCATION_GENERAL. This
saves time by not having to go through all of the items the
respondent answered during the previous contact.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-29
Part B, Chapter 2
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
?[F1]
RECALLED RESPONDENT: Jane Moe
IF NECESSARY: Hello, this is (YOUR NAME) from the U.S. Census Bureau.
We are talking with members of your household to obtain statistics on the kinds and amount of
crime committed against individuals 12 years of age or older.
We would like to complete your interview now.
1 Enter 1 to Continue
INTRO_REC_CP
INTRO_REC_CP
INTRO_REC_CP appears when you are interviewing an
individual respondent whose interview has not been at least
partially completed. (All TIS)
This screen will come up after entering Precodes (1) or (2)
in Item HELLO_1_CP or a valid line number in Item
ALTERNATE1_CP when calling back for a respondent who
has not been interviewed yet. Use this screen to introduce
yourself and the survey to the respondent before
proceeding with the respondent’s interview. After entering
(1) to continue, proceed to the NEXTPERSON screen,
which is prefilled with the respondent’s line number. Press
the “Enter” key to continue to INTERVIEWSTATUS to begin
the respondent’s interview.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-30
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 2
Topic 5. Selecting a New Household or Individual Respondent
During CAPI Personal Visit and Telephone Interviews
(Screen Layout and Instructions for the
NEWHHR_CP, HELLO_ALT2_CP, HELP_OTH_CP,
ALTERNATE1_CP, TOOLATE_CP and NEXTPERSON)
Do you want to select a new household respondent?
1 Yes
2 No
NEWHHR_CP
NEWHHR_CP
If you answer (2), at GEN_INTRO_CP, (3), (5), or (6) at Item
HELLO_1_CP, or (1), at DIAL_CORRECT_CP, the
instrument takes you to NEWHHR_CP when you have
already started the interview with the household
respondent. NEWHHR_CP contains the interviewer
instruction, “Do you want to select a new household
respondent?” Enter (1) for “Yes,” and (2) for “No,” to exit the
instrument.
Entering Precode (1), “Yes,” at NEWHHR_CP takes you to
HELLO_ALT2_CP (if other eligible HHRs are listed on the
household roster), which prompts you to ask for another
household respondent based on those who are eligible to
be an HHR. If there are no other eligible HHRs on the roster
the instrument goes to Item HELP_OTH_CP, which asks if
the person you are currently talking to or anyone else who
lives there is eligible to be a household respondent.
NOTE: An eligible household respondent is a household
member who is:
Age 18 or older or
Age 17 and married to the reference person or
Age 17 when all members of the household are age 17 or
younger
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-31
Part B, Chapter 2
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
You can also use the “New HHR” index tab at the top left of
the screen to select the line number to change household
respondents. (Only eligible household respondents will be
listed at NEW_HHR.) You may use the “New HHR” Section
Tab during the household respondent’s interview, until you
have completed the household roster updates.
NEW_HHR
(index tab)
May I speak to ( Ask for another possible household respondent.)
LN
NAME
STATUS
SEX
AGE
1
Ted Moe
NEED SELF
F
43
Enter precode or line number
Enter 31 if no one available now
1 Ted Moe
31 No one listed available now
HELLO_ALT2_CP
HELLO_ALT2_CP
HELLO_ALT2_CP is displayed so that you can select a
new household respondent when entries in Items
NEWHHR_CP, GEN_INTRO_CP, GEN_INTRO_CP_CK,
HELLO_1_CP, CAPI_INTRO_B, or RTNUM_CP are coded
that you need to select a new household respondent. The
HELLO_ALT2_CP screen appears only when there are
other household members listed as possible household
respondents.
Use this screen to help identify an eligible household
respondent for the current interview period;
HELLO_ALT2_CP presents you with a list of other eligible
household respondents. You must interview an eligible
household respondent BEFORE interviewing any other
NCVS eligible household members. Note that only those
who are eligible to be selected to act as the household
respondent should be displayed at this screen. If an eligible
household respondent is available, enter that household
member’s line number and continue with the household
respondent’s interview at GETLETTER_CP. Otherwise,
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
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NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8//2017)
Part B, Chapter 2
enter Precode (31), “No one listed above available now.”
This takes you to HELP_OTH_CP, described below.
Perhaps you can help me.
I would like to speak to a member of the Moe household who lives there, is at least 18 years old,
and is knowledgeable about the household.
(If appropriate:) Would you or someone else there now qualify?
1 Yes (person you are speaking with or someone else available)
2 No (no one available or qualified)
3 Wrong household
HELP_OTH_CP
HELP_OTH_CP
Item HELP_OTH_CP is another screen used to identify an
eligible household respondent for the current interview
period. This screen appears when you have coded that you
would like to change the household respondent, but there
are no other persons listed on the roster who qualify as a
household respondent.
HELP_OTH_CP is displayed when there are no other
eligible household respondents listed on the roster and you
have entered in NEWHHR_CP, GEN_INTRO_CP,
GEN_INTRO_CP_CK, HELLO_1_CP, CAPI_INTRO_B,
and RTNUM_CP that you need to select a new household
respondent. HELP_OTH_CP appears when you enter
Precode (31) in HELLO_ALT2_CP because no one listed
as an eligible household respondent is available.
Precode (1), “Yes (person you are speaking with or
someone else available),” goes to
OTHR_NAME_FIRST_CP to collect the name of the new
household respondent. Entries of Precode (2), “No (no one
available or qualified),” and Precode (3), “Wrong
household,” exit the instrument.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-33
Part B, Chapter 2
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
What is your name?
Enter the respondent's first name on this screen and last name on the next screen.
OTHR_NAME_FIRST_CP
What is your last name?
Enter respondent's last name.
OTHR_NAME_LAST_CP
OTHR_NAME_FIRST_CP
and
OTHR_NAME_LAST_CP
OTHR_NAME_FIRST_CP and OTHR_NAME_LAST_CP
collect the name of the new HHR not already listed on the
household roster. These screens are accessed when Item
HELP_OTH_CP equals 1. After collecting this person’s
name, the instrument codes this new line number/
respondent as the new household respondent. When you
reach the Control Card Section, the instrument directs you
to collect demographic information for this new household
respondent. Topic 9 discusses the screens used to collect
and update the demographic information in more detail.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-34
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 2
These household members have not yet been interviewed:
LN
NAME
1
3
Ted Moe
Jane Moe
I still need to interview (READ NAMES FROM ABOVE)
Are either of them available now?
Enter line number or precode.
Enter 31 if No or No other household members available.
1 Ted Moe
3 Jane Moe
31 No or no one listed above available now
ALTERNATE1_CP
ALTERNATE1_CP
ALTERNATE1_CP presents you with a list of household
members (individual respondents) who have not yet been
interviewed or have not completed their interview. This
screen appears when the person selected at
WHOTOCALL_CP is coded as not available in
HELLO_1_CP, TOOLATE_CP, DIAL_CORRECT_CP or
GEN_INTRO_CP.
Therefore, when there are other respondents who still need
to be interviewed, ALTERNATE1_CP is asked to see if any
of the remaining NCVS eligible household members you
have not yet completed their NCVS or supplement
interviews are available to complete their interview. At this
screen read the question text to the person you are
speaking to and then enter the line number or precode for
the household member you wish to interview; enter Precode
(31) if no other household members are available.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-35
Part B, Chapter 2
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Since the survey must be completed before Jane Moe's return, I can take her information from
someone else.
Would you or someone there now know how to answer the crime questions for Jane Moe?
1 Yes
2 No
TOOLATE_CP
TOOLATE_CP
This item asks for a household member who can serve as a
proxy for an unavailable respondent or a respondent who
cannot be interviewed for some other reason.
TOOLATE_CP appears when Precode (6), “Person
unavailable through closeout,” is entered in HELLO_1_CP
or the “Suppress” button is selected at the edit check
GEN_INTRO_CP_CK. If someone can act as a proxy
respondent (Precode (1)) the instrument leads you down
the path to collect the proxy reason and the line number of
the proxy respondent (that is, the person you talk to in order
to collect the data for the proxy person/person not able to
complete their interview by self-response). For a household
member to act as the proxy respondent, they must have
completed their own interview and done so by
self-response. Coding proxy interviews is discussed more in
Topic 6, below.
If a proxy respondent is not currently available, enter
Precode (2) to go to ALTERNATE1_CP when there are
other individual respondents left to be interviewed.
Otherwise, you exit the instrument via VERIFY.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-36
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 2
***Do not F10 from this screen ***
LN
NAME
STATUS
1
2
3
Ted Moe
Done-Int
Megan Moe Done-Int
Jane Moe
NEED SELF
HRESP
REL
SEX
AGE
R
Ref Person
Wife
Daughtr
M
F
F
43
43
14
I also need to speak with Jane Moe.
Is Jane Moe at home now?
Enter the person’s line number for next interview.
***Do not F10 from this screen ***
3 Jane Moe
31 Respondent refused for someone else
32 Household complete
33 No other person available now
NEXTPERSON
NEXTPERSON
NEXTPERSON shows the household roster and instructs
you to enter the line number of the next person to be
interviewed. After selecting the next person to interview the
instrument continues with INTERVIEWSTATUS to review
the type of interview needed for the respondent before
beginning their NCVS interview.
If the respondent you just completed an interview with
refuses for someone else, enter Precode (31) which will
lead you through screens to code that line number as a
refusal; see Topic 6 for more details on coding a respondent
as a refusal. If no other person is available for an interview,
enter Precode (33), which takes you to REFCBBREAK_CP
in the back of the instrument.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-37
Part B, Chapter 2
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Topic 6. Completing Self Response and Proxy Interviews
and Coding Initial Refusals
(Screen Layout and Instructions for the INTERVIEWSTATUS through
INTROFORNEWRESPONDENT)
Review self/proxy status and person’s name before proceeding to screen questions.
• Interview is for: Jane Moe
• Talking to: Jane Moe
• Self/Proxy status: SELF INTERVIEW
• Jane Moe ISN’T the household respondent
• If wrong person selected, back up to the NEXTPERSON screen to select the next person
to be interviewed.
1 Continue with this respondent’s interview
2 Change to a proxy interview
INTERVIEWSTATUS
INTERVIEWSTATUS
The INTERVIEWSTATUS screen is the first screen
encountered after selecting the next person to interview. As
shown above, this screen gives you the following
information:
The name of the current respondent;
The name of the person you are speaking to;
The respondent’s current “Proxy Status” (Self or Proxy
Interview);
Whether the current respondent is or is not the
household respondent.
If the wrong line number was selected, back up to the
NEXTPERSON screen and enter the correct line number. If
the correct line number was selected and you are ready to
continue with a self interview, select Precode (1), “Continue
with this respondent’s interview” to start this respondent’s
NCVS interview. Otherwise, select Precode (2), “Change to
a proxy interview” to change the respondent’s interview
status from a Self interview to a Proxy interview.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-38
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 2
• You are about to change this respondent’s interview status to a proxy interview.
• If you are sure the interview for this respondent needs to be completed by proxy, click the
“Suppress” button. Otherwise, click the “Close” or “Goto” button to return to the
INTERVIEWSTATUS screen.
Questions involved
INTERVIEWSTATUS:
Value
Proxy
Suppress
PERSTATUSPROXY
Close
Goto
The PERSTATUSPROXY edit check appears in order to
verify that you want to code the current respondent as a
proxy interview. See Part C, Chapter 1 of this manual for
more information regarding proxy interviews.
If the respondent’s interview needs to be completed by
proxy, click on the “Suppress” button. After clicking the
“Suppress” button, continue with PROXYREASON to code
the reason a proxy interview is needed for this respondent.
If you’ve reached this screen by mistake, click on the
“Close” or “Goto” button to return to INTERVIEWSTATUS.
• Enter the reason for proxy interview.
1 Proxy person is 12-13 years old and parent refused permission for self interview.
2 Proxy person is physically/mentally unable to answer.
3 Proxy person is temporarily absent and won’t return before closeout.
PROXYREASON
PROXYREASON
After you have determined a proxy interview is needed by
clicking on the “Suppress” button at the
PERSTATUSPROXY edit check, PROXYREASON
appears.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-39
Part B, Chapter 2
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
For the NCVS, a proxy person is a person who cannot
answer the questions for himself/herself (person talking
about). In other words, a proxy person is someone who
cannot complete his/her interview by self-response. The
proxy respondent is the person who will be answering the
questions for the proxy person (person talking to).
Precode (1)
Enter Precode (1), “Proxy person is 12-13 years old and
parent refused permission for self interview” when the
household member is 12 or 13 years old and the child’s
parent(s) refuse(s) to allow you to interview the 12 or
13-year-old child by self-response. In this situation, only a
parent who has already completed their own NCVS
interview by self-response can be the proxy respondent.
If you enter Precode (1), and the household member is older
than 13, PROXYAGEERROR appears. Otherwise, continue
with PICKPROXYRESP to select the proxy respondent.
Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2), “Proxy person is physically/mentally
unable to answer” when the household member has a
physical and/or mental illness which prevents him/her from
responding directly to you. Entering Precode (2) takes you
to PROXYREASONSPEC to record the household
member’s physical/mental illness that prohibits a
self-response interview.
Precode (3)
Enter Precode (3), “Proxy person is temporarily absent and
won’t return before closeout” when the household member
is away from the sample address temporarily AND is not
expected to return during the interview period. Before taking
a proxy interview, make sure that the person is still a
household member and will not return at any time during the
interview period. After entering Precode (3), the instrument
goes to PROXYDATERETURN_MO to record the date the
household member is expected to return to the sample
address.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-40
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 2
Refer to Part C, Chapter 1 of this manual for more
information about acceptable reasons for conducting a
proxy interview.
• A proxy interview is not acceptable because the respondent is older than 13.
• Interview status will be reset to “SELF” interview.
1 Enter 1 to Continue
PROXYAGEERROR
PROXYAGEERROR
The PROXYAGEERROR screen appears when Precode
(1) is entered at PROXYREASON and the household
member is older than 13. This household member’s
interview status will be set to a “self” interview. Since
Precode (1) was an invalid reason at PROXYREASON, the
instrument will return to NEXTPERSON where you can
continue with this household member’s interview by
self-response, select another household member to
interview, or exit the case.
Describe the physical or mental condition that prevents the respondent from completing
a self interview.
PROXYREASONSPEC
PROXYREASONSPEC
PROXYREASONSPEC is the screen where you enter a
description of the physical or mental condition of this
household member that prevents him/her from completing
the interview by self-response. For example, “Line Number
2 is in the late stages of Alzheimer’s.”
Proxy interviews cannot be conducted for temporary
conditions, such as a respondent has a cold, is drunk/on
drugs, or is heavily medicated. In these situations, contact
the person at a later date to conduct his/her interview.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-41
Part B, Chapter 2
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
After entering a valid proxy reason, the instrument
continues to PICKPROXYRESP.
• If unsure, ask:
When is Jane Moe expected to return?
• Enter month on this screen.
PROXYDATERETURN_MO
• If unsure, ask:
When is Jane Moe expected to return?
• Enter day on this screen.
PROXYDATERETURN_DY
• If unsure, ask:
When is Jane Moe expected to return?
• Enter year on this screen.
PROXYDATERETURN_YR
PROXYDATERETURN_MO,
PROXYDATERETURN_DY,
PROXYDATERETURN_YR
PROXYDATERETURN_MO,
PROXYDATERETURN_DY and
PROXYDATERETURN_YR are used to record the date
when the household member is expected to return to the
sample address. These screens appear when Precode
(3) is entered in PROXYREASON.
Although PROXYDATERETURN_MO and
PROXYDATERETURN_DY are two digits, you only
need to enter one digit (without a leading “0”). Rather,
you can enter a one digit for the months of January
through September (1-9) as well as for the first nine days
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-42
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 2
of a month. However, for PROXYDATERETURN_YR,
you must enter all four digits. For example, for
September 2, 2017, enter “9/2/2017.”
When a household member you are speaking with is
unsure of the exact date the proxy person will return, you
may:
Press the “Ctrl” and “D” keys at the same time to code
a blind “Don’t Know” in any of the return date
screens.
If the household member with whom you are speaking
refuses to give you the exact date the proxy person will
return, you may:
Press the “Ctrl” and “R” keys at the same time to code
a blind “Refused” in any of the return date screens.
If you enter Don’t Know or Refused in any of these
screens, the instrument proceeds to the
RETURNBYCLOSEOUT screen to verify whether the
proxy person will return before the current month’s
close-out.
After entering the date the household member is
expected to return, the instrument goes to:
Item RETURNDATEERROR1 when the date entered
is before close-out;
Item RETURNDATEERROR2 when the date entered
is more than six months after close-out;
Item PICKPROXYRESP when a valid return date is
entered.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-43
Part B, Chapter 2
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
• Error: Date is unacceptable. You must set a callback date for this respondent.
1 Enter 1 to Continue
RETURNDATEERROR1
RETURNDATEERROR1
RETURNDATEERROR1 appears when the date entered in
Items PROXYDATERETURN_MO through
PROXYDATERETURN_DY is prior to the current month’s
close-out date. Since the household member will return
before close-out, set up a callback for this respondent to
complete his/her interview by self-response upon his/her
return. The instrument returns to NEXTPERSON after
entering Precode (1) at RETURNDATEERROR1.
• Date is more than 6 months beyond the closeout date.
• Since this person will be away from the household for such as extended period of time,
they are being coded as a nonmember.
Since Jane Moe is away for an extended period of time, no interview is required for her at this
time.
1 Enter 1 to Continue
RETURNDATEERROR2
RETURNDATEERROR2
RETURNDATEERROR2 appears when the date entered in
PROXYDATERETURN_MO through
PROXYDATERETURN_DY is more than six months after
the current month’s close-out date. Since the household
member will not return for an extended period of time, they
are coded as a nonmember and no interview is needed.
Read the statement, “Since (proxy person’s name) is
away for an extended period of time, no interview is
required for (him/her) at this time.” to the person with
whom you are speaking. This lets them know you will not
ask NCVS questions for that person. After entering Precode
(1), the instrument returns to NEXTPERSON.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-44
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 2
Do you expect Jane Moe to return by July 31,2017?
1 Yes
2 No
RETURNBYCLOSEOUT
Item RETURNBYCLOSEOUT appears when a blind “Don’t
Know” or “Refused” is entered in any of
PROXYDATERETURN_MO through
PROXYDATERETURN_YR. This item is used to determine
whether the household member will return before close-out.
RETURNBYCLOSEOUT
If he/she is expected to return before close-out, enter
Precode (1), and the instrument returns to NEXTPERSON.
Set up a callback for this respondent to complete his/her
interview by self-response upon his/her return.
If the household member is not expected to return prior to
close-out, enter Precode (2), and the instrument proceeds
to VERIFYHHM to verify that this person is still considered a
household member.
• Verify that the proxy person is still a household member.
Does Jane Moe usually live here?
• If “No,” probe for usual residence elsewhere.
1 Yes
2 No
VERIFYHHM
VERIFYHHM
VERIFYHHM is designed to assist in determining whether
or not the person you are about to code as the proxy person
is still considered a household member. Ask the following
question in VERIFYHHM: “Does Jane Moe usually live
here?”
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-45
Part B, Chapter 2
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
If that person does usually live there, enter Precode (1) and
continue to PICKPROXYRESP to select the proxy
respondent. If the answer is "No," the instrument will
continue to VERIFYMEMURE to determine whether the
person has a usual place of residence held elsewhere.
Ordinarily, a person's usual place of residence is the place
where the person eats and sleeps the majority of the time.
As a general rule, a person is considered a household
member if:
the sample address is the person's usual place of
residence, or
the person is staying at the sample address at the time
of interview and does not have a usual place of
residence elsewhere.
(Also see Part C, Chapter 1, Topic 3 of this manual, as
well as your Information Card Booklet (NCVS-554) for
help in determining household membership.)
Does Jane Moe have a usual place of residence elsewhere?
1 Yes
2 No
VERIFYMEMURE
VERIFYMEMURE
When a household respondent mentions that a person on
the roster does not usually live there, follow up with
VERIFYMEMURE to determine if the person qualifies as a
household member for the NCVS. If the respondent replies
that this person has a usual residence elsewhere, enter
Precode (1), “Yes,” in VERIFYMEMURE, which indicates
that this person is NOT a household member. However,
entering Precode (2), “No,” indicates that this person does
not have a usual residence elsewhere and, therefore,
classifies as a household member by NCVS standards and
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-46
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 2
needs to complete their interview by proxy. The instrument
proceeds to PICKPROXYRESP.
If you are still unsure whether to include a person on the
household roster as a household member, select Precode
(2), “No,” in Item VERIFYMEMURE, and continue to
interview the person by proxy. Explain the situation in the
“Case Level Notes.”
LN
NAME
STATUS
HRESP
1
2
3
Ted Moe
Megan Moe
Jane Moe
Done-Int
R
Done-Int
NEED PRXY
REL
Ref Person
Wife
Daughtr
SEX
AGE
M
F
F
43
43
3
• Enter line number of current respondent.
• If unsure, ask name.
1 Ted Moe
2 Megan Moe
PICKPROXYRESP
PICKPROXYRESP
Select the proxy respondent at PICKPROXYRESP. That is,
select the person who will answer the questions for the
proxy person. In order for a person to be selected as the
proxy respondent, they must have already completed
his/her own NCVS interview by self response. After
selecting a valid proxy respondent, the instrument continues
with Item INTPROXYSTATUS.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-47
Part B, Chapter 2
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
• Review self/proxy status and person’s name before proceeding to screen questions.
• Interview is for: Jane Moe
• Talking to: Megan Moe
• Self/Proxy status: PROXY INTERVIEW
• Jane Moe ISN’T the household respondent
1 Enter 1 to Continue
INTPROXYSTATUS
INTPROXYSTATUS
Item INTPROXYSTATUS is the last of the series of screens
to code a proxy interview before proceeding to the NCVS
questions. Review the text displayed to verify that the proxy
person is correctly coded as a proxy interview and that the
correct proxy respondent has been selected. If everything is
correct, enter Precode (1), to continue. The instrument
begins the proxy person’s interview at TIMEATADDRESS,
which is the first screen in the Middle Section of the NCVS
instrument, as shown in Part B, Chapter 3 of this manual.
LN
NAME
STATUS
1
2
3
Ted Moe
Done-Int
Megan Moe Done-Int
Jane Moe
NEED SELF
HRESP
REL
SEX
AGE
R
Ref Person
Wife
Daughtr
M
F
F
43
43
13
• Enter line number of person refused FOR.
• If unsure, ask name.
WHICHLINEREFUSEDFOR
WHICHLINEREFUSEDFOR
After entering Precode (33), “Respondent refused FOR
someone else” at NEXTPERSON,
WHICHLINEREFUSEDFOR appears. At this screen,
enter the line number of the respondent who refused to
be interviewed or for whom another household member
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-48
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 2
refused. This changes the household member’s status to
“Refused,” but does not code them as a noninterview.
After entering the line number in Item
WHICHLINEREFUSEDFOR, continue to
PERSTATUSREFUSED.
• Changed to: REFUSED
• If this person is a TYPE Z NONINTERVIEW, you will need to code them as such in the Type Z
section of the instrument. To do this you must first exit the instrument and then re-enter the
case. When you are ready to transmit the case, enter Precode "5" at the START_CP screen to
access the Type Z section.
1 Enter 1 to Continue
PERSTATUSREFUSED
PERSTATUSREFUSED
PERSTATUSREFUSED is an edit check that shows the
current respondent has been coded as a refusal. However,
they have not been coded as a Type Z Noninterview at this
point. Respondents cannot be coded as Type Z
Noninterviews until you are ready to transmit the case.
In order to code this respondent as a Type Z:
complete interviews with all remaining NCVS eligible
household members;
exit the case;
re-enter the case, enter Precode (5), “Ready to transmit
case - no more followup (Type Z’s)” at START_CP;
enter the Type Z reason for each household member
who was not interviewed. Follow the instructions for
coding Type Z Noninterviews in Part A, Chapter 6 of this
manual.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-49
Part B, Chapter 2
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
• Re-introduction for new respondent.
• If necessary Hello, I’m (YOUR NAME) from the U.S. Census Bureau.
I’m here concerning the National Crime Victimization Survey. We are talking with members of
your household to obtain statistics on the kinds and amount of crime committed against
individuals 12 years of age or older.
We would like to complete your interview now.
1 Enter 1 to Continue
INTROFORNEWRESPONDENT
INTROFORNEWRESPONDENT
The INTROFORNEWRESPONDENT screen appears when
you are interviewing an individual respondent whose
interview has not been at least partially completed. (All TIS)
This screen will be displayed after a valid line number is
entered at NEXTPERSON. Use this screen to introduce
yourself and the survey to the respondent before
proceeding with the interview. After Entering (1) to continue,
proceed to the TIMEATADDRESS screen, which is the first
screen in the Middle Section of the NCVS instrument, as
shown in Part B, Chapter 3 of this manual.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-50
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 2
Topic 7. Verifying the Sample Address, Primary Telephone Number
and Mailing Address (Screen Layout and Instructions for
GETLETTER_CP through NEWMAILGQDESCRIPTION_CP)
• If necessary: Hello I'm (YOUR NAME) from the U.S. Census Bureau.
I'm calling concerning the National Crime Victimization Survey. The Census Bureau is conducting
a survey here and throughout the Nation to determine how often people are victims of crime.
(We contacted your household for this survey several months ago.) Did you receive our
introductory letter in the mail?
1 Yes
2 No
3 Don’t Know
GETLETTER_CP
GETLETTER_CP
GETLETTER_CP asks whether the respondent received
the NCVS introductory letter. This screen is presented for
situations where you have not yet started the interview with
a household respondent.
For personal visits, an FR instruction is displayed: ‘If “No” or
“Don’t know” give respondent an introductory letter and
allow time to read.’ If you encounter this situation, hand the
household respondent the letter (NCVS-572(L) for incoming
and replacement households or NCVS-573(L) for
continuing households).
For continuing households, the instrument automatically
inserts the statement “We contacted your household for this
survey several months ago.” So it is important that you read
text to the respondent as worded since that statement will
not be displayed for incoming or replacement households.
All precodes entered at this screen progress to the section
of the instrument where you verify the sample address,
beginning with VERADD_CP.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-51
Part B, Chapter 2
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
• Confirm address information
I have your address listed as ...
• Read address below
101 Ocean View Circle
Anytown, VA 99997
Is that your exact address?
1 SAME address
2 MOVED (NOT same address)
3 Haven’t moved, but address has changed
4 Incorrect address previously recorded
VERADD_CP
VERADD_CP
The purpose VERADD_CP is to verify that you reached the
correct address. Read the address as it is displayed so we
can verify that we have the correct full address for the
sample household.
Precode (1)
Enter Precode (1) when you confirm that you reached the
correct sample address and no address corrections are
necessary. After entering Precode (1), for incoming cases,
the instrument goes to Item MAILINGSAME_CP. After
entering Precode (1), for continuing cases, the instrument
goes to CHNGPH_CP, then to MAILINGSAME_CP.
Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2) when you discover that you reached a
different address. (Precode (2) is an invalid entry for TIS-1
cases.) It is possible that the last interviewed household
moved from the sample address and kept the same phone
number. For the NCVS, we do not interview a household
after they have moved from the sample address. After
entering Precode (2), the instrument goes to MOVED_CP.
Precode (3)
Enter Precode (3) when you discover that you reached the
correct sample address, but the address has changed. After
entering Precode (3), continue with CHNGPH_CP, then
continue to collect the new address.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-52
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Precode (4)
Part B, Chapter 2
Enter Precode (4) when you discover that you reached the
correct sample address, but the address was recorded
incorrectly in a previous interview. After entering Precode
(4), continue with CHNGPH_CP, then continue with the
screens to update the sample address.
Since your address rather than you personally was chosen for inclusion in the survey, no
interview is required of you at this time. Thank you for your past cooperation. The help you gave
us was an important contribution to the National Crime Victimization Survey data.
1 Enter 1 to continue
MOVED_CP
MOVED_CP
MOVED_CP is to inform the person you are speaking with
that we do not need to interview them since they have
moved from the sample address, as well as thank them for
past cooperation. Entering Precode (1) to continue takes
you to error message VERADD_CP_CK.
(If an incoming case, the instrument will display:)
Invalid entry
(Else if this is a continuing case, the instrument will display:)
• This case needs to be made a replacement household. Press GOTO to proceed to
HHNUM_VR_CP.
Questions involved
HHNUM_VR_CP: Replacement household?
MOVED_CP: Moved
Suppress
Value
No
Enter 1 to continue
Close
Goto
VERADDCP_CK
VERADD_CP_CK
When interviewing an incoming case, you will see the
VERADD_CP_CK screen when Precode (2) is selected at
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-53
Part B, Chapter 2
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
VERADD_CP, since that is not a valid entry. In this situation
VERADD_CP_CK will display the message “Invalid entry”.
This edit check also appears after entering Precode (1) in
the MOVED_CP screen to verify that the entire household
has moved from the sample address. In this situation the
edit check will display the instruction “This case needs to be
made a replacement household. Press the “Goto” button to
proceed to Item HHNUM_VR_CP, discussed in more detail
in Topic 3 above. Otherwise, press the “Close” button to
return to the VERADD_CP screen.
• Do you need to change the current phone number?
CURRENT NUMBER: (991) 555-9899
1 Yes
2 No
CHNGPH_CP
CHNGPH_CP
CHNGPH_CP appears for all continuing cases that are not
replacement households. For any continuing case (TIS 2-7)
you are asked if you would like to change the current phone
number. If yes, enter Precode (1) and continue to
NEWPH_CP to ask the respondent for the new phone
number. If no, continue with the screens to change the
address (starting at NEWADDHNO_CP) when Precodes (3)
or (4) were entered in VERADD_CP or MAILINGSAME_CP
when Precode (1) was entered in VERADD_CP.
What is the area code and telephone number where you would like to be called?
• Record new number
• Enter 0 for no telephone number
NEWPH_CP
NEWPH_CP
NEWPH_CP appears when the respondent indicates in
CHNGPH_CP that they would like to change the telephone
number at which they are contacted. Enter the new number
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-54
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 2
or enter 0 for no telephone number. The instrument
continues with the screens to change the household
address (starting at NEWADDHNO_CP) when Precodes (3)
or (4) were entered in VERADD_CP or MAILINGSAME_CP
when Precode (1) was entered in VERADD_CP.
• OLD ADDRESS
101 Ocean View Circle
Anytown, VA 99997
• If incorrect or missing, enter new house number, otherwise press “Enter” to continue
NEWADDHNO_CP
NEWADDHNO_CP through
NEWADDGQDESCRIPTION_CP screens
NEWADDHNO_CP through
NEWADDGQDESCRIPTION_CP are asked when the
household respondent indicates at VERADD_CP that you
are at the correct sample address, but the actual address
has changed or was previously recorded incorrectly. These
screens allow you to correct or add any of the following
information: house number, house number suffix, street
name, unit designation, non-city style address, physical
location description, city, state, ZIP code, group quarters
building name, and group quarters description. If no change
is needed for a particular item, press “Enter” to move to the
next screen.
The original address information is displayed in the info
pane in the middle of the screen and can be edited in the
form pane at the bottom of the screen. After you update the
address information, ADRCHECK_CP appears to record
the reason for the change(s).
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-55
Part B, Chapter 2
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
• Enter reason why address information provided by respondent did not match displayed address
OLD ADDRESS
NEW ADDRESS
101 Ocean View Circle
Anytown, VA 99997
101A Ocean Avenue
Anytown, VA 99997
• HOUSE NUMBER
11 House number was incorrect
12 House number was missing/blank
• HOUSE NUMBER SUFFIX
13 House number suffix was incorrect (e.g. A instead of B)
14 House number suffix was missing
• STREET NAME
15 Street name was correct by misspelled (e.g. Pak instead of Oak Street)
16 Street name was not correct (e.g Oak instead of Pickford)
• UNIT DESIGNATION
17 Unit designation was incorrect (e.g. A instead of 1)
18 Unit designation was missing
• NON-CITY STYLE ADDRESS
19 Non-city style address was incorrect (P.O. Box 12 instead of P.O. Box 121)
• ZIP CODE
20 ZIP code was missing or incorrect
• STATE
21 State was missing or incorrect (ME instead of MD)
• CITY
22 City name was missing or incorrect
• GROUP QUARTERS
23 Group quarters name was missing or incorrect
24 Building name was missing or incorrect
25 911 Address Conversion
ADRCHECK_CP
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-56
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
ADRCHECK_CP
Part B, Chapter 2
ADRCHECK_CP prompts you to enter a reason(s) why the
address information provided by the respondent did not
match the displayed address for the sample unit. Note that
this item allows multiple entries. After recording the reason
for the update the instrument continues with
MAILINGSAME_CP.
Is your mailing address (still) the same as your physical address?
1 Yes
2 No
MAILINGSAME_CP
________________________________________________________________________
MAILINGSAME_CP
MAILINGSAME_CP asks, “Is your mailing address still
the same as your physical address?” The instrument fills
MAILINGSAME_CP
the word “still” in the question text when the prior household
respondent reported that the mailing address was the same
as the physical address. If the mailing and physical
addresses were reported as being different the previous
enumeration or this is an incoming or replacement
household the question is worded, “Is your mailing
address the same as your physical address?”
Enter Precode (1) for “Yes” and the instrument takes you to
Item TENURE when the case is a TIS 1. If the case is a TIS
3, 5, or 7 and Precode (1) is entered in Item
MAILINGSAME_CP then the instrument will go to Item
TENURE, otherwise the instrument will go to Item
STUDENTHOUSING during even numbered enumerations.
If a replacement household occurs during an even
numbered enumeration, the instrument proceeds to the
TENURE screen, because a replacement household is
treated like a TIS 1 case.
Enter precode (2) for “No” and the instrument takes you to
the VERIFYMAILING_CP screen to verify the previous
mailing address is correct. If we had not previously collected
a mailing address, the instrument instead goes to Item
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-57
Part B, Chapter 2
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
NEWMAILHNO_CP.
I have your mailing address as...
101 Ocean View Circle
Anytown, VA 99997
Is that correct?
1 Yes
2 No
VERIFYMAILING_CP
VERIFYMAILING_CP
VERIFYMAILING_CP asks, “I have your mailing address
as 101 Ocean View Circle, Anytown, VA 99997. Is that
correct?”
Enter Precode (1) for “Yes” and the instrument takes you to
either TENURE when the case is a TIS 1. If the case is a TIS
3, 5, or 7 and Precode (1) is entered in
VERIFYMAILING_CP, then the instrument goes to
TENURE; otherwise the instrument goes to
STUDENTHOUSING during even numbered enumerations.
If a replacement household occurs during an even
numbered enumeration, the instrument proceeds to the
TENURE screen, because a replacement household is
treated like a TIS 1 case.
Enter Precode (2) for “No” and the instrument takes you to
NEWMAILHNO_CP, which begins the series of screens
that allow you to edit all of the mailing address fields.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-58
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 2
• OLD ADDRESS
101 Ocean View Circle
Anytown, VA 99997
• If incorrect or missing, enter new house number, otherwise press “Enter” to continue
NEWMAILHNO_CP
NEWMAILHNO_CP through
NEWMAILGQ
DESCRIPTION_CP
NEWADDHNO_CP through
NEWADDGQDESCRIPTION_CP allow you to modify the
mailing address information for the household and include
all of the same address fields for the sample address except
physical location description, which is not part of the mailing
address.
The original address information is displayed in the info
pane in the middle of the screen and can be edited in the
form pane at the bottom of the screen. If no change is
needed, press “Enter” to move to the next screen.
After completing the screens, if the case is a TIS 1, 3, 5, or 7
the instrument goes to Item TENURE, otherwise the
instrument goes to Item STUDENTHOUSING during even
numbered enumerations. If a replacement household
occurs during an even numbered enumeration, the
instrument proceeds to the TENURE screen, because a
replacement household is treated like a TIS 1 case.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-59
Part B, Chapter 2
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Topic 8. Housing Unit Characteristics
(Screen Layout and Instructions for
TENURE through RESTRICTEDACCESS)
• Ask or verify:
Are your living quarters ...
• Read answer categories
1 Owned or being bought by you or someone in your household?
2 Rented for cash?
3 Occupied without payment of cash rent?
TENURE
TENURE
TENURE is asked initially during the first interview with the
sample household, which should be a personal visit
interview. You only see TENURE when you interview a
sample household during the third, fifth, and seventh
enumeration periods, since this question is asked of the
original household only during the odd-numbered interview
periods. (The exception to this rule is when you create a
replacement household during an even-numbered interview
period.)
Although the interviewer instruction specifies that this is an
“Ask or verify” question, you must always ask it during the
first enumeration. In subsequent enumerations you can
either re-ask the question of the respondent and read the
answer categories until you get a “Yes” response, or verify
that the information collected during the previous interview
is still correct.
After completing TENURE, the instrument takes you to
STUDENTHOUSING.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-60
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Owned or Being Bought
by You or Someone in
Your Household
Part B, Chapter 2
Before entering Precode (1) at the TENURE screen to
indicate that the living quarters is owned or being bought by
someone in the sample household, make sure that the
owner or co-owner of the sample unit:
Is a household member.
Actually lives in the sample unit when the unit is a
cooperative apartment or a condominium unit.
Has paid completely for the housing unit or is paying
on a mortgage for the housing unit.
Rented for Cash
Before entering Precode (2) at the TENURE screen to
indicate that the living quarters is rented for cash, make sure
that money is paid for rent or a contract exists for payment
of rent for the housing unit. The person paying the rent does
not have to live in the housing unit (for example, the rent
payer could be a welfare agency or a college student’s
parents.)
Occupied Without
Payment of Cash Rent
Before entering Precode (3) at the TENURE screen to
indicate that the living quarters is occupied without payment
of cash rent, make sure that the sample household:
Does not own or have to pay a mortgage payment.
Is not required to pay rent to reside in the housing unit
and no one else pays the rent for the household.
Examples of this situation might include:
A household living in a unit without paying rent in
exchange for services the household provides to the
owner.
A household living in a unit without paying rent as a gift
from a relative or friend who does not live in the housing
unit.
A household that is only required to pay for the utilities
they use and is not required to pay rent.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-61
Part B, Chapter 2
Special situations
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Situation
Action
Sample address is in a multi-unit
structure.
Mark TENURE based only on the
status of the unit is sample.
Sample address is in a rooming
house or dormitory that requires
the payment of rent.
Mark TENURE to show that the
room is “Rented for cash.”
Sample address is a mobile home
or trailer.
Mark TENURE only for the status
of the mobile home or trailer and
not for the site or land on which it
is located.
Sample address is located on a
military base and rent is paid
directly by the household or
deducted from their pay.
Mark TENURE to show that the
room is “Rented for cash.”
A sample household owns a
piece of property and rents an
adjacent property and both are
used as a single place.
Mark TENURE to show the tenure
status for the property on which
the sample address is located.
Are your living quarters presently used as student housing by a college or university?
1 Yes
2 No
STUDENTHOUSING
STUDENTHOUSING
STUDENTHOUSING is used to verify whether or not the
living quarters at the sample address is presently being
used as student housing by a college or university. Even
though this question is asked during the initial personal visit
interview, this information must be verified each interview
period to determine if there are any changes in the housing
unit’s status.
When TENURE is answered with Precode (1), “Owned or
being bought by you or someone in your household,” and
that case is TIS 1 or a replacement household, the
instrument continues with INDIANRESERVATIONHU.
Otherwise, the instrument continues with NAMECHECK.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-62
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 2
When TENURE is answered with either Precode (2),
“Rented for cash,” or Precode (3), “Occupied without
payment of cash rent,” the instrument proceeds to
PUBLICHOUSING.
Is this building owned by a public housing authority?
1 Yes, public housing
2 No, not public housing
PUBLICHOUSING
PUBLICHOUSING
PUBLICHOUSING is asked of incoming sample cases and
cases in interview periods 3, 5 and 7 in living quarters that
are rented for cash or occupied without payment of cash
rent.
If you get a “Yes” answer to PUBLICHOUSING, make sure
that the unit is in a federally funded project. If the building
is funded by a state or local government, select Precode (2),
“No, not public housing.” Also select Precode (2) if the
building is part of a federally assisted housing program,
such as VA, FHA, voucher, or certificate assisted housing.
If you select Precode (1), “Yes, public housing,” the
instrument proceeds to PUBLICHOUSINGMGRVERIFY
when conducting a personal visit interview or to
NAMECHECK for telephone interviews. If you select
Precode (2), “No, not public housing,” the instrument
proceeds to INDIANRESERVATIONHU for incoming and
replacement household cases, otherwise the instrument
goes to NAMECHECK .
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-63
Part B, Chapter 2
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
• If possible, verify PUBLICHOUSING entry of 1 (Yes) with the manager of building.
Able to verify
1 Public housing
2 Not public housing
Unable to verify
3 Telephone
4 Other - Specify
PUBLICHOUSINGMGRVERIFY
PUBLICHOUSING
MGRVERIFY
If you determine in Item PUBLICHOUSING that the sample
unit is in a building that is owned by a public housing
authority, the instrument proceeds to
PUBLICHOUSINGMGRVERIFY, which instructs you,
wherever possible, to:
Locate the building manager; and
Verify that this fact is true.
Do this verification the first time the case is identified as
being owned by a public housing authority in
PUBLICHOUSING. If you are unable to verify the
respondent’s “Yes” answer in PUBLICHOUSING, mark
Precode (4), “Other - specify” in
PUBLICHOUSINGMGRVERIFY. After selecting Precode
(4), the instrument goes to
PUBLICHOUSINGMGRVERIFYSPEC, where you are
prompted to enter the reason you could not verify the unit’s
public housing status.
When you are conducting a telephone interview,
PUBLICHOUSINGMGRVERIFY is bypassed and
automatically filled with Precode (3).
If you are unable to verify the structure’s public housing
status during the first enumeration period, try to verify public
housing status in a subsequent enumeration period, if
possible, and update the answer for
PUBLICHOUSINGMGRVERIFY then.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-64
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 2
• Specify the reason why you are unable to verify the public housing status for this housing unit.
PUBLICHOUSINGMGRVERIFYSPEC
PUBLICHOUSING
MGRVERIFYSPEC
The instrument goes to
PUBLICHOUSINGMGRVERIFYSPEC if you selected
Precode (4), “Other - Specify” in
PUBLICHOUSINGMGRVERIFY. Specify the reason you
were unable to verify the unit’s public housing status.
Are your living quarters located on an American Indian Reservation or on American Indian
Lands?
1 Yes
2 No
INDIANRESERVATIONHU
INDIANRESERVATIONHU
What Is an American
Indian Reservation?
INDIANRESERVATIONHU appears only during the initial
interview (including a replacement household) or when it
was left unanswered during the initial personal visit
interview with the sample household. It is acceptable to
answer this item without asking the question if you are
familiar with the area in which the sample address is located
and know for sure whether or not the living quarters is
located on an American Indian reservation or on American
Indian lands. When there is any doubt about which precode
to select, ask the household respondent the question before
selecting a precode.
An American Indian Reservation is a territory reserved as a
permanent tribal homeland with boundaries established by
treaty, statute, or executive or court order. The federal
government and some state governments established
reservations as territory over which American Indians
possess governmental jurisdiction. These entities are
designated as colonies, communities, pueblos, rancherias,
reservations, and reserves.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-65
Part B, Chapter 2
What Are American
Indian Lands?
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
American Indian Lands are comprised of tribal subdivisions
and trust lands.
A tribal subdivision is an administrative subdivision of a
reservation. Tribal subdivisions may extend beyond the
boundary of their reservations and are internal units of self
government or administration that serve social, cultural, or
economic purposes for the American Indians living on and
adjacent to the reservation.
Trust Lands are held in trust by the federal government for
either a tribe (tribal trust land) or an individual member of a
tribe (individual trust land). Such land is always associated
with a specific federally recognized reservation or tribe, but
may be located on or off the reservation.
During the past 12 months did sales of crops, livestock,
and other farm products from this place amount to $1,000 or more?
1 Yes
2 No
FARMSALES
FARMSALES
What We Mean by
“Place”
FARMSALES is asked of incoming cases or replacement
households which are identified as being in a rural area.
For this question, the term "place" encompasses one or
more tracts of land which the respondent considers to be on
the same property, farm, ranch, or estate. These tracts may
be adjoining or separated by a road, creek, or other pieces
of land. In most cases, a "place" can be clearly defined. For
example, in a built-up area, a "place" is likely to consist of a
house and a lot. However, in a more rural setting, a "place"
could consist of a whole tract of land or a combination of two
or three pieces of land (for example, a sample address on
one piece of land and another piece of land used to grow
crops for sale).
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-66
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
What We Mean by
“Sales of Crops,
Livestock, and other
Farm Products”
Part B, Chapter 2
The household respondent should report the gross amount
of money received for the sale of crops, vegetables, fruits,
nuts, livestock and livestock products (milk, wool, and so
forth), poultry and eggs, and nursery and forest products
that are produced at this place and sold at any time during
the past 12 months.
Exclude the value of any products consumed at the place.
The household respondent does not need to provide an
exact amount. He/she only needs to identify whether or
not these sales totaled $1,000 or more during the past 12
months.
Sample household owns or is buying the property:
In this case, farm sales include sales from the entire
acreage or property that the sample household owns or is
buying, even if a portion of the property is rented to
someone else.
Sample household is paying cash rent for the property:
In this case, farm sales include only the amount of sales
generated from the property they are renting.
Sample household lives on property without paying
cash rent:
In this case, if the sample address for both the owner and
the non-cash renter are in the sample, include the amount of
farm sales from the entire acreage of the owner. Do not limit
the amount of sales to only the property occupied without
payment of cash rent.
Sample household lives on property subsidized by the
federal government not to grow certain crops:
Only include the amount of the subsidy if the respondent
would normally have grown and sold the crops that he/she
is paid not to grow.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-67
Part B, Chapter 2
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Sample household moved to the property during the
past 6 months:
Explain to the current household that this question refers to
farm sales from the property during the past 12 months,
regardless of who resided on the property during those 12
months. If the current respondent is unable to answer this
question, press “Ctrl” + “D” simultaneously to code the item
as “Don’t know.”
Sample household is unable or unwilling to answer:
If a respondent is unable or unwilling to answer Item
FARMSALES, press “Ctrl” + “D” simultaneously to code the
item as “Don’t know.” Use the Case Level Notes to explain
why you entered “Don’t know” for Item FARMSALES.
• Please mark whether or not the sample household has direct access to their living quarters.
1 Direct
2 Through another unit - Not a separate HU; combine with unit through which access is gained
ACCESS
ACCESS
ACCESS is asked of incoming cases, replacement
households or continuing cases, when the question has not
been previously answered. It is designed to indicate
whether or not the sample household has direct access to
their living quarters.
A living quarters has direct access when an occupant can
either:
Enter his/her living quarters directly from the outside of
the structure OR
Enter his/her living quarters from a common hall or
lobby that is used by occupants of more than one unit
(as found in apartment buildings). The hall or lobby must
not be part of any unit and must be clearly separate from
all units in the structure.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-68
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 2
If the only entrance to an occupant’s living quarters is
through a room or hall of another household’s living
quarters, then the living quarters does not have direct
access.
Only mark ACCESS by observation when you are sure that
the sample unit has direct access. If you are not sure, ask
the household respondent before you complete ACCESS.
If you mark Precode (2) because the unit does not have
direct access, then the sample address is not a separate
housing unit and should be considered part of the housing
unit through which access to it is gained. It is also possible
that the unit may have been merged with another unit. A
merger is the result of combining two or more unit
addresses to form one unit address. A merger could involve
two single family homes or two or more apartments in a
multi-unit structure.
• Please select one box that describes the type of housing unit.
1 House, apartment, flat
2 HU in nontransient hotel, motel, etc.
3 HU permanent in transient hotel, motel, etc.
4 HU in rooming house
5 Mobile home or trailer with no permanent room added
6 Mobile home or trailer with one or more permanent rooms attached
7 HU not specified above - Describe
8 Quarters not HU in rooming or boarding house
9 Unit not permanent in transient hotel, motel, etc.
10 Unoccupied site for mobile home, trailer, or tent
11 Student quarters in college dormitory
12 Other unit not specified above - Describe
TYPEOFHOUSINGUNIT
TYPEOFHOUSINGUNIT
TYPEOFHOUSINGUNIT is asked only of incoming cases,
replacement households, or continuing cases, when the
question has not ben previously answered.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-69
Part B, Chapter 2
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
A housing unit is a group of rooms or a single room
occupied as separate living quarters or intended for
occupancy as separate living quarters. A housing unit may
be occupied by a family or one person, as well as by two or
more unrelated persons who share the living quarters.
To be considered a separate living quarters, the
occupants must:
Live and eat separately from all other persons on the
property; and
Have direct access to their living quarters from the
outside or through a common hall or lobby (as found in
apartment buildings).
Once you have determined that the sample address
qualifies as a housing unit, mark the appropriate box in
TYPEOFHOUSINGUNIT to indicate the type (not condition)
of housing unit. For example, mark Precode (1), “House,
apartment, flat,” for a vacant or occupied housing unit that
appears to be dilapidated, but still meets the housing unit
definition.
Precode (1), House,
Apartment, Flat
Mark Precode (1) for Item TYPEOFHOUSINGUNIT when
the housing unit is:
Precode (2), HU in
Nontransient Hotel,
Motel, etc.
An ordinary house or apartment,
An apartment located over a garage or behind a store,
A janitor's quarters in an office building, and
Housing units in structures like converted barns or
sheds.
Mark Precode (2) for Item TYPEOFHOUSINGUNIT when
the housing unit is in a nontransient hotel, motel, motor
court, or YMCA. A hotel or motel is classified as
nontransient if 75 percent or more of the rooms or suites
are occupied or intended for occupancy by permanent
guests. Permanent guests usually stay a month or more at
reduced monthly or weekly rates.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-70
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Precode (3), HU
Permanent in Transient
Hotel, Motel, etc.
Precode (4), HU in
Rooming House
Part B, Chapter 2
Mark Precode (3) for Item TYPEOFHOUSINGUNIT when
the housing unit is occupied or intended for occupancy by
permanent guests or resident employees. A hotel or motel
is classified as transient if more than 25 percent of the
rooms or suites are occupied or intended for occupancy by
transient guests. Transient guests usually stay less than a
month and pay daily rates.
Mark Precode (4) for Item TYPEOFHOUSINGUNIT when
the housing unit is located in a rooming house or a
combination rooming and boarding house. Rooming houses
and boarding houses are group quarters that have five or
more units for rent. However, the weekly or monthly rent
paid by roomers at a rooming house does not cover meals,
but it could cover linens and maid service. At a boarding
house, the weekly or monthly rent paid by boarders entitles
them to their room and regular meals. The proprietor may or
may not eat with the boarders at a boarding house.
Precode (5), Mobile
Home or Trailer With No
Permanent Room
Added
Mark Precode (5) for Item TYPEOFHOUSINGUNIT when
the housing unit is a mobile home or trailer (regardless of
the type of foundation) and no permanent rooms have been
added to the mobile home or trailer. Open or unheated
porches or sheds built onto trailers are not considered
rooms.
Precode (6), Mobile
Home or Trailer With
One or More Permanent
Rooms Added
Mark Precode (6) for Item TYPEOFHOUSINGUNIT when
the housing unit is a mobile home or trailer (regardless of
the type of foundation) and one or more permanent rooms
have been added. Sheds and open or unheated porches
built onto trailers are not considered rooms.
Precode (7), HU Not
Specified Above
Mark Precode (7) for Item TYPEOFHOUSINGUNIT when a
housing unit cannot be described by the specific categories
already listed. Tents, houseboats, and railroad cars can fall
into this category if they meet the housing unit definition.
Whenever you mark Precode (7), make sure to describe the
type of structure accurately in Item
TYPEOFHOUSINGUNITSPEC7.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-71
Part B, Chapter 2
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Precode (8), Quarters
Not HU in Rooming or
Boarding House
Mark Precode (8) for Item TYPEOFHOUSINGUNIT if the
GQ unit is located in a rooming or boarding house or a
combination rooming and boarding house. The sample unit
must not meet the housing unit definition. (Also see
Appendix B of Form 11-922.)
Precode (9), Unit Not
Permanent in Transient
Hotel, Motel, etc.
Mark Precode (9) for Item TYPEOFHOUSINGUNIT if the
GQ unit is located in a transient hotel, motel, motor court,
etc. and is occupied or intended for occupancy by transient
guests. The sample unit must not meet the housing unit
definition. (Also see Appendix B of Form 11-922.)
Precode (10),
Unoccupied Site for
Mobile Home, Trailer, or
Tent
Mark Precode (10) for Item TYPEOFHOUSINGUNIT if the
sample address identifies an unoccupied site for a mobile
home, trailer, or tent within a group quarters. The site must
not be intended for a mobile home, trailer, or tent that meets
the housing unit definition.
Precode (11), Student
Quarters in College
Dormitory
Mark Precode (11) for Item TYPEOFHOUSINGUNIT if the
GQ unit is occupied by a college student in a dormitory. The
sample unit must not meet the housing unit definition.
Precode (12), Other Unit
Not Specified Above
Mark Precode (12) for Item TYPEOFHOUSINGUNIT if the
GQ unit is not described in the categories already
mentioned. For example, mark Precode (12) for dormitories
used by nurses and interns in military hospitals (GQ Type
Code 904 for the 2000 sample design). Then enter the
description of the GQ type as shown in the Table of GQ
Types in Item TYPEOFHOUSINGUNITSPEC12. (Also see
Appendix B of Form 11-922.)
Identifying Changes in
Type of Living Quarters
If you discover a change in the type of living quarters or an
error in classification, correct the entries, if possible, and
note the circumstances and the date that you discovered
the change or error in the Case Level Notes.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-72
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 2
Observe or ask:
How many housing units are in this structure?
11
22
33
44
5 5-9
6 10+
7 Mobile home/trailer
8 Only OTHER units
NUMBEROFUNITS
NUMBEROFUNITS
What Is a Structure?
If you are sure how to mark Item NUMBEROFUNITS by
your observation, mark the appropriate precode without
asking the question. However, if there is any doubt in your
mind, ask the question of the household respondent and
select the appropriate precode to indicate the number of
housing units in the structure. The NUMBEROFUNITS
screen is asked only of incoming cases, replacement
households or continuing cases, where the question has not
previously been answered. If you enter Precodes (1) or (7)
the instrument goes to GATEDWALLEDCOMMUNITY.
Otherwise, it goes to DIRECTENTRANCETOUNIT.
A structure is a separate building that either:
Has open space on all sides (no other building attached
to it)
OR
Is separated from other structures by dividing walls that
extend from ground to roof.
Consider the following residential buildings to be separate
structures if the common wall between them goes from
ground to roof:
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-73
Part B, Chapter 2
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Double houses
Duplex houses
Row houses
Houses attached to nonresidential structures.
Sheds and private garages attached to houses are not
considered separate structures because they are not
intended for occupancy as separate living quarters.
What Is a Housing Unit?
A housing unit is a group of rooms or a single room
occupied as separate living quarters or intended for
occupancy as separate living quarters. A housing unit may
be occupied by a family or one person, as well as by two or
more unrelated persons who share the living quarters.
(See Form 11-922, Chapter 1, page 5, for more information
about separate living quarters and direct access.)
Single-Unit Structures
If you select Precode (1) or Precode (7) because there is
only one housing unit in the structure, the instrument skips
to GATEDWALLEDCOMMUNITY. Make sure to mark
Precode (7), “Mobile home/trailer,” in NUMBEROFUNITS if
you marked either Precode (5), “Mobile home or trailer with
no permanent room added” or Precode (6), “Mobile home or
trailer with one or more permanent rooms added,” in
TYPEOFHOUSINGUNIT.
Multi-Unit Structures
If you mark Precode (2), (3), (4), (5), or (6) because there
are two or more housing units in the structure, complete
DIRECTENTRANCETOUNIT to inquire about direct access
from outside the structure.
Group Quarters Units
If the sample address identifies a group quarters (GQ) unit,
mark Precode (8) "Only OTHER units." Make sure to mark
Precode (8) in NUMBEROFUNITS if you marked any one of
the Precodes (8) through (12) in TYPEOFHOUSINGUNIT.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-74
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 2
• Observe or ask:
Does the unit have an outside entrance, patio doors, or windows, etc., on the ground level - or
outside stairs leading directly to this unit?
1 Yes
2 No
3 Don’t know
DIRECTENTRANCETOUNIT
DIRECTENTRANCE
TOUNIT
DIRECTENTRANCETOUNIT is asked only of incoming
cases, replacement households or continuing cases, when
the question has not previously been answered. When you
are sure how to mark DIRECTENTRANCETOUNIT by your
observations, mark the appropriate precode without asking
the question. However, if there is any doubt in your mind,
ask the question of the household respondent and mark the
appropriate precode.
Precode (1) “Yes”
Mark Precode (1), "Yes" if there is some means of entering
the sample unit directly from the outside, such as a door,
patio doors, or windows at ground level (even if there are
locks and/or bars to prevent entrance) and outside stairs
(such as porch, deck, or fire escape stairs) that lead directly
to an outside entrance for the sample unit.
Precode (2) “No”
Mark Precode (2), "No" when there is no direct access into
the sample unit from outside of the structure and the only
entrance to the sample unit is through a common hall from
within the structure, such as a common hall into a second
floor apartment.
Precode (3) “Don’t
know”
In most cases, you should not need to mark the “Don’t
know” answer, so only select it as a last resort.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-75
Part B, Chapter 2
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
• Ask if unsure
Is this unit in a gated or walled community that restricts access by non-residents or requires entry
codes, key cards, or security guard approval to access?
1 Yes
2 No
GATEDWALLEDCOMMUNITY
GATEDWALLED
COMMUNITY
GATEDWALLEDCOMMUNITY is asked only of incoming
cases or continuing cases where the question has not
previously been answered. When you are sure how to
answer GATEDWALLEDCOMMUNITY by your
observation, select the appropriate precode without asking
the question. If there is any doubt about how to properly fill
this item, ask the question of the household respondent and
then mark the appropriate precode.
Precode (1) “Yes”
Enter Precode (1), “Yes,” if access to the household’s
community requires some sort of special entry procedure
and the community is surrounded by walls, fences, or other
barriers to restrict entrance to the community’s homes by
non-residents of the community. Some resort or retirement
communities are good examples of gated or walled
communities. This restricted access refers to the entire
community, rather than just to an individual building or
housing unit. It also includes communities with guard
houses or protection that are operational during certain
hours, such as evenings only. However, it excludes
neighborhood watch programs with no authority to stop
visitors, as well as single-family housing units with gated
driveways.
Precode (2) “No”
Enter Precode (2), “No,” if the household’s unit is not
located in a gated or walled community which restricts
access to non-residents.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-76
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 2
• Ask if unsure
Is this unit in a building that requires a special entry system such as entry codes, key cards, or
security guard approval to access?
1 Yes
2 No
RESTRICTEDACCESS
RESTRICTEDACCESS
RESTRICTEDACCESS is asked only of incoming cases,
replacement households, or continuing cases, when the
question has not previously been answered.
Precode (1) “Yes”
Enter Precode (1), “Yes,” if the housing unit is in a building
that has some type of special entry system, such as an
intercom system from which the occupants can identify and
“buzz in” visitors or a security guard who monitors access
into the building.
Precode (2) “No”
Enter Precode (2), “No,” if the housing unit is not located in a
building that requires a special entry system for access
(including an intercom system or a security guard).
After completing RESTRICTEDACCESS the instrument
continues with the household roster demographic
characteristics section to build or update the household
roster. This is detailed in Topic 9 of this chapter.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-77
Part B, Chapter 2
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Topic 9. Household Roster Demographic Characteristics
(Screen Layout and Instructions for
HHROSTER_FNAME Through ANY_OTHERCHNG)
Overview of the Control
Card Section
The Control Card section of the NCVS instrument is made
up of three parts or tables; the PreDemo Table, the
DemoDetailed Table and the DemoChange Table. The
PreDemo Table is used to collect basic information about
the person living at the sample address, such as; their
name, sex, membership status. On the other hand, the
DemoDetailed Table is used to collect the more detailed
demographic information, such as; their age, marital status,
highest level of schooling and race, to name a few. Last, the
DemoChange Table is used to correct demographic
information that was previously collected and may not have
been updated or verified during the current enumeration.
The PreDemo Table General Information
The order in which you proceed through the PreDemo
Table, depends on whether the case is an incoming or
continuing household. An “incoming household” is one that
is being interviewed for the first time; either the first time it is
in sample or as a replacement household. A “continuing
household” is a case in enumerations 2-7 that is not a
replacement household.
For an incoming household you start this section by building
the roster, entering the names of the persons living or
staying at the sample address beginning at the
HHROSTER_FNAME screen. After entering the person’s
name you collect personal demographic information about
them, such as their relationship to the reference person, sex
and household membership. For a continuing case, you
start this section at the NAMECHECK screen to verify all
the household members listed from the previous
enumeration are still household members.
For all enumerations, continue by collecting and/or verifying
personal demographic information for each household
member in the DemoDetailed Table.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-78
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 2
Building the Household
Roster During the First
Enumeration Period
Build the household roster by listing each person who is
living or staying at the sample address. Each person is
assigned a unique line number that is automatically allotted
in the instrument and is displayed to the left of the person’s
name. This line number distinguishes the various
individuals from each other in the instrument as well as the
output data. The line number is also used to identify the
household respondent for each enumeration period as well
as to identify the household member who reported an
incident. The line number should also be used to refer to a
person in the Incident Summary screen as well as the “Case
Level Notes,” rather than using the person’s name.
What are the names of all people living or staying here? Start with the name of the
person or one of the people who owns this home.
Enter first name on this screen.
Enter 999 to leave the table.
HHROSTER_FNAME
What are the names of all people living or staying here? Start with the name of the
person or one of the people who owns this home.
Enter last name on this screen.
HHROSTER_LNAME
HHROSTER_FNAME and
HHROSTER_LNAME
Build the household roster during the first interview with a
sample household starting with the first and last name of
each person living or staying at the sample address.
Once you ask the question in bold type, "What are the
names of all people living or staying here?" the next
statement you read varies, depending on the answer
recorded in Item TENURE.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-79
Part B, Chapter 2
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
If the living quarters is either owned or being bought by
someone in the household, read the statement as
follows: "Start with the name of the person or one of
the people who owns this home."
If the living quarters is rented for cash, read the
statement as follows: "Start with the name of the
person or one of the people who rents this home."
HHROSTER_LNAME is the second item of the two screens
used to enter a person’s name into the roster. Therefore, the
question text is in grey, which means that you do not have to
ask the question since you most likely were given the
person’s first and last name when you asked the question in
Item HHROSTER_FNAME.
Who to List on the
Roster
List the names (last names first) of the following persons:
All persons living or staying at the sample address at the
time of your contact.
All persons who usually live at the sample address, but
who are temporarily away for reasons such as visiting
friends or relatives, traveling for their jobs, in "general"
hospitals, and so forth.
All children who usually live at the sample address,
including infants under 1 year of age.
Any lodgers, servants, hired hands, and other persons
who usually live at the sample address.
Visitors and other persons who are not household
members (do not usually live at the sample address),
but are in the sample household at the time of your
interview and have stayed at the sample address at
least one night before your interview, such as a visitor or
student with a usual residence elsewhere.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-80
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Preferred Order for
Listing Names
Part B, Chapter 2
The "preferred" order for listing names on the roster by
relationship to the reference person is:
Reference person
Husband or wife of the reference person
Unmarried children of the reference person or his/her
spouse, starting with the oldest and ending with the
youngest
Married sons and/or daughters of the reference person
or his/her spouse, followed by the married child's
spouse, and each of their children (oldest to youngest)
Other persons related to the reference person or his/her
spouse. (If these other relatives are related to each
other, list them together.)
Lodgers and other nonrelatives staying at the sample
address. (If these other nonrelatives are related to each
other, list them together.)
Although this is the "preferred" order, it is not necessary to
change entries in the roster so that they match the
"preferred" order.
Completing the
Household Roster
Normally, you list the reference person in the first line of the
household roster. Then complete Items SEX (male or
female), RELATIONSHIP (relationship to reference
person), and HHMEMBER (household member) for one line
number before entering the next person in
HHROSTER_FNAME.
NOTE: The instrument automatically fills Precode (21),
“Reference Person” in RELATIONSHIP for the first
person listed on the roster when building the roster for a
new household. In this situation the instrument skips
from SEX to HHMEMBER.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-81
Part B, Chapter 2
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
The instrument automatically prefills the last name of the
person in the previous row so for each person with the same
last name as the preceding person you can just press the
“Enter” key to move from Item HHROSTER_LNAME to Item
SEX. If the last names are different you can press the
“Delete” key or type over the previous entry when the last
name is highlighted in blue.
As you complete the household roster, you may need to
probe for the household respondent to give you the names
of all remaining persons staying at the sample address. If
so, you can ask, "What are the names of all other
persons who are living or staying here?" Repeat this
question, as necessary, until you are sure that the
household roster is complete. Once you are sure you have
collected the names of all the persons living or staying at the
sample address enter “999” at Item HHROSTER_FNAME
in the next empty row to proceed to the HHLDCOVERAGE
screen.
If you mistakenly enter “999” in Item HHROSTER_FNAME
of a person who is already listed on the roster you encounter
an edit check pop-up that tells you how to proceed.
You can only enter 999 on a blank line – not over an existing person.
If you need to delete this person from the roster, use arrow keys to go to MEMBERCHANGES
and enter the reason why this person is no longer a member.
Select “close” to return to HHROSTER_FNAME to
restore Jane to the household roster.
Questions involved
HHROSTER_FNAME: First name
Close
Value
999
Goto
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-82
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 2
This edit check appears when you have entered “999” over
someone’s name. You are only permitted to enter “999” on a
line that is not occupied by a person listed on the roster.
Click on the “Close” or “Goto” buttons to return to Item
HHROSTER_FNAME and reenter the person’s name that
was overwritten with the entry of “999.” Notice that this edit
check displays the first name of the person that needs to be
stored in the third interviewer instruction, so make note of
the name before returning to the HHROSTER_FNAME
screen.
If you enter “999” in Item HHROSTER_FNAME to exit the
PreDemos Table and the person listed as the reference
person is coded as a nonmember you will also encounter an
edit check pop-up that tells you how to proceed.
You need to select a reference person who is a
household member.
Enter 21 in the “Relation” column for the
reference person.
Questions involved
HHROSTER_FNAME: First name
Close
Value
999
Goto
This edit check appears when you enter “999” to exit the
PreDemos Table and the line number marked as the
reference person is also listed as a nonmember. Click on
the “Close” or “Goto” buttons to return to Item
HHROSTER_FNAME and resolve this issue by either:
changing the current reference persons member status
to Precode (1) or
entering Precode (21) “Reference Person” in
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RELATIONSHIP for another line number.
Every case must have a valid reference person before
leaving the PreDemos Table.
For the remaining items in the household roster
demographic screens the instrument automatically fills the
name of the household member for whom you are collecting
information in the question text.
Ask if necessary
Is Ted Moe male or female?
1 Male
2 Female
SEX
SEX
(Household Member’s Sex)
Ask the question in SEX and enter the appropriate precode
based on the household respondent’s answer.
Enter Precode (1) for “Male” or Precode (2) for “Female.”
What is Ted Moe’s relationship to you?
11 Husband
12 Wife
13 Son
14 Daughter
15 Father
16 Mother
17 Brother
18 Sister
19 Other relative
20 Nonrelative
RELATIONSHIP
RELATIONSHIP
(Relationship to the
Reference Person)
Use Item RELATIONSHIP to identify the reference person
and the relationship of each remaining person listed on the
roster to the reference person. The reference person is a
concept used to establish the relationship of everyone on
the roster to one specific person. When building the roster,
the instrument automatically codes the first person listed as
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the reference person, so you do not need to select someone
to be the reference person at this point.
Ask the household respondent the question in Item
RELATIONSHIP and enter the precode corresponding to
the relationship (husband, wife, son, daughter, and so forth)
to the reference person.
Reference Person
The reference person is usually the first person
mentioned when you begin to build the household roster.
Since we want a responsible adult household member who
is less likely to permanently leave the household, it is
preferable to designate one of the persons who owns or
rents the home as the reference person. Each household
must have a reference person and the reference person
must be a household member.
(Also see Part C, Chapter 1, Topic 4, for more
information about the reference person.)
Relationship of Other
Persons to the
Reference Person
Once you have identified which person will be the reference
person, you must determine the precise relationship of all
other persons listed on the roster to the reference person.
Edit Checks Based on
Relationship Codes
After coding RELATIONSHIP you may encounter a pop-up
edit check based on a possible inconsistency in the
responses entered in SEX and RELATIONSHIP. You will
encounter these edit checks when:
You have listed more than one husband or more than
one wife;
You have listed both a husband and a wife as
relationships to the reference person;
You have listed more than one father or more than one
mother;
The person’s sex is inconsistent with the relationship,
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such as; a male sister, or a female father.
Correct inconsistencies when necessary.
Does Ted Moe usually live here?
If "No", probe for usual residence elsewhere.
1 Yes
2 No
HHMEMBER
HHMEMBER
(Household Member
Status)
HHMEMBER is designed to help you determine whether or
not each person listed in the household roster is considered
a household member. Once you have identified a person's
relationship to the reference person in Item
RELATIONSHIP, ask the following question in Item
HHMEMBER, "Does...usually live here?" If the answer is
"No," try to determine whether the person has a usual place
of residence held elsewhere for him/her in Item
HSEMEMURE. Ordinarily, a person's usual place of
residence is the place where the person eats and sleeps the
majority of the time.
As a general rule, a person is considered a household
member if:
The sample address is the person's usual place of
residence or
The person is staying at the sample address at the time
of interview and does not have a usual place of
residence elsewhere.
(Also see Part C, Chapter 1, Topic 3, of this manual as
well as your Information Card Booklet (NCVS-554) for
help in determining household membership.)
Person Is a Household
If you determine that the person meets the household
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member criteria:
Select Precode (1) “Yes” in Item HHMEMBER and
Continue to the next line on the household roster.
Person Is Not a
Household Member
If you determine that the person does not meet the
household member criteria:
Select Precode (2) “No” in Item HHMEMBER and
Then ask the question in HSEMEMURE to confirm that
person’s usual place of residence is elsewhere.
Does Ted Moe have a usual place of residence elsewhere?
1 Yes
2 No
HSEMEMURE
HSEMEMURE
(Usual Residence
Elsewhere)
When a household respondent mentions that a person on
the roster does not usually live there, follow up with the
question in HSEMEMURE to determine if the person
qualifies as a household member under NCVS procedures.
If the household respondent replies that this person has a
usual residence elsewhere, then enter Precode (1) “Yes” in
HSEMEMURE which means this person is NOT a
household member. However, entering Precode (2) “No”
means that the person does not have a usual residence
elsewhere and therefore classifies as a member by NCVS
standards.
If the entire household has a usual residence elsewhere,
follow the procedures for classifying the case as a Type B
Noninterview, as discussed after HHLDCOVERAGE below.
(See Part A, Chapter 6, Topic 3, for procedures to
classify a case as a Type B noninterview.)
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When Unsure About
Household Membership
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
First, reread the information:
In Part C, Chapter 1, Topic 3, of this manual and
In your Information Card Booklet (NCVS-554).
If you are still unsure whether to include a person on the
household roster as a household member, select Precode
(1), "Yes," in Item HHMEMBER, continue to interview the
person, and explain the situation in the "Case Level Notes."
I have
LN
1
2
3
• Read names below listed as living or staying at this address.
NAME
Ted Moe
Megan Moe
Jane Moe
REL
Ref Person
Wife
Daughtr
AGE
43
43
14
SEX
M
F
F
MARITAL
Married
Married
Never Married
STATUS
NEED SELF
NEED SELF
NEED SELF
Are ALL of these people still living or staying at that address?
1 Yes
2 No
NAMECHECK
Verifying the Household
Roster During the Second
Through Seventh
Enumeration Periods
In enumerations two through seven you verify, with the
household respondent, that the household roster is
up-to-date. In NAMECHECK you begin adding members to
the household, coding persons as nonmembers or adding
back persons who were previously coded as nonmembers.
NAMECHECK
(Verifying the Roster)
NAMECHECK appears after STUDENTHOUSING or
PUBLICHOUSING. NAMECHECK is only asked during
enumerations 2-7 for continuing cases to verify that all of the
people listed on the roster from the previous enumeration
are still living or staying at the sample address at the time of
the current interview. NAMECHECK should only display
those people who were marked as household members
during the previous enumeration. When reading the
question to the household respondent you are instructed to
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read all the names of the people displayed at this item. So
using the example above you would ask, "I have Ted,
Megan and Jane Moe listed as living or staying at this
address. Are ALL of these people still living or staying
at this address?"
On the other hand, if the household respondent is the only
household member the question is phrased, "I have you
listed as living or staying at this address. Is that
correct?"
Who Should Be Listed
The household roster in NAMECHECK should include:
All persons living or staying at the sample address at the
time of the interview.
All persons who usually live at the sample address, but
who are temporarily away for reasons such as visiting
friends or relatives, traveling for their jobs, in “general”
hospitals, and so forth.
All children who usually live at the sample address,
including infants under 1 year of age.
Any lodgers, servants, hired hands, and other persons
who usually live at the sample address.
Visitors and other persons who are not household
members (do not usually live at the sample address),
but are in the sample household at the time of your
interview and have stayed at the sample address at
least one night before your interview, such as a visitor or
student with a usual residence elsewhere.
If the household roster is correct, enter Precode (1) “Yes” at
NAMECHECK and continue with HHLDCOVERAGE.
If you determine that the roster is not correct either because
someone listed is no longer a household member, there is
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someone new living or staying at the address or someone
who is listed on the roster as a nonmember has returned to
the household and needs to be recoded as a household
member, enter Precode (2) “No” at NAMECHECK. Then
continue with REFPERSTILLLIVE to determine if the
reference person still lives at the sample address before
moving on to MEMBERCHANGES, to code the reason the
household roster is changing.
Ask or verify
Does Ted Moe still live at this address?
1 Yes
2 No
REFPERSTILLLIVE
REFPERSTILLLIVE
REFPERSTILLLIVE appears when you have coded that
there has been a change to the household composition at
NAMECHECK. At REFPERSTILLLIVE you ask or verify
whether the reference person still lives at the sample
address.
Enter Precode (1) for a “Yes” answer, indicating that the
reference person is still a usual resident and still qualifies as
the reference person for the sample household. After
entering Precode (1), continue with MEMBERCHANGES to
code the reason there was a change in the household
composition.
Changing the Reference
Person (Person Is Not a
Household Member)
If you determine that the person identified in
RELATIONSHIP as the reference person is not a
household member, you must identify another household
member as the reference person. If you encounter this
situation, you must:
Enter Precode (2) “No” in Item NAMECHECK.
Enter Precode (2) “No” in Item REFPERSTILLLIVE.
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Determine who should be the new reference person by
asking the question in Item NEWREFPER.
If necessary, correct the relationship precodes in
RELATIONSHIP for the remaining persons in the
household roster to show their relationship to the new
reference person.
What is the name of the person (or one of the persons) who owns or rents that home? Would
that be you?
Enter line number of the new reference person or 31 if someone not listed
LN
NAME
1
2
Ted Moe
Megan Moe
REL
Ref Person
Wife
AGE
SEX
MARITAL
STATUS
43
43
M
F
Married
Married
NEED SELF
NEED SELF
NEWREFPER
NEWREFPER
This item is similar to the screen in the front of the
instrument where you can select a new household
respondent (HELLO_ALT2_CP). NEWREFPER asks the
current household respondent to select a new reference
person by asking, “What is the name of the person (or
one of the persons) who owns or rents that home?
Would that be you?” After reading the question, select a
new reference person based on the people listed in
NEWREFPER. The instrument should only display persons
at this screen who qualify to be selected as the reference
person, based on the criteria for selecting a reference
person. (For more information on who qualifies as a
reference person see Part C, Chapter 1, Topic 4, of this
manual.)
Although rare, you may encounter a situation where the
household respondent mentions someone who is not listed
on the roster displayed at this item. If that occurs, verify that
this new person is actually a household member and if so,
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enter Precode (31) “Someone not listed above” in
NEWREFPER to add a new person to the roster via the
PreDemos Table discussed above. By adding a new
household member using this path, the instrument
automatically removes the code in the “Relation” column
from the previous reference person. The instrument will also
create a new line number and assigns Precode (21)
“Reference Person” in the “Relation” column of this person
just added to the household roster. The instrument also
empties the “Relation” column for any remaining household
members. You will need to enter the relationship codes for
the remaining household members based on the new
reference person. When a new person is added to the roster
as the new reference person the instrument will continue
with MEMBERCHANGES for line number 1. At this point,
you should enter the reason the previous reference person
has left the household and then use the arrow keys to go to
HHROSTER_FNAME for the new reference person.
Complete the items for this person; HHROSTER_FNAME,
HHROSTER_LNAME, SEX and MEMBERCHANGES.
Note: Enter the reason the new reference person entered
the household in MEMBERCHANGES.
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Enter reason why there is a change in household membership for this person.
If no change is needed for this person, press the ENTER key without selecting a precode.
Use the arrow keys to move through the table and REVIEW/UPDATE demographics.
When done, press Page Down.
WHY ENTERED HOUSEHOLD:
11 Returned from school or college
12 Returned from institution
13 Entered because of marriage/separation/
divorce
14 Person entered household for
reasons other than above
WHY LEFT HOUSEHOLD:
15 Person died
16 Left for school or college
17 Entered institution
18 Left because of marriage/separation/divorce
19 Person left household for
reasons other than above
20 Visitor – residence elsewhere
MEMBERCHANGES
MEMBERCHANGES
(Changes in Household
Composition)
MEMBERCHANGES is accessible when a change in the
household composition has been noted by an entry in
HELP_OTH_CP, NAMECHECK, or HHLDCOVERAGE.
When a change has occurred in the household composition,
record the reason for the change based on the Precodes
listed in MEMBERCHANGES. The instrument automatically
goes to MEMBERCHANGES associated with the first line
number. Even if Line Number 1 does not have any changes,
the instrument starts at line number 1. If there are no
changes to the first line number’s household member status
you can use the down arrow to navigate to the line number
where the first change occurred.
MEMBERCHANGES does not have a question for you to
ask the household respondent. Use this screen to document
household composition changes when you discover that a
household member has entered or left the household since
the previous interview. Try to determine the reason for the
change without antagonizing the household respondent
with questions that may be too personal or specific.
Once you determine the reason a household member
entered or left a household, find the appropriate 2-digit
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reason code in the answer list, which is divided by reasons
for entering and leaving the household. If the reason does
not fit into any of the precodes, use the "Case Level Notes"
to further explain the change.
Adding a Household
Member
When a new person enters a household:
Add the person's name to the household roster using
HHROSTER_FNAME and HHROSTER_LNAME in the
next unused row. These items were discussed earlier in
this topic.
Complete Item RELATIONSHIP to determine the new
person's relationship to the reference person.
Complete HHMEMBER to determine if the new person
qualifies as a household member.
If you get a "Yes" answer in HHMEMBER, complete
BRTHDATEMO through RACE (in the
DemoDetailed Table) for the new household
member, as applicable.
If you get a "No" answer in HHMEMBER, ask the
HSEMEMURE. If the new person does not have a
usual residence elsewhere enter Precode (2) “No”,
then follow the instruction above for when
HHMEMBER equals “Yes.” Otherwise, enter
Precode (1) in HSEMEMURE, since the person
being added is staying at the household temporarily
and has a usual residence elsewhere. In this case
you need not collect data for Items BRTHDATEMO
through RACE (in the DemoDetailed Table) for this
person because they are not considered a
household member. However, you do need to enter
Precode (20) “Visitor - residence elsewhere” in
MEMBERCHANGES for this person.
In MEMBERCHANGES, enter the appropriate Precode
(11 - 14), to code the reason the household member
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was added to the roster. In the “Case Level Notes” enter
a brief description of the reason for the change. For
example, "L2 added to roster Precode 14/Married to
L1/1-2017."
Deleting a Household
Member
Person dies:
If a person listed on the roster has died, enter Precode (15),
"Person died," in Item MEMBERCHANGES and add a brief
description in the “Case Level Notes.”
Person leaves household:
If a person leaves a household and is not just temporarily
absent, enter the appropriate Precode (16-19) in Item
MEMBERCHANGES. Then in the “Case Level Notes” enter
a brief description, such as; "L4 left HHLD/Precode
16/Attending College/2-2017" or "Precode 19/L2 Active
military duty overseas/3-2017."
Person's Household
Membership Changes
If a person listed on the roster was coded as a nonmember
during a previous enumeration and then returns while the
household is still in sample, enter the appropriate Precode
(11-14) in MEMBERCHANGES. Be sure to verify that this
person’s Membership status in the “HHmember” column
has changed to a value of (1) “Yes.” In the “Case Level
Notes” enter a brief description of the reason the person has
returned to the household, for example, “L3 returned to
household/Precode 13/ Released from prison/7-2017."
If you discover that a person who was listed as a URE
(usual residence elsewhere) in a previous enumeration
period, is now a household member, enter the appropriate
Precode (11-14) in MEMBERCHANGES. Be sure to verify
that this person’s Membership status in the “HH member”
column has changed to a value of (1) “Yes.” Then in the
“Case Level Notes” enter a brief description of the reason
the person has returned to the household, for example,
"Precode 14/L2 Returned from active military duty
overseas/2-2017."
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Have I missed anyone else living or staying here such as
any babies, any lodgers, or anyone who is away at present
traveling or in the hospital?
1 Yes
2 No
HHLDCOVERAGE
HHLDCOVERAGE
(Household Roster
Coverage)
Asking
HHLDCOVERAGE 1st Enumeration Period
HHLDCOVERAGE is designed to remind the household
respondent to mention anyone he/she may have forgotten
to mention initially and to ensure that the household roster is
complete. Many household respondents forget to mention
babies, lodgers, and visitors when asked about persons
staying at their home.
During the first enumeration, HHLDCOVERAGE appears
after you enter “999” in the next empty row, at
HHROSTER_FNAME to indicate you’ve completed the
roster.
When interviewing a sample household for the first time,
start Item HHLDCOVERAGE by reading, "Have I missed
anyone else living or staying here such as any babies,
any lodgers, or anyone who is away at present
traveling or in the hospital?"
If the household respondent answers "Yes" to the question
in Item HHLDCOVERAGE:
Select Precode (1) "Yes,"
Add the person's name to the household roster via the
HHROSTER_FNAME and HHROSTER_LNAME
screens, and
Complete Items SEX, RELATIONSHIP and
HHMEMBER for the added person.
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Continue asking if you missed anyone else living or
staying at the address until the household respondent
answers, "No." Then enter “999” again in the next empty
row at the HHROSTER_FNAME screen. Then enter
Precode (2) “No” in HHLDCOVERAGE. The instrument
then goes to BIRTHDATEMO to begin collecting the
rest of the demographic information for each household
member.
If the household respondent answers "No" to the question in
HHLDCOVERAGE:
Select Precode (2) "No,"
The instrument proceeds to BIRTHDATEMO to begin
collecting the rest of the demographic information for
each household member.
Asking
HHLDCOVERAGE 2nd Through 7th
Enumeration Periods
HHLDCOVERAGE appears next for the second through
seventh enumeration cases after entering Precode (1) “Yes”
at Item NAMECHECK to signify the input roster was
correct.
HHLDCOVERAGE also appears during Time in Sample
two through seven after entering Precode (2) “No” in
NAMECHECK to signify the input roster was not correct,
then entering “999” in the next empty row in Item
HHROSTER_FNAME when you have completed making
those changes to the roster. Once you reach
HHLDCOVERAGE, ask "Have I missed anyone else
living or staying here such as any babies, any lodgers,
or anyone who is away at present traveling or in the
hospital?"
If the household respondent answers "Yes" to
HHLDCOVERAGE:
Select Precode (1) "Yes,"
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Add the person's name to the household roster via the
HHROSTER_FNAME and HHROSTER_LNAME
screens, and
Complete Items SEX, RELATIONSHIP and
HHMEMBER for the added person.
Continue asking if you missed anyone else living or
staying at the address until the household respondent
answers "No." Then enter “999” in the next empty row at
the HHROSTER_FNAME screen and then enter
Precode (2) “No” in Item HHLDCOVERAGE. The
instrument then proceeds to the AGECHECK screen for
the first household member to begin verifying and/or
collecting the rest of the demographic information for
each household member.
If the household respondent answers "No" to the question in
Item HHLDCOVERAGE:
Select Precode (2) "No,"
Households consisting entirely of persons who are not
household members and have a usual residence
elsewhere proceed to Item ENTIREHHURE.
Otherwise, the instrument proceeds to Item
AGECHECK to begin verifying the demographic
information collected during previous enumerations for
each household member.
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All people on the household roster have a usual residence elsewhere.
Enter 1 to exit the case.
Then reenter the case to code it a Noninterview (Type B - Entire Household URE) via START_CP.
1 Enter 1 to continue
ENTIREHHURE
ENTIREHHURE
In the situation, where all of the persons listed on the
household roster have a usual residence elsewhere the
case will need to be coded as a Type B Noninterview. This
screen will appear when Precode (2) is entered in
HHLDCOVERAGE and all of the persons listed on the
roster have been coded as nonmembers.
By entering Precode (1) at ENTIREHHURE you
acknowledge that this case classifies as a Type B
noninterview (outcome code 225), “Temporarily occupied
by persons with URE.”
After exiting the case, you will need to reenter the case to
complete the process of coding this case as a Type B via
the START_CP screen. (Also see Part A, Chapter 6,
Topic 3, Type B Noninterview Categories.)
The DemoDetailed Table General Information
Once you have verified which persons listed in the
household roster qualify as household members at the
sample address, then begin collecting and/or verifying the
demographic information for each household member. The
DemoDetailed Table consists of Items AGECHECK
through RACE which are used to obtain personal
characteristics (date of birth, age, marital status, and so
forth) for each household member listed on the roster.
Complete Items AGECHECK through RACE, as applicable,
for one household member before completing these items
for the next household member on the roster. You do not
complete Items AGECHECK through RACE for any
nonhousehold members listed on the roster.
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I have you listed as 43 years old as of last month.
Is that correct?
1 Yes, age IS correct
2 No, age is NOT correct
AGECHECK
AGECHECK
(Verifying the Age on Input)
During enumerations two through seven AGECHECK is the
first of these demographic information collection/verification
screens and is used to verify each household member’s
current age during each enumeration period. This screen
appears for the first household member and is then
repeated for each remaining household member. The
NCVS instrument inserts the appropriate household
member’s name and age based on information from the
previous interview.
When a case is loaded, the instrument calculates each
household member’s age, based on the date of birth that
was collected during a prior enumeration period and fills that
age into the question text of AGECHECK. During
enumerations two through seven you will ask the household
respondent the question in AGECHECK for each
household member. For example, when verifying the
household respondent’s age you will ask, “I have you listed
as 43 years old. Is that correct?”
Ask the question as worded; the question text changes
when a household member’s birth month is the same as the
current interviewing month. In this situation the instrument
automatically inserts the phrase “as of last month” into the
question text to alert the household respondent we are
verifying the person’s age “as of last month.” This way if a
household member’s birthday has already occurred during
the current interview month the age information is
collected/verified the same across all cases. Therefore,
when the interviewing month is the same as the birth month
for a household member ask, in AGECHECK, “I have you
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listed as 43 years old, as of last month. Is that correct?”
When the Previous Age
Recorded Is Correct
When you ask the question in AGECHECK and the
household respondent confirms the household member’s
age is correct:
Enter Precode (1) “Yes, age IS correct”.
Continue to verify the remaining demographic
information items for the current household member. If
the current household member you are verifying
information about is 14 years of age or older the
instrument proceeds to MARITAL. If the current
household member is 12 or 13 years of age the
instrument proceeds to either EDUCATIONATTAIN or
ATTENDINGSCHOOL. Otherwise, if the current
household member is under 12 years of age the
instrument proceeds to AGECHECK for the next
household member or to ROSTERREVIEW when there
are no more household members left to verify
demographic information for.
When the Previous Age
Recorded Is Not Correct
When you ask the question in Item AGECHECK and the
household respondent says the age we previously recorded
is incorrect:
Enter Precode (2) “Yes, age is NOT correct”.
The instrument proceeds to the BRTHDATEMO,
BRTHDATEDY and BRTHDATEYR screens to edit the
incorrect date of birth information. See below for more
information regarding completing these three items.
When the Birthday
Previously Collected is
Incomplete or Refused
If a household member’s date of birth (month, day, or year)
was not completed or the person's date of birth was refused
during a prior enumeration, the instrument will not be able to
calculate an age for that person for the current enumeration.
In this situation, the instrument skips the AGECHECK
screen and go to the Items BRTHDATEMO,
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NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
BRTHDATEDY and BRTHDATEYR screens to edit the
incorrect or incomplete date of birth information.
What is Ted Moe’s date of birth?
Enter month on this screen
BRTHDATEMO
What is Ted Moe’s date of birth?
Enter day on this screen
BRTHDATEDY
What is Ted Moe’s date of birth?
Enter year on this screen
If the year is less than 1890, enter 1890
BRTHDATEYR
BRTHDATEMO,
BRTHDATEDY and
BRTHDATEYR
(Date of Birth)
During the first enumeration you come to BRTHDATEMO
after entering Precode (2) in HHLDCOVERAGE in order to
start collecting a household member’s date of birth. You
also come to BRTHDATEMO during enumerations two
through seven when a person was added to the household
roster during the current enumeration, when the household
member’s date of birth was not correct (you entered
Precode (2) in AGECHECK) or the date of birth was
incomplete or refused during a previous enumeration.
Entering the Date of Birth
Although BRTHDATEMO and BRTHDATEDY are two
digits, you do not need to enter a zero for a one digit month
or day. Rather, you can enter a one digit for the months of
January through September (1-9) as well as for the first 9
days of a month. However, for BRTHDATEYR you must
enter 4 digits. For example, enter 4/2/2017 for April 2, 2017.
When a household respondent is unsure of the exact date of
birth, you can:
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Press the “Ctrl” and “D” keys at the same time to code a
blind “Don’t Know” in any or all three birth date screens.
If you enter don’t know in BRTHDATEYR the instrument
proceeds to ESTAGE to ask the household respondent
to estimate the household member’s age.
Since certain questions will only be on-path based on a
household member’s age, it is very important that you
are careful to correctly capture age information when
building or updating the roster for the household.
Date of Birth is Refused
If the household respondent refuses to give you another
household member's date of birth, you can:
Press the “Ctrl” and “R” keys at the same time to code
a blind “Refused” in any or all three birth date screens.
If you enter refused in BRTHDATEYR the instrument
proceeds to AGERNG to ask the household respondent
to select which age range the household member’s age
fits into, based upon the age ranges specified in the
answer list.
That would make Ted Moe 43 years old.
Is that correct?
1 Yes
2 No
VFYAGE
VFYAGE
(Verify Age Based on Birth
Date Collected)
After collecting the date of birth information the instrument
goes to VFYAGE to verify that the age calculated in the
instrument, based on the date of birth information collected
in BRTHDATEMO, BRTHDATEDY and BRTHDATEYR is
correct. If you entered a blind “Don’t Know” or a blind
“Refusal” in BRTHDATEYR the instrument bypasses this
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screen and continues on to either ESTAGE or AGERNG as
discussed below.
VFYAGE is set up similarly to AGECHECK. For example,
when verifying the age based on the date of birth just
collected for the household respondent you ask, “That
would make you 43 years old. Is that correct?” Be sure
to ask the question as worded, because the question text
changes when a household member’s birth month is the
same as the current interviewing month. In this situation the
instrument automatically inserts the phrase “as of last
month” into the question text to alert the household
respondent we are verifying the person’s age as of last
month. This way if a household member’s birthday has
already occurred during the current interview month the age
information is collected/verified the same across all cases.
Therefore, when the interviewing month is the same as the
birth month for a household member, ask in Item VFYAGE,
“That would make you 43 years old, as of last month. Is
that correct?”
If the age is not correct enter Precode (2) to return to
BRTHDATEMO, BRTHDATEDY and BRTHDATEYR to
edit the incorrect date of birth information. If the age is
correct and the current household member you are verifying
information about is 14 years of age or older the instrument
proceeds to MARITAL. If the current household member is
12 or 13 years of age the instrument proceeds to either
EDUCATIONATTAIN or ATTENDINGSCHOOL.
Otherwise, if the current household member is under 12
years of age the instrument proceeds to Item AGECHECK
for the next household member or to the ROSTERREVIEW
screen when there are no more household members left to
verify demographic information for.
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Part B, Chapter 2
Even though you don’t know Ted Moe’s exact birthdate, what is your best guess as to how old he
was on his last birthday?
ESTAGE
ESTAGE
(Estimating a Household
Member's Age)
Item ESTAGE is asked when the household respondent
does not know the birth year for a household member and
you entered a blind “Don’t Know” in Item BRTHDATEYR.
This screen is used to collect an estimated age of the
household member, in lieu of a date of birth. This is an
attempt to get some age for a household member in order to
determine whether the respondent is eligible for the NCVS.
Remember, age is very important to capture because it is
used as criteria for asking other question such as;
LEAVING_HOME, ORIENTATION_MALE,
ORIENTATION_FEMALE, GENID_BIRTH,
GENID_DESCRIBE, GENID_CURRENT,
GENID_CONFIRM, ACTIVE_DUTY and
ACTIVE_DUTYWHEN.
For Babies Under 1 Year:
Enter "0" in Item ESTAGE for household members who are
under 1 year of age.
For Adults Over Age 96:
Enter "96" in Item ESTAGE for an adult whose age is 96 or
older.
If you enter a blind “Don’t Know” or a blind “Refusal” in Item
ESTAGE the instrument will proceed to the AGERNG
screen. Otherwise if the current household member you are
verifying information about is 14 years of age or older the
instrument proceeds to the MARTIAL screen. If the current
household member is 12 or 13 years of age the instrument
proceeds to either Item EDUCATIONATTAIN or Item
ATTENDINGSCHOOL. Otherwise, if the current household
member is under 12 years of age the instrument proceeds
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to Item AGECHECK for the next household member or to
the ROSTERREVIEW screen when there are no more
household members left to verify demographic information
for.
Is he a child, a teenager, or an adult? Is he ...
Read appropriate age categories.
1 0 - 11 years old?
2 12 - 13 years old?
3 14 - 15 years old?
4 16 - 17 years old?
5 18 - 24 years old?
6 25 - 34 years old?
7 35 - 49 years old?
8 50 - 65 years old?
9 66 years old or older?
AGERNG
AGERNG
(Coding an Age into a
Range of Ages)
AGERNG is asked when the household respondent refuses
to give you the birth year for a household member and you
entered a blind “Refused” in BRTHDATEYR. AGERNG
also appears when you enter a blind “Don’t Know” or a blind
“Refusal” in ESTAGE. AGERNG is used to code a
household member’s age into one of nine ranges. This is
done in an attempt to narrow down a household member’s
age in order to determine whether the respondent is eligible
for the NCVS. Age is also used as a criterion for asking
certainsocio-demographic questions and some NCVS
supplements.
After entering the precode in AGERNG and the current
household member you are verifying information about is 14
years of age or older, the instrument proceeds to MARITAL.
If the current household member is 12 or 13 years of age the
instrument goes to either EDUCATIONATTAIN or
ATTENDINGSCHOOL. Otherwise, if the current household
member is under 12 years of age the instrument goes to
AGECHECK for the next household member or to
ROSTERREVIEW when there are no more household
members left to verify demographic information for.
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LAST REPORTED AS: Married
Enter new marital status for Ted Moe
If in doubt, ask:
Is Ted Moe now married, widowed, divorced, separated, or has he never been married?
1 Married
2 Widowed
3 Divorced
4 Separated
5 Never married
MARITAL
MARITAL
(Marital Status)
Item MARITAL is used to verify the marital status of each
household member who is at least 14 years of age during
each enumeration period. For household members who are
12 or 13 years of age, the instrument codes them
automatically as “Never married,” Precode (5). In most
cases, this screen also shows the person’s marital status as
reported in the previous enumeration period. You can often
determine a household member's marital status without
asking the question in Item MARITAL. However, if there is
any doubt, ask the question in Item MARITAL as worded for
all household members who are 14 years of age and older.
If an unrelated man and woman are living together and it is
not evident whether or not they consider themselves as
married to each other (either legally or by common law), ask
the question in Item MARITAL as worded or determine the
marital status without asking, if possible.
Precode (1) “Married”
Enter Precode (1) “Married” in MARITAL when:
The person is currently married and living with his/her
spouse.
The person is currently married, but is parted
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NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
temporarily from his/her spouse for reasons other than
marital discord. For example: employment, military
service, spouse in nursing home, and so forth.
The person is not officially married, but is living with
someone as husband and wife, such as a common-law
marriage.
If the person is separated from his/her spouse due to marital
discord, enter Precode (4), “Separated.”
Precode (2) “Widowed”
Enter Precode (2), “Widowed” in Item MARITAL when the
household member's spouse has died and the person has
not remarried. If not sure, ask the question in Item
MARITAL as worded and accept the household
respondent's answer.
Precode (3) “Divorced”
Enter Precode (3), “Divorced” when the person's divorce is
final. If you suspect that the person's divorce is not final, ask
the question in Item MARITAL as worded and accept the
household respondent's answer.
Precode (4)
“Separated”
Enter Precode (4), “Separated” in Item MARITAL when:
The person is married, but has a legal separation.
The person is married, but has parted from his/her
spouse because of marital discord.
The person expects to obtain a divorce in the future.
The person intends to remain separated from his/her
spouse permanently and never get a divorce.
If the person is separated from his/her spouse for reasons
other than marital discord, enter Precode (1) “Married.”
Precode (5)
“Never Married”
Enter Precode (5) “Never married” in MARITAL when the
person has never been married or the person's only
marriage was annulled. The instrument prefills Precode (5)
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Part B, Chapter 2
“Never married,” automatically and skips over this item for
children in the household who are under 14 years of age.
After completing the MARITAL screen the instrument will
proceed to Item ARMEDFORCES when the current
household member you are verifying information about is
between the ages of 18 and 65. If the current household
member is between the ages of 14 and 17 the instrument
proceeds to either Item EDUCATIONATTAIN or Item
ATTENDINGSCHOOL.
LAST REPORTED AS: No
Is Ted Moe now in the Armed Forces?
1 Yes
2 No
ARMEDFORCES
ARMEDFORCES
(Armed Forces)
For each household member (male or female) between the
ages 18 and 65, ask the question in ARMEDFORCES. The
instrument skips over ARMEDFORCES when the
household member is under 18 years of age or over 65
years of age. In most cases, this screen also shows the
person’s military status as reported in the previous
enumeration period.
A household member who is between 18 and 65 years of
age is considered as "in the Armed Forces" when the
person is serving on active duty at time of interview in the:
U.S. Army
U.S. Navy
U.S. Air Force
U.S. Marine Corps
U.S. Coast Guard
Reserve branch of any of the above Armed Services
and is currently on active duty status for several months
U.S. Public Health Service as commissioned officers
who are attached to any branch of the above Armed
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Services
National Guard in Federal Service (if his/her unit has
become part of regular forces by Presidential Order)
U.S. military academies as Cadets (for example, West
Point, Naval Academy, Air Force Academy, and the
Coast Guard Academy).
Each of the military services has a regular component and a
reserve component. Members of the regular component of
any branch of the Armed Forces are always considered to
be on active duty, unless they are retired. Members of the
reserve component of any branch of the Armed Forces are
only considered to be on active duty when they have been
called to active duty by military order and are currently on
active duty for several months.
First Enumeration
Period
Select Precode (1) “Yes” if the household member is
currently in the Armed Forces on active duty.
Select Precode (2) “No” if the household member is not
currently on active duty in the Armed Forces. Also select
Precode (2) if the household member:
Only serves in the Coast Guard Temporary Reserve
Is an employee of the Merchant Marines, Maritime
Commission, or the American Field Service Department
Is a civilian employee of the Department of Defense
Serves in a National Guard unit not blanketed into the
regular forces by Presidential order and is not serving
the 4-6 months of active duty in connection with
provisions of the Reserve Forces Act of 1955
Is in short periods of active reserve training or is
attending weekly reserve meetings.
If still unsure which box to mark in ARMEDFORCES, select
Precode (1) “Yes”; explain the situation in “Case Notes.”
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B2-110
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Subsequent
Enumeration Periods
Part B, Chapter 2
When you see Precode (1) marked in ARMEDFORCES for
a household member, verify each enumeration period that
the person is still an active duty member of the Armed
Forces. If you discover that the person is no longer an active
duty member of the Armed Forces, select Precode (2).
Using the "Case Level Notes," note the change and the date
that you discovered the change (for example, Item 20 - L2
separated from AF (1/2017).
If a household member has turned 18 years of age since the
last interview, this item will appear, but the response will be
empty because it was previously unanswered. Ask
ARMEDFORCES during the current interview.
If you happen to discover that any household member ages
18 to 65 years has entered the Armed Forces on active duty
since the last interview, select Precode (1) in
ARMEDFORCES. Using the "Case Level Notes," note the
change and the date that you discovered the change (for
example, Item 20 - L3 joined the AF (1/2017).
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Part B, Chapter 2
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(Page 6)
LAST REPORTED AS:
12th grade (no diploma)
What is the highest level of school Ted Moe completed or the highest degree he received?
1 1st grade
2 2nd grade
3 3rd grade
4 4th grade
5 5th grade
6 6th grade
7 7th grade
8 8th grade
9 9th grade
10 10th grade
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
11th grade
12th grade (no diploma)
High school graduate (diploma, or the equivalent)
Some college (No Degree)
Associate’s degree
Bachelor’s degree (e.g. BA, AB, BS)
Master’s degree (e.g. MA, MS, MEng, MSW, MBA)
Professional School degree (e.g. MD, DDS, DVM, LLB, JD)
Doctoral degree (e.g. PhD, EdD)
Never attended, preschool, kindergarten
EDUCATIONATTAIN
EDUCATIONATTAIN
(Educational Attainment)
When to Ask
EDUCATIONATTAIN
EDUCATIONATTAIN is designed to provide up-to-date
information on the educational attainment of each
household member who is 12 years of age or older. The
question in this item asks about the highest level of school
completed or the highest degree received by the household
member. In most cases, this screen also shows the
person’s highest level of education as reported previously.
During the first, third, fifth, and seventh enumeration
periods, ask EDUCATIONATTAIN for each eligible
household member. The instrument skips over this question
during these enumerations, for any household members
who are under 12 years of age during the reference period.
Under the following situations, also ask Item
EDUCATIONATTAIN during an enumeration period other
than the first, third, fifth, and seventh enumeration period:
The household was not interviewed in the previous
enumeration period (first, third, or fifth).
The person became a household member since the
previous enumeration period.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
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Part B, Chapter 2
The person celebrated his/her 12th birthday since the
previous enumeration period.
Before asking EDUCATIONATTAIN during a personal visit,
open your Information Card Booklet (NCVS-554) and show
the “Table of Education Codes” flashcard to the household
respondent. Notice in Item EDUCATIONATTAIN that the
page number (Page 6) that the “Table of Education Codes”
are on is displayed next to the Flashcard icon in the upper
left hand corner of the screen.
If you add a household member during a telephone
interview, ask EDUCATIONATTAIN, and if necessary, read
the education categories from the answer list.
Education Codes for
Item
EDUCATIONATTAIN
A “Table of Education Codes” also appears in your
Information Card Booklet (NCVS-554). Shown below are
the available precodes for Item EDUCATIONATTAIN,
along with descriptions for these educational attainment
codes.
If interviewing during a household member's summer
vacation from school, enter the appropriate code for the
grade just completed, NOT the grade that he/she will attend
in the fall. For persons who have skipped or repeated
grades, enter the code for the highest grade completed,
regardless of the number of years it took.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-113
Part B, Chapter 2
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
CODE
DESCRIPTION OF GRADE/YEAR/DEGREE
1-8
Use one of these codes, as appropriate, for elementary
school grades 1 through 8.
9 - 11
Use one of these codes, as appropriate, for high school
grades 9 through 11.
12
Enter code (12) if the respondent completed
12th grade, but did not receive a high school diploma.
13
Enter code (13) if the respondent completed 12th grade
and received a high school diploma or the equivalent of
a high school diploma.
14
Enter code (14) if the respondent completed some
college without receiving a college degree.
15
Enter code (15) if the respondent has an Associate’s
degree, which is normally awarded after completing two
years of college.
16
Enter code (16) if the respondent has a Bachelor’s
degree (BA, AB, or BS), which is normally awarded after
completing four years of college.
17
Enter code (17) if the respondent has a Master’s degree
(MA, MS, MEng, MSW, or MBA), which is normally
awarded after completing six years of college.
18
Enter code (18) if the respondent has a Professional
School degree (MD, DDS, DVM, LLB, or JD) earned in
fields such as medicine, dentistry, chiropractic
medicine, optometry, osteopathic medicine, pharmacy,
podiatry, veterinary medicine, law, or theology.
19
Enter code (19) if the respondent has a Doctorate
degree (PhD or EdD).
20
Use this code for children who have never attended
school and for children attending kindergarten,
preschool, or only day care.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-114
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Special Situations for
Item
EDUCATIONATTAIN
Part B, Chapter 2
Here are some examples for handling a response other than
the highest grade or year completed:
Junior high/middle school:
Since junior high or middle school can cover different
grades in different localities, probe to determine the highest
grade or year completed and enter the appropriate code in
Item EDUCATIONATTAIN.
High school equivalency tests:
Enter Precode 13 in Item EDUCATIONATTAIN for persons
who pass a high school equivalency test, such as the GED,
or who receive a high school diploma while in the Armed
Forces.
Post-graduate high school:
Enter Precode 13 in Item EDUCATIONATTAIN for persons
who have received a high school diploma and are attending
post-graduate high school courses in preparation for
attending college.
Miscellaneous school system:
Determine the equivalent grade in the American regular
school system for household members who have obtained
their formal education in foreign schools, ungraded schools,
night schools or by the instruction of tutors (if counted
toward promotion in the American regular school system),
"readers" (roughly equivalent to regular grades), or "normal"
schools.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-115
Part B, Chapter 2
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
You marked 8th grade as the highest level of school completed for a person age 18. Are you sure
this is correct?
Questions involved
EDUCATIONATTAIN: Education
Value
8th grade
Suppress
Close
Goto
EDUCATION_CK
EDUCATION_CK
(Edit Check to Verify
Education Attainment)
EDUCATION_CK is a soft edit check that compares the
entry in EDUCATIONATTAIN against the household
member’s age. The edit check is set up to be displayed
when the precode entered in EDUCATIONATTAIN does
not fit the norm for someone the age of the household
member. For example, this item appears if a 14 year old is
coded as having completed college. If the entry in
EDUCATIONATTAIN is correct, then click on the
“Suppress” button to continue with the
ATTENDINGSCHOOL screen. Otherwise, press either the
“Goto” or “Close” buttons to return to EDUCATIONATTAIN
to change the answer.
LAST REPORTED AS: Regular school
Is Jane Moe currently attending or enrolled in a regular school such as elementary or high school
or enrolled either full-time or part-time in a college or university, trade, or vocational school?
1 Regular school
2 College/University
3 Trade school
4 Vocational school
5 None of the above schools
ATTENDINGSCHOOL
ATTENDINGSCHOOL
(Attending School)
ATTENDINGSCHOOL is designed to determine whether or
not each household member who is 12 years of age or older
is currently attending or enrolled in regular school
(elementary or high school) or enrolled full-time or part-time
in a college or university, trade, or vocational school. In
most cases, this screen also shows the answer given for
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this household member as reported in the previous
enumeration period. Ask the question in
ATTENDINGSCHOOL in ALL enumeration periods.
When asking ATTENDINGSCHOOL for a high school
graduate, the instrument automatically omits the phrase,
“enrolled in a regular school such as elementary or
high school or” In other words, this phrase should be
omitted for the person when you enter educational
attainment code 13 or a higher code in
EDUCATIONATTAIN.
Precode (1) “Regular
school”
The term "regular school" includes both public and private
schools starting with kindergarten and continuing through
elementary, junior or middle, and high school, regardless of
whether the classes are graded or ungraded. If a household
member is enrolled or attends special education classes,
but the school consists of mostly regular classes, use
Precode (1) “Regular school” for the person. However, if the
person's school is entirely for special education classes,
use Precode (5), “None of the above schools.”
Precode (2) “College/
University”
Use Precode (2), “College/University,” for each household
member who:
Has graduated from high school, and
Is currently enrolled in or attending a 2- or 4-year college
or university or post-graduate school.
Precode (3) “Trade
school”
Use Precode (3), “Trade school,” when a household
member is enrolled in or attending a secondary school
teaching a skilled trade that does not earn college credit. A
trade school prepares a person for a skilled trade, such as
plumber or electrician. Most trade schools have
apprentice/journeyman programs.
Precode (4) “Vocational
school”
Use Precode (4), “Vocational school,” when a household
member is enrolled in or attending a secondary school
teaching a skill to help the person pursue a career, such as
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NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
barber or cosmetology schools. These courses do not earn
college credit.
Precode (5) “None of
the above schools”
Use Precode (5), “None of the above schools,” when the
household member is:
Not enrolled in or attending any type of school,
Attending a home school,
Attending a school devoted entirely to special
education, such as an alternative school, or
Working on completing a GED.
(Page 8)
Are you Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino?
1 Yes
2 No
SP_ORIGIN
SP_ORIGIN
(Hispanic Origin)
Item SP_ORIGIN is only asked once to record whether or
not each household member is Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino
by his/her national, cultural, or language group. Always ask
Item SP_ORIGIN during the first interview or when adding a
household member during a subsequent enumeration
period, regardless of the household member's race.
Purpose of Item
SP_ORIGIN
If a respondent wants to know why we ask whether anyone
is Spanish, Hispanic or Latino, explain that this information
enables us to tabulate crime victimization data for this group
of people, since they comprise the largest minority group in
this country.
Completing Item
SP_ORIGIN
For a personal visit interview, open the Information Card
Booklet (NCVS-554) and show the “Hispanic Origin”
flashcard to the household respondent before asking Item
SP_ORIGIN. Notice in Item SP_ORIGIN that the page
number (Page 8) is displayed next to the Flashcard icon in
the upper left hand corner of the screen. For a telephone
interview, ask the Hispanic origin question from the
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Information Card Book including the Hispanic Origin
examples.Enter Precode (1) for “Yes” even if the household
member has multiple origins and one origin is Spanish,
Hispanic, or Latino.
If you get a "No" answer, enter Precode (2) for the
household member.
If you get a "Don't know" answer, probe by asking if the
household member has a parent or grandparent who is
Spanish, Hispanic or Latino. The following list may also help
to determine whether or not a person is Spanish, Hispanic
or Latino.
A Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino person identifies his/her ancestry with one of the following
groups:
Argentina
Balaoric Islands
Basque
Bolivia
Boricua
Californie
Californio (Californi)
Canary Islands
Catalonian
Central American
(Spanish speaking)
Chicano
Chile
Colombia
Costa Rica
Cuban
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
El Salvador
Guatemala
Hispanic
Honduras
Iberian (i.e., Spain)
La Raza
Majorcan
Mexican
Mexican American
Nicaragua
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Puerto Rican
South American
(Spanish speaking)
Spanish
Spaniard
Spanish American
Spanish speaking
Uruguay
Venezuela
When a household respondent is still unable to answer
SP_ORIGIN for a household member, enter “Ctrl” + “D” for
“Don’t know.” If a household respondent refuses to answer
SP_ORIGIN for a household member, enter “Ctrl” + “R” for
“Refused.” In both of these situations, enter a note in the
"Case Level Notes" (for example, SP_ORIGIN - DK for
LN3...).
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
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(Page 10)
If personal interview show flash card.
If telephone interview read answer categories.
Do not probe.
Please choose one or more races that you consider/considers yourself to be.
1 White
2 Black or African American
3 American Indian, or Alaska Native
4 Asian
5 Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander
6 Other - Specify
RACE
RACE
(Race)
Ask Item RACE once for each household member to record
up to six races that each household member considers
him/herself to be. Enter the appropriate race code(s) for
each household member's race(s) based on the household
respondent's answer. If you add any household members in
subsequent enumeration periods, make sure to complete
Item RACE for these added persons at that time.
Before asking Item RACE for a personal visit interview,
open the Information Card Booklet (NCVS-554) and show
the “Race” flashcard to the household respondent. Notice in
Item RACE that the page number (Page 10) is displayed
next to the Flashcard icon in the upper left hand corner of
the screen.
If you add a household member during a telephone
interview, ask Item RACE and, if necessary, read the race
categories from the answer list.
Do NOT mark Item RACE either by observation, probing, or
asking a neighbor. Since the Census Bureau bases race on
self-identification, you must ask this race question for each
household member even when it may seem obvious.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-120
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 2
Review all categories
Is this information correct?
LN NAME
REL
AGE
SEX
MARITAL STATUS
___________________________________________________________________________________
1
2
3
TED MOE
MEGAN MOE
JANE MOE
Ref Per
Wife
Daughtr
43
43
14
M
F
F
Married
NEED SELF
Married
NEED SELF
Never married NEED SELF
1 Yes
2 No
ROSTERREVIEW
ROSTERREVIEW
(Reviewing the Household
Roster)
When you have completed the Control Card questions in
the NCVS instrument for all household members, you will
see the ROSTERREVIEW, which is the last screen in the
front section of the NCVS instrument. This screen gives you
one LAST opportunity to make changes to the household
roster. If no household roster changes are required, enter
Precode (1), “Yes” which takes you to TIMEATADDRESS,
which is the first screen in the middle section of the NCVS
instrument and is shown in Part B, Chapter 3 of this manual.
If changes are required to the roster because something
was previously coded incorrectly, enter Precode (2), “No”
and the instrument progresses to WHOTOCHANGE, the
first screen in the DemoChange Table, to select the line
number of the household member whose information needs
to be updated.
The DemoChange Table General Information
The DemoChange Table is only accessed when Precode
(2) is entered in Item ROSTERREVIEW. Use the
DemoChange Table to edit demographic information that is
missing or was coded incorrectly in a previous enumeration.
This section lets you make changes to certain demographic
information for any household member. You may edit
multiple demographic variables for a person at one time, but
can only edit the information for one person at a time.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
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Part B, Chapter 2
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
• Enter the line number of the person requiring a change.
LNNAME
REL
AGE
SEX
MARITAL
STATUS
_________________________________________________________________________
1
2
3
Ted Moe
Megan Moe
Jane Moe
Ref Person
Wife
Daughtr
43
43
14
M
F
F
Married
Married
Never married
NEED SELF
NEED SELF
NEED SELF
WHOTOCHANGE
WHOTOCHANGE
(Selecting a Household
Member to Update Their
Information)
At WHOTOCHANGE enter the number that corresponds to
the line number of the household member whose
information needs to be updated. After entering the number,
the instrument proceeds to WHATFIX.
HOUSEHOLD RESPONDENT: Megan Moe
REFERENCE PERSON: Ted Moe
What change is needed?
LNNAME
REL
AGE SEX
MARITAL
STATUS
_________________________________________________________________________
3
Jane Moe
Daughtr
14
F
Never married
NEED SELF
1 Name
2 Relationship
3 Date of Birth
4 Sex
5 Marital Status
WHATFIX
WHATFIX (Selecting the
Information to Update)
At Item WHATFIX select the precode(s) that correspond
with the demographic information that needs to be updated;
you can select up to five precodes per household member.
Since you must first select a household member in Item
WHOTOCHANGE, you can only update one household
member’s demographic information at a time.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
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Part B, Chapter 2
You only go through those screens listed below that
correspond to the precode(s) selected in Item WHATFIX.
Precode (1) “Name”
Enter Precode (1) "Name" when you notice that the
household member’s name, as listed in Item
ROSTERREVIEW is either incorrect or misspelled. After
selecting all the precodes in Item WHATFIX press “Enter” to
proceed to the CHNG_NAMEFIRST screen when you
selected Precode (1) in the WHATFIX screen.
Precode (2)
“Relationship”
Enter Precode (2) "Relationship" when you notice that the
household member’s relationship code is incorrectly
displayed in Item ROSTERREVIEW. You cannot change
who the reference person is or their relationship code via
the WHATFIX screen; this must be done in the
NAMECHECK and REFPERSTILLLIVE screens discussed
earlier in this topic. However, you can change any other
household member’s relationship code using these
screens. When Precode (2) is selected in Item WHATFIX,
the CHNG_REL screen appears.
Precode (3) “Date of
Birth”
Enter Precode (3) "Date of Birth" when you notice that the
household member’s age is not correct or is missing in
ROSTERREVIEW. If there is no data in the “AGE” column
for a respondent it is because the age was not collected
during a previous enumeration. If this is the case, take this
opportunity to collect birth date information. When Precode
(3) is selected in Item WHATFIX, CHNG_BRTHDATEMO
appears to collect or update the date of birth information for
that household member.
Precode (4) “Sex”
Enter Precode (3) "Sex" when you notice that the household
member’s sex is incorrect at ROSTERREVIEW. When
Precode (4) is selected in WHATFIX, the CHNG_SEX
screen appears.
Precode (5) “Marital
Status”
Enter Precode (5) "Marital Status" when you notice that the
household member’s marital status is incorrect at Item
ROSTERREVIEW. You will not be able to change the
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
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Part B, Chapter 2
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
marital status for household members under the age of 14,
since the instrument automatically codes the marital status
for those household members as Precode (5), “Never
married.” When Precode (5) is selected in Item WHATFIX,
the CHNG_MARITAL screen appears.
OLD FIRST NAME: Jane
OLD LAST NAME: Moe
Enter corrected first name
Press the enter key if no change to first name
CHNG_NAMEFIRST
OLD FIRST NAME: Jane
OLD LAST NAME: Moe
Enter corrected last name
Press the enter key if no change to last name
CHNG_NAMELAST
CHNG_NAMEFIRST and
CHNG_NAMELAST
(Changing a Member’s
Name)
Items CHNG_NAMEFIRST and CHNG_NAMELAST
should be used to correct a misspelled first or last name or a
situation where a respondent prefers to be listed differently.
For example, a household respondent would rather be listed
as “Chris” rather than “Christopher.” The instrument will
always go to the CHNG_NAMEFIRST screen when
Precode (1) is entered in Item WHATFIX. Therefore, if only
the last name needs to be updated, you can just press the
“Enter” key to move to the CHNG_NAMELAST screen
without making changes to the household member’s first
name. The same is also true when only the first name needs
to be updated; press the “Enter” key in CHNG_NAMELAST
to move on without making any changes to that screen.
After updating the household member’s name the
instrument proceeds to Items CHNG_REL,
CHNG_BRTHDATEMO, CHNG_SEX or CHNG_MARITAL
when any of Precodes (2-5) are entered in Item WHATFIX,
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
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Part B, Chapter 2
respectively. If none of Precodes (2-5) are entered in
WHATFIX the instrument continues to Item
ANY_OTHERCHNG.
Ask if necessary.
What is Jane Moe’s relationship to Ted?
11 Husband
12 Wife
13 Son
14 Daughter
15 Father
16 Mother
17 Brother
18 Sister
19 Other relative
20 Nonrelative
CHNG_REL
CHNG_REL
(Changing a Member’s
Relationship Code)
CHNG_REL is used to change the relationship code when it
was previously coded incorrectly or there was a change that
was not caught during the current interview. If you selected
Precode (1) in addition to Precode (2) in WHATFIX the
instrument proceeds to Item CHNG_NAMEFIRST before
coming to the CHNG_REL screen. You cannot change who
the reference person is or their relationship code via
CHNG_REL; this must be done in NAMECHECK and
REFPERSTILLLIVE, discussed earlier in this topic. You
may, however, change any other household member’s
relationship code using CHNG_REL.
If the relationship code entered in CHNG_REL conflicts with
the relationship codes of other household members, such
as there being both a “Husband” and a “Wife” codes or a the
relationship conflicts with the sex entered for the person,
such as a “Female” “Brother” then you will encounter the
same edit checks discussed earlier in Topic 9, when we
covered RELATIONSHIP.
After updating the household member’s relationship code,
the instrument proceeds to Items CHNG_BRTHDATEMO,
CHNG_SEX or CHNG_MARITAL depending on which of
the Precodes (3-5) are entered in Item WHATFIX,
respectively. If none of the Precodes (2-5) were entered in
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Part B, Chapter 2
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Item WHATFIX the instrument proceeds to Item
ANY_OTHERCHNG.
Ask if necessary.
Enter month on this screen.
Press the enter key if no change to day.
OLD BIRTHDATE (Month): 04
What is your date of birth?
CHNG_BRTHDATEMO
Ask if necessary.
Enter day on this screen.
Press the enter key if no change to day.
OLD BIRTHDATE (Day): 21
What is your date of birth?
CHNG_BRTHDATEDY
Ask if necessary.
Enter year on this screen.
If year is less than 1890, enter 1890.
Press the enter key if no change to year.
OLD BIRTHDATE (Year): 1995
What is your date of birth?
CHNG_BRTHDATEYR
CHNG_BRTHDATEMO,
CHNG_BRTHDATEDY,
CHNG_BRTHDATEYR
(Changing a Member’s Date
of Birth)
Use Items CHNG_BRTHDATEMO, CHNG_BRTHDATEDY
and CHNG_BRTHDATEYR to change a household
member’s date of birth when you notice that the household
member’s age is missing or incorrect at the
ROSTERREVIEW screen. These items appear when
Precode (3) is selected at Item WHATFIX, but the
instrument proceeds through Items CHNG_NAMEFIRST,
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-126
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 2
CHNG_NAMELAST and CHNG_REL if Precodes (1)
and/or (2) were also selected at Item WHATFIX.
If necessary, ask the household respondent the question in
the CHNG_BRTHDATEMO screen and enter the
household member’s birth month. If the displayed birth
month is correct, press the “Enter” key to move to the next
screen without making any changes to Item
CHNG_BRTHDATEMO. Type in the day or press the
“Enter” key when the displayed day of the month is correct
in Item CHNG_BRTHDATEDY. The instrument will go to
the CHNG_BRTHDATEYR screen to update, when
necessary, the birth year of the household member. If the
birth year is correct, press the “Enter” key, otherwise type in
a new birth year between 1890 and the current year.
After updating the household member’s date of birth the
instrument will proceed to Items CHNG_SEX or
CHNG_MARITAL when either Precode (4) or (5) are
entered in Item WHATFIX, respectively. If neither Precode
(4) or Precode (5) were entered in Item WHATFIX the
instrument proceeds to Item
CHNG _ANYOTHER.
Ask if necessary:
Is Jane Moe male or female?
1 Male
2 Female
CHNG_SEX
CHNG_SEX
(Changing a Member’s Sex)
Use Item CHNG_SEX to change the sex if it was previously
coded incorrectly. If you selected Precodes (1), (2) and/or
(3) in addition to Precode (4) in Item WHATFIX the
instrument proceeds to Items CHNG_NAMEFIRST,
CHNG_NAMELAST, CHNG_REL,
CHNG_BRTHDATEMO, CHNG_BRTHDATEDY,
CHNG_BRTHDATEYR before coming to the CHNG_SEX
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-127
Part B, Chapter 2
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
screen.
After updating the household member’s sex the instrument
proceeds to Item CHNG_MARITAL when Precode (5) was
entered in Item WHATFIX, otherwise the instrument
proceeds to Item CHNG _ANYOTHER.
Ask if necessary
Is Jane Moe now married, widowed, divorced, separated or has he never been married?
1 Married
2 Widowed
3 Divorced
4 Separated
5 Never married
CHNG_MARITAL
CHNG_MARITAL
(Changing a Member’s
Marital Status)
Item CHNG_MARITAL should be used to change the
household member’s marital status if it was previously
coded incorrectly or has changed. If you selected any or all
of the Precodes (1) through (4) in Item WHATFIX the
instrument proceeds through Items CHNG_NAMEFIRST,
CHNG_NAMELAST, CHNG_REL,
CHNG_BRTHDATEMO, CHNG_BRTHDATEDY,
CHNG_BRTHDATEYR and CHNG_SEX before coming to
the CHNG_MARITAL screen.
After updating the household member’s marital status the
instrument continues to ANY_OTHERCHNG.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
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NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 2
Please review your changes. To correct, back up using the arrow keys.
LN
NAME
STATUS
REL
AGE
SEX
MARITAL
1
Jane Moe
NEED SELF
Daughtr
14
F
Never married
1 Enter 1 to Continue
ANY_OTHERCHNG
ANY_OTHERCHNG
(Reviewing the Changes
Just Entered)
When you have completed updating a household member’s
demographic information in the DemoChange Table the
NCVS instrument goes to Item ANY_OTHERCHNG. If the
changes you just made are correct enter “1” to go back to
the ROSTERREVIEW screen. If more corrections must be
made for the current household member, back up using the
arrow keys to the appropriate screen to make the changes.
If there are other persons on the household roster whose
information needs updating, follow the steps outlined in
Items ROSTERREVIEW through CHNG_MARITAL.
Front Section of the NCVS Instrument
B2-129
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 3
Chapter 3
Middle Section of the NCVS Instrument:
Introduction and Screening Items
Table of Topics
Topic
Page
1 Introduction
B3-2
2 Screening Questions
B3-3
3 Screener Section Closing Screens
B3-30
4 Socio-Demographic Questions
B3-32
5 Informing the Household Respondent,
Household Income, Other Languages,
End Screens, and Choosing the Next
Respondent to Interview
B3-59
Introduction and Screening Items
B3-1
Part B, Chapter 3
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Topic 1. Introduction
Overview of the Middle
Section
The Middle Section of the NCVS instrument is designed to:
Determine whether any of the eligible household
members (12 years of age or older) at the sample
address were victimized by crime during each
household member’s 6-month reference period. These
questions are referred to as the screening items of the
NCVS instrument.
The screening items cover a wide variety of situations
and are designed to provide the respondent with
concrete examples of the types of crimes that are
typically reported for the NCVS and could be
overlooked by respondents. These screen items
attempt to ensure that we collect ALL incidents of crime
that occurred during each sample household member’s
6-month reference period.
Collect a variety of detailed information about each
reported incidence of crime that occurred during a
sample household member’s 6-month reference
period. It is important to record accurate and complete
information about each crime incident, so that we have
a clear picture of what happened during the incident.
These questions are referred to as the incident report
items of the NCVS instrument.
For items which include the “Ask or verify” instruction, you
can verify the answer with the respondent without asking
the question -- if the respondent provided the information
earlier in the interview. If you do not see the “Ask or verify”
instruction on the screen, you must ask the question as
worded.
Introduction and Screening Items
B3-2
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 3
Topic 2. Screening Questions
Before we get to the crime questions, I have some questions that are helpful in studying
where and why crimes occur.
•
Ask or verify:
Last reported as: 3 years
How long have you lived at this address?
•
Probe:
Just approximately.
•
Enter number of years lived at address
•
Enter 0 for less than a year
TIMEATADDRESS
TIMEATADDRESS
Item TIMEATADDRESS is the first question in the
screening section of the NCVS instrument and is used to
determine the length of continuous time the respondent
has lived at the sample address. Since Items
TIMEATADDRESS and TIMESMOVEDIN5YEARS do not
relate directly to crimes, it is important that you read the
lead-in statement to the respondent before asking the
question or verifying the answer from the last enumeration,
which is displayed in the top right corner of the screen at
Item TIMEATADDRESS.
If a respondent seems unsure about how to answer this
question, you can tell him/her that we are interested in the
most recent continuous length of time the respondent has
lived as a usual resident at the sample address.
Here is an example:
During the past 5 years, a household member:
Resided at the sample address,
Introduction and Screening Items
B3-3
Part B, Chapter 3
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Then left the sample address for 6 months to live on a
college campus, and
Then returned to reside at the sample address just 3
months prior to the interview and has stayed there
continuously during the past 3 months.
For this example, enter Precode (0), ”Less than a year” at
Item TIMEATADDRESS. After entering Precode (0),
continue with Item MONTHSATADDRESS where you enter
the number of months that the household member has lived
at the sample address.
Here are some examples of what to enter in
TIMEATADDRESS or MONTHSATADDRESS based on a
respondent’s answer:
If respondent says:
4 ½ months
6 months, 1 week
2 weeks
11 months, 3 weeks
11 months, 1 week
8 weeks
Half a year
11 ½ months
All my life
Don’t know
(Ctrl +D)
Enter:
5 months
6 months
1 month
1 year
11 months
2 months
6 months
1 year
Respondent’s age
If the respondent’s answer is vague, enter a “Don’t know”
answer (Ctrl + D) at either Item TIMEATADDRESS or
MONTHSATADDRESS, and continue with Item
TIMEATADDRESSPROBE shown on the next page to elicit
a more exact answer.
Introduction and Screening Items
B3-4
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 3
Have you lived here:
1 More than 5 years?
2 Less than 5 years but more than 1 year?
3 Less than 1 year but more than 6 months?
4 Six months or less?
5 Don’t know
TIMEATADDRESSPROBE
TIMEATADDRESS PROBE
Item TIMEATADDRESSPROBE provides probe questions
to help the respondent identify the length of time he/she has
lived continuously at the sample address. If the respondent
is unsure or their answer to this question is vague, probe to
get a more exact answer. Some examples of probes:
Respondent's answer:
Probe:
Years and years
Would you say more than 5
years or less than 5 years?
5 to 10 years
Would you say more than 7
years or less than 7 years?
Less than a year
Would you say more than 6
months or less than 6
months?
It's been so long, I can't
really say.
Can you give me your
best estimate?
When the respondent is the household respondent and has
lived at the sample address for 5 or more years, continue
with Item BUSINESS. For all other respondents in the
household who have lived at the sample address for 5 or
more years, continue with Item SQTHEFT. When a
respondent has lived at the sample address for less than 5
years, continue with Item TIMESMOVEDIN5YEARS shown
on the next page.
Introduction and Screening Items
B3-5
Part B, Chapter 3
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Altogether, how many times have you moved in the last 5 years?
Enter number of times
TIMESMOVEDIN5YEARS
TIMESMOVED
IN5YEARS
Item TIMESMOVEDIN5YEARS is used to determine how
many times the respondent has moved in the last 5 years.
Ask the question and enter the number provided by the
respondent. Do not enter a range of numbers, such as "2-4."
Count all moves whether inside or outside of the United
States, including the move into the sample unit.
Each time a respondent changes his/her usual place of
residence is considered one move. Since it is acceptable to
enter an estimate, only enter Control + D, “Don’t know,” as a
last resort.
For respondents who are students, you may need to explain
what we consider to be a move. For example, Jeffrey Doe
moved from his parents’ home (the sample address) to a
college dormitory and then moved back to his parents’
home in the 5 years prior to the interview. For this situation,
Jeffrey Doe moved two times for Item
TIMESMOVEDIN5YEARS.
Although some students may consider their usual place of
residence to be their parents’ home, we consider their usual
place of residence to be the place where they usually live
and sleep. During the school year, their usual residence
could be a college dormitory or apartment. Each time a
student changes the place where he/she usually lives and
sleeps is considered a move, even if it is just moving from
one dormitory room to another one.
Introduction and Screening Items
B3-6
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 3
Does anyone in this household operate a business from this address?
1 Yes
2 No
BUSINESS
BUSINESS
Item BUSINESS is asked only of the household respondent
to determine if a sample household member operates a
business from the sample address. A “Yes” answer,
Precode (1), takes you to Item BUSINESSSIGN and a “No”
answer, Precode (2), takes you to Item SQTHEFT.
Is there a sign on the premises or some other indication to the general public that a business is
operated from this address?
1 Yes
2 No
BUSINESSSIGN
BUSINESSSIGN
Recognizable Business
Item BUSINESSSIGN is asked only of the household
respondent to determine if the business operated from the
sample address is considered recognizable or
unrecognizable.
For a business to be considered recognizable, it must have
a sign announcing the business and the sign must be:
Visible to the public from OUTSIDE the sample housing
unit,
AND
Located on the sample household's property, such as a
sign on a front door, window, garage door, mail box, or a
free standing sign in the front yard of the sample unit.
Introduction and Screening Items
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Part B, Chapter 3
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
The following indicators are NOT evidence that a business
is recognizable:
The business is advertised in a newspaper, magazine,
telephone book, or on the Internet.
A motor vehicle, such as a van, car, truck, or bus, is
parked in the driveway or in front of the housing unit,
even if the vehicle carries the business logo on it.
Unrecognizable
Business
If NO business sign is visible from outside the sample
housing unit, then the business is considered
unrecognizable. Any reported incidents of theft from an
unrecognizable business operated by a sample household
member must be included in the NCVS.
Here is the reason why we need to differentiate between a
recognizable and an unrecognizable business operated
from the sample address by a household member:
We keep crime incidents that involve property stolen
from an unrecognizable business,
BUT
We do NOT keep crime incidents that ONLY involve
property stolen from a recognizable business.
However, if the following types of incidents are reported, we
want to keep them regardless of whether a household
member operates a recognizable business:
Personal property was stolen from the household
respondent or another household member.
The household respondent or another household
member received a face-to-face threat of physical
harm, was attacked, or an attempt was made to
attack the household member.
Someone illegally entered, broke into or attempted
to break into the sample unit.
Introduction and Screening Items
B3-8
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 3
(Refer to Part C, Chapter 2, Topic 4, of this manual for
detailed definitions and examples of special situations
for recognizable and unrecognizable businesses.)
SCREENING QUESTIONS
The screening questions are used to determine whether any
eligible household members (12 years of age or older) at the
sample address were victimized by crime during each
household member’s six-month reference period. They
cover a wide variety of situations and are designed to
provide the respondent with concrete examples of the kinds
of crimes that are typically reported for the NCVS and could
be overlooked by respondents. These screen questions
ensure that we collect ALL incidents of crime in a sample
household that occurred during each respondent’s
six-month reference period.
A screener question has two parts: the “question stem” and
the “screener cues.” A “question stem” or “stem” refers to
the main part of the screener question. The terms “screener
cues” or “cues” refer to the examples or prompts that follow
the main part of the question.
There are a number of cues in each screener question
because sometimes respondents focus only on the specific
items being mentioned. In screener question SQTHEFT, for
example, if we didn’t include “Things outside your home,
such as a garden hose or lawn furniture,” respondents may
not realize that we want them to tell us about that type of
theft. We can’t have a list of every possible type of property,
so we try to identify enough different kinds of property to
help respondents think beyond the examples provided.
Some of the screener questions ask about attempted
crimes as well as completed ones. These are important
cues because often respondents may not think to report
incidents that did not result in a completed crime.
The household respondent’s interview has a few additional
screen questions to elicit crime incidents involving the entire
household, in addition to crime incidents involving just the
household respondent. These additional screen questions
are asked in items SQTHEFT, SQBREAKIN,
Introduction and Screening Items
B3-9
Part B, Chapter 3
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
SQTOTALVEHICLES, and SQMVTHEFT to determine
whether any crime incidents involving the entire household
happened.
General Instructions for
Screening Questions
In Item SQTHEFT - Things stolen from outside the
home (for example, lawn furniture or a garden hose),
and things stolen from a household member under 12
years of age (for example, a 10-year-old's bicycle stolen
from the home's driveway),
In Item SQBREAKIN - Break-ins, attempted break-ins,
or illegal entries at the sample address (for example, the
house, garage, shed, or a storage room), or at a hotel,
motel, or vacation home where the respondent was
staying,
In Item SQTOTALVEHICLES - The total number of
motor vehicles owned by the entire household during
the 6 months prior to the interview, and
In Item SQMVTHEFT - Thefts or attempted thefts of
motor vehicles owned by the household during the 6
months prior to the interview, including gasoline and
parts (for example, tire, hubcap, attached car stereo or
satellite radio, wheels, battery, CD player, etc.).
Record incidents as a respondent reports them, regardless
of whether the screening question relates to the type of
incident reported.
Most of the screening questions have at least three
categories and could have as many as eight categories.
This may prompt some respondents to give you an answer
before you finish reading each category. Even if you are
interrupted, you must read every category in its entirety, so
that we do not miss any crime incidents.
The following technique may help you get through all the
categories of a screen question before a respondent
answers:
1
After reading each category, only pause long enough to
let the respondent know that you are about to start
reading the next category. If you pause too long, the
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respondent may feel that you are waiting for an answer.
2
After reading all categories for a screening question,
pause long enough to allow the respondent to reply. If
the respondent doesn't give you an answer, then ask the
question, "Did any incidents of this type happen to
you?"
3
If you get a "Yes" response, enter Precode (1) which
brings up a screen similar to the SQTHEFTTIMES
screen, which asks, “How many times?”
Use this item to record the total number of incidents
reported at the screening question, along with a brief
description of what happened during each incident. If
the respondent reports more than one incident for a
screening question, number each incident separately
and enter a brief description for each incident (for
example, #1, L1 threatened by coworker, #2, L1's purse
snatched).
If this technique does not work and a respondent either
interrupts you in the middle of reading a category or before
you finish reading all categories for a screening question,
follow these steps:
Respondent answers in the middle of reading a
category:
1
Stop and thank the respondent, but explain that there is
more to the question which he/she still needs to hear
before giving an answer.
2
Reread the unfinished category again from the
beginning. If the respondent gives you a "No" answer
after you finish reading the entire category, tell the
respondent that you need to finish reading ALL
categories for the question. If the respondent gives you
a "Yes" answer before you have read all categories,
then follow the instructions below.
Respondent answers "Yes" before you have read ALL
categories:
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1
Stop and thank the respondent, but explain that there
are more categories which he/she still needs to hear
before giving an answer.
2
Reread the categories again from the beginning. If the
respondent gives you a "No" answer before you finish
reading the entire list, tell the respondent that you need
to finish reading ALL categories for the question. If the
respondent gives you a "Yes" answer before you have
read all categories, then follow the instructions below.
It’s important to ask all the questions in their entirety
because they have been specifically designed to jog
respondents’ memories and help them recall incidents they
may have forgotten. The screener questions have been
developed and refined since the beginning of the NCVS. If a
respondent has forgotten an incident and you do not ask the
screener question or cue that may help them remember it,
we run the risk of not collecting it. These omissions and
missed incidents can result in the crime rates we calculate
being erroneously low, and in survey results being biased.
Also, you must ask the questions as worded and in their
entirety for the sake of interview consistency. Standardizing
the way in which every FR asks the questions on the NCVS
ensures that every respondent hears the exact same
questions, helps the survey collect information consistently
across all regions, and helps make the survey results more
valid.
By using these techniques, there is less chance of missing
any crime incidents that occurred during a respondent's
reference period. (Also see Part A, Chapter 2, Topic 6,
for general interviewing techniques to use for the
NCVS.)
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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 January 13,2017. Was something belonging to you stolen, such as- Read each category.
--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 only if necessary:
Did any incidents of this type happen to you?
1 Yes
2 No
SQTHEFT
SQTHEFT
Item SQTHEFT is the first screening question, asked of all
eligible household members. However, two categories for
this item are asked only of the household respondent:
Things outside your home, such as a garden hose or
lawn furniture.
Things belonging to children in the household.
Note that the instrument automatically inserts the date
marking the beginning of the reference period in the
question. Also note that this date may not be the same for all
respondents. Item SQTHEFT is designed to remind each
respondent of incidents in which thefts were attempted or
completed during the 6 months before the interview.
Introduction and Screening Items
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NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Other than any incidents already mentioned, has anyone - Read each category
--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 only if necessary:
Did any incidents of this type happen to you?
1 Yes
2 No
SQBREAKIN
SQBREAKIN
Item SQBREAKIN is asked only of the household
respondent to find out if:
The household respondent’s home or lodging was
broken into or illegally entered,
OR
An attempt was made to break into or illegally enter the
household respondent’s home or lodging.
Note that the phrase “Other than any incident already
mentioned” only displays in Item SQBREAKIN if an incident
was reported in SQTHEFT. For the remaining screen
questions, SQMVTHEFT and SQNOCALLPOLICECRIME,
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. If no incidents have been reported, this phrase
is omitted from the question text.
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Part B, Chapter 3
Moved Into Sample
Address During
Reference Period
A household respondent may have lived in more than one
housing unit during the past 6 months. If you encounter this
situation, include all incidents reported at Item SQBREAKIN
that happened during the household respondent's reference
period AND involved property owned or rented by the
current household respondent.
Incident Happened at
Sample Address Before
Owned/Rented by
Household Respondent
Only accept incidents involving property owned or
rented by the current household during the 6 months
prior to the interview. For example, you would accept a
reported incident if the current household respondent was
the owner/renter of the sample unit, but had not yet moved
into the sample unit when the incident occurred.
However, do NOT accept the reported incident when the
following conditions exist:
The household respondent reports an incident that
happened at the sample address during the household
respondent's 6-month reference period,
BUT
Household Respondent
Owns/Rents a
Recreation Vehicle or
Vacation Home
The current household respondent was not the owner or
renter at the sample address at the time of the incident.
For example, the sample unit may still have been owned
or rented by the previous owner/renter or may have
been vacant while it was available for sale or rent.
Accept the incident if the recreation vehicle or vacation
home was owned or rented by the household respondent
AND was being occupied as a housing unit at the time of the
incident.
Do not accept incidents involving break-ins or attempted
break-ins of vacation or second homes when:
The vacation or second home is part of a recognizable
business,
The vacation or second home was rented to a
nonhousehold member at the time of the incident,
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OR
The vacation or second home was not occupied by the
sample household as a residence at the time of the
incident.
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.
If greater than 4, enter 4.
SQTOTALVEHICLES
SQTOTALVEHICLES
Item SQTOTALVEHICLES is another question that is
asked only of the household respondent to determine:
The total number of motor vehicles currently or
previously owned by the sample household during the
last 6 months;
AND
Whether any of these motor vehicles were stolen or
used without permission, including parts and gasoline;
AND
Whether any attempts were made to steal or use them
without permission, including parts and gasoline.
Make sure to include the statement “Include those you no
longer own” at the end of the question to remind
respondents that we want them to include vehicles they
owned during the last six months.
If the sample household has not owned any motor vehicles
during the six months prior to the interview, enter (0) for
“None” and continue with Item SQATTACKWHERE.
Otherwise, enter the appropriate number of vehicles up to
the number “4.” If the answer is “more than 4 vehicles,”
enter “4.” If the respondent refuses to answer the question
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for Item SQTOTALVEHICLES, you still ask the screening
question for Item SQMVTHEFT, which asks whether
anyone stole or used any of the vehicles or their parts
without permission.
What to Include for Item
SQTOTALVEHICLES
If a household respondent questions what to include in the
total number of motor vehicles for Item
SQTOTALVEHICLES, here are some guidelines on the
type of vehicles to include:
Include cars, vans, trucks, sport utility vehicles,
motorcycles, or any other motorized vehicle that can be
legally used as a means of transportation on most roads
or highways (for example, motorized recreation vehicles
that do not require towing).
Include a motorized vehicle owned by a sample
household member during the 6 months prior to the
interview, even if it has been sold, given away, junked,
stolen, or abandoned.
Include all vehicles owned by an unrecognizable
business that a household member operates, as well as
all vehicles owned for the household's personal use.
Include vehicles owned by a recognizable business that
a household member operates IF the vehicles are used
at least partially for the household's personal use.
Include vehicles leased by a household member for at
least one month when the leased vehicles are the
responsibility of the household member if stolen.
What to Exclude for
Item
SQTOTALVEHICLES
If a household respondent questions what to exclude from
the total number of motor vehicles for Item
SQTOTALVEHICLES, here are some guidelines on the
type of vehicles to exclude:
Exclude motorized vehicles that cannot be driven legally
as a means of transportation on most roads or highways
(for example, minibikes, go-carts, or snowmobiles).
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Exclude vehicles owned by a recognizable business
when the business is operated by a household member
AND the vehicles are used ONLY for business
purposes.
Exclude business vehicles that are loaned to a
household member for private use when the business is
NOT owned by a household member.
Exclude vehicles that a household member rented for
less than one month.
Exclude vehicles owned by parents in a sample
household when their children are using the vehicles
while attending school away from the sample address.
Respondent Refuses to
Answer Item
SQTOTALVEHICLES
If a household respondent refuses to answer or feels
uneasy about answering Item SQTOTALVEHICLES,
explain the reasons for asking about motor vehicles owned
by the household.
These reasons include determining whether or not we need
to ask about:
Any motor vehicles owned by the sample household
that were stolen or used without permission, including
parts and gasoline.
AND
Any attempts made to steal or use these motor vehicles
without permission, including parts and gasoline.
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During the last 6 months, other than any incident(s) already mentioned, was the vehicle Read each category
--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?
OR
--Did anyone ATTEMPT to steal any vehicle or parts attached to it?
Ask only if necessary:
Did any incidents of this type happen to you?
1 Yes
2 No
SQMVTHEFT
SQMVTHEFT
Distinguishing Between
Vandalism and
Attempted Thefts
Item SQMVTHEFT, shown above, refers to the motor
vehicles mentioned at Item SQTOTALVEHICLES and is
asked only of the household respondent to determine
whether:
Any of these motor vehicles were stolen or used without
permission, including parts and gasoline.
Any attempts were made to steal or use them without
permission, including parts and gasoline.
Accept reported attempts to steal motor vehicles or motor
vehicle parts owned by the household, because attempted
thefts are just as important as actual thefts. However, it may
not always be clear to a respondent that an attempt was
made to steal his/her vehicle or parts (for example, a broken
car window). If it is unclear whether the incident was an
attempted theft or an act of vandalism:
Introduction and Screening Items
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Part B, Chapter 3
Examples of Motor
Vehicle Parts
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Probe by asking, "Do you think the offender was
actually trying to break into or steal your vehicle or
do you think it was an act of vandalism?"
Rely on the respondent's perception. If the respondent
feels the incident was an attempted theft or is still
unsure, enter Precode (1), “Yes,” at Item SQMVTHEFT.
However, if the respondent feels the incident was an act
of vandalism (for example, a broken antenna, mirror or
slashed tires) AND there was no attempt to steal a
motor vehicle, including parts and gasoline, enter
Precode (2), “No,” at Item SQMVTHEFT.
The following items are examples of parts attached to motor
vehicles: tires, wheels, hubcaps, manufacturer’s insignias,
CD players, car stereos, cellular phones, batteries, steering
wheels, door handles, and so on. If a respondent reports a
theft or attempted theft of other types of items from a vehicle
at Item SQMVTHEFT (for example, Christmas presents or
grocery items), accept the reported incident at Item
SQMVTHEFT.
Introduction and Screening Items
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Other than any incidents already mentioned, since January 13, 2017, were you attacked or
threatened OR did you have something stolen from you Read each category
--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 only if necessary:
Did any incidents of this type happen to you?
1 Yes
2 No
SQATTACKWHERE
SQATTACKWHERE
Item SQATTACKWHERE is asked of all eligible household
members and is designed to remind each respondent of
incidents in which he/she may have been attacked or
threatened with physical harm in a variety of locations or
situations. This item also asks about things stolen from the
respondent or attempts to steal anything from the
respondent. This question focuses on the places where a
respondent may have been attacked or threatened.
Introduction and Screening Items
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Part B, Chapter 3
Acceptable and
Unacceptable Threats
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
The following conditions must exist for a threat to be
acceptable for the NCVS:
The threat must be delivered verbally and face-to-face
between the offender and the respondent, AND
The threat must involve the potential for physical harm
to the respondent.
Do not accept threats that an offender makes over the
telephone, in a letter, FAX, or electronic message. Also
unacceptable are threats or warnings delivered by another
person for the offender, as well as a respondent saying that
he/she just felt threatened.
Other than any incidents already mentioned, has anyone attacked or threatened you in any of
these ways - Exclude telephone threats
Read each category
--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.
1 Yes
2 No
SQATTACKHOW
SQATTACKHOW
Item SQATTACKHOW is asked of all eligible household
members and is designed to remind each respondent of
incidents in which he/she may have been attacked or
threatened with physical harm involving various weapons or
the use of force. This question focuses on the ways in which
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a respondent may have been attacked or threatened. Only
accept threats that are verbal, face-to-face threats to
physically harm the respondent.
Do not accept threats that an offender makes over the
telephone, in a letter, FAX, or electronic message. Also
unacceptable are threats or warnings delivered by another
person for the offender, as well as a respondent saying that
he/she just felt threatened.
With the exception of cases involving police officers, accept
any incidents in which the offender had a weapon present
during the incident, even if the offender did not use it. Also
accept incidents in which the offender threw something or
shot at the respondent, even though the object may not
qualify as a weapon for the NCVS.
People often don’t think of incidents committed by someone they know. Other than any incidents
already mentioned, did you have something stolen from you or were you attacked or threatened
by - Exclude telephone threats
Read each category
--Someone at work or school --A neighbor or friend --A relative or family member --Any other person you have met or known?
Ask only if necessary:
Did any incidents of this type happen to you?
1 Yes
2 No
SQATTACKKNOWNOFF
Introduction and Screening Items
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Part B, Chapter 3
SQATTACKKNOWNOFF
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Item SQATTACKKNOWNOFF is asked of all eligible
household members and is designed to remind each
respondent of incidents in which the offender was someone
he/she knows (for example, co-worker, friend, neighbor,
relative, or family member) and involved a theft, attack, or
threat. Only accept verbal, face-to-face threats to physically
harm the respondent.
Do not accept threats that an offender makes over the
telephone, in a letter, FAX, or electronic message. Also
unacceptable are threats or warnings delivered by another
person for the offender, as well as a respondent saying that
he/she just felt threatened.
Incidents involving forced or unwanted sexual acts are often difficult to talk about. Other than
any incidents already mentioned, have you been forced or coerced to engage in unwanted sexual
activity by - Read each category
--Someone you didn’t know --A casual acquaintance OR
--Someone you know well?
Ask only if necessary:
Did any incidents of this type happen to you?
1 Yes
2 No
SQSEXUAL
SQSEXUAL
Item SQSEXUAL is asked of all eligible household
members and is designed to record all incidents in which the
respondent was forced or coerced to engage in unwanted
sexual activity, regardless of whether the respondent did or
did not know the offender. Make sure to read the lead-in
statement before asking the question at this screen.
Introduction and Screening Items
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During the last 6 months, other than any incident(s) already mentioned, did you call the police to
report something that happened to YOU which you thought was a crime?
1 Yes
2 No
SQCALLPOLICECRIME
SQCALLPOLICE
CRIME
Item SQCALLPOLICECRIME is asked of all eligible
household members and is designed to remind each
respondent of incidents that the respondent reported to the
police because something happened to the respondent that
he/she thought was a crime. This is a general question
designed to bring out crimes that the respondent may have
overlooked earlier or perhaps we did not ask about
specifically in an earlier screening question. (For example,
incidents in which the offender was a child, or no loss or
injury resulted.)
As you ask the question in Item SQCALLPOLICECRIME,
always emphasize the word “YOU,” which appears in capital
letters. If the respondent relates an incident that might not
be a crime, such as a traffic accident, or that involved a
nonhousehold member, stress that for this item we are only
interested in an incident when:
It was reported to the police,
It directly affected the respondent or another household
member,
AND
The respondent believes it to be a crime.
After stressing these points, accept the respondent's
answer and enter Precode (1), “Yes,” for Item
SQCALLPOLICECRIME. After entering Precode (1), you
see the SQCALLPOLICESPEC screen.
Introduction and Screening Items
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What happened?
(Describe all incidents for this screener below)
SQCALLPOLICESPEC
SQCALLPOLICESPEC
SQCALLPOLICESPEC is used to describe what happened
during these incidents and whether or not a household
member was victimized during the incident. When you finish
entering your descriptions, press ENTER.
If not sure ask:
Were you attacked or threatened, or was something stolen or an attempt made to steal
something that belonged to you or another household member?
1 Yes
2 No
SQCALLPOLICEATTACKTHREAT
SQCALLPOLICE
ATTACKTHREAT
If you can determine the answer to
SQCALLPOLICEATTACKTHREAT, “Were you attacked
or threatened, or was something stolen or an attempt
made to steal something that belonged to you or
another household member?” based upon responses to
previous screen questions you can enter the appropriate
precode without asking the question. However, if you are
not sure whether the respondent was attacked or
threatened, or something was stolen or an attempt was
made to steal something that belonged to the respondent or
another household member, ask the question before
entering the precode.
When multiple incidents are reported at the
SQCALLPOLICESPEC screen AND at least one of the
incidents involves the respondent being attacked or
threatened, or something was stolen or an attempt was
made to steal something that belonged to the respondent or
Introduction and Screening Items
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Part B, Chapter 3
another household member, then enter Precode (1), “Yes.”
After entering Precode (1), ask “How many times?” in
Item SQCALLPOLICEATTACKTHREATTIMES and enter
the TOTAL number of incidents reported at
SQCALLPOLICESPEC in which the respondent was
attacked or threatened, or something was stolen, or an
attempt was made to steal something that belongs to the
respondent or another household member.
If you enter Precode (2), “No,” at
SQCALLPOLICEATTACKTHREAT, you are indicating that
the incident did not involve an NCVS crime.
How many times?
SQCALLPOLICEATTACKTHREATTIMES
SQCALLPOLICE
ATTACKTHREATTIMES
When multiple incidents are reported in
SQCALLPOLICEATTACKTHREAT AND at least one of
the incidents involves the respondent being attacked or
threatened, or something was stolen or an attempt was
made to steal something that belonged to the respondent or
another household member, the instrument brings up Item
SQCALLPOLICEATTACKTHREATTIMES. Ask “How
many times?” and enter the TOTAL number of incidents
reported at Item SQCALLPOLICEATTACKSPEC in which
the respondent was attacked.
During the last 6 months, other than any incident(s) already mentioned, did anything which you
thought was a crime happen to YOU, but did NOT report to the police?
1 Yes
2 No
SQNOCALLPOLICECRIME
SQNOCALLPOLICE
CRIME
Item SQNOCALLPOLICECRIME is asked of all eligible
household members and is designed to remind each
respondent of incidents that he/she did NOT report to the
Introduction and Screening Items
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NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
police, even though the respondent thought they were
crimes. These incidents could have been overlooked earlier
in the interview because we did not ask about them
specifically (for example, incidents in which the offender
was a child or no loss or injury resulted).
As you ask the question in SQNOCALLPOLICECRIME,
always emphasize the words “YOU” and “NOT,” which are
displayed in capital letters.If the respondent relates an
incident that might not be a crime, such as a traffic accident,
or that involved a nonhousehold member, stress that for this
item we are only interested in an incident when:
It directly affected the respondent or another household
member
AND
The respondent believes it to be a crime.
After emphasizing these points, accept the respondent’s
answer and enter the appropriate precode.
After entering Precode (1), “Yes,” for Item
SQNOCALLPOLICECRIME, continue with Item
SQNOCALLPOLICESPEC, which asks for incident details.
What happened?
Describe all incidents for this screener below.
SQNOCALLPOLICESPEC
________________________________________________________________________
SQNOCALLPOLICESPEC
The SQNOCALLPOLICESPEC screen is used to describe
what happened during these incidents, and whether or not a
SQNOCALLPOLICESPEC
household member was victimized during the incident.
Enter the incident description, then press ENTER.
Introduction and Screening Items
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If not sure ask:
Were you attacked or threatened, or was something stolen or an attempt made to steal
something that belonged to you or another household member?
1 Yes
2 No
SQNOCALLPOLICEATTACKTHREAT
SQNOCALLPOLICE
ATTACKTHREAT
If you can determine from previous responses to screen
questions the answer to the question at the
SQNOCALLPOLICEATTACKTHREAT screen, “Were
you attacked or threatened, or was something stolen or
an attempt made to steal something that belonged to
you or another household member?” you can enter the
appropriate precode without asking the question. However,
if you are not sure the respondent was attacked or
threatened, or something was stolen or an attempt was
made to steal something that belonged to the respondent or
another household member, ask the question before
entering the precode.
If you enter Precode (2), “No,” in this item, you indicate that
the incident did not involve an NCVS crime.
How many times?
SQNOCALLPOLICEATTACKTHREATTIMES
SQNOCALLPOLICE
ATTACKTHREAT
TIMES
When multiple incidents are reported in
SQNOCALLPOLICEATTACKTHREAT AND at least one
of the incidents involves the respondent being attacked or
threatened, or something was stolen or an attempt was
made to steal something that belonged to the respondent or
another household member,
SQNOCALLPOLICEATTACKTHREATTIMES appears.
Ask “How many times?” and enter the TOTAL number of
incidents reported at SQNOCALLPOLICEATTACKSPEC.
Introduction and Screening Items
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Topic 3. Screener Section Closing Screens
Who besides the respondent was present when the screen questions were asked?
If telephone interview mark box 11.
11 Telephone (Field telephone)
12 No one besides respondent present
13 Respondent’s spouse
14 Household member(s) 12+, not spouse
15 Household members under 12
16 Nonhousehold member(s)
17 Someone was present - Can’t say who
18 Don’t know if someone else present
PRESENTFORSQS
PRESENTFORSQS
The intent of this question is to determine who besides the
respondent was present when the screen questions were
asked. If the interview is taken over the telephone, only
enter Precode (11), “Telephone.” Otherwise, enter the
appropriate precode(s).
Did the person for whom this interview was taken help the proxy respondent answer any screen
questions?
1 Yes
2 No
3 Person for whom interview taken not present
PROXYHELP
PROXYHELP
Item PROXYHELP appears when a proxy interview has
been taken and is intended to find out whether the proxy
person helped the proxy respondent answer any of the
screen questions.
Introduction and Screening Items
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End of Screening items
A total of 1 incident(s)
AND
0 refusals were reported in "how many times?"
Enter 1 to continue
INC_REPORTS
INC_REPORTS
The INC_REPORTS screen marks the end of the screening
items when a respondent has reported at least one crime
incident. This screen also tells you how many incidents
were reported, and how many refusals were reported in the
“How many times?” screener. Once you have read this
screen, press (1) to proceed. After pressing (1), continue
with the INCIDENTINTRO screen, which leads you into the
incident report items.
No incident reports needed for: John Doe
Enter 1 to continue
NO_CRIMES
NO_CRIMES
The NO_CRIMES screen marks the end of the screening
questions when a respondent did NOT report any incidents.
After pressing (1) to proceed, continue with Item
ENDSCREENER.
DO NOT F10 to exit the instrument from Item
ENDSCREENER; doing so may cause loss of all collected
data and necessitate restarting the case.
The instrument continues with JOBLASTWEEK when the
respondent is at least 16 years of age. Otherwise, it
continues with the NEXTPERSON screen.
Introduction and Screening Items
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NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Topic 4. Socio-Demographic Questions
Overview of the
Socio-Demographic
Questions
The socio-demographic questions are asked of all eligible
respondents regardless of whether they report a crime
incident. The particular socio-demographic questions that
come on path for any interview depend on several factors
including the age of the respondent; the interview number;
proxy interview status; and if the respondent has answered
the question before. See each question for details.
Now we have some questions about your demographic characteristics.
INTRO_SOCIO_DEMO
INTRO_SOCIO_DEMO
The instrument proceeds to a screen introducing the
socio-demographic questions. Then proceeds to questions
on disability.
Are you deaf or do you have serious difficulty hearing?
1
2
Yes
No
HEARING
Are you blind or do you have serious difficulty seeing even when wearing glasses?
1
2
Yes
No
VISION
Because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition, do you have serious difficulty…
Concentrating, remembering or making decisions?
1
2
Yes
No
LEARN_CONCENTRATE
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Because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition, do you have serious difficulty…
Walking or climbing stairs?
1
2
Yes
No
PHYSICAL_LIMIT
Because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition, do you have serious difficulty…
Dressing or bathing?
1
2
Yes
No
DRESS_BATH
Because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition, do you have difficulty doing errands alone such
as visiting a doctor's office or shopping?
1
2
Yes
No
LEAVING_HOME
DISABILITY
The disability questions include HEARING, VISION,
LEARN_CONCENTRATE, PHYSICAL_LIMIT,
DRESS_BATH, and LEAVING_HOME.
Who Gets the Item(s)?
The disability questions are asked of all persons 12 years of
age or older except for LEAVING_HOME, which is asked of
all persons 15 years of age or older.
When is Item Asked?
The disability questions are asked at 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th
interviews, or if never asked before.
Precode (1)
If “Yes,” select Precode (1).
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Part B, Chapter 3
Precode (2)
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
If “No,” select Precode (2).
Are you a citizen of the United States? That is, were you born in the United States, born in a U.S.
territory, born of U.S. citizen parent(s), or become a citizen of the U.S. through naturalization?
1
2
3
4
5
Yes, born in the United States
Yes, born in Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, or Northern Marianas
Yes, born abroad of U.S. citizen parent or parents
Yes, U.S. citizen by naturalization
No, not a U.S. citizen
CITIZENSHIP
CITIZENSHIP
The responses to this question are used to determine the
U.S. citizen and non-U.S. citizen populations as well as to
determine the native and foreign-born populations.
Who Gets the Item?
Asked of all persons 12 years of age or older.
When is Item Asked?
Asked at 1st interview, if never asked before, if “Refused” or
“Don’t Know” at prior interview, or if the respondent reported
they were not a citizen at the prior interview.
Precode (1)
Enter Precode (1), “Yes, born in the United States,” if born
in one of the 50 states or the District of Columbia.
Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2), for “Yes, born in Puerto Rico, Guam, the
U.S. Virgin Islands, or Northern Marianas.” People born in
American Samoa, although not explicitly listed, are
included in this response category.
Precode (3)
Enter Precode (3), for “Yes, born abroad of U.S. citizen
parent or parents.” Born abroad means that the person was
NOT born in one of the 50 states, the District of Columbia,
Puerto Rico, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, Northern Marianas,
or American Samoa.
Precode (4)
Enter Precode (4), for “Yes, U.S. citizen by naturalization.”
Naturalization is the legal act or process by which a
non-citizen may acquire U.S. citizenship or nationality. It
may be done by a statute without any effort on the part of
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Part B, Chapter 3
the individual, or it may involve an application and approval
by legal authorities.
Precode (5)
Enter Precode (5), “No, not a U.S. citizen” if the respondent
indicates that they are not a U.S. citizen at the time of the
survey.
(Page 12)
Which of the following best represents how you think of yourself?
If further clarification is needed, read: By gay, we mean romantic or sexual attraction to persons of
the same sex. Another term that may be used for gay is homosexual.
If further clarification is needed, read: By straight, we mean romantic or sexual attraction to persons
of the opposite sex. Another term that may be used for straight is heterosexual.
If further clarification is needed, read: By bisexual, we mean romantic or sexual attraction to
persons of both the same sex and opposite sex.
1
2
3
4
5
6
Gay
Straight, that is, not gay
Bisexual
Something else
I don’t know the answer
Refused
ORIENTATION_MALE
Introduction and Screening Items
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(Page 12)
Which of the following best represents how you think of yourself?
If further clarification is needed, read: By lesbian or gay, we mean romantic or sexual attraction to
persons of the same sex. Another term that may be used for lesbian or gay is homosexual.
If further clarification is needed, read: By straight, we mean romantic or sexual attraction to persons
of the opposite sex. Another term that may be used for straight is heterosexual.
If further clarification is needed, read: By bisexual, we mean romantic or sexual attraction to
persons of both the same sex and opposite sex.
1
2
3
4
5
6
Lesbian or gay
Straight, that is, not lesbian or gay
Bisexual
Something else
I don’t know the answer
Refused
ORIENTATION_FEMALE
SEXUAL ORIENTATION
The NCVS includes questions on sexual orientation
(ORIENTATION_MALE and
ORIENTATION_FEMALE). Sexual orientation is the
direction of one’s romantic or sexual attraction to
members of the same sex, opposite sex, or both sexes.
There are tremendous gaps in information about crime
victimization as it relates to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and
transgender (LGBT) persons. By collecting sexual
orientation data, researchers, policy makers, health
providers, and advocates will be able to identify and
address crimes affecting the LGBT community.
Research has shown that sexual orientation and gender
identity are correlated with crime victimization. These
questions are included in the NCVS to better
understand the relationship between these
characteristics and experiences with criminal
victimization.
Introduction and Screening Items
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Part B, Chapter 3
Respondents may ask what the question means by
“lesbian,” “gay,” “straight,” or “bisexual.” If so,
read the appropriate definition that appears on the
question screen to the respondent. Do not try to
define these terms yourself. Use the definitions on
the question screen.
Who Gets the Item?
Asked of all persons 16 years of age or older.
All persons defined as male in the household roster
will be asked the ORIENTATION_MALE question.
All persons defined as female in the household
roster will be asked the ORIENTATION_FEMALE
question.
If SEX is answered “Don’t Know” or “Refused” in the
household roster, the instrument will ask the
ORIENTATION_FEMALE question.
When is Item Asked?
Asked at 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th interviews, or if never asked
before.
Proxy Respondents
Proxy respondents are NOT allowed. The sexual
orientation questions will be off-path and unavailable for
the proxy respondent to answer.
No Observation/
No Probing/
Do NOT mark this item either by observation or
probing. Answers to this question must be obtained
strictly through self-identification. You must ask the
question for each respondent even when the
answer seems obvious.
For personal visit
interviews
In the instrument, a book icon and page reference at the top
left of the screen denotes when a flashcard should be used.
This tells you that there is a corresponding page in the
Information Card Booklet (NCVS-554) to show the
respondent.
During personal visit interviews, show the respondent the
English or Spanish version of the flashcard as appropriate
before asking the questions. The top half of the flashcard is
titled SO_(Male) and lower half of the flashcard is titled
SO_(Female). Direct them to the SO_(Male) or
SO_(Female) question as appropriate.
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For telephone interviews
During telephone interviews, read the bold text of the
question.
Precode (1)
Gay/Lesbian or gay
Refer to the precode definition in gray text in the first FR
instruction on the question screen if needed.
Precode (2)
Straight, that is, not gay/
Straight, that is, not
lesbian or gay
Refer to the precode definition in gray text in the second
FR instruction on the question screen if needed.
Precode (3)
Bisexual
Refer to the precode definition in gray text in the third FR
instruction on the question screen if needed.
Precode (4)
Something else
If the respondent describes his or her sexual orientation as
something other than precodes 1, 2, or 3, select the
“Something else” answer category. If the household
member asks what “Something else” means, respond, “An
answer other than what was provided in the answer
categories.”
Precode (5)
I don’t know the answer
If the respondent states that he/she does not know the
answer, select the “I don’t know the answer” answer
category.
Precode (6)
Refused
If the respondent refuses to answer the question, select
this precode.
Sexual Orientation and
Gender Identity
FAQs
A respondent may ask you why you are asking them this
question. If so, reference the FAQs tab, and read the
appropriate response.
Listed below are the verbatim responses that you should
give to respondents if they ask you a question or the
meaning of one of the terms related to sexual orientation
and/or gender identity.
You will find all the responses below by clicking on the
FAQs tab. Additionally, definitions relevant to the question
wording can be found in gray text on the associated
question screen.
Introduction and Screening Items
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Part B, Chapter 3
Q: Why does the NCVS ask about sexual orientation and
gender identity?
A: Research has shown that sexual orientation and
gender identity are correlated with crime victimization.
These questions are included in the NCVS to better
understand the relationship between these
characteristics and experiences with criminal
victimization. Additionally, discrimination against
persons because of their sexual orientation and
gender identity is prohibited by federal hate crime
statutes and the 2013 reauthorized Violence Against
Women Act (VAWA). Since the NCVS includes
measures of hate crime and the provision of victim
services, the inclusion of these items in the NCVS will
allow researchers to better address policy-relevant
questions about victimization and victim services.
Q: What is meant by “sexual orientation”?
A: The direction of one’s romantic or sexual attraction to
members of the same sex, opposite sex, or both
sexes.
Q: What is meant by “gender identity”?
A: A person’s internal sense of gender, that is, being
male, female, or a blend of both.
Q: What is meant by “lesbian” or “gay”?
A: Romantic or sexual attraction to persons of the same
sex. Another term that may be used for lesbian or gay
is homosexual.
Q: What is meant by “straight”?
A: Romantic or sexual attraction to persons of the
opposite sex. Another term that may be used for
straight is heterosexual.
Q: What is meant by “bisexual”?
A: Romantic or sexual attraction to persons of both the
same sex and opposite sex.
Q: What is meant by “transgender”?
A: A person whose internal sense of being male or
female is different from the sex assigned to them at
Introduction and Screening Items
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birth.
(Page 14)
What sex were you assigned at birth, on your original birth certificate?
1 Male
2 Female
3 Refused
4 Don’t know
GENID_BIRTH
GENDER IDENTITY
The NCVS includes questions on gender identity
(GENID_BIRTH, GENID_DESCRIBE, and
GENID_CONFIRM). Gender identity is a person’s internal
sense of gender, that is, being male, female, or a blend of
both.
There are tremendous gaps in information about crime
victimization as it relates to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and
transgender (LGBT) persons. By collecting sexual
orientation data, researchers, policy makers, health
providers, and advocates will be able to identify and
address crimes affecting the LGBT community. Research
has shown that sexual orientation and gender identity are
correlated with crime victimization. These questions are
included in the NCVS to better understand the relationship
between these characteristics and experiences with
criminal victimization.
Respondents may ask what the question,
GENID_DESCRIBE, means by “transgender.” If so,
read the appropriate definition that appears on the
question screen to the respondent. Do not try to define
this term yourself. Use the definition on the question
screen.
Who Gets the Items?
Asked of all persons 16 years of age or older.
When Are Items Asked?
Asked at 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th interviews, or if never asked
before.
Proxy Respondents
Proxy respondents are NOT allowed. The gender identity
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questions will be off-path and unavailable for the proxy
respondent to answer.
No Observation/
No Probing/
Do NOT mark these items either by observation or
probing. Answers to these questions must be
obtained strictly through self-identification. You must
ask the questions for each respondent even when the
answer seems obvious.
For personal visit
interviews
In the instrument, a book icon and page reference at the
top left of the screen denotes when a flashcard should be
used. This tells you that there is a corresponding page in
the Information Card Booklet (NCVS-554) to show the
respondent.
During personal visit interviews, show the respondent the
English or Spanish version of the flashcard as appropriate
before asking the questions. The top half of the flashcard is
used for the GENID_BIRTH question and lower half of the
flashcard is used for the GENID_DESCRIBE question.
For telephone interviews
During telephone interviews, read the bold text of the
question.
Precodes for GENID_BIRTH
Precode (1)
Male
If “Male,” select Precode (1).
Precode (2)
Female
If “Female,” select Precode (2).
Precode (3)
Refused
If the respondent refuses to answer the question, select this
precode.
Precode (4)
Don’t know
If the respondent states that he/she does not know the
answer to the question, select this precode.
Introduction and Screening Items
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(Page 14)
Do you currently describe yourself as male, female, or transgender?
If further clarification is needed, read: By transgender, we mean a person whose internal sense of
being male or female is different from the sex assigned to them at birth.
1
2
3
4
Male
Female
Transgender
None of these
GENID_DESCRIBE
Precodes for GENID_DESCRIBE
Precode (1)
Male
If “Male,” select Precode (1).
Precode (2)
Female
If “Female,” select Precode (2).
Precode (3)
Transgender
Refer to the precode definition in gray text in the FR
instruction on the question if needed.
Precode (4)
None of these
If the respondent cannot find a category that describes
his/her gender identity, select the “None of these” answer
category. If the household member asks what “None of
these” means, respond, “An answer other than what was
provided in the answer categories.”
Just to confirm, you were assigned {GENID_BIRTH fill} at birth and now {GENID_DESCRIBE fill}. Is that
correct?
1
2
3
4
Yes
No
Refused
Don’t know
GENID_CONFIRM
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The GENID_CONFIRM question will only appear when
GENID_BIRTH and GENID_DESCRIBE do not match (i.e.,
if GENID_DESCRIBE is answered Transgender, None of
these, or is not consistent with a Male or Female answer for
GENID_BIRTH).
When Is GENID_CONFIRM
Asked?
If GENID_CONFIRM is answered “Yes” indicating that the
responses recorded in the instrument for GENID_BIRTH
and GENID_DESCRIBE are correct, then the instrument
continues to the next question. If GENID_CONFIRM is
answered “No” indicating that the responses recorded in the
instrument for GENID_BIRTH and GENID_DESCRIBE are
not correct, then the instrument takes you back to
GENID_BIRTH and GENID_DESCRIBE to ask those
questions again. The instrument will allow the interview to
continue to the next question once the household member
answers “Yes” to GENID_CONFIRM.
Precodes for GENID_CONFIRM
Precode (1)
Yes
If “Yes,” select precode (1).
Precode (2)
No
If “No,” select precode (2).
Precode (3)
Refused
If “Refused,” select precode (3).
Precode (4)
Don’t know
If “Don’t Know,” select precode (4).
Sexual Orientation
and Gender Identity
FAQs
A respondent may ask you why you are asking them this
question. If so, reference the FAQs tab, and read the
appropriate response. The FAQs available are listed in detail
on pages B3-39.
Introduction and Screening Items
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Part B, Chapter 3
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Have you ever served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces, Reserves, or National Guard?
Mark one box
1
2
3
4
Never served in the military
Only on active duty for training in the Reserves or National Guard
Now on active duty
On active duty in the past, but not now
ACTIVE_DUTY
VETERAN STATUS
The NCVS collects data on the past and present military service
of household members (ACTIVE_DUTY and
ACTIVE_DUTYWHEN).
The veteran status questions are intended to accurately count
men and women who are currently on active duty in the Armed
Forces as well as those who have served on active duty in the
past (even for a short time) and are now considered veterans.
A respondent serving in the U.S. Armed Force, Reserves, or
National Guard is considered to be on active duty at the time of
interview in the:
U.S. Army,
U.S. Navy,
U.S. Air Force,
U.S. Marine Corps,
U.S. Coast Guard,
Reserve branch of any of the above Armed Services
and is currently on active duty status for several months,
U.S. Public Health Service as commissioned officers
who are attached to any branch of the above Armed
Services,
National Guard in Federal Service (If his/her unit has
become part of regular forces by Presidential Order),
and
U.S. military academies as Cadets (for example, West
Point, Naval Academy, Air Force Academy, and the
Coast Guard Academy).
Introduction and Screening Items
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Part B, Chapter 3
Each of the military services has a regular component and a
reserve component. Members of the regular component of
any branch of the Armed Forces are always considered to be on
active duty, unless they are retired. Members of the reserve
component of any branch of the Armed Forces are only
considered to be on active duty when they have been called to
active duty by military order and are currently on active duty for
several months.
Who Gets the Item(s)?
Asked of all persons 18 years of age or older.
After the first interview, only asked of persons age 18 to 39
years of age who previously answered “Never served in the
military,” “Don’t Know,” or “Refused.”
When is Item Asked?
Asked at 1st interview or if never asked before.
Asked at subsequent interviews if “Never served in the
military,” “Don’t Know,” or “Refused” at prior interview.
Precodes for
ACTIVE_DUTY
If the respondent gives you a general answer of “Yes” to the
ACTIVE_DUTY question, probe to find out if it was active duty
for training in the Reserves or National Guard (precode 2), if
they are on active duty now (precode 3), or were on active duty
only in the past (precode 4).
Precode (1)
Never served in the
military
Respondent never served in the U.S. Armed Forces, Reserves,
or National Guard.
Precode (2)
Only on active duty for
training in Reserves or
National Guard
Respondent trained for active duty in the Reserves or National
Guard, but was never called to service. Always consider
members of the regular service as on active duty. Members of
the Reserve service are considered to be on active duty if they
are called to service by a military order, such as the Gulf War.
Do not include weekend training for the Reserves or National
Guard as being on active duty.
Precode (3)
Now on active duty
Respondent is NOW on active duty in the U. S. Armed Forces,
Reserves, or National Guard. Refer to the definition above.
Precode (4)
On duty in the past, but not
now
Respondent served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces,
Reserves, or National Guard in the past, but is not now serving.
Introduction and Screening Items
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When did you serve on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces?
Mark all that apply, even if just for part of the time period
If needed, probe: Any other time period?
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
September 2001 or later
August 1990 to August 2001 (including Persian Gulf War)
May 1975 to July 1990
Vietnam era (August 1964 to April 1975)
February 1955 to July 1964
Korean War (July 1950 to January 1955)
January 1947 to June 1950
World War II (December 1941 to December 1946)
November 1941 or earlier
ACTIVE_DUTYWHEN
If the respondent has served on active duty, ACTIVE_DUTYWHEN when is asked.
Precodes for
ACTIVE_DUTYWHEN
When asking the ACTIVE_DUTYWHEN question, probing
may be necessary to capture all periods of service from the
household member.
It is common for a veteran to be discharged and re-enter
military service in another period. For example, a veteran
may have served during WWII, was discharged, and then
re-entered military service during the Korean War.
Probe by asking, “Any other time period?” to ensure that you
select each period the respondent was on active duty.
Select all that apply, i.e. mark a box for each period in which
the person served, even if just for part of the period.
Introduction and Screening Items
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Part B, Chapter 3
Did you have a job or work at a business LAST WEEK?
If necessary: Do not include volunteer work or work around the house.
If farm or business operator in household, ask about unpaid work
1 Yes
2 No
JOBLASTWEEK
JOBLASTWEEK
Item JOBLASTWEEK is asked to determine if the
respondent had a job AT ALL during the week before the
interview. This could be a full-time or part-time job for salary
or wages working for a business, government agency, or
self-employed. Do NOT include volunteer work for which the
respondent was not paid. You only see this screen if the
respondent is at least 16 years of age.
For the NCVS, a job is defined as any activity that is done
for pay, wages, salary, commission, tips, or payment "in
kind," or that is done without pay on a family farm or for a
family business. If someone in the household has a farm or
a business, make sure to probe by asking the respondent
about any unpaid work last week for the family farm or
business.
Precode (1)
Enter Precode (1), "Yes," if the respondent had a job or
worked at a business at any time during the week prior to
the interview, even if the respondent was on vacation or
temporarily absent due to sickness or some other reason.
After entering Precode (1), "Yes," continue with Item
JOBDESCRIPTION.
Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2), "No," if the respondent did not have a job
or work at a business during the week prior to the interview.
Also, enter Precode (2) if a respondent receives scholarship
money while attending school (even if it is in excess of the
cost of tuition, textbooks, late fees, and so on) AND does
not have a job. After entering Precode (2), "No," continue
with Item JOBDURINGREFPERIOD.
Introduction and Screening Items
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Part B, Chapter 3
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Ask or verify:
Did you have a job or work at a business DURING THE LAST 6 MONTHS?
1 Yes
2 No
JOBDURINGREFPERIOD
JOBDURINGREF
PERIOD
Item JOBDURINGREFPERIOD is asked to determine
whether the respondent had a job or worked at a business
at any time during the 6 months prior to the interview. You
only see this screen when the respondent did not have a job
or work at a business during the week before the interview.
Precode (1)
Enter Precode (1), "Yes," if the respondent had a job or
worked at a business at any time during the 6 months prior
to the interview, even if the respondent was away from work
during some of that time for a vacation or illness. After
entering Precode (1), continue with Item
JOBLAST2WEEKS.
Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2), "No," if the respondent did not have a job
or work at a business at any time during the 6 months prior
to the interview. After entering Precode (2), continue with
the NEXTPERSON screen (In some cases Items
BESTTIME_NOSUNDAY and/or OTHER_LANGUAGE
may appear if they have not been answered in previous
enumerations). (If the respondent is the household
respondent, however, and the household is in its first, third,
fifth, or seventh interview period, the instrument goes to
Item HOUSEHOLDINCOME.)
Introduction and Screening Items
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Did that (job/work) last 2 consecutive weeks or more?
1 Yes
2 No
JOBLAST2WEEKS
JOBLAST2WEEKS
Once the respondent tells you in Item
JOBDURINGREFPERIOD that he/she had a job or worked
at a business during the 6 months before the interview, then
you will ask the question in Item JOBLAST2WEEKS to
determine whether that job or work lasted for 2 or more
consecutive weeks.
Precode (1)
Enter Precode (1), "Yes," when the respondent has worked
at least 2 consecutive weeks at the job or business
mentioned in Item JOBDURINGREFPERIOD. After
entering Precode (1), continue with Item
JOBDESCRIPTION.
Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2), "No," when the job or work mentioned in
Item JOBDURINGREFPERIOD did NOT last for at least 2
consecutive weeks. After entering Precode (2), continue
with the NEXTPERSON screen. (If the respondent is the
household respondent, however, and the household is in its
first, third, fifth, or seventh interview period, the instrument
goes to Item HOUSEHOLDINCOME.)
Introduction and Screening Items
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(Page 16)
Ask or verify:
Which of the following best describes your job?
Were you employed in the -Read each category until respondent says “Yes,” then enter appropriate precode
11 Medical Profession?
12 Mental Health Services Field?
13 Teaching Profession?
14 Law Enforcement or Security Field?
15 Retail Sales?
16 Transportation Field?
17 Something else?
JOBDESCRIPTION
JOBDESCRIPTION
Item JOBDESCRIPTION is used to identify whether the
respondent's job is in one of the job classifications which
may increase or decrease his/her likelihood of becoming a
victim of crime. Item JOBDESCRIPTION allows you to
verify a known answer without asking the question first. If
you need to ask this question, make sure to read each
answer category until you get a “Yes” response.
Note the book icon and page reference at the top left of the
screen. This tells you that there is a corresponding page in
the Information Card Booklet (NCVS-554). During personal
visit interviews, show the “Employment” flashcard to the
respondent so they can see the categories. Ask the
question in Item JOBDESCRIPTION, then ask the
respondent to identify on the flashcard the job category that
best describes his/her job. If the respondent cannot find a
job category that describes his/her job, use the “Something
else” answer category and enter the respondent’s job title at
the “Specify” screen.
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If the respondent worked at more than one type of job during
the past six months, enter the precode for the category at
which the respondent worked the MOST hours. If the
respondent worked at more than one type of job during the
past six months AND spent the same amount of time at
each job, enter the precode for the first category mentioned.
Once you identify the general job category from one of the
seven category headings in Item JOBDESCRIPTION, then
one of the following screens appears to further identify the
respondent’s job.
If you enter Precode (11), Medical Profession, Item
MEDICALJOB appears.
If you enter Precode (12), Mental Health Services Field,
Item MENTALHEALTHJOB appears.
If you enter Precode (13), Teaching Profession, Item
TEACHINGJOB appears.
If you enter Precode (14), Law Enforcement or Security
Field, Item LAWENFORCEJOB appears.
If you enter Precode (15), Retail Sales, Item
RETAILSALESJOB appears.
If you enter Precode (16), Transportation Field, Item
TRANSPORTJOB appears.
If you enter Precode (17), Something Else, Item
JOBDESCRIPTIONSPEC appears.
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Employed in the Medical Profession
If not in the medical profession, back up to JOBDESCRIPTION and change answer
As a- Read each category
11 Physician?
12 Nurse?
13 Technician?
14 Other Medical Profession? - Specify
MEDICALJOB
MEDICALJOB
If the respondent’s answer is “Other” and you enter Precode
(14), a “Specify” answer screen, Item MEDICALJOBSPEC
appears. Enter the type of medical profession at
MEDICALJOBSPEC.
Employed in the Mental Health Services Field:
If not in Mental Health Services Field, back up to JOBDESCRIPTION and change answer
Are your duties - Read each category
15 Professional (Social worker/psychiatrist)?
16 Custodial care?
17 Some other Mental Health Services Profession ?- Specify
MENTALHEALTHJOB
MENTALHEALTHJOB
If the respondent answers “Other” and you enter Precode
(17), a “Specify” answer screen, Item
MENTALHEALTHJOBSPEC appears. Enter the type of
mental health services job at MENTALHEALTHJOBSPEC.
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Employed in the Teaching Profession
If not in the Teaching Profession, back up to JOBDESCRIPTION and change answer
Were you employed in a- Read each category
18 Preschool?
19 Elementary?
20 Junior high or middle school?
21. High school?
22 College or university?
23 Technical or industrial school?
24 Special education facility?
25 Other Teaching Profession? - Specify
TEACHINGJOB
TEACHINGJOB
If the respondent answers “Other” and you enter Precode
(25), a “Specify” answer screen, Item TEACHJOBSPEC
appears. Enter the type of job in the teaching profession in
TEACHJOBSPEC.
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Employed in the Law Enforcement or Security Field:
If not in the Law Enforcement or Security Field, back up to JOBDESCRIPTION and change answer
Were you employed as a- Read each category
26 Law enforcement officer?
27 Prison or jail guard?
28 Security guard?
29 Other Law Enforcement Profession? - Specify
LAWENFORCEJOB
LAWENFORCEJOB
If the respondent answers “Other” and you enter Precode
(29), a “Specify” answer screen, Item
LAWENFORCEJOBSPEC appears. Enter the type of job in
the law enforcement or security field in
LAWENFORCEJOBSPEC.
Employed in retail sales
If not in Retail Sales, back up to JOBDESCRIPTION and change answer
Were you employed as a- Read each category
30 Convenience or liquor store clerk?
31 Gas station attendant?
32 Bartender?
33 Other Retail Sales Profession? - Specify
RETAILSALESJOB
RETAILSALESJOB
If the respondent answers “Other” and you enter Precode
(33), a “Specify” screen RETAILSALESJOBSPEC
appears. Enter the type of job in retail sales in
RETAILSALESJOBSPEC.
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Employed in the Transportation Field
If not in Transportation Field, back up to JOBDESCRIPTION and change answer
Were you employed as a- Read each category
34 Bus driver?
35 Taxi cab driver?
36 Other Transportation Field Profession? - Specify
TRANSPORTJOB
TRANSPORTJOB
If the respondent answers “Other” and you enter Precode
(36), a “Specify” answer screen TRANSPORTJOBSPEC
appears; enter the type of job in the transportation field.
Please specify the job not covered in the answer categories 11-16 in JOBDESCRIPTION
JOBDESCRIPTIONSPEC
JOBDESCRIPTIONSPEC
If you enter Precode (17) at Item JOBDESCRIPTION, the
instrument prompts you to enter the respondent’s
occupation in JOBDESCRIPTIONSPEC.
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Ask or verify:
Is your job with- Read each category
1
2
3
4
A private company, business, or individual for wages?
The Federal government?
A State, county, or local government?
Yourself (Self-employed) in your own business, professional practice, or farm?
EMPLOYERTYPECURRENT
EMPLOYERTYPE
CURRENT
Item EMPLOYERTYPECURRENT is used to determine
whether the respondent's job or work is with:
A private company, business, or individual for wages,
Precode (1).
The Federal government, Precode (2).
A State, county, or local government, Precode (3).
The respondent's own business, professional practice,
or farm (self-employed), Precode (4).
This item allows you to verify a known answer with the
respondent without asking the question.
Precode (1)
Enter Precode (1) when a respondent worked for a
PRIVATE employer for wages, salary, commission, tips,
piece-rates, or pay in kind. Also enter Precode (1) for
respondents who worked for pay for churches, unions, and
other private nonprofit organizations.
Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2) when a respondent:
Worked for any branch of the Federal government.
Was elected to a paid Federal office.
Was a member of the Armed Forces.
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Was employed by an international organization (for
example, the United Nations) or a foreign government.
Precode (3)
Enter Precode (3) when a respondent worked in any branch
of a state, county, or local government. This also includes
respondents who were elected to paid state, county, or local
offices.
Precode (4)
Enter Precode (4) when a respondent was self-employed
for profit or fees in his/her OWN business, farm, shop,
office, practice, and so on.
Are you employed by a college or university?
1 Yes
2 No
COLLEGEEMPLOYER
COLLEGEEMPLOYER
Item COLLEGEEMPLOYER is used to determine whether
a respondent is employed by a college or university. If the
respondent indicated in Item TEACHINGJOB that he/she
was a teacher employed by a college or university and you
entered Precode (22), the instrument skips over Item
COLLEGEEMPLOYER and continues with Item
CURRENTJOBMSATYPE.
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While working at your job, do you work mostly in- Read each category
1
2
3
4
A city?
Suburban area?
Rural area?
Or combination of any of these?
CURRENTJOBMSATYPE
CURRENTJOBMSATYPE
Item CURRENTJOBMSATYPE is asked to find out if a
respondent works in a city, suburban area, rural area, or a
combination of any of these areas. If the respondent was a
victim of crime while on the job, we can use this information
to determine if specific areas are more prone to crime.
Read each answer category as part of the question. Most
respondents will know the correct response, so let the
respondent decide which type of area. When a respondent
worked for more than one employer, enter the precode for
the area in which he/she worked the greater number of
hours. If a respondent works offshore, such as on an aircraft
carrier, the answer to Item CURRENTJOBMSATYPE must
be based on the ship's home harbor. Avoid entering
Precode (4), "Combination of any of these?" unless a
respondent insists that the area he/she worked in MOST of
the time was a combination of city, suburban, and rural.
BESTTIME_NOSUNDAY
Item BESTTIME_NOSUNDAY allows you to review or
update the interview time preference for the household.
After reviewing the time preference, press "1" to continue.
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Part B, Chapter 3
Topic 5. Informing the Household Respondent,
Household Income, Other Languages, End Screens,
and Choosing the Next Respondent to Interview
I need to interview all other household members age 12 and older and will be asking them the
same questions I asked you about crime.
(1) Enter 1 to continue
INFORM_HHR
INFORM_HHR
This screen appears after the household respondent has
completed their interview, including the employment
section, but only when there is at least one household
member between12-17 years old. Otherwise, the
instrument skips over this screen and goes to
HOUSEHOLDINCOME. Read the text to the respondent as
shown.
During the months when a supplement is being conducted,
this screen contains additional text to read to the household
respondent regarding asking the supplement questions of
household members under the age of 18. (For example,
when the school crime supplement is conducted, the
instrument also displays: “Additionally, I will be asking
household members age 12 through 17 some questions on
school-related crime.)
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(Which category on this card represents/Which category represents) the TOTAL combined income of
all members of this HOUSEHOLD during the past 12 months? This includes money from jobs, net
income from business, farm or rent, pensions, dividends, interest, Social Security payments, and any
other money income received by members of this HOUSEHOLD who are 14 years of age or older.
Which category represents the TOTAL HOUSEHOLD income during the past 12 months?
11 Less than $5,000
12 $5,000 to $7,499
13 $7,500 to $9,999
14 $10,000 to $12,499
15 $12,500 to $14,999
16 $15,000 to $17,499
17 $17,500 to $19,999
18 $20,000 to $24,999
19 $25,000 to $29,999
20 $30,000 to $34,999
21 $35,000 to $39,999
22 $40,000 to $49,999
23 $50,000 to $74,999
24 $75,000 to $99,999
25 $100,000 to $149,999
26 $150,000 to $199,999
27 $200,000 or more
HOUSEHOLDINCOME
HOUSEHOLDINCOME
The NCVS instrument brings up Item
HOUSEHOLDINCOME only during the household
respondent’s interview and then only in the first, third, fifth,
and seventh enumeration periods. If necessary, explain to
the household respondent that we do not need him/her to
identify the specific total household income, just the income
range in which it falls.
For personal visit interviews
Just before reading the question in Item
HOUSEHOLDINCOME, show the household respondent
the flashcard in your Information Card Booklet (NCVS-554)
and then ask the HOUSEHOLDINCOME question to
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determine the household’s total combined income. After
reading the question, allow the respondent time to read the
categories, make an estimate, and respond. When
necessary, help the respondent by adding each household
member’s income and/or the income from all sources to get
the total combined income.
For telephone interviews
In most cases, after the first personal visit interview, the
remaining interviews at the sample address are conducted
by telephone. Read the question and each income category
until the respondent identifies the appropriate category.
What to Include
Respondents may ask about what type of income to include
in the combined household income. Include the following
types of income:
Income received from jobs
Net income from business, farm, or rent
Pensions
Dividends and interest
Social security payments
Alimony and child support
Public assistance
Any other money received by household members who
are 14 years of age and older.
We are interested in the household's combined income
during the 12 months immediately preceding the interview
date --not the last calendar year-- unless they happen to
coincide. Do not specifically ask a household respondent to
look for tax records; however, a respondent can use income
tax records to help him/her to compare the last calendar
year's income with the income in the 12-month period
preceding the interview.
Make sure that the answer includes the money income
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received during the 12 months immediately preceding the
interview and covers the reference person and each
household member who is 14 years of age and older. Do not
include income from nonhousehold persons who are listed
in the household roster. If necessary, name each household
member who is 14 years of age and older, so that the
household respondent understands whose money income
we want to include. Remember that you can access the
household roster by pressing the “Shift” and “F1" keys
simultaneously. You can also click the “HH Roster” tab at
the top left of the screen.
What to Exclude
We do not want the household respondent to include:
"In kind" income, such as room and board, free meals in
a restaurant, value of crops produced by a farmer and
consumed by his family, and so on.
Insurance payments or lump-sum inheritances.
Occasional gifts of money from persons not living in the
household or any exchanges of money between
relatives living in the same household.
Money received from selling one's own home, car, or
other personal property.
Savings withdrawals from banks.
Tax refunds.
Income from nonhousehold persons who are listed in
the household roster.
Special Situations for
Item HOUSEHOLD
INCOME
If a household respondent reports no income, a loss, or that
they "broke even," enter Precode (11), "Less than $5,000."
Before accepting an answer of "No income," make sure that
the household respondent understands what type of income
we want included and from which persons in the household.
In difficult cases, try to assist the household respondent by
probing to find out:
Which household members worked during the last 12
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months.
How much money each working household member (14
years of age and older) earned each week or pay
period.
Whether or not any household members (14 years of
age and older) operated a business or a farm during the
last 12 months.
Whether or not any household members (14 years of
age and older) received a pension, dividends, interest,
etc.
Avoid "Don't know" or "Refused" answers if possible.
Reassuring
Respondents
You may encounter a household respondent who knows the
household income, but is reluctant to tell you because
he/she does not think we need to know or does not see why
it would be necessary for the survey. If so, explain that
information such as income, race, and sex are
essential for providing statistics which reflect the
crime experiences for various segments of the United
States population.
If number was previously collected, verify number is still current
What is the telephone number where you would like to be called?
Respondent's current number:
Enter 0 for no telephone number or no modifications to previously collected phone number
RESPONDENTPHONENUMBER
RESPONDENTPHONE
NUMBER
RESPONDENTPHONENUMBER is asked at the
conclusion of a completed interview; it allows you to collect
a different phone number for each household member. If the
number was previously collected, verify that it is still a
current number. Enter 0 (zero) for no telephone number or if
no modifications to a previously collected phone number are
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necessary.
The instrument then goes to RESPONDENTPHONETYPE
(if a phone number is entered) or RESPINTERVIEWLANG
(if no phone number is entered).
What type of phone is this (for example, a home, office, or cell phone)?
1 Home
2 Work
3 Cell/digital
4 Beep/page/service
5 Pay phone
6 Toll free
7 Other
8 Fax
RESPONDENTPHONETYPE
RESPONDENTPHONE
TYPE
RESPONDENTPHONETYPE asks what type of phone the
number is. Enter the appropriate precode. The instrument
goes to RESPINTERVIEWLANG.
Was this respondent’s interview conducted in a language other than English?
1 Yes
2 No
RESPINTERVIEWLANG
RESPINTERVIEWLANG
RESPINTERVIEWLANG is asked to find out if the
respondent’s interview was conducted in a language
other than English. Enter Precode (1) for “Yes” and the
instrument goes to WHICH_LANG. Enter Precode (2) for
“No” and the instrument goes to ENDPERSON.
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What language was the respondent’s interview conducted in?
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Spanish
French
Russian
German
Vietnamese
Chinese
Korean
Tagalog
Asian
Japanese
Germanic
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
Dutch
Norwegian
Swedish
Arabic
Greek
Italian
Polish
Portuguese
Urdu
Other-Specify
Don't know
WHICH_LANG
WHICH_LANG
Item WHICH_LANG asks, “What language was the
respondent’s interview conducted in?”
Enter the precode for the appropriate language. If the
language is not on this list, enter Precode (21), “OtherSpecify,” and the instrument takes you to Item
LANG_SPEC, where you specify the appropriate language.
Specify the other language spoken
LANG_SPEC
LANG_SPEC
In LANG_SPEC, enter the “other” language spoken. This
item allows 30 characters.
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You have completed this respondent’s interview
***Do not F10 from this screen***
Enter 1 to continue
ENDPERSON
ENDPERSON
Item ENDPERSON appears when you have completed the
individual respondent’s interview. DO NOT F10 to exit the
instrument from ENDPERSON; doing so may cause loss of
all collected data and necessitate restarting the case.
There are no more incidents to report.
***Do not F10 from this screen***
Enter 1 to continue
ENDSCREENER
ENDSCREENER
Item ENDSCREENER appears when there are no more
incident reports to complete for this screener, as well as no
more incidents for this respondent. DO NOT F10 to exit the
instrument from ENDSCREENER; doing so may cause loss
of all collected data and necessitate restarting the case.
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Current incident report is over
***Do not F10 from this screen***
Enter (1) to continue
ENDINCIDENT
ENDINCIDENT
Item ENDINCIDENT appears after each incident report to
let you know that the report has been completed. This
screen is also used by the instrument to close the incident
report, which is why it is important not to press F10 at this
item. If you press F10, it may cause the loss of all collected
data and necessitate restarting the case.
***Do not F10 from this screen***
LN NAME
STATUS HRESP
REL
SEX AGE
1
2
DONE-Int
NEED SELF
Ref Person
Husband
F
M
Megan Moe
Ted Moe
25
29
I also need to talk with Ted Moe.
Is Ted Moe at home now?
Enter person’s line number for next interview
***Do not F10 from this screen***
2 Ted Moe
31 Respondent refused FOR someone else
33 No other person available now
NEXTPERSON
NEXTPERSON
Item NEXTPERSON appears when there are other eligible
household members who still need to complete the NCVS
interview. The line number of each household member is
displayed, along with the person’s name, interview status,
relation, sex, and age. Select the next person in the
household to be interviewed at Item NEXTPERSON.
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The question text for Item NEXTPERSON changes
depending on how many household members remain to be
interviewed. For one more household member interview,
the screen display is as shown above. If there is more than
one household member remaining to interview, the screen
display says, “I also need to talk with (names). Are any of
them at home now?”
Select Precode (31) “Respondent refused for someone
else,” if the respondent refused the interview for some other
household member. Select Precode (33), “No other person
available now,” if no other person is currently available and
the interviews for the household are not complete.
DO NOT F10 to exit the instrument from NEXTPERSON;
doing so may cause loss of all collected data and
necessitate restarting the case. Instead, use Precode (33)
to exit the case.
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Part B, Chapter 4
Chapter 4
Middle Section of the NCVS Instrument:
Incident Report Items
Table of Topics
Topic
1
2
3
Screen Layout and Instructions for Items
INCIDENTINTRO through HAPPEN
Page
B4-2
Screen Layout and Instructions for Items
ONEORMOREOFFENDERS through
ANYTHINGFURTHER
B4-128
Screen Layout and Instructions for Items
DOINGATINCIDENTTIME through SUMMARY
B4-230
Incident Report Items
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Topic 1. Screen Layout and Instructions for
Items INCIDENTINTRO Through HAPPEN
Talking to: John Doe
Asking about: John Doe
● Starting the First Incident Report
***DO NOT F10 FROM THIS SCREEN***
You said before that during the last 6 months:
L1's bike stolen from carport
Frequency:
1 time(s)
***DO NOT F10 FROM THIS SCREEN***
INCIDENTINTRO
INCIDENTINTRO
INCIDENTINTRO marks the beginning of the incident
report section in the middle of the NCVS instrument.
This section gathers a variety of information about
each reported incidence of crime that occurred during
the respondent’s six-month reference period. It is
important to record accurate and complete information
so that we get a clear picture of what happened during
the incident. This screen also identifies:
The person to whom you are speaking.
The household member about whom you are
asking these questions.
The brief description of the incident that you
entered in the screening section of the instrument.
The number of times the incident happened as
reported in the screening item.
The instrument changes the display of the first
interviewer instruction based on which incident report
you are starting. For the first incident report for a
screener question, the instrument displays “First.” For
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subsequent incidents reported in the same screen
question, the instrument fills in the word “Next.”
Once you are done reviewing this screen, enter
Precode (1) to continue to Item INCIDENTADDRESS
or INCIDENTDATE based on the number of months
the respondent has lived at the sample address, as
determined earlier in the interview in
TIMEATADDRESS. If the respondent has lived at the
sample address for more than six months, the
instrument continues with Item INCIDENTDATE. If
multiple incidents are reported, when you complete one
crime report, you then return to this screen for each
remaining incident. Do not F10 from Item
INCIDENTINTRO; doing so may result in loss of data
and necessitate restarting the case.
Once you start to complete a crime incident report in
this section, you must finish it, with the exception of
incidents that happened outside of the respondent’s
reference period. For all other situations, it is important
to finish this section once you begin, as you may
discover that an additional NCVS crime has occurred in
conjunction with the original crime.
Asking about:
JOHN DOE
Did (this/the first) incident happen while you were living here or before you moved to this
address?
1 While living at this address
2 Before moving to this address
INCIDENTADDRESS
INCIDENTADDRESS
If the household member has lived at the sample
address for 6 months or less, then the NCVS
instrument brings up Item INCIDENTADDRESS in
order to determine if the reported incident occurred
while the household member:
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Lived at the sample address or
Lived at a previous address.
Before asking the question for Item
INCIDENTADDRESS, always read the lead-in
statement, which includes the incident description that
you entered in the screening question. When the
incident reported in a screen question happened ONLY
ONE TIME during the reference period, read the
question text as follows: “Did this incident happen
while you were living here or before your moved to
this address?”
If more than one incident was reported for a screen
question, read the question for Item
INCIDENTADDRESS as follows: “Did the first
incident happen...?” For subsequent incidents from a
screen question, read the question for Item
INCIDENTADDRESS as follows: “Did this incident
happen...?”
Based on the respondent's answer, enter either
Precode (1), "While living at this address," or Precode
(2), "Before moving to this address." The instrument
then goes to Item INCIDENTDATE.
In what month did (this/the first) incident happen?
Reference Period:
July: 2016
January: 2017
● Encourage respondent to give exact month
1 January
2 February
3 March
4 April
5 May
6 June
7 July
8 August
9 September
10 October
11 November
12 December
97 Don’t know exact month within reference period
INCIDENTDATE
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INCIDENTDATE
Part B, Chapter 4
Item INCIDENTDATE is used to determine the month and
year in which the incident occurred. Encourage
respondents to give an exact month. When necessary,
probe with holidays or other special events to help the
respondent identify an exact month of occurrence.
Enter the 1- or 2-digit precode to identify the month in
which the incident happened. It is not necessary to enter
a 2-digit precode for the months of January through
September, because the instrument will accept a 1-digit
precode. As a last resort, enter Precode (97) when a
respondent cannot identify the exact month of
occurrence.
When the incident reported in a screen question
happened ONLY ONE TIME during the reference
period, ask INCIDENTDATE this way:
“In what month did this incident happen?”
When the incident reported in a screen question
happened MORE THAN ONE TIME, you must ask
questions about each incident that occurred during
the reference period separately. Ask the question in
INCIDENTDATE based on the number of incidents
reported.
For the first incident, ask, “In what month did the
first incident happen?”
For subsequent incidents ask, “In what month did
this incident happen?”
Repeat as necessary for all other occurrences.
Date is Outside of Reference
Period
The reference period is displayed in the upper right of the
INCIDENTDATE screen as shown above. If the
respondent's answer to Item INCIDENTDATE is a month
outside of his/her reference period, remind the
respondent of the starting and ending dates for his/her
reference period.
When the respondent still gives you a date outside of
his/her reference period, enter the appropriate precode
for the month given by the respondent. After entering a
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precode for a month outside of the respondent’s
reference period, the following edit check appears:
● If necessary:
Did you say June?
Questions involved
Value
INCIDENTDATE: Incident month verify June
Suppress Close Goto
If the month reported or entered is incorrect and the
incident happened within the reference period, click
“Goto.” The instrument goes back to INCIDENTDATE so
you can record the correct month.
If you verify at the edit check that the incident was
entered or reported incorrectly and happened outside of
the respondent’s reference period, click “Suppress.” This
makes the incident out-of-scope and no further questions
are asked about that incident.
We are only asking about crimes that happened during
the last 6 months. We will not collect information on this
incident.
OSINCNOTNEEDED
Once you click “Suppress,” the instrument goes to Item
OSINCNOTNEEDED, where you read, “We are only
asking about crimes that happened during the last 6
months. We will not collect information on this
incident.” Enter (1) to continue.
Incident Report Items
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Part B, Chapter 4
Did you have anything (else) like this happen between
July 2016 and January 2017?
INCIDENTDATEPROBE
Item INCIDENTDATEPROBE appears: “Did you have
anything like this happen between July 2016 and
January 2017?” Choose the appropriate precode: (1) for
“Yes” and (2) for “No.” If you choose “Yes,” the instrument
goes back to INCIDENTINTRO to collect an incident
report for that incident. If you choose “No,” the current
incident entry is deleted.
If you delete the incident, the instrument goes to Item
INC_REDUCE in order for you to record the reason why
the incident is being deleted.
● Briefly explain why the number of incidents is being
reduced.
INC_REDUCE
When an incident is deleted, enter a description of why
you deleted that incident, such as “Incident occurred in
June; outside of reference period.”
If the same type of incident occurred more than once
AND one or more of the incidents happened during the
reference period, click “Close” or “Goto” at the edit check.
Complete the incident report items for each in-scope
incident.
Incident Report Items
B4-7
Part B, Chapter 4
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
● If unsure, ask:
Altogether, how many times did this type of incident happen during the last 6 months?
● Number of incidents recorded for this screening question: 7
INCIDENTNUMBEROFTIMES
INCIDENTNUMBEROF TIMES
Item INCIDENTNUMBEROFTIMES is used to record,
for a specific screen question, the total number of times
that the incident happened during the reference period.
It is also the first item used to determine whether there
are multiple incidents reported for a screen question
that could qualify as a series of crimes.
If you are already sure what the total number is, enter
the number of incidents without asking the question in
Item INCIDENTNUMBEROFTIMES. This screen
always shows the number of incidents reported earlier
in the screen question.
Always record the exact number of incidents and only
include incidents that happened during the respondent's
reference period. The instrument does not permit you to
enter a range of numbers (for example, 1-4).
Whenever a respondent seems unsure, probe to arrive
at an exact number or at least his/her best estimate. Do
not rush the respondent and allow sufficient time for the
respondent to recall information about the incidents.
Use neutral probes to help arrive at an exact number or
the respondent's best estimate, such as "Thinking back,
can you recall what you were doing or what was
happening in your life at the time of the incidents?"
If the entry in Item INCIDENTNUMBEROFTIMES is
less than or equal to the number entered in the
screener question, the instrument continues with either:
Item INCIDENTTIME when less than six incidents
were reported,
Incident Report Items
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Part B, Chapter 4
OR
Item INCIDENTSSIMILAR when six or more
incidents were reported in Item
INCIDENTNUMBEROFTIMES.
When the number of incidents entered at Item
INCIDENTNUMBEROFTIMES does not match the
number of incidents recorded earlier in the interview at
the screening item, INCIDENTTIMESPROBE appears:
● Number of incidents recorded in
INCIDENTNUMBEROFTIMES: 2 is GREATER than the
number of incidents recorded for this screening
question: 1
● Information will be collected for 2 incidents.
● Enter 1 to continue
INCIDENTTIMESPROBE
INCIDENTTIMESPROBE alerts you to the difference in
the number of incidents and lets you know that you will
be completing a separate set of the incident report
items for each incident recorded at
INCIDENTNUMBEROFTIMES.
If you enter a number of incidents in
INCIDENTTIMESPROBE between 1 and 5, the
instrument continues with INCIDENTTIME because the
multiple incidents automatically disqualify as a series of
crimes and, therefore, you must complete a separate
set of incident report items for each incident. Failure to
do so will result in either the respondent classifying as a
noninterview or the household classifying as a
noninterview. If you enter 6 or more incidents in Item
INCIDENTNUMBEROFTIMES, continue with Item
INCIDENTSSIMILAR.
Incident Report Items
B4-9
Part B, Chapter 4
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
● If unsure, ask:
Are these incidents similar to each other in detail or are they for different types of crimes?
1 Similar
2 Different (not a series)
INCIDENTSSIMILAR
INCIDENTSSIMILAR
Item INCIDENTSSIMILAR is used to determine whether the
multiple incidents are very similar to each other or whether
the incidents involve different types of crimes. The incidents
entered in Item INCIDENTNUMBEROFTIMES must be
very similar to each other in detail to qualify as a series
of crimes. If you are not sure which precode to enter, ask the
respondent the question in Item INCIDENTSSIMILAR.
Precode (1)
Enter Precode (1), “Similar,” if ALL the incidents entered in
Item INCIDENTNUMBEROFTIMES are very similar to
each other in detail. For example, a respondent reported
seven separate incidents that occurred during the reference
period in which money was stolen from her desk at work. In
each of these incidents, money was stolen from her desk at
work and she was not victimized in any other way that might
classify as a different type of NCVS crime. Therefore, enter
Precode (1). After entering Precode (1), continue with
RECALLDETAILS.
Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2), “Different (“not a series”),” when there are
facts for some of the incidents entered in Item
INCIDENTNUMBEROFTIMES that differentiate them from
one another. After entering Precode (2), continue with Item
INCIDENTTIME, because these incidents do not qualify as a
series of crimes. For example, a respondent reported seven
separate incidents all of which took place in the same parking
garage during the reference period. For two of the incidents,
the offender threatened to sexually assault her. For the
remaining five incidents, someone broke into her car and
stole unattached items, such as a coat, music CDs, and so
on. In this example, we do NOT have at least 6 very similar
incidents, so enter Precode (2).
Incident Report Items
B4-10
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 4
● If unsure, ask:
Can you recall enough details of each incident to distinguish them from each other?
1 Yes (not a series)
2 No (is a series)
RECALLDETAILS
RECALLDETAILS
Item RECALLDETAILS is used to determine whether the
multiple incidents meet the final criteria for a series of
crimes. If you are not sure whether the respondent can
recall enough facts about each incident to distinguish them
from one another, ask the question of the respondent before
entering a precode for this item.
Precode (1)
Enter Precode (1) when the respondent can remember
enough facts to distinguish the incidents from one another,
so that you can complete most of the required incident
report questions for each incident. By entering Precode (1),
you are confirming that the multiple incidents are NOT a
series of crimes. Therefore, you will complete a separate set
of incident report questions for each incident entered in Item
INCIDENTNUMBEROFTIMES. After entering Precode (1),
continue with Item INCIDENTTIME.
Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2) when the respondent cannot remember
enough facts to distinguish the multiple incidents from one
another, so that it would be impossible to complete a
separate set of incident report questions for each incident
entered in Item INCIDENTNUMBEROFTIMES. By entering
Precode (2), you are confirming that the multiple incidents
entered in Item INCIDENTNUMBEROFTIMES qualify as a
series of crimes. After entering Precode (2), you will
continue with Item INCIDENTTIME; however, the following
statement will appear above the question, “The following
questions refer only to the most recent incident.”
When incidents qualify as a series of crimes, be sure to read
this lead-in statement before reading the question in Item
INCIDENTTIME.
Incident Report Items
B4-11
Part B, Chapter 4
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
(Also, see Part C, Chapter 3, Topic 2, for more
information about a series of crimes.)
About what time did this incident happen?
● During the day:
11 After 6 a.m. -- 12 noon
12 After 12 noon -- 3 p.m.
13 After 3 p.m. -- 6 p.m.
14 Don't know what time of day
● At night:
15 After 6 p.m. -- 9 p.m.
16 After 9 p.m. -- 12 midnight
17 After 12 midnight -- 6 a.m.
18 Don't know what time of night
● OR
19 Don't know whether day or night
INCIDENTTIME
INCIDENTTIME
Item INCIDENTTIME is used to determine what time of day
or night the incident happened. When completing the
incident report items for a series of crimes, read the lead-in
statement; then the question asks, “About what time did
the most recent incident happen?” This is done to remind
the respondent that we are interested in the most recent
incident in a series of crimes.
Specific Time Given
If a respondent answers with a specific time, such as 10
p.m., then enter the appropriate precode for the time given
(For example, when the answer is 10 p.m., enter Precode
(16), "After 9 p.m. - 12 midnight.") Verify whether the specific
time given is "a.m." or "p.m."
Range of Hours Given
When a respondent answers with a range of hours:
1. See if the hours given fit into one answer category. For
example, when a respondent answers with "Between 4
and 6 p.m.," enter Precode (13), "After 3 p.m. - 6 p.m.".
2. If the range of hours does not fit into one answer
category, see if the hours given are all "during the day" or
all "during the night." For example, when a respondent
answers with "Sometime between12 noon and 4 p.m.,"
Incident Report Items
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NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 4
enter Precode (14), "Don't know what time of day." If a
respondent answers with "Between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m.,"
enter Precode (18), "Don't know what time of night."
3.
Respondent Does Not
Know What Time
If the range of hours overlaps day and night answer
categories, enter Precode (19), "Don't know whether day
or night." For example, when a respondent answers with
"Sometime between 5 a.m. and 10 p.m.," enter Precode
(19), "Don't know whether day or night.”
When a respondent really does not know an exact hour or
range of hours when the incident happened and he/she tells
you that:
It happened sometime during the day, enter Precode
(14), "Don't know what time of day."
It happened sometime during the night, enter Precode
(18), "Don't know what time of night."
He/she really does not know whether it happened during
the day or during the night, enter Precode (19), "Don't
know whether day or night."
In what city, town, or village, did this incident occur?
Present residence: ANYTOWN, AK
1
2
3
4
5
Outside U.S.
Not inside a city/town/village
SAME city/town/village as present residence
DIFFERENT city/town/village from present residence - Specify
Don't know
INCIDENTPLACE
INCIDENTPLACE
Precode (1)
Item INCIDENTPLACE is one of the items designed to
establish where the crime occurred. Encourage the
respondent to be as precise as possible.
Enter Precode (1), "Outside U.S.", when the incident
happened outside of the 50 states and the District of
Incident Report Items
B4-13
Part B, Chapter 4
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Columbia. For the purposes of the NCVS, consider Puerto
Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the other U.S. territories as
being outside of the United States. After entering Precode
(1), continue with Item LOCATION_GENERAL.
Precode (2)
Precode (2), "Not inside a city/town/village," when the
incident did not happen inside the limits of a city, town, or
village. After entering Precode (2), continue with Items
INCIDENTSTATE and INCIDENTCOUNTY.
Precode (3)
Enter Precode (3), “SAME city/town/village as present
residence,” when the incident took place in the same city,
town, or village as the sample address. After entering
Precode (3), continue with Item INCIDENTAIR.
Precode (4)
Enter Precode (4), "DIFFERENT city/town/village from
present residence," when the incident happened in a
different city, town, or village from the sample address.
Make sure to enter the name of the city, town, or village
where the incident occurred on the INCIDENTPLACESPEC
screen that appears after entering Precode (4). Once you
have entered the city, town, or village where the incident
occurred, continue with Items INCIDENTSTATE and
INCIDENTCOUNTY.
Precode (5)
Enter Precode (5) when the respondent does not know
where the incident happened. Then continue with Items
INCIDENTSTATE and INCIDENTCOUNTY.
In what state did it occur?
INCIDENTSTATE
INCIDENTSTATE
When you start typing the state name in INCIDENTSTATE,
a list of states appears in a pop-up box. Select the correct
state name and press “Enter” or the “Select” radio button.
The instrument goes to INCIDENTCOUNTY.
Incident Report Items
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Part B, Chapter 4
In what county did it occur?
INCIDENTCOUNTY
INCIDENTCOUNTY
Type in the name of the county in INCIDENTCOUNTY.
Then Item COUNTYSTATE appears, which asks if this is
the same county and state as the respondent’s current
residence. If the respondent’s current address is available,
that information is displayed in item COUNTYSTATE as
shown.
● Ask or verify:
Is this the same county and state as your present residence?
● Present residence: ANYTOWN ALASKA
COUNTYSTATE
COUNTYSTATE
Any answer in COUNTYSTATE takes you to INCIDENTAIR,
which asks if the incident occurred on American Indian
land/reservation.
Did this incident occur on an American Indian Reservation or on American Indian Lands?
1 Yes
2 No
INCIDENTAIR
INCIDENTAIR
Item INCIDENTAIR is used to determine whether the
incident happened on an American Indian Reservation or on
American Indian Lands. In most cases, a respondent will
probably answer the question in Item INCIDENTAIR without
hesitation. However, if a respondent is unsure of how to
answer, included here are definitions of “American Indian
Reservation” and “American Indian Lands” so you can help
Incident Report Items
B4-15
Part B, Chapter 4
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
the respondent.
What is an American
Indian Reservation?
American Indian Reservations are territories reserved as
permanent tribal homelands with boundaries established by
treaty, statute, or executive or court order. The Federal
Government and some state governments have established
reservations as territory over which American Indians have
governmental jurisdiction. These are designated as
colonies, communities, pueblos, rancherias, reservations,
and reserves.
What are American
Indian Lands?
American Indian Lands are comprised of tribal subdivisions
and trust lands.
A tribal subdivision is an administrative subdivision of a
reservation. Tribal subdivisions may extend beyond the
boundary of their reservations, and are internal units of selfgovernment or administration that serve social, cultural, or
economic purposes for the American Indians living on and
adjacent to the reservation.
The Federal Government holds Trust Lands in trust for
either a tribe (tribal trust land) or an individual member of a
tribe (individual trust land). Such land is always associated
with a specific federally recognized reservation or tribe, but
may be located on or off the reservation.
If you feel that probing is necessary AFTER asking the
question in Item INCIDENTAIR, the following probe may
help the respondent to give you an accurate answer:
"Did the incident happen in an American Indian colony,
community, pueblo, rancheria, reservation, or reserve?"
After completing Item INCIDENTAIR, continue with Item
LOCATION_GENERAL to code where the incident
occurred.
Incident Report Items
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Part B, Chapter 4
Did this incident happen...
● Read each category until respondent says ‘yes,’ then enter appropriate precode
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
36
In your home or lodging?
Near your home or lodging?
At, in, or near a friend’s/relative’s/neighbor’s home?
At a commercial place?
In a parking lot or garage?
At school?
In an open area, on the street, or on public transportation?
Somewhere else?
LOCATION_GENERAL
LOCATION_GENERAL
Item LOCATION_GENERAL contains eight GENERAL
categories used to identify the place where an incident
happened. Selecting one of the general categories takes you
to another screen where you select the SPECIFIC type of
place where the incident happened.
It is very important that you enter the most appropriate
precode for Item LOCATION_GENERAL, so that you follow
the correct path through the incident report items. If you enter
the wrong precode in Item LOCATION_GENERAL, the
appropriate questions will not be asked to show what really
happened during the incident.
When a respondent's answer in LOCATION_GENERAL is
not clear and you are unsure which precode to enter, probe
for more details to identify the correct incident location.
LOCATION_GENERAL allows you to enter only ONE
precode, so be sure to enter the most appropriate one.
Example:
A respondent's answer for Item LOCATION_GENERAL
is, "At work." That response is too general for you to
know which precode to enter, so you need to find out
where the respondent works.
Incident Report Items
B4-17
Part B, Chapter 4
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
If you select Precode (11), “In your home or lodging,” at
LOCATION_GENERAL, LOCATION_IN_HOME is the next
screen that appears.
If you select Precode (12), “Near your home or lodging,” at
LOCATION_GENERAL, LOCATION_NEAR_HOME is the
next screen that appears.
If you select Precode (13), “At, in, or near a
friends’/relative’s/neighbor’s home,” at
LOCATION_GENERAL, LOCATION_OTHER_HOME is the
next screen that appears.
If you select Precode (14), “At a commercial place,” at
LOCATION_GENERAL, LOCATION_COMMERCE is the
next screen that appears.
If you select Precode (15), “In a parking lot or garage,” at
LOCATION_GENERAL, LOCATION_PARKING is the next
screen that appears.
If you select Precode (16), “At school,” at
LOCATION_GENERAL, LOCATION_SCHOOL is the next
screen that appears.
If you select Precode (17), “In an open area, on the street, or
on public transportation,” at LOCATION_GENERAL,
LOCATION_OPEN_AREA is the next screen that appears.
If you select Precode (36), “Somewhere else,” at
LOCATION_GENERAL, LOCATION_SPEC is the next
screen that appears. It says, “Please specify the other
location where this incident occurred.” Enter the location in
the Location Specify field, then press “Enter.” The instrument
then skips to RESTRICTEDAREA.
If, after probing, the respondent still doesn’t know where the
incident took place, enter “Ctrl” + “D” to code a blind “Don’t
know” at Item LOCATION_GENERAL.
LOCATION_GENERAL is the only location screen where
you may enter a “Don’t know” response.
Incident Report Items
B4-18
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 4
● Ask if necessary:
Where in your home or lodging did this incident happen?
11 In own dwelling, own attached garage, or enclosed porch (Include illegal entry or attempted
illegal entry of same)
12 In detached building on own property, such as detached garage or storage shed, etc.
(Include illegal entry or attempted illegal entry of same)
13 In vacation home/second home (Include illegal entry or attempted illegal entry of same)
14 In hotel or motel room respondent was staying in (Include illegal
entry or attempted illegal entry of same)
LOCATION_IN_HOME
LOCATION_IN_ HOME
LOCATION_IN_HOME covers Precedes (11) through (14)
for enclosed structures at which an incident may have
occurred. An enclosed structure is one which has a door or
window to gain entry through, such as a respondent's
house, apartment, room, garage, shed, enclosed porch, or a
vacation home, second home, or hotel/motel room in which
the respondent was staying at the time of the incident. This
also includes enclosed structures that are on the
respondent's property, but are detached from the main
structure, such as a detached garage or storage shed.
These enclosed structures must be owned or rented by the
sample household. It does not matter how the offender
gained entrance to the enclosed structure (For example, the
offender may have used force, was let in by a household
member, or gained entrance through an unlocked or open
door or window). However, if the offender did not enter or try
to enter the types of places identified in Precodes (11)
through (14), then return to LOCATION_GENERAL and
enter the most appropriate precode.
Precode (11)
Enter Precode (11), In your own dwelling, own attached
garage, or enclosed porch (Include illegal entry or
attempted entry of same), when the offender either tried to
enter or was inside the following types of places during the
incident:
Incident Report Items
B4-19
Part B, Chapter 4
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
The respondent's own dwelling, attached garage, or
enclosed porch.
The respondent's room in a boarding house, school
dormitory, or a similar type of place. As you ask the
questions in Items OFFENDERLIVE through
OFFENDERGETIN, keep in mind that we are only
interested in the respondent's room and not the rest of
the building. If the incident took place somewhere else in
the building outside of the respondent's room, do NOT
enter Precode (11), instead return to
LOCATION_GENERAL and enter Precode (12), which
will take you to LOCATION_NEAR_HOME, then select
Precode (16), Apartment hall, storage area, laundry
room.
The respondent's apartment. As you ask the questions in
Items OFFENDERLIVE through OFFENDERGETIN,
keep in mind that we are only interested in the
respondent's apartment and not the rest of the apartment
building. If the incident took place somewhere else in the
building outside of the respondent's apartment, do NOT
enter Precode (11) in LOCATION_IN_HOME, instead
return to LOCATION_GENERAL and enter Precode
(12), which will take you to LOCATION_NEAR_HOME,
then select Precode (16), Apartment hall, storage area,
laundry room.
The respondent's former living quarters, as long as the
respondent was living there at the time of the incident
AND the incident occurred during the respondent's 6month reference period.
The respondent's enclosed porch. If the incident
occurred on the respondent's unenclosed porch, do NOT
enter Precode (11), LOCATION_IN_HOME, instead
return to LOCATION_GENERAL and enter Precode
(12), which will take you to LOCATION_NEAR_HOME,
then select Precode (15), Own yard, sidewalk,
driveway, carport, unenclosed porch.
After entering Precode (11) in LOCATION_IN_HOME,
continue with Item OFFENDERLIVE.
Incident Report Items
B4-20
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Precode (12)
Part B, Chapter 4
Enter Precode (12), In detached building on own
property, such as detached garage or storage shed,etc.
(Include illegal entry or attempted illegal entry of same),
when the offender either tried to enter or was inside the
following types of places during the incident:
A detached building on the respondent's property other
than the respondent's dwelling or attached garage, such
as a detached garage, tool shed, guest house, barn,
greenhouse, and so on. Do NOT enter Precode (12)in
LOCATION_IN_HOME if the incident took place in an
open carport on the respondent's property, instead return
to LOCATION_ GENERAL and enter Precode (12),
which takes you to LOCATION_NEAR_HOME, then
select Precode (15) Own yard, sidewalk, driveway,
carport, unenclosed porch.
A mobile home or trailer that is NOT used as a
recreation vehicle and is situated on the respondent's
property. If the mobile home or trailer is used as a
recreation vehicle, do NOT enter Precode (12) in
LOCATION_IN_HOME, instead return to LOCATION_
GENERAL and enter Precode (12), which will take you
to LOCATION_NEAR_ HOME, then select Precode
(15), Own yard, sidewalk, driveway, carport,
unenclosed porch.
After entering Precode (12) in LOCATION_IN_HOME,
continue with Item OFFENDERLIVE.
Precode (13)
Enter Precode (13), In vacation home/second home
(Include illegal entry or attempted illegal entry of same),
when the offender either tried to enter or was inside the
following types of places during the incident:
A second home either owned or in the possession of the
respondent. Second homes include former dwellings still
owned or rented by the respondent, but not used as the
respondent's primary residence, as well as new
dwellings that are in the possession of the respondent,
but not yet used as the primary residence. If the incident
happened at a second home owned by a nonhousehold
member or rented to a nonhousehold member, do NOT
enter Precode (13) in LOCATION_IN_HOME, instead
Incident Report Items
B4-21
Part B, Chapter 4
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
return to LOCATION_GENERAL and select Precode
(13), which takes you to LOCATION_OTHER_HOME,
then select Precode (18), At or in home or other
building on their property.
A vacation home owned by the respondent, regardless
of whether or not the respondent was residing at the
vacation home when the incident took place. If the
incident happened at a vacation home that is owned or
rented by a nonhousehold member, do NOT enter
Precode (13) in LOCATION_IN_HOME, instead return to
LOCATION_ GENERAL and select Precode (13), which
takes you to LOCATION_OTHER_HOME, then select
Precode (18), At or in home or other building on their
property.
A detached building on the property of a second home or
vacation home owned by the respondent, such as a
detached garage, storage shed, and so on. If the
incident happened in the yard of a vacation or second
home, do NOT enter Precode (13) in
LOCATION_IN_HOME, instead return to
LOCATION_GENERAL, enter Precode (36), then
describe the location on the "Specify" screen, Item
LOCATION_SPEC, that appears after entering Precode
(36).
After entering Precode (13) in LOCATION_IN_HOME,
continue with Item OFFENDERLIVE.
Precode (14)
Enter Precode (14), In hotel or motel room respondent
was staying in (Include illegal entry or attempted illegal
entry of same), when the offender either tried to enter or
was inside a hotel or motel room, where the respondent was
staying temporarily during any part of the incident. However,
if the incident happened somewhere else in the hotel or
motel building (for example, in a conference room, lobby, or
hallway) and the offender never entered or tried to enter the
respondent's room, do NOT enter Precode (14) in
LOCATION_IN_HOME; instead return to
LOCATION_GENERAL, enter Precode (14) “At a
commercial place,” which takes you to Item
LOCATION_COMMERCE. There, select Precode (25),
“Inside other commercial building, such as store.”
Incident Report Items
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NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 4
After entering Precode (14) in LOCATION_IN_HOME,
continue with Item OFFENDERLIVE.
● Ask if necessary:
Where near your home or lodging did this incident happen?
15 Own yard, sidewalk, driveway, carport, unenclosed porch (does not include apartment
yards)
16 Apartment hall, storage area, laundry room (does not include apartment parking
lot/garage)
17 On street immediately adjacent to own home
LOCATION_NEAR_HOME
LOCATION_NEAR _HOME
Precode (15)
LOCATION_NEAR_HOME covers Precodes (15) through
(17) for places near a respondent's primary residence where
an incident may have occurred.
Enter Precode (15), Own yard, sidewalk, driveway,
carport, unenclosed porch (does not include apartment
yards), when the incident happened in the following places
near the respondent's home:
✔ The respondent's yard, regardless of its size, when it
belongs solely to the respondent's house, townhouse,
mobile home, apartment, condominium, and so on. If the
yard is for the use of all occupants in the apartment
building, do not enter Precode (15) in
LOCATION_NEAR_HOME, instead return to
LOCATION_GENERAL and select Precode (17) which
takes you to the LOCATION_OPEN_AREA screen.
Then enter Precode (33), In apartment yard park, field,
and playground.
✔ The respondent's driveway, mailbox, sidewalk,
unenclosed porch, or carport used solely by the
respondent's unit. If the incident happened in a parking
lot used by more than just the sample unit, do NOT enter
Precode (15) in LOCATION_NEAR_HOME, instead
return to LOCATION_ GENERAL and choose Precode
Incident Report Items
B4-23
Part B, Chapter 4
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
(15), which takes you to LOCATION_PARKING. Enter
Precode (30), Apartment/townhouse parking
lot/garage.
✔ The respondent's motor vehicle or recreation vehicle
parked on the respondent's property and intended for the
sole use of the respondent.
✔ The respondent's balcony or patio when it is used solely
by the respondent's unit and there was no illegal entry or
attempted illegal entry to the sample unit itself.
✖ Do not enter Precode (15) when the incident took place
in a detached garage or storage shed on the
respondent’s property. Instead, select Precode (11) in
LOCATION_GENERAL and mark Precode (12) in
LOCATION_IN_HOME.
After entering Precode (15) in LOCATION_NEAR_HOME,
continue with Item INSIDEOROUT.
Precode (16)
Enter Precode (16), Apartment hall, storage area, laundry
room (does not include apartment parking lot/garage),
when the incident happened inside a respondent's
residential building, but not in the respondent's apartment,
condominium, room in a boarding house, a dormitory room,
and so on.
Precode (16) is NOT intended for incidents that:
✖ Happened in another apartment or room in the
respondent's building, other than the respondent's
apartment or room, instead return to
LOCATION_GENERAL and select Precode (13).
LOCATION_OTHER_HOME appears; enter Precode
(18), At or in home or other building on their
property.
✖ Happened in an apartment parking garage, even if the
parking garage is in the basement of the respondent's
building, instead return to LOCATION_ GENERAL and
select Precode (15). LOCATION_PARKING appears;
enter Precode (30), Apartment/townhouse parking
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Part B, Chapter 4
lot/garage.
After entering Precode (16) in LOCATION_NEAR_HOME,
continue with Item INSIDEOROUT.
Precode (17)
Enter Precode (17), On street immediately adjacent to
own home, when the incident occurred on the street
IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT to the respondent's property.
"Immediately adjacent" includes directly in front or to the
side of the sample unit and does NOT include next door or
across the street from the sample unit.
After entering Precode (17) in LOCATION_NEAR_HOME,
you continue with Item INSIDEOROUT.
● Ask if necessary:
Where at, in, or near a friend’s/relative’s/neighbor’s home did this incident happen?
18 At or in home or other building on their property
19 Yard, sidewalk, driveway, carport (does not include apartment yards)
20 Apartment hall, storage area, laundry room (does not include apartment parking
lot/garage)
21 On street immediately adjacent to their home
LOCATION_OTHER_HOME
LOCATION_OTHER_HOME
Precode (18)
LOCATION_OTHER_HOME covers Precodes (18) through
(21) for places where an incident may have happened that
are at, in, or near the home of a respondent's friend, relative,
or neighbor.
Enter Precode (18), At or in home or other building on
their property, when the incident happened at or in a
dwelling or other building on the property owned by a friend,
relative, or neighbor. Other buildings on a friend's, a
relative's, or a neighbor's property could include a garage,
porch, tool shed, guest house, barn, greenhouse, mobile
home, or trailer that is not used as a recreation vehicle, and
so on.
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Also enter Precode (18) when the incident happened at or
in:
✓ A second home or vacation home owned by a friend,
relative, or neighbor of a respondent.
✓ A friend's, relative's, or neighbor's room in a boarding
house, school dormitory, or similar type of place.
✓ A friend's, relative's, or neighbor's apartment.
After entering Precode (18) in LOCATION_OTHER_HOME,
continue with Item INSIDEOROUT.
If the incident happened at or in a dwelling or other building
on the property of someone the respondent does not know,
return to LOCATION_GENERAL and enter Precode (36)
and enter a description of exactly where the incident took
place when the “Specify” screen appears.
Precode (19)
Enter Precode (19), Yard, sidewalk, driveway, carport
(does not include apartment yards), when the incident
happened in a friend's, relative's, or neighbor's yard,
sidewalk, driveway, carport, balcony, open porch, or patio.
The yard, sidewalk, driveway, carport, balcony, open porch,
or patio must be intended for the sole use of the
respondent's friend, relative, or neighbor and not for the use
of other housing units.
Do NOT enter Precode (19) in LOCATION_OTHER_HOME
if the incident took place in an apartment yard; instead,
return to LOCATION_GENERAL and select precode (17).
The LOCATION_OPEN_AREA screen appears; select
precode (33). If the incident happened in the yard, sidewalk,
driveway, or carport of someone the respondent does not
know, return to LOCATION_GENERAL and enter Precode
(36); then enter a description of exactly where the incident
took place when the “Specify” screen, LOCATION_SPEC
appears.
After entering Precode (19) in LOCATION_OTHER_HOME,
continue with Item INSIDEOROUT.
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Precode (20)
Part B, Chapter 4
Enter Precode (20), Apartment hall, storage area, laundry
room (does not include apartment parking lot/garage),
when the incident happened in the building where a
respondent's friend, relative, or neighbor lives, but not in the
friend, relative, or neighbor's housing unit. The building
could include apartments, condominiums, dormitory rooms,
boarding house rooms, and so on. If the incident happened
in the building's parking garage, do not enter Precode (20) in
in LOCATION_OTHER_ HOME, instead return to
LOCATION_ GENERAL and enter Precode (15); then enter
Precode (30) at the LOCATION_PARKING item.
After entering Precode (20) in LOCATION_OTHER_HOME,
continue with Item INSIDEOROUT.
Precode (21)
Enter Precode (21), On street immediately adjacent to
their home, when the incident occurred on the street
IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT to the property of the
respondent's friend, relative, or neighbor. "Immediately
adjacent" includes directly in front or to the side of the
friend's, the relative's, or the neighbor's unit and does NOT
include next door or across the street from the friend's,
relative's, or neighbor's housing unit.
After entering Precode (21) in LOCATION_OTHER_HOME,
continue with Item INSIDEOROUT.
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● Ask if necessary:
At what type of a commercial place did this incident happen?
22
23
24
25
26
27
Inside restaurant, bar, nightclub
Inside bank
Inside gas station
Inside other commercial building, such as a store
Inside office
Inside factory or warehouse
LOCATION_COMMERCE
LOCATION_COMMERCE
LOCATION_COMMERCE covers Precodes (22), (23), (24),
(25), (26), and (27) for different types of commercial places
inside of which the incident could have occurred
Precode (22)
Enter Precode (22), Inside restaurant, bar, nightclub,
when the incident happened INSIDE any type of eating
and/or drinking establishment, such as a restaurant, bar and
grill, cafe, tavern, cafeteria, bar, and so on.
After entering Precode (22) in LOCATION_COMMERCE,
continue with Item RESTRICTED AREA.
If the incident happened OUTSIDE of an eating and/or
drinking establishment, return to LOCATION_GENERAL
and enter Precode (15), “In a parking lot or garage.” When
the incident happened in a parking lot outside of the eating
and/or drinking establishment, enter either Precode (28),
“Commercial parking lot or garage,” or Precode (29),
“Noncommercial parking lot or garage” in
LOCATION_PARKING.
Enter Precode (17), “In an open area, on the street, or on
public transportation,” at LOCATION_GENERAL and
Precode (34), “On the street,” at LOCATION_OPEN_AREA
when the incident happened on the street near the eating
and/or drinking establishment.
Precodes (23), (24), and
Enter Precode (23), Inside bank, when the incident
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(25)
Part B, Chapter 4
happened in a bank, credit union, or some other type of
financial institution. Enter Precode (24), Inside gas station,
when the incident happened anywhere on the property of a
gas station. Enter Precode (25), Inside other commercial
building, such as a store, when the incident happened
INSIDE a business establishment where cash/credit is
exchanged for purchased products by the general public,
OTHER THAN AT A BANK OR GAS STATION. For
example, in a department store, factory outlet store, hotel
gift shop, and so on.
Precode (25) is NOT intended for incidents that happened in
a:
✖ Restaurant, bar, or nightclub; instead, enter Precode
(22), Inside restaurant, bar, nightclub.
✖ Commercial parking lot or garage; instead, return to
LOCATION_GENERAL and enter Precode (15); then
enter Precode (28), Commercial parking lot/garage at
LOCATION_PARKING.
✖ Noncommercial parking lot or garage; instead, return to
LOCATION_GENERAL and enter Precode (15); then
enter Precode (29), Noncommercial parking
lot/garage at LOCATION_PARKING.
✖ Airport, bus or train station, or on a bus, train, plane, or
some other type of public transportation; instead, return
to LOCATION_GENERAL and enter Precode (17); then
enter Precode (35) On public transportation or in
station, at LOCATION_OPEN_AREA.
After entering Precode (23), (24), or (25) in
LOCATION_COMMERCE, continue with Item
RESTRICTEDAREA.
Precode (26) or (27)
Enter Precode (26), Inside office, when the incident
happened INSIDE a building used for office work, including
incidents that occurred in post office buildings. Enter
Precode (27), Inside factory or warehouse, when the
incident happened INSIDE a commercial building used for
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factory work or warehouse storage purposes.
After entering Precode (26) or (27) in
LOCATION_COMMERCE, continue with Item
RESTRICTEDAREA.
● Ask if necessary:
In what type of a parking lot or garage did this incident happen?
28 Commercial parking lot/garage
29 Noncommercial parking lot/garage
30 Apartment/townhouse parking lot/garage
LOCATION_PARKING
LOCATION__PARKING
Precode (28)
LOCATION_PARKING covers Precodes (28) through (30)
for all types of parking lots and parking garages at which the
incident could have happened.
Enter Precode (28), Commercial parking lot/garage, when
the incident took place at an attended or unattended parking
lot or garage, which is privately operated for profit AND
requires a parking fee.
Do NOT enter Precode (28) when the incident occurred:
✖ In a parking lot or garage that has parking meters or is
operated by a local, state, or Federal government,
regardless of whether or not a fee is required, instead
enter Precode (29), Noncommercial parking
lot/garage.
✖ In a commercial parking lot or garage during hours when
the general public can park free, instead enter Precode
(29), Noncommercial parking lot/garage.
After entering Precode (28) in LOCATION_PARKING,
continue with Item RESTRICTEDAREA.
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Precode (29)
Part B, Chapter 4
Enter Precode (29), Noncommercial parking lot/garage,
when the incident happened at a public parking lot or
garage where the general public can park free of charge,
such as at a shopping mall or shopping center, bus station,
office building, and so on.
Also enter Precode (29) when the incident happened at:
✓ A parking lot or garage that has parking meters.
✓ A parking lot or garage that is operated by a local, state,
or Federal government, regardless of whether or not a
fee is required.
✓ A commercial parking lot or garage during hours when
parking is free to the general public.
Do NOT enter Precode (29) when the incident took place:
✖ At parking meters on the side of a street, instead return
to LOCATION_GENERAL, enter Precode (17), In open
area, and then select Precode (34), On the street, at
LOCATION_OPEN_AREA.
✖ At apartment parking lots, instead enter Precode (30) in
LOCATION_ PARKING.
✖ At school parking lots or areas, instead enter Precode
(16), At school, at LOCATION_ GENERAL, On school
property, and Precode (32) at LOCATION_SCHOOL.
After entering Precode (29) in LOCATION_ PARKING,
continue with Item RESTRICTEDAREA.
Precode (30)
Enter Precode (30), Apartment/townhouse parking
lot/garage, when the incident happened in the parking area
provided for residents and their guests. This includes
residents of apartments, townhouses, rooming houses,
dormitories, condominiums, and so on. It does not matter if
the parking garage is inside or attached to the resident's
building. If you are unsure what type of parking lot/garage to
select, probe to determine the correct category.
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After entering Precode (30) in Item LOCATION_PARKING,
continue with Item RESTRICTEDAREA.
If you are unsure about what type of parking lot to select,
probe to determine the correct category.
● Ask if necessary:
Where at school did this incident happen?
31 Inside school building
32 On school property (school parking area, play area, school bus, etc.)
LOCATION_SCHOOL
LOCATION_SCHOOL
Precode (31)
LOCATION_SCHOOL covers Precodes (31) and
(32) for school buildings and school property at
which the incident could have taken place.
Enter Precode (31), Inside school building, when
the incident happened INSIDE a school building
(for example, in a classroom, gym, hallway, or
principal's office). If the incident happened on the
grounds of a school and not inside a school
building, enter Precode (32), On school property.
If the incident happened in a school dormitory
building, return to LOCATION_GENERAL, enter
Precode (11), “In own dwelling, own attached
garage, or enclosed porch,” at Item
LOCATION_IN_HOME or (16), “Apartment hall,
storage area, laundry room,” at
LOCATION_NEAR_HOME, as appropriate.
After entering Precode (31) in
LOCATION_SCHOOL, continue with
RESPONDENTSSCHOOL.
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● Ask if necessary:
Where in an open area, on the street, or on public transportation did this incident happen?
33 In apartment yard, park, field, playground (other than school)
34 On the street (other than immediately adjacent to own/friend's/relative's/neighbor’s home)
35 On public transportation or in station (bus, train, plane, airport, depot, etc.)
LOCATION_OPEN_AREA
LOCATION_OPEN _AREA
Item LOCATION_OPEN_AREA covers Precodes (33)
through (35) for a variety of places open to the general
public where an incident could take place.
Precode (33)
Enter Precode (33), In apartment yard, park, field,
playground (other than school), when the incident
occurred in a public, unenclosed area AND the area is NOT
on school property. Also, enter Precode (33) when the
incident happened in a yard shared by more than one
family. After entering Precode (33) in
LOCATION_OPEN_AREA, continue with INSIDEOROUT.
Precode (34)
Enter Precode (34), On the street (other than immediately
adjacent to own/friend's/relative's/neighbor's home),
when the incident happened on a public street or highway
AND the street or highway is not adjacent to the
respondent's own home or the home of a respondent's
friend, relative, or neighbor.
Also enter Precode (34) when the incident involved:
A parked motor vehicle, such as an incident involving
auto theft,
The respondent driving or riding in a motor vehicle,
The respondent walking or riding a bicycle on a street,
The respondent while on the shoulder of a street or on a
public sidewalk, that is not covered in another answer
category of Item LOCATION_GENERAL.
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Part B, Chapter 4
Precode (35)
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Enter Precode (35), On public transportation or in station
(bus, train, plane, airport, depot, etc.), when the incident
happened on some type of public transportation (bus, taxi,
train, plane, subway, and so on) or in a bus depot, train
station, airport, or subway station. Also, enter Precode (35)
when the incident happened on a school bus while
transporting persons to or from an activity that is NOT
sponsored by the school, such as to or from a summer
camp.
After entering Precode (35) in LOCATION_OPEN_AREA,
continue with INSIDEOROUT.
LOCATION_SPEC
Precode (36)
If you choose Precode (36), “Somewhere else” at the
LOCATION_GENERAL screen, the LOCATION_SPEC
screen appears.
Enter Precode (36) when the incident happened at or in a
place that does not fit any of the places shown for any other
location screen. After entering Precode (36) in
LOCATION_GENERAL, always describe the place or
situation on the "Specify" screen, LOCATION_SPEC, which
appears after entering Precode (36).
Some examples for when to enter Precode (36):
Fenced in storage yard of a factory
Jail or prison
Hospital
Library
Church
On a beach.
If a respondent doesn’t know where the incident occurred,
enter “Ctrl” + “D” to recode “Don’t know” at
LOCATION_GENERAL instead of LOCATION_SPEC.
After entering Precode (36) and describing the crime
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incident location on the “Specify” screen, continue with
RESTRICTEDAREA.
Did the offender live there or have a right to be there, for instance, as a guest or a repairperson?
1 Yes
2 No
OFFENDERLIVE
OFFENDERLIVE
If you enter Precode (11), (12), (13), or (14) in Item
LOCATION_IN_HOME, you will ask the question in Item
OFFENDERLIVE to determine whether the offender had a
legal right to be in the respondent's home or other structure
on the respondent's property.
Precode (1)
Enter Precode (1), "Yes," when the offender:
Was living or staying with the respondent when the
incident happened.
Had a legal right to be in the respondent's dwelling or a
building on the respondent's property when the incident
happened, such as a plumber, cleaning service,
hotel/motel house cleaner, and so on.
Had permission to enter the respondent's dwelling or a
building on the respondent's property prior to the time the
incident took place, such as a friend, relative,
salesperson, or meter reader. However, if the offender
entered fraudulently, do not enter Precode (1). For
example, if the offender misrepresented his/her purpose
for needing to enter the building/unit/dwelling as a repair
person, police officer, maid, etc. to gain entrance; enter
Precode (2), “No.”
After entering Precode (1), continue with FARFROMHOME.
Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2), "No," when the offender:
Was not living or staying with the respondent and did not
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have a legal right or permission to be in the dwelling or
building on the respondent's property at the time of the
incident.
Was let into the dwelling by a child and did not have a
legal right to enter the dwelling because the parents
would not have allowed access to the offender.
Pushed his/her way into the dwelling when the
respondent answered the door.
Entered the dwelling by fraudulently misrepresenting
himself/herself as a repairperson, police officer, maid, etc.
After entering Precode (2), continue with
OFFENDERINSIDE.
(Don’t Know)
Enter Ctrl + D, for "Don't know," when the respondent does
not know who the offender was or whether the offender had
a legal right to be in the dwelling or other building on the
respondent's property. If you think that the respondent
answered, "Don't know," because he/she is uncertain who
the offender is, you may want to probe by asking the
respondent if the person suspected of being the offender
had a legal right to be in the respondent's dwelling.
After entering Ctrl + D, continue with OFFENDERINSIDE.
Did the offender actually get INSIDE your (house/apartment/room/garage/shed/enclosed porch)?
1 Yes
2 No
OFFENDERINSIDE
OFFENDERINSIDE
After entering “No” or “Don’t know” in Item
OFFENDERLIVE, ask the question in Item
OFFENDERINSIDE to determine if the offender actually
entered the building or dwelling. As you ask the question,
make sure to read the appropriate type of structure. For
example, if the incident occurred in the respondent's garage,
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ask, "Did the offender actually get INSIDE your garage?"
For a Multi-Unit Structure
If the incident happened in a multi-unit structure, such as an
apartment building or a hotel, we are only interested in the
respondent's apartment unit or hotel room for Item
OFFENDERINSIDE. Enter Precode (2), "No," if the offender
got inside the building, but did not actually get inside the
respondent's apartment unit or hotel room.
Before entering a “Don’t
know” answer
If you feel that a respondent may know how the offender
entered the dwelling or other building on the respondent's
property even though he/she answered "Don't know," probe
by repeating the respondent's answer or pausing a moment.
However, some respondents really do not know if the
offender actually got inside. For instance, enter Ctrl + D if a
respondent:
Did not find anything disturbed or stolen even though the
window in the back door was broken and the door was
unlocked.
Was told by a neighbor that an offender was seen
leaving the respondent's house, but there was no
evidence that the offender got inside.
The instrument goes to Item FORCEDENTRY when
Precode (1) is selected at Item OFFENDERINSIDE;
otherwise, it goes to Item OFFENDERTRY.
Did the offender TRY to get in your (house/apartment/room/garage/shed/enclosed porch)?
1 Yes
2 No
OFFENDERTRY
OFFENDERTRY
After entering Precode (2) or “Don’t know” in Item
OFFENDERINSIDE, you will ask the question in Item
OFFENDERTRY to determine if the offender tried to get into
the respondent's dwelling or other building on the respondent's
property. As you read the question, make sure to read the
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appropriate type of structure. For example, if the incident
occurred in the respondent's enclosed porch, ask, "Did the
offender TRY to get inside your enclosed porch?"
For a Multi-Unit Structure
If the incident happened in a multi-unit structure, such as an
apartment building or a hotel, we are only interested in the
respondent's apartment unit or hotel room for Item
OFFENDERTRY. Enter Precode (2), "No," if the offender
tried to get inside the building, but did not actually try to get
inside the respondent's apartment unit or hotel room.
Before Entering
Precode (2)
Before entering Precode (2), "No," in Item OFFENDERTRY,
make sure that the respondent did NOT answer "No"
because the offender was let in or entered through an
unlocked or open door or window. In other words, there was
no evidence of forcible entry. If this is the case, back up and
change the answer in Item OFFENDERINSIDE to “Yes” by
entering Precode (1) to show that the offender actually got
inside the respondent's home or lodging.
Reviewing Answer in
Item LOCATION_
GENERAL
If you entered Precode (2), "No," in Items
OFFENDERINSIDE and OFFENDERTRY, you are
indicating that the offender did NOT get inside or try to get
inside the respondent's home or lodging. Therefore, no
illegal entry or attempted illegal entry happened. Edit check
ENTRY_CK will appear to alert you to the inconsistency. In
this situation, you must go back to one of the questions
involved in the inconsistency and review the entry with the
respondent so you can verify that the correct precode was
entered to indicate where the incident took place.
Was there any evidence, such as a broken lock or broken window, that the offender(s) got in by
force?
1 Yes
2 No
FORCEDENTRY
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What was the evidence?
● Probe: Anything else?
● Enter all that apply, separate with commas
WINDOW:
11 Damage to window (include frame, glass broken/removed/cracked)
12 Screen damaged/removed
13 Lock on window damaged/tampered with in some way
14 Other (specify)
DOOR:
15 Damage to door (include frame, glass panes or door removed)
16 Screen damaged/removed
17 Lock or door handle damaged/tampered with in some way
18 Other (specify)
OTHER:
19 Other than window or door (specify)
EVIDENCE
Evidence of Forcible Entry
Items FORCEDENTRY and EVIDENCE are used to
determine whether there was any physical, visible evidence
of forcible entry found after the incident took place.
FORCEDENTRY
Ask the question in Item FORCEDENTRY when:
Precode (1) is entered in Item OFFENDERINSIDE
indicating that the offender actually got inside the
respondent's dwelling or lodging
OR
Precode (1) or Control + D is entered in Item
OFFENDERTRY indicating that the offender tried to get
in the respondent's dwelling or lodging or the respondent
does not know whether the offender tried to get in the
respondent's dwelling or lodging.
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Precode (1)
Enter Precode (1), "Yes," when there was physical, visible
evidence following the incident that the offender entered or
tried to enter the respondent's dwelling or lodging by force.
Examples of visible evidence are shown in the answer
categories for Item EVIDENCE. After entering Precode (1)
for Item FORCEDENTRY, you will continue with Item
EVIDENCE to identify the types of physical, visible evidence
from the incident.
Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2), "No," in Item FORCEDENTRY, when the
evidence is:
A skeleton key or entry through an open window,
door, etc.
A ladder or trash placed next to a window, but there
was no evidence that the window was tampered with
in some way.
An injury to the respondent as he/she opened the
door and the offender pushed the respondent out of
the way. Although this is evidence of an attack, it is
not evidence of a break-in.
An offender forces a respondent to let him/her enter
the dwelling or lodging and there is no visible
evidence of a break-in or attempted break-in to the
dwelling or lodging after the incident.
In the examples provided above, enter Precode (2), "No," if
no evidence of a forcible entry or attempted forcible entry
was mentioned. After entering Precode (2) in Item
FORCEDENTRY, continue with Item OFFENDERGETIN.
EVIDENCE
After entering Precode (1) in Item FORCEDENTRY, you ask
the question in Item EVIDENCE to identify the types of
evidence found after the incident indicating that there was a
forcible entry or an attempted forcible entry of the
respondent's dwelling or lodging. Enter all precodes that
apply to the respondent's answer and continue to ask,
"Anything else?" until you get a "No" response.
The answer categories for Item EVIDENCE are separated
into three groups--Window, Door, and Other. Precodes (11)
through (14) relate to the types of damage to a window.
Precodes (15) through (18) relate to the types of damage to
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a door. Precode (19) relates to all other means of force
used to gain entry or to try to gain entry into the
respondent's dwelling or lodging.
Since physical, visible evidence of force is evidence that can
be seen, the following types of evidence are NOT
considered signs of forcible entry or attempted forcible entry:
✖ An open or unlocked window
✖ An open or unlocked door.
Precode (11)
Enter Precode (11) if the glass in the window was broken,
cracked, or removed, or if there was evidence on the
window frame that force was used to gain access or to try to
gain access into the building, such as pry marks on the
window frame.
Precode (12)
Enter Precode (12) if the window screen was cut, ripped, or
removed by the offender to gain access or to try to gain
access.
Precode (13)
Enter Precode (13) if the window lock was damaged,
removed, or showed visible signs that the offender tampered
with it to gain access or to try to gain access.
Precode (14)
Enter Precode (14) if the respondent mentions some type of
window damage not covered by Precodes (11) through (13).
When the “Specify” screen, EVIDENCE_SPEC14, appears
after entering Precode (14), enter a note describing how the
offender gained access or attempted to gain access through
a window. Avoid entering Precode (14) if the respondent's
answer really fits one of the answer categories for Precodes
(11) through (13).
Precode (15)
Enter Precode (15) if there were marks on the door or door
frame, such as scratches, holes, or damaged glass in the
door, or if the offender removed or knocked down the door
to gain access or to try to gain access.
Precode (16)
Enter Precode (16) if the offender damaged or removed a
screen door.
Precode (17)
Enter Precode (17) if a door lock or handle was damaged,
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tampered with, or removed.
Precode (18)
Enter Precode (18) if the respondent mentions some type of
door damage not covered by Precodes (15) through (17).
When the “Specify” screen, EVIDENCE_SPEC18, appears
after entering Precode (18), enter a note describing how the
offender gained access or attempted to gain access through
a door. Avoid entering Precode (18) if the respondent's
answer really fits one of the answer categories for Precodes
(15) through (17).
Precode (19)
Enter Precode (19) if the offender forcibly gained access or
tried to gain access other than through a door or window,
such as by cutting a hole in a wall. After entering Precode
(19), always note what type of evidence there was of forcible
entry or attempted forcible entry when the “Specify” screen,
EVIDENCE_SPEC19, appears. After completing the
EVIDENCE screen, continue with Item FARFROMHOME.
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How did the offender get in?
11 Let in
12 Offender pushed his/her way in after door opened
13 Through OPEN DOOR or other opening
14 Through UNLOCKED door or window
15 Through LOCKED door or window - Had key
16 Through LOCKED door or window - Picked lock, used credit card, etc., other than key
17 Through LOCKED door or window - Don't know how
18 Don't know
19 Other - specify
OFFENDERGETIN
OFFENDERGETIN
OFFENDERGETIN appears if FORCEDENTRY is answered (2),
“No” and determines how the offender got/tried to get inside the
respondent’s dwelling/lodging when there was no evidence of
actual or attempted forcible entry. Enter the first precode that
applies; probe when respondent’s answer is unclear or too
general.
After completing OFFENDERGETIN, the instrument goes to
FARFROMHOME.
Precode (11)
Enter Precode (11) if the offender was let into the dwelling or
lodging by someone who was not authorized to permit entry. For
example, a child lets in an offender even though the child's
parents had told the offender never to come to their home.
Also, enter Precode (11) if the offender entered the dwelling or
lodging without permission or entered fraudulently when
someone answered the door. For example, an offender
falsely claims to be a police officer or a maid to gain access.
Precode (12)
Enter Precode (12) if the offender pushed his/her way in after
someone opened the door.
Precode (13)
Enter Precode (13) if the offender got in or tried to get in through
a door or other opening that was already open at the time of the
incident. Do not enter Precode (13) if the offender had to open
an unlocked door, window, and so on to enter the respondent's
dwelling or lodging.
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The phrase "Other openings" includes open windows, open
garage doors, the open side of a three-sided shed, an opening
left by a missing door or window, a hole in the wall, etc.
Precode (14)
Enter Precode (14) if the offender opened or tried to open an
unlocked door or window to gain access.
Precode (15)
Enter Precode (15) if the offender used a key to enter the
respondent's dwelling or lodging through a locked door
or window. A key includes one cut to fit the lock, a skeleton key,
or any other key.
Precode (16)
Enter Precode (16) if the offender used "another means," other
than a key, to gain access through a locked door or window
AND the respondent knows or has a pretty good idea how the
offender entered or attempted to enter the dwelling or lodging.
The phrase "another means" includes picking the lock, using a
credit card, and so on.
It is possible that you could discover that the method used to
gain access or to try to gain access left physical, visible
evidence of force. If this happens, correct the answer in Item
FORCEDENTRY by changing Precode (2) to Precode (1). When
you go back to a previous screen to change an answer, the
instrument will bring up the correct screens automatically.
Precode (17)
Enter Precode (17) if the respondent thinks or knows that the
offender entered or tried to enter his/her dwelling or lodging
through a locked door or window, but does not know how.
Precode (18)
Enter Precode (18) if the respondent does not know how the
offender gained access or tried to gain access to his/her
dwelling or lodging. For example, a respondent returns home
and discovers that the television and stereo system are gone,
but there is no indication at all of how the offender got into the
home.
Precode (19)
Enter Precode (19) if the offender entered or tried to enter the
respondent's dwelling or lodging by some means not described
by Precodes (11) through (18). After entering Precode (19),
always describe the method used on the "Specify" screen,
OFFENDERGETIN_SPEC.
An example for entering Precode (19): The offender held a gun
to the respondent's head and forced the respondent to open the
door.
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Was it your school?
1 Yes
2 No
RESPONDENTSSCHOOL
RESPONDENTSSCHOOL
After entering Precode (31), "Inside school building," in
LOCATION_SCHOOL, continue with
RESPONDENTSSCHOOL to determine whether the
incident happened at the school the respondent attends.
Precode (1)
For a "Yes" answer, enter Precode (1). Continue with Item
PARTSCHOOLBLDG to determine in what part of the
school building the incident happened.
Precode (2)
For a "No" answer, enter Precode (2). Continue with Item
RESTRICTEDAREA to determine whether or not the
incident happened in an area restricted to certain people.
In what part of the school building did it happen?
1 Classroom
2 Hallway/Stairwell
3 Bathroom/Locker room
4 Other (library, gym, auditorium, cafeteria)
PARTSCHOOLBLDG
PARTSCHOOLBLDG
Item PARTSCHOOLBLDG is asked to determine in what
part of the school building the incident happened. Only ONE
precode is allowed to identify the most accurate description
of where the incident took place within the respondent's
school building.
Precode (1)
Enter Precode (1) if the respondent tells you that the
incident occurred in a classroom.
Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2) if the respondent tells you that the
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incident occurred in a school hallway or stairway/stairwell.
Precode (3)
Enter Precode (3) if the respondent tells you that the
incident occurred in a school bathroom, shower room, or
locker room.
Precode (4)
Enter Precode (4) if the respondent tells you that the
incident occurred in another location within the school
building other than the locations mentioned for Precodes (1),
(2), or (3), such as in the school library, gym, auditorium,
cafeteria, etc.
● Ask or verify:
Did the incident happen in an area restricted to certain people or was it open to the public at the
time?
1 Open to the public
2 Restricted to certain people (or nobody had a right to be there)
3 Don't know
4 Other - specify
RESTRICTEDAREA
RESTRICTEDAREA
Item RESTRICTEDAREA is asked to determine whether at
the time of the incident the location (where the incident
occurred) was restricted to certain people or was open to
the public.
Notice that Item RESTRICTEDAREA has the instruction
"ASK OR VERIFY." When you see this instruction, you can
verify a known answer with the respondent without asking
the question. Only verify a known answer when you see this
instruction and do not enter the precode without at least
verifying the answer first with the respondent.
Precode (1)
Enter Precode (1) when the incident happened in an area
that was open to the general public at the time of the
incident. Places that are usually open to the public include
stores, public sidewalks, public buildings, restaurants,
parking lots, apartment yards, parks, etc.
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Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2) when the incident happened in an area
that was restricted to certain people at the time of the
incident, such as an employee's lounge in a store, a
school classroom, or a private country club. Restricted
places normally consider persons who do not belong on the
premises as trespassers. Also, enter Precode (2) if the
incident happened at a business during non-business hours
when the place is restricted and is not open to the general
public.
Precode (3)
Enter Precode (3) when the respondent does not know if the
place where the incident happened was open to the general
public at the time of the incident. For example, a
respondent left his raincoat at a restaurant and, when he
returned the next day, the raincoat was not found. In this
situation, you would enter Precode (3) since the respondent
does not know whether the incident happened during
business or non-business hours AND the restaurant is NOT
open to the general public during non-business hours.
Precode (4)
Enter Precode (4) if the respondent's answer does not fit the
answer categories for Precodes (1) through (3). After
entering Precode (4), make sure to explain the situation on
the "Specify" screen, RESTRICTEDAREA_SPEC. Avoid
entering Precode (4) if the respondent's answer really fits
Precode (1), (2), or (3).
● Ask or verify:
Did it happen indoors, outdoors, or both?
1 Indoors (inside a building or enclosed space)
2 Outdoors
3 Both
INSIDEOROUT
INSIDEOROUT
Item INSIDEOROUT is asked to determine if the incident
happened indoors, outdoors, or both indoors and outdoors.
Item INSIDEOROUT includes the "ASK OR VERIFY"
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instruction, which allows you to verify a known answer with
the respondent without asking the question. Only verify a
known answer when you see this instruction and do not
enter the answer without at least verifying it with the
respondent.
Precode (1)
Enter Precode (1) if the incident happened inside a building
or enclosed space that has a roof, such as a three-sided
shed, screened porch, screened gazebo, patio room, etc.
Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2) if the incident happened outdoors in an
open space, such as in a backyard (fenced or unfenced),
baseball field, carport, parking lot, open porch or patio, and
so on. For the NCVS, all modes of transportation are
considered outdoors. This includes cars, trucks, vans, sport
utility vehicles, buses, taxicabs, airplanes, trains, etc.
Precode (3)
Enter Precode (3) if the incident happened both indoors and
outdoors. For example, a respondent was attacked inside a
bar. As the respondent fled the bar, the offender followed
him and continued to attack him in the parking lot. Another
example would be an incident in which a respondent's
property was stolen from inside the home and from the
unenclosed patio.
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● Ask or verify:
How far away from home did this happen?
● Probe: Was it within a mile, 5 miles, 50 miles or more?
● Enter the code for the first answer category that the respondent is sure of
1 At, in, or near the building containing the respondent's home or next door
2 A mile or less
3 Five miles or less
4 Fifty miles or less
5 More than 50 miles
6 Don't know how far
FARFROMHOME
FARFROMHOME
Item FARFROMHOME is asked to determine the distance
between where the incident happened and where the
respondent was residing at the time of the incident.
Notice that Item FARFROMHOME has the instruction "ASK
OR VERIFY." When you see this instruction, you can verify
a known answer with the respondent without asking the
question. Only verify a known answer when you see this
instruction and do not enter the answer without at least
verifying it first with the respondent. Enter the first precode
about which the respondent feels sure of the answer.
Item FARFROMHOME also includes a probe question that
you only need to ask if the respondent seems uncertain
about how to answer the question.
Precode (1)
Enter Precode (1) when the incident took place in the
respondent's home or on the respondent's property. If the
respondent was living in a single family home or a mobile
home at the time of the incident, Precode (1) refers to the
home, yard, driveway, carport, sidewalk, or street adjacent
to the home. Also, enter Precode (1) if the incident
happened at the respondent's next-door neighbor's home.
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If the respondent was living in an apartment, dormitory
room, and so on, at the time of the incident, Precode (1)
refers to:
Inside the respondent's unit,
Inside the building where the unit is located (for example,
an apartment hallway or laundry room),
Inside another resident's unit in the same building,
The yard, sidewalk, or street adjacent to the respondent's
building.
Precodes (2) Through (6)
Enter the first precode from Precodes (2) through (6) that
best describes the distance between where the incident
happened and where the respondent was residing at the
time of the incident. For example, enter Precode (3) when
the respondent is unsure if the distance is less than 5 miles,
but is positive that the distance is at least two miles.
? [F1]
● Ask or verify:
Were you or any other member of this household present when this incident occurred?
● You may need to probe to obtain more details to determine if respondent was present.
1 Yes
2 No
HHMEMBERPRESENT
HHMEMBERPRESENT
Ask or verify Item HHMEMBERPRESENT to determine
whether any household members were present when the
incident occurred. Note the question mark at the top left of
the screen. It indicates that there is a help screen for this
item. In this question, the help screen includes a definition of
what “present” means, should you need to review the
concept during an interview. It is extremely important that
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you enter the correct precode for this item, because an
incorrect answer will either:
✓ Cause you to skip over items needed to fully describe
the incident and could cause the incident to classify
incorrectly when you enter Precode (2), "No," by
mistake,
OR
✓ Cause you to ask questions that do not relate to what
happened during the incident when you enter Precode
(1), "Yes," by mistake.
It is very important that you understand the NCVS concept
of "presence" during an incident. If you suspect that a
respondent's answer to Item HHMEMBERPRESENT is not
correct based on the information provided earlier in the
interview, make sure to probe for an accurate answer. If you
probe and it is still unclear which precode to enter for Item
HHMEMBERPRESENT, it is better to enter Precode (1),
"Yes," than to enter Precode (2), "No."
Here are three examples when the respondent answered
"No," but, by NCVS standards, each respondent is
considered present during the incident:
A respondent answers "No" to Item
HHMEMBERPRESENT because she was sleeping in
her bedroom on the second floor while the offender
forcibly entered through her kitchen door on the first floor
and stole electronic equipment.
A respondent answers "No" to Item
HHMEMBERPRESENT because he is watching
television in his family room while the offender stole
three bicycles from his attached garage.
A respondent answers "No" to Item
HHMEMBERPRESENT because she is in the kitchen
cooking dinner while the offender who is a guest was
stealing jewelry and money from her bedroom dresser.
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In all of these examples, Precode (1), "Yes," should be
entered because the respondent in each case is considered
present during the incident. This may not always be clear to
a respondent.
For the NCVS, a household member is considered
present when he/she is at the immediate scene of the
crime incident and there is an opportunity for the
offender to attack or threaten to physically harm a
household member or to take something directly from a
household member.
If a current household member was not at the immediate
scene of the incident, but was personally attacked or
threatened with physical harm or an attempt was made to
harm the household member, consider the person present
during the incident and complete the incident report items
for each eligible household member who was personally
victimized. This includes:
Being shot at through a window by someone outside of
the house,
Being threatened with physical harm by a neighbor in the
adjoining yard or by an ex-boyfriend standing outside the
respondent's closed door while the respondent is inside
the house and on the other side of the closed door. This
does NOT include threats that are NOT made in person
directly from the offender to the respondent, such as a
threat by telephone, Internet, FAX, mail, or through
another person.
(Also see Part C, Chapter 3, Topic 6, for more detailed
information about presence during an incident.)
Notice that Item HHMEMBERPRESENT has the instruction
"ASK OR VERIFY." When you see this instruction, you can
verify a known answer with the respondent without asking
the question. Only verify a known answer when you see this
instruction and do not enter the answer without at least
verifying it first with the respondent.
(Note: If you are taking a proxy interview, the instrument
replaces the word “you” with the proxy person’s name.)
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Precode (1), "Yes"
Part B, Chapter 4
Enter Precode (1), "Yes," if the respondent or any other
person, who is a household member at the time of the
interview, was present during the incident according to the
NCVS definition of presence. After entering Precode (1), you
will continue with Item WHICHMEMBER.
Here are some examples for when Precode (1) should be
entered in Item HHMEMBERPRESENT:
Precode (2), "No"
✓
A woman looked out her kitchen window and saw a
strange boy entering her garage. When she entered the
garage, she saw that the boy was attempting to steal
her bicycle. The boy got scared and ran away. In this
situation, the woman was PRESENT because she
reached the immediate crime scene while the attempted
crime was still in progress and she could have been
harmed by the offender.
✓
A man falls asleep on the beach and when he wakes;
his CD player and keys are gone. In this situation, the
man was PRESENT even though he was sleeping while
the incident took place. He was at the immediate scene
of the crime and could have been harmed by the
offender.
✓
A woman was resting in her family room when a
stranger tried to break in through the locked door. When
she turned on the porch light, he ran away. In this
situation, the woman was PRESENT because she was
at the immediate scene of the attempted break in and, if
the break in had been successful, she could have been
harmed by the offender.
Enter Precode (2), "No," if the respondent AND any other
person, who is a household member at the time of interview,
were NOT present during the incident according to the
NCVS definition of presence.
After entering Precode (2), continue with
KNOWLEARNOFFENDERS.
Here are some examples to demonstrate when Precode (2)
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should be entered in HHMEMBERPRESENT:
✓ A woman's leather coat was stolen from the coatroom in
the restaurant lobby while she was eating dinner at the
restaurant. After finishing her meal, she returned to the
coatroom to get her leather coat and it was gone. In this
situation, the woman was NOT PRESENT, because she
was not at the immediate scene of the crime during the
incident and the offender did not have an opportunity to
harm the woman during the theft.
✓ A man was sleeping inside his house while someone
stole his new Mercedes from his driveway. In this
situation, the man was NOT PRESENT, because he was
not at the immediate scene of the crime during the
incident and the offender did not have an opportunity to
harm him during the theft.
✓ A woman looked out her living room window and saw
someone loading her riding lawn mower from her front
yard onto a truck. By the time she got outside, they had
driven away with her lawn mower. In this situation, the
woman was NOT PRESENT because she was not at the
immediate scene of the crime and there was no chance
that she could have been harmed during the incident.
● Ask or verify:
Which household members were present?
1 Respondent only
2 Respondent and other household member(s)
3 Only other household member(s), not respondent
WHICHMEMBER
WHICHMEMBER
After entering Precode (1), "Yes," in Item
HHMEMBERPRESENT, continue with Item
WHICHMEMBER so you can determine which household
members were present during the incident.
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Notice that Item WHICHMEMBER has the instruction "ASK
OR VERIFY." When you see this instruction, you can verify
a known answer with the respondent without asking the
question. Only verify a known answer when you see this
instruction and do not enter the answer without at least
verifying it first with the respondent.
Item WHICHMEMBER is another critical item and you need
to ensure that you enter the correct precode. Otherwise,
important information may be missed (for example,
information about weapons, attack or threat methods,
injuries, medical expenses, and so on) or inappropriate
questions may be asked (for example, questions about
weapons, attacks, and threats).
(Note: For proxy interviews, the word “respondent” is
replaced with the proxy person’s name.)
Precode (1)
Enter Precode (1) when the respondent for a self-response
interview (or the proxy person for a proxy interview) is the
ONLY household member who was present during the
incident. After entering Precode (1), continue with Item
SEEOFFENDER.
Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2) when both the respondent for a selfresponse interview (or the proxy person for a proxy
interview) AND other household members were present
during the incident. After entering Precode (2), continue with
Item SEEOFFENDER.
Precode (3)
Enter Precode (3) when the respondent for a self-response
interview (or the proxy person for a proxy interview) was
NOT present during the incident, but other household
members were present. Before entering Precode (3), make
sure that the respondent (or proxy person [not the proxy
respondent]) was NOT present during the incident. After
entering Precode (3), continue with Item HAPPEN.
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● Ask or verify:
Did you personally see an offender?
1 Yes
2 No
SEEOFFENDER
SEEOFFENDER
Proxy Interviews
Item SEEOFFENDER is asked to determine if the
respondent personally saw an offender.
If you are conducting a proxy interview, the proxy
respondent may not know for sure whether the proxy person
saw the offender during the incident. Probe by asking if the
proxy respondent thinks the proxy person saw the offender
and then enter the appropriate precode based on the proxy
respondent's answer. Precode (3), “Don’t know,” appears in
the answer list for proxy interviews only.
Did the offender have a weapon such as a gun or knife, or something to use as a weapon, such as a
bottle or wrench?
1 Yes
2 No
3 Don't know
WEAPONPRESENT
WEAPONPRESENT
Guns and Knives
When a respondent was present during the incident, you
ask the question in Item WEAPONPRESENT to determine
whether the offender had a weapon or used an object as a
weapon.
With the exception of BB and tear gas guns, all guns, rifles,
and knives are considered weapons. BB and tear gas guns
are only considered weapons when they are used as clubs.
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Objects Used as
Weapons
Part B, Chapter 4
Objects other than guns, rifles, and knives must have been
used as weapons to be considered weapons. For example,
if the offender used a screwdriver only to break into the
respondent's home, the screwdriver is NOT a weapon for
the incident. However, if the offender attacked or threatened
to attack the respondent with the screwdriver, then the
screwdriver is a weapon for the incident.
When a respondent mentions an object that may or may not
be a weapon depending on how the offender used it,
probe to verify that the object was used to either attack the
respondent or threaten to attack the respondent. Make sure
to explain in the summary report exactly how the object was
used as a weapon during the incident.
Motor Vehicles
In the following situations, a motor vehicle (for example, a
car, truck, van, SUV, motorcycle, and so on) can be
considered a weapon:
The respondent knows the offender and the offender
deliberately used a motor vehicle to try to run into the
respondent's vehicle or a vehicle in which the
respondent was riding.
The respondent believes that the offender deliberately
struck or tried to hit him/her with a motor vehicle while
the respondent was on foot, a bicycle, in a motor vehicle,
and so on. The respondent's belief could be based on
words spoken by the offender or facts known about the
offender.
However, the offender's vehicle is NOT a weapon if the
respondent does not know the offender and there was NO
verbal threat of physical harm to the respondent when:
✖ The offender cut in front of a vehicle driven by the
respondent.
✖ The offender cut in front of a vehicle in which the
respondent was a passenger.
✖ The offender and the respondent were involved in some
type of traffic accident or incidence of road rage.
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Thrown Objects
Objects that are thrown at the respondent are ONLY
considered weapons if they hit the respondent. If the object
did NOT hit the respondent, consider the incident
as a threat (entering Precode (1) in Item THREATEN) and
identify the type of threat by entering Precode (21) in Item
HOWTHREATEN. Do not enter Precode (1) in Item
WEAPONPRESENT if the respondent mentions only the
thrown object that did not hit him/her as a weapon.
Objects That Are Never
Weapons
The following objects are NEVER considered weapons for
the NCVS:
✖
✖
✖
✖
✖
✖
✖
✖
Precode (1)
Animals
Parts of the body (for example, hands, feet, and so on)
Small empty cans
Mace or pepper spray
Tear gas
Chloroform
Rings
Casts
Enter Precode (1), "Yes," if the offender had a weapon, such
as a gun or knife, or used an object, such as a bottle or
baseball bat, as a weapon. After entering Precode (1),
"Yes," you will continue with Item WEAPON.
Whenever you enter Precode (1), "Yes," indicating that the
offender had a weapon during the incident, you must enter
Precode (1), "Yes," in either Item ATTACK, TRYATTACK,
or THREATEN to indicate that the offender attacked, tried to
attack, or threatened the respondent during the incident.
Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2), "No," if the respondent says that the
offender did not have a weapon. After entering Precode (2),
continue with Item ATTACK.
Precode (3)
Enter Precode (3), "Don't know," if the respondent says that
he/she does not know whether the offender had a weapon.
After entering Precode (3), continue with Item ATTACK.
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What was the weapon?
Probe: Anything else?
Enter all that apply, separate with commas.
1 Hand gun (pistol, revolver, etc.)
2 Other gun (rifle, shotgun, etc.)
3 Knife
4 Other sharp object (scissors, ice pick, axe, etc.)
5 Blunt object (rock, club, blackjack, etc.)
6 Other - specify
WEAPON
WEAPON
Item WEAPON is asked to identify the type of weapon(s) the
offender had during the incident. This is a multiple response
question; you may enter more than one response. Ask the
question as worded in Item WEAPON and continue asking,
"Anything else?" until the respondent says, "No."
Precode (1)
Enter Precode (1) when the respondent mentions any type
of handgun, other than a BB gun, tear gas gun, or stun gun.
If a respondent mentions a stun gun, enter Precode (6),
“Other,” and enter "stun gun" on the "Specify" screen.
Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2) when the respondent mentions a rifle,
shotgun, or any gun that is NOT a handgun, other than a BB
or tear gas gun.
Precode (3)
Enter Precode (3) when the respondent mentions any type
of knife.
Precode (4)
Enter Precode (4) when the respondent mentions an object
with a thin sharp edge or a fine point (other than a knife) that
is intended for cutting or piercing (for example, scissors, ice
pick, axe, and so on). When you enter Precode (4) in Item
WEAPON, make sure to explain in the summary report
whether the sharp object was used as a weapon. If the
sharp object was used as a weapon, also explain how it was
used as a weapon, such as whether the object was thrown
at and hit the respondent, used to stab the respondent, or
used to threaten the respondent.
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Precode (5)
Enter Precode (5) when the respondent mentions a bluntedged object without sharp edges or points, such as a club,
rock, blackjack, and so on. Also, enter Precode (5) when the
offender used a BB gun or tear gas gun as a club. When
you enter Precode (5) in Item WEAPON, make sure to
explain in the summary report if the blunt object was used
as a weapon. If the blunt object was used as a weapon, also
explain how it was used as a weapon, such as whether the
object was thrown at and hit the respondent, used to beat
the respondent, or used to threaten the respondent.
Precode (6)
Enter Precode (6), “Other,” and enter a complete description
of the weapon on the "Specify" screen, WEAPON_SPEC
such as "stun gun." Precode (6) is intended for weapons
that you are unsure how to classify or for weapons or
objects that the respondent believes the offender had and
could use as a weapon, even if the respondent does not
know what the weapon or object was. If possible, try to
obtain a description and enter it on the "Specify" screen.
Avoid entering Precode (6) if the weapon fits one of the
other answer categories.
When you enter Precode (6) in Item WEAPON, make sure
to explain in the summary report if the object was used as a
weapon. If the object was used as a weapon, also explain
how it was used as a weapon and whether the object was
thrown at the respondent, used to beat the respondent, or
used to threaten the respondent.
Did the offender hit you, knock you down, or actually attack you in any way?
1 Yes
2 No
ATTACK
ATTACK
Precode (1)
Ask the question in Item ATTACK to determine if the
respondent was actually attacked during the incident. In
other words, there was some type of physical contact
between the offender and the respondent.
Enter Precode (1), "Yes," when there was some type of
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physical contact between the offender and the respondent
(for example, the offender hit, knocked down, or assaulted
the respondent in some way).
Do NOT enter Precode (1) if the offender:
✖ Threw something at the respondent and the object did
NOT hit the respondent
OR
✖ Shot at the respondent and the bullet MISSED the
respondent.
After entering Precode (1), "Yes," continue with Item
HOWATTACK.
Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2), "No," when the offender did NOT touch
or have physical contact with the respondent during the
incident. Also enter Precode (2) if the offender:
✓ Threw something at the respondent and the object did
NOT hit the respondent
OR
✓ Shot at the respondent and the bullet MISSED the
respondent.
After entering Precode (2), "No," continue with Item
TRYATTACK.
Did the offender TRY to attack you?
1 Yes
2 No
TRYATTACK
TRYATTACK
Ask the question in Item TRYATTACK to determine if the
offender tried to attack the respondent during the incident,
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but did NOT have any physical contact with the respondent.
If there is any question in your mind as to whether or not the
offender tried to attack the respondent, go with the
respondent's perception.
Precode (1)
Enter Precode (1), "Yes," when both the offender and the
respondent were present during the incident and the
offender:
✓ Made an attempt to attack the respondent (for example,
the offender tried to punch, hit, shoot, or stab the
respondent and missed)
OR
✓ The respondent perceives that the offender could have
caused physical injury to him/her (for example, the
offender was chasing the respondent with a gun in
his/her hand, but was stopped before reaching the
respondent).
After entering Precode (1), "Yes," continue with Item
HOWTRYATTACK.
Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2), "No," when the offender did not attempt
to attack the respondent during the incident. Also, enter
Precode (2) if the respondent was threatened with physical
harm, but the offender did not attempt to attack him/her.
After entering Precode (2), "No," continue with Item
THREATEN.
Did the offender THREATEN you with harm in any way?
1 Yes
2 No
THREATEN
THREATEN
Ask the question in Item THREATEN to determine whether
the offender made a face-to-face verbal threat to
physically harm the respondent during the incident. Both
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the respondent and the offender must be present and the
threat must be voiced by the offender directly to the
respondent.
Do NOT include threats made by:
✖ Telephone,
✖ Letter,
✖ Electronic mail,
✖ FAX machine, or
✖ Threats delivered by someone other than the offender.
Precode (1)
Enter Precode (1), "Yes," when the offender verbally
threatened to physically harm the respondent. After entering
Precode (1), "Yes," continue with Item HOWTHREATEN.
Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2), "No," when:
✓ Someone other than the offender delivered the threat to
the respondent.
✓ The respondent felt threatened, but the offender did not
verbally threaten to physically harm the respondent.
✓ The threat was made by telephone, letter, electronic
mail, or FAX machine.
After entering Precode (2), "No," continue with Item
WHATHAPPEN.
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What actually happened?
●Probe: Anything else?
● Enter all that apply, separate with commas
11 Something taken without permission
12 Attempted or threatened to take something
13 Harassed, argument, abusive language
14 Unwanted sexual contact with force (grabbing, fondling, etc.)
15 Unwanted sexual contact without force (grabbing, fondling, etc.)
16 Forcible entry or attempted forcible entry of house/apartment
17 Forcible entry or attempted forcible entry of car
18 Damaged or destroyed property
19 Attempted or threatened to damage or destroy property
20 Other - specify
WHATHAPPEN
WHATHAPPEN
Ask WHATHAPPEN to identify what happened during the
incident when the respondent answers "No" to each of the
questions in Items ATTACK, TRYATTACK, and
THREATEN indicating that the offender did NOT attack, try
to attack, or threaten him/her with physical harm. This item
allows you to enter multiple precodes, so continue asking,
"Anything else?" until you get a "No" response. Once you
have completed Item WHATHAPPEN, the instrument
continues with Item IMPACT_JOB if Precode (15) was
selected in Item WHATHAPPEN. If Precode (14) was
selected in Item WHATHAPPEN, the instrument continues
with Item SEXCONFORCEPROBE_1. Otherwise, the
instrument goes to Item PREGATTIMEOFINC if you are
speaking with a female respondent ages 18 to 49, otherwise
it continues with Item PROTECTSELF.
After asking the question in Item WHATHAPPEN, you may
discover that the offender did attack, tried to attack, or
verbally threatened to physically harm the respondent. If so,
do not enter any precodes in Item WHATHAPPEN and
correct the answers entered in Items ATTACK,
TRYATTACK, or THREATEN, as necessary. (You may
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correct previous answers by pressing the “Up” arrow key
and backing up to the appropriate screen to change
responses.)
Unwanted Sexual Contact
Precodes (14) and (15) include a broad range of unwanted
sexual acts and are included in Item WHATHAPPEN for
respondents who do not consider the unwanted sexual
contact as an assault. We want to ensure that all sexual
assaults committed during an incident are reported.
Categories for unwanted sexual contact are also included in
Items HOWTRYATTACK and HOWTHREATEN to ensure
that we do not miss any sexual assaults when a respondent
says that the offender tried to attack or threatened to
physically harm him/her.
It may not always be clear whether you should enter
Precode (14), (with force), or Precode (15), (without force),
based on what the respondent tells you. Generally, if the
sexual contact involved grabbing, pushing, restraining, or
other acts of force, enter Precode (14) and then ask the
structured probe at Item SEXCONFORCEPROBE_1. If the
sexual contact did not involve any force (for example, only
unwanted touching and/or fondling), enter Precode (15) in
Item WHATHAPPEN. If unsure, go with the respondent's
perception of whether or not force was used.
Precode (11)
Enter Precode (11), "Something taken without permission," if
the offender stole something belonging to the respondent or
another household member.
Precode (12)
Enter Precode (12), "Attempted or threatened to take
something" if the offender:
Tried to take something that belonged to the respondent
or another household member
OR
Threatened to take something belonging to the
respondent or another household member. A threatened
theft can be verbal (For example, "I'm taking your
motorcycle.") or nonverbal (For example, the offender
reaches for the respondent's purse, but doesn't get it.)
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Precode (13)
Enter Precode (13), "Harassed, argument, abusive
language," if the offender verbally bothered the respondent
without threatening him/her (for example, yelling, teasing,
insulting, arguing, using obscenities, and so on).
Precode (14)
Enter Precode (14), "Unwanted sexual contact with force
(grabbing, fondling, etc.)," if the offender used any type of
force during the unwanted sexual contact (for example,
grabbing, pushing, or restraining). After entering Precode
(14), continue with Item SEXCONFORCEPROBE_1.
Precode (15)
Enter Precode (15), "Unwanted sexual contact without force
(grabbing, fondling, etc.)," if the offender did not use any
force during the unwanted sexual contact (for example,
sexually touching, embracing, and/or fondling the
respondent without grabbing, pushing, or restraining).
Precode (16)
Enter Precode (16), "Forcible entry or attempted forcible
entry of house/apartment," if the offender used force to
either break into or attempt to break into the respondent's
house or apartment during the incident. When NO FORCE
was used to enter or attempt to enter, enter Precode (20),
"Other," and explain the break in or attempted break in when
the "Specify" screen, WHATHAPPEN_SPEC, appears.
Precode (17)
Enter Precode (17), "Forcible entry or attempted forcible
entry of car," if the offender used force during the incident to
break into or attempt to break into a car or any other type of
motor vehicle owned by the respondent or another
household member. If force was NOT used, enter Precode
(20), "Other." When the "Specify" screen appears, explain
how the offender entered or attempted to enter the
household member's motor vehicle WITHOUT FORCE (For
example, the offender entered the motor vehicle through an
unlocked door).
Precode (18)
Enter Precode (18), "Damaged or destroyed property," if the
offender damaged or destroyed property during the incident
that belongs to the respondent or another household
member.
Precode (19)
Enter Precode (19), "Attempted or threatened to damage or
destroy property," if the offender tried or threatened to
damage or destroy property during the incident that
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belongs to the respondent or another household member.
Precode (20)
Enter Precode (20), "Other," when the incident does not fit
one of the preceding categories for Item WHATHAPPEN
and enter a brief and concise explanation of what happened
during the incident on the "Specify" screen,
WHATHAPPEN_SPEC, which appears after entering
Precode (20). Some examples of acceptable entries for
Precode (20) are:
✓
Illegal entry of the respondent's house or car without
the use of force
✓
Obscene gestures
✓
Trespassing on the respondent's property
✓ A "Peeping Tom."
You mentioned some type of unwanted sexual contact with force. Do you mean forced or coerced
sexual intercourse including attempts?
1 Yes
2 No
SEXCONFORCEPROBE_1
SEXCONFORCE
PROBE_1
This probe question appears if Item WHATHAPPEN is
answered with Precode (14), “Unwanted sexual contact with
force,” and is asked to ensure that the incident did not
include forced or coerced sexual intercourse, including
attempted forced or coerced sexual intercourse.
If you enter Precode (1) at Item SEXCONFORCEPROBE_1,
continue with Item HOWATTACK to code the incident as an
attack. If you enter Precode (2), continue with Item
IMPACT_JOB.
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How did the offender TRY to attack you?
● Probe: Any other way?
● Enter all codes that apply, separate with commas
11 Verbal threat of rape
12 Verbal threat to kill
13 Verbal threat of attack other than to kill or rape
14 Verbal threat of sexual assault other than rape
15 Unwanted sexual contact with force (grabbing, fondling, etc.)
16 Unwanted sexual contact without force (grabbing, fondling, etc.)
17 Weapon present or threatened with weapon
18 Shot at (but missed)
19 Attempted attack with knife/sharp weapon
20 Attempted attack with weapon other than gun/knife/sharp weapon
21 Object thrown at person
22 Followed or surrounded
23 Tried to hit, slap, knock down, grab, hold, trip, jump, push, etc.
24 Other - specify
HOWTRYATTACK
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How were you threatened?
● Probe: Any other way?
● Enter all codes that apply, separate with commas
11 Verbal threat of rape
12 Verbal threat to kill
13 Verbal threat of attack other than to kill or rape
14 Verbal threat of sexual assault other than rape
15 Unwanted sexual contact with force (grabbing, fondling, etc.)
16 Unwanted sexual contact without force (grabbing, fondling, etc.)
17 Weapon present or threatened with weapon
18 Shot at (but missed)
19 Attempted attack with knife/sharp weapon
20 Attempted attack with weapon other than gun/knife/sharp weapon
21 Object thrown at person
22 Followed or surrounded
23 Tried to hit, slap, knock down, grab, hold, trip, jump, push, etc.
24 Other - specify
HOWTHREATEN
HOWTRYATTACK and
HOWTHREATEN
Item HOWTRYATTACK is asked to identify how the
offender tried to attack the respondent when Precode (1),
"Yes," is entered in Item TRYATTACK. Item
HOWTHREATEN is asked to identify how the offender
threatened to harm the respondent when Precode (1),
"Yes," is entered in Item THREATEN.
The answer categories for Items HOWTRYATTACK and
HOWTHREATEN are the same and both items allow for
multiple entries, so continue asking "Any other way?" until
you get a "No" response. After completing Item
HOWTRYATTACK or Item HOWTHREATEN, you will
continue with Item PREGATTIMEOFINC if you are speaking
to a female respondent ages 18 to 49, otherwise you will
continue with Item PROTECTSELF.
If you determine that none of the respondent's answers for
Item HOWTRYATTACK or HOWTHREATEN indicate that
there was an attempted attack or a threat of physical harm,
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do NOT enter any precodes for Items HOWTRYATTACK
and HOWTHREATEN, and correct the answer for Item
TRYATTACK or THREATEN, as necessary. (Correct
answers for these items by using the “Up” arrow key to back
up to the item and change responses.) After making the
correction, the instrument brings up the appropriate screens
automatically.
Unwanted Sexual
Contact
Precodes (15) and (16) include a broad range of unwanted
sexual acts for respondents who do not consider an
unwanted sexual contact as an attack or assault. We want
to ensure that all sexual assaults committed during an
incident are reported correctly. Precode (15), "Unwanted
sexual contact with force (grabbing, fondling, etc.)," and
Precode (16), "Unwanted sexual contact without force
(grabbing, fondling, etc.)," can be entered as answers for
Items HOWTRYATTACK or HOWTHREATEN.
Based on what the respondent tells you, it may not always
be clear whether you should enter Precode (15), (with
force), or Precode (16), (without force). Generally, if the
sexual contact involved grabbing, pushing, restraining, or
other acts of force, enter Precode (15) and then ask the
structured probe question for Item
SEXCONFORCEPROBE_2. If the respondent tells you that
he/she was forced or coerced into having sexual intercourse
or a forced attempt was made to have sexual intercourse,
continue with Item HOWATTACK. If the sexual contact did
not involve any force (for example, only unwanted touching,
embracing, and/or fondling), enter Precode (16) in Item
HOWTRYATTACK or HOWTHREATEN. If unsure, go with
the respondent's perception of whether or not force was
used.
Precode (11)
Enter Precode (11), Verbal threat of rape, if the offender
was face-to-face with the respondent and verbally
threatened to rape the respondent. For the NCVS, rape
means forced sexual intercourse including both
psychological coercion, as well as physical force. Forced
sexual intercourse means vaginal, anal, or oral penetration
by the offender(s). The penetration also can be from a
foreign object, such as a bottle.
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Precode (12)
Enter Precode (12), Verbal threat to kill, if the offender was
face-to-face with the respondent and verbally threatened to
kill the respondent.
Precode (13)
Enter Precode (13), Verbal threat of attack other than to
kill or rape, if the offender was face-to-face with the
respondent and verbally threatened to attack the
respondent in some way other than by raping or killing
him/her.
Precode (14)
Enter Precode (14), Verbal threat of sexual assault other
than rape, if the offender was face-to-face with the
respondent and verbally threatened to sexually assault the
respondent, but did not threaten to rape him/her.
Precode (15)
Enter Precode (15), Unwanted sexual contact with force
(grabbing, fondling, etc.), if the offender used some type
of force such as grabbing, restraining, or pushing during the
unwanted sexual contact. After entering Precode (15), you
always ask the structured probe question in
SEXCONFORCEPROBE_2.
Precode (16)
Enter Precode (16), Unwanted sexual contact without
force (grabbing, fondling, etc.), if the offender made some
type of unwanted sexual contact without the use of force.
For example, during the incident, the offender may have
embraced, fondled, or touched the respondent against
his/her will, but did not grab, push, or restrain the
respondent in any way.
Precode (17)
Enter Precode (17), Weapon present or threatened with
weapon, if the offender had a weapon or an object that
he/she intended to use as a weapon and the respondent
believed the offender would use the weapon to harm
him/her. Do NOT enter Precode (17) if the offender
attempted to use the weapon or actually shot at the
respondent.
Precode (18)
Enter Precode (18), Shot at (but missed), if the offender
discharged a gun or rifle in the direction of the respondent
intending to hit the respondent, but the bullet did NOT hit the
respondent.
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Do NOT enter Precode (18) if:
✖ The offender was not aiming to hit the respondent
OR
✖ The bullet actually hit the respondent. If the respondent
was hit by a bullet, change the answer in Item ATTACK
to "Yes" (use the “Up” arrow key to back up to the item
and change the answer) and the instrument continues
with Item HOWATTACK.
Precode (19)
Enter Precode (19), Attempted attack with knife/sharp
weapon, if the offender tried unsuccessfully to strike or stab
the respondent with a knife or other sharp weapon, such as
an ice pick or scissors.
Precode (20)
Enter Precode (20), Attempted attack with weapon other
than gun/knife/sharp weapon, if the offender tried
unsuccessfully to attack the respondent with a weapon other
than a gun, knife, or other sharp weapon. This could include
weapons such as clubs, blackjacks, rocks, etc.
Precode (21)
Enter Precode (21), Object thrown at person, if the
offender threw an object at the respondent, but did not hit
him/her.
Precode (22)
Enter Precode (22), Followed or surrounded, if the
offender was following the respondent or blocking his/her
way, and the offender's close proximity to the respondent
caused the respondent to fear for his/her safety.
Precode (23)
Enter Precode (23), Tried to hit, slap, knock down, grab,
hold, trip, jump, push, etc., if the offender tried
unsuccessfully to hit, slap, knock down, grab, hold, trip,
jump, or push the respondent.
Precode (24)
Enter Precode (24), Other, if the offender tried to attack or
threatened to physically harm the respondent in a way that
does not fit one of the preceding categories. Avoid using this
category if at all possible since most threats or attempted
attacks can be identified in the categories for Precodes (11)
through (23). If you do need to enter Precode (24), make
sure to enter how the offender tried to attack or threatened
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to physically harm the respondent in the "Specify" screen,
HOWTRYATTACK_SPEC, that appears after entering
Precode (24).
You mentioned some type of unwanted sexual contact with force.
Do you mean forced or coerced sexual intercourse including attempts?
1 Yes
2 No
SEXCONFORCEPROBE_2
SEXCONFORCEPROBE_2
This probe question appears when Item HOWTRYATTACK
or Item HOWTHREATEN is answered with Precode 15,
“Unwanted sexual contact with force,” and is asked to
ensure that the incident did not include forced or coerced
sexual intercourse, including attempted forced or coerced
sexual intercourse.
If the respondent tells you that he/she was forced or coerced
into having sexual intercourse or a forced attempt was made
to have sexual intercourse, enter Precode (1) and continue
with Item HOWATTACK. Otherwise, continue with Item
IMPACT_JOB.
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How were you attacked?
● Probe: Any other way?
● Enter all codes that apply, separate with commas
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
Raped
Tried to rape
Sexual assault other than rape or attempted rape
Shot
Shot at (but missed)
Hit with gun held in hand
Stabbed/cut with knife/sharp weapon
Attempted attack with knife/sharp weapon
Hit by object (other than gun) held in hand
Hit by thrown object
Attempted attack with weapon other than gun/knife/sharp weapon
Hit, slapped, knocked down
Grabbed, held, tripped, jumped, pushed, etc.
Other - specify
HOWATTACK
HOWATTACK
After a respondent tells you in Item ATTACK that he/she
was attacked during the incident, continue with Item
HOWATTACK to determine how the respondent was
attacked during the incident. Item HOWATTACK allows you
to enter multiple precodes, so continue asking "Any other
way?" until you get a "No" response.
If you discover that the respondent was NOT physically
attacked during the incident, leave Item HOWATTACK
unanswered, back up and change the answer in Item
ATTACK to "No," and continue with Item TRYATTACK.
Precode (11)
Enter Precode (11), “Raped,” if the respondent says that
he/she was raped during the incident. After entering
Precode (11), an “Active Signal” box appears as shown
below:
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Active Signal
You mentioned rape. Do you mean forced or coerced sexual
intercourse?
If “No,” then ask: What do you mean?
Questions Involved
howAttack: How attacked
Suppress
Close
Value
Raped
Goto
This screen is included to ensure that the respondent's
definition of rape matches the NCVS definition. For the
NCVS, rape means forced sexual intercourse including both
psychological coercion, as well as physical force. Forced
sexual intercourse means vaginal, anal, or oral penetration
by the offender(s). The penetration also can be from a
foreign object, such as a bottle.
If the respondent’s answer to the probe question in the
“Active Signal” box is “Yes,” click on the “Suppress”
button to move to the next question.
If the respondent's answer to the probe question is "No," you
must ask the second probe question, "What do you
mean?" The purpose of this question is to distinguish
between rape and other forms of sexual assault. Do not
probe beyond this question.
If the respondent’s answer to the second probe question
does not satisfy the NCVS definition for rape, click on the
“Close” or “Goto” button, then delete Precode (11) in Item
HOWATTACK. Include as much detail as possible about the
incident as you write the summary report later in the
interview. If the attack involved another type of sexual
assault other than rape, enter Precode (13) in Item
HOWATTACK.
Precode (12)
Enter Precode (12), “Tried to rape,” if the respondent says
that the offender tried to rape him/her during the incident.
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After entering Precode (12), an “Active Signal” box appears
as shown below:
Active Signal
You mentioned attempted rape. Do you mean attempted
forced or coerced sexual intercourse?
If “No,” then ask: What do you mean?
Questions Involved
Value
howAttack: How attacked Tried to rape
Suppress
Close
Goto
This screen is included to ensure that the respondent's
definition of attempted rape matches the NCVS definition.
For the NCVS, rape means forced sexual intercourse
including both psychological coercion, as well as physical
force. Forced sexual intercourse means vaginal, anal, or
oral penetration by the offender(s). The penetration also can
be from a foreign object, such as a bottle.
If the respondent’s answer to the probe question in the
“Active Signal” box is “Yes,” click on the “Suppress” button
to move to the next question.
If the respondent's answer to the probe question in the
“Active Signal” box is "No," you must ask the second probe
question, "What do you mean?" The purpose of this
question is to distinguish between attempted rape and other
forms of sexual assault. After asking, “What do you
mean?” do not ask any additional probe questions.
If the respondent’s answer to the second probe question
does not satisfy the NCVS definition for attempted rape,
click on the “Close” or “Goto” button, delete Precode (12) in
Item HOWATTACK. Include as much detail as possible
about the incident as you write the summary report later in
the interview. If the attack involved another type of sexual
assault, enter Precode (13) in Item HOWATTACK.
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Precode (13)
Enter Precode (13) when the respondent was sexually
assaulted in some way other than rape or attempted rape;
that is, the sexual assault did not involve forced or coerced
sexual intercourse or attempted sexual intercourse (for
example, fondling the respondent's breasts against her will).
Precode (14)
Enter Precode (14) when the offender shot a gun or rifle at
the respondent and the respondent was actually hit by the
bullet.
Precode (15)
Enter Precode (15) when the offender shot a gun or filed
intending to hit the respondent, but the respondent did not
get hit by the bullet. During an incident, it is possible to have
both an attempted attack and an actual attack. However, if
you enter Precode (15) AND you do not enter another
precode in HOWATTACK to indicate that some physical
attack or contact happened during the incident, you must:
Leave Item HOWATTACK blank,
Back up and change the "Yes" answer in Item ATTACK
to "No," and
Ask the question about attempted attacks in Item
TRYATTACK next.
Precode (16)
Enter Precode (16) when the offender used a gun or rifle to
strike the respondent (for example, using it to inflict blunt
force injury, rather than shooting at the respondent).
Precode (17)
Enter Precode (17) when the offender used a knife or other
sharp object to cut the respondent causing a puncture
wound.
Precode (18)
Enter Precode (18) when the offender tried to cut or stab the
respondent with a knife or other sharp object, but was not
successful in causing a puncture wound. During an incident,
it is possible to have both an attempted attack and an actual
attack. However, if you enter Precode (18) AND do not enter
another precode in Item HOWATTACK to indicate that
some physical attack or contact happened during the
incident, then you must:
Leave Item HOWATTACK blank,
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Back up and change the "Yes" answer in Item
ATTACK to "No," and
Ask the question about attempted attacks in Item
TRYATTACK next.
Precode (19)
Enter Precode (19) when the offender was holding an
object, other than a gun, in his/her hand and hit the
respondent with the object.
Precode (20)
Enter Precode (20) when the offender threw something at
the respondent AND the thrown object hit the respondent.
Precode (21)
Enter Precode (21) when the offender tried to attack the
respondent with a weapon, other than a gun, knife, or sharp
weapon, but the weapon did not make contact
with the respondent. During an incident, it is possible to
have both an attempted attack and an actual attack.
However, if you enter Precode (21) AND do not enter
another precode in Item HOWATTACK to indicate that
some physical attack or contact happened during the
incident, then you must:
Leave Item HOWATTACK blank,
Back up and change the "Yes" answer in Item ATTACK
to "No," and
Ask the question about attempted attacks in Item
TRYATTACK next.
Precode (22)
Enter Precode (22) when the offender used his/her hands or
fists to hit, slap, or knock down the respondent.
Precode (23)
Enter Precode (23) when the offender physically interfered
with the respondent's movement by grabbing, holding,
tripping, jumping, or pushing him/her.
Precode (24)
Enter Precode (24) when the offender physically attacked
the respondent in a way not covered in Precodes (11)
through (23). After entering Precode (24), make sure to
explain how the respondent was attacked on the "Specify"
screen, HOWATTACK_SPEC. Before entering Precode
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(24), make sure that the method of attack does not fit one of
the previous answer categories in Item HOWATTACK.
Did the offender THREATEN to hurt you before you were actually attacked?
1 Yes
2 No
3 Other - specify
PRETHREATEN
PRETHREATEN
After identifying in Item HOWATTACK how the
respondent was physically attacked, you will ask
the question in Item PRETHREATEN to determine
if the offender verbally threatened to hurt the
respondent prior to the actual attack. The verbal
threat could be to take any of the actions specified
in Item HOWATTACK, such as threatening to rape
the respondent.
The offender could have voiced the threat anytime
from the start of the incident until the moment of the
physical attack.
In most cases, you will enter Precode (1), "Yes," or
Precode (2), "No," based on the respondent's
answer. Only enter Precode (3), "Other," if you
need to describe the situation with more than just a
"Yes" or "No" answer. Make sure to explain the
respondent's answer on the "Specify" screen,
PRETHREATEN_SPEC, that appears after
entering Precode (3).
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What were the injuries you suffered, if any?
PROBE: Anything else?
Enter all that apply, separate with commas.
11 None
12 Raped
13 Attempted rape
14 Sexual assault other than rape or attempted rape
15 Knife or stab wounds
16 Gun shot, bullet wounds
17 Broken bones or teeth knocked out
18 Internal injuries
19 Knocked unconscious
20 Bruises, black eye, cuts, scratches, swelling, chipped teeth
21 Other (specify)
INJURY
INJURY
After completing Item PRETHREATEN, you will ask Item
INJURY to determine if the respondent experienced any
personal injuries during the attack and, if so, to identify what
type of bodily injuries were suffered from the incident. Do not
include mental or emotional suffering as an injury.
Since the respondent may have suffered various types of
injuries during the incident, continue asking, "Anything
else?" until you get a "No" response.
Precode (11)
Enter Precode (11), "None," when the respondent tells you
that he/she did not experience any physical injuries from the
attack. However, do not enter Precode (11) if:
✖ You enter another precode in Item INJURY
OR
✖ You entered Precode (11), "Raped," in Item
HOWATTACK.
After entering precode (11), continue with IMPACT_JOB.
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Precode (12)
Part B, Chapter 4
Enter Precode (12), "Raped," when you have entered
Precode (11), "Raped," in Item HOWATTACK, regardless of
whether the respondent mentions "Raped" as an injury. If
this happens, hit the “Suppress” button in the Active Signal
box (which appears as a pop-up), without asking the probe
question a second time. However, when the respondent did
not mention "Raped" in Item HOWATTACK and then reports
"Raped" as an injury in Item INJURY, you must ask the
probe question in the Active Signal box that appears.
Active Signal
You mentioned rape. Do you mean forced or coerced sexual
intercourse?
If “No,” then ask: What do you mean?
Questions Involved
How attacked
Injury: Injuries
Suppress
Close
Value
Raped
Goto
If the respondent’s answer to the probe question in the
“Active Signal” box is “Yes,” click on the “Suppress” button to
move to the next question. However, if the respondent
answers, "No," in the Active Signal box, ask the additional
probe, "What do you mean?" This additional probe
question is needed to distinguish between rape, attempted
rape, and other types of sexual assaults.
After asking, "What do you mean?" do not ask any
additional probe questions. Make sure to include any
additional details about the incident later in the interview at
the SUMMARY screen.
Precode (13)
Only enter Precode (13), "Attempted rape," when the
respondent specifically says that his/her injury was an
attempted rape. Do not automatically enter Precode (13),
"Attempted Rape," when Precode (12), "Tried to rape," is
entered in Item HOWATTACK. If an offender tried to rape
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the respondent and the respondent does not report any
physical injuries in Item INJURY, enter Precode (11),
"None," in Item INJURY.
If the respondent reports an "Attempted rape" injury in INJURY,
but did not report "Tried to rape" in Item HOWATTACK, an
“Active signal” box appears:
Active Signal
You mentioned attempted rape. Do you mean attempted
forced or coerced sexual intercourse?
If “No,” then ask: What do you mean?
Questions Involved
Injury: Injuries
Suppress
Close
Value
Attempted rape
Goto
If you get a "Yes" answer, click on the “Suppress” button to
continue to the next screen.
If the respondent says that he/she did not mean attempted forced
or coerced sexual intercourse or is unsure of the answer, ask the
additional probe question, "What do you mean?" in the “Active
Signal” box. The second probe question is needed to distinguish
between rape, attempted rape, and other types of sexual
assaults. Make sure to include any additional details about the
incident in the summary report later in the interview.
Precode (14)
Only enter Precode (14), "Sexual assault other than rape or
attempted rape," when the respondent specifically says that this
was one of his/her injuries. Make sure to also ask if the
respondent suffered any other injuries and, if so, enter the
appropriate precodes in Item INJURY. Do not automatically
enter Precode (14) when Precode (13), "Sexual assault other
than rape or attempted rape," is entered in Item HOWATTACK.
If the respondent reports a sexual assault other than rape or
attempted rape in Item HOWATTACK and does not report any
physical injuries in Item INJURY, enter Precode (11), "None," in
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Item INJURY.
Precode (15)
Enter Precode (15), "Knife or stab wounds," when the
respondent reports an injury caused by a knife or any other
sharp or pointed object.
Precode (16)
Enter Precode (16), "Gun shot, bullet wounds," when the
respondent reports an injury caused by the bullet or shot
from a hand gun, rifle, shotgun, and so on. Do not enter
Precode (16) if the injury was caused by being shot with a
BB gun, tear gas gun, or a stun gun.
Precode (17)
Enter Precode (17), "Broken bones or teeth knocked out,"
when the respondent reports that he/she suffered broken,
chipped, or cracked bones from the attack. Also enter
Precode (17) when a respondent says that one or more of
his/her teeth were knocked out.
However, do not enter Precode (17) for injuries involving
broken, chipped, or cracked teeth; instead, enter Precode
(20) for this type of injury.
Precode (18)
Enter Precode (18), "Internal injuries," when the respondent
reports that he/she suffered any type of internal injuries
during the attack.
Precode (19)
Enter Precode (19), "Knocked unconscious," when the
respondent reports that he/she was knocked unconscious,
blacked out, passed out, went into a coma, and so on, resulting
directly from the attack.
Do not enter Precode (19) if the respondent became
unconscious or fainted due to fear or medical treatment,
which cannot be attributed directly to the attack.
Precode (20)
Enter Precode (20), "Bruises, black eye, cuts, scratches,
swelling, chipped teeth," when the respondent reports any
minor injuries that are not covered specifically in Precodes (12)
through (19). Examples of injuries to include for Precode (20)
are minor burns, bruises, black eyes, cuts, scratches, swellings,
and chipped teeth suffered during the attack.
Precode (21)
Enter Precode (21), "Other," when the respondent mentions an
injury that does not seem to fit into any of the injuries for
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Precodes (12) through (20). Always enter a description of the
injury on the "Specify" screen, INJURY_SPEC after entering
Precode (21) (for example, eye damage from gasoline thrown
in eyes or severe burns from acid dropped on arms). Avoid
entering Precode (21) if the injury fits into one of the injury
descriptions for Precodes (12) through (20).
● Ask or verify:
Were any of the injuries caused by a weapon other than a gun or knife?
1 Yes
2 No
INJURYNOTGUN
INJURYNOTGUN
Item INJURYNOTGUN is used to determine if any
injuries reported in Item INJURY were caused by a
weapon OTHER THAN a gun or a knife. If you feel
sure of the answer, you can verify the answer with the
respondent, instead of asking the question. Otherwise,
ask the question in Item INJURYNOTGUN. If you get a
"Yes" answer, enter Precode (1) and continue with
Item FIRSTINJURY. If you get a "No" answer, enter
Precode (2) and continue with Item MEDICALCARE.
Which injuries marked in the field INJURIES were caused by a weapon OTHER than a gun or
knife?
● Enter all that apply, separate with commas
17 Broken bones or teeth knocked out
19 Knocked unconscious
FIRSTINJURY
FIRSTINJURY
Item FIRSTINJURY is used to identify which
injuries reported in Item INJURY were caused by a
weapon OTHER THAN a gun or knife. With the
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exception of Precodes (15), knife or stab wounds,
and (16), gunshot or bullet wounds, the injuries
reported at Item INJURY will be shown at Item
FIRSTINJURY.
Since we are interested in injuries that were caused
by a weapon other than a gun or knife, Precodes
(15) and (16) will not appear in Item FIRSTINJURY,
even if they were entered in Item INJURY. Enter
the appropriate precodes for the injuries listed at
Item FIRSTINJURY that were caused by a weapon
other than a gun or knife.
Were you injured to the extent that you received any medical care, including self treatment?
1 Yes
2 No
MEDICALCARE
MEDICALCARE
Item MEDICALCARE is used to find out if the
respondent received any medical care for the injuries
reported in Item INJURY. This medical care includes
any care or treatment provided for the respondent's
physical injuries, including self treatment. Treatment can
range from bandages and ice packs to setting broken
bones and major surgery.
Precode (1)
Enter Precode (1), "Yes," when the respondent received
any type of medical treatment for the reported injuries,
regardless of where the medical care was provided or
who provided the treatment. After entering Precode (1),
you will continue with Item RECEIVECAREWHERE.
Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2), "No," when the respondent did not
receive any medical treatment for his/her injuries. After
entering Precode (2), continue with Item IMPACT_JOB.
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Where did you receive this care?
● PROBE: Anywhere else?
● Enter all that apply, separate with commas
11 At the scene
12 At home/neighbor's/friend's
13 Health unit at work/school, first aid station at a stadium/park, etc.
14 Doctor's office/health clinic
15 Emergency room at hospital/emergency clinic
16 Hospital (other than emergency room)
17 Other - specify
RECEIVECAREWHERE
RECEIVECAREWHERE
Item RECEIVECAREWHERE is used to determine
where the respondent received medical treatment
for his/her injuries. Continue asking, "Anywhere
else?" until you get a "No" response, since the
respondent may have been cared for at more than
one location (for example, at the crime scene, then
at an emergency room, and later at a doctor's
office).
Precode (11)
Enter Precode (11), "At the scene," if the
respondent received any type of medical treatment
at the scene of the attack (for example, in the alley
where he was mugged or in the shopping mall
where she was stabbed).
Precode (12)
Enter Precode (12), "At home/neighbor's/friends," if
the respondent received any type of medical
treatment at his/her home or at the home of the
respondent's neighbor, friend, or relative.
Precode (13)
Enter Precode (13), "Health unit at work/school,
first aid station at a stadium/park, etc.," if the
respondent received any type of medical treatment
at a health unit or first aid station at work or school,
at a sports arena or stadium, airport, at a train or
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subway station, a museum or some other type of
emergency facility other than those covered in
Precodes (14), (15), or (16).
Precode (14)
Enter Precode (14), "Doctor's office/health clinic," if
the respondent received any type of medical
treatment at any type of doctor's or dentist's office,
or in some kind of medical or health clinic that
serves patients on either a routine or an emergency
basis.
Precode (15)
Enter Precode (15), "Emergency room at hospital/
emergency clinic," if the respondent received any
type of medical treatment at a hospital emergency
room or at an emergency clinic. Emergency clinics
differ from other medical clinics in that they only
deal with emergency cases and do not provide
services on a routine basis.
Precode (16)
Enter Precode (16), "Hospital (other than
emergency room)," if the respondent received any
type of medical treatment after being admitted to a
hospital or being referred to an outpatient treatment
center or therapy area. If the respondent was
treated first at a hospital emergency room and was
later admitted to the hospital, enter Precodes (15)
AND (16).
Precode (17)
Enter Precode (17), "Other," if the respondent
received any type of medical treatment at a location
other than the places identified in Precodes (11)
through (16). Avoid entering Precode (17) if the
location fits into one of the other precodes in Item
RECEIVECAREWHERE. If you do enter Precode
(17), always enter a description of the place on the
"Specify" screen, RECEIVECAREWHERE_SPEC
(for example, in ambulance on way to hospital or on
a street, shoulder of a highway, parking lot, and so
on, but NOT at the crime scene).
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Did you stay overnight in the hospital?
1 Yes
2 No
CAREOVERNIGHT
CAREOVERNIGHT
When a respondent received medical care in a hospital
(Precode (16) entered in Item RECEIVECAREWHERE),
Item CAREOVERNIGHT is asked to find out if the
respondent stayed in a hospital overnight to receive
medical care for his/her injuries suffered during the attack.
After entering Precode (1) for a "Yes" answer, continue
with Item CAREDAYHOSPIT. If you enter Precode (2)
for a "No" answer, continue with
MEDICALINSURANCE.
How many days did you stay in the hospital?
● If over 200 days, enter 200
CAREDAYHOSPIT
CAREDAYHOSPIT
CAREDAYHOSPIT is used to identify how many days the
respondent spent in the hospital for this treatment.
When determining the number of days spent in the hospital:
Count each night spent in the hospital as one day
and only enter whole days (for example, enter 3
days, not 3 1/2 days).
Count all days spent in the hospital up to the night
prior to the interview.
If a respondent cannot recall the exact number of
days, enter the respondent's best estimate.
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At the time of the incident, were you covered by any medical insurance, or were you eligible for
benefits from any other type of health benefits program, such as Medicaid, Veterans
Administration, or Public Welfare?
1 Yes
2 No
3 Don't know
MEDICALINSURANCE
MEDICALINSURANCE
Item MEDICALINSURANCE is used to determine if the
respondent was eligible to receive health benefits from a
medical insurance plan or policy. Normally, the benefits will
cover all or part of the hospital expenses and the charges
for a doctor or surgeon's services, medication, and so on.
The respondent needs to understand that you are asking
about health benefits from a formal plan or policy with
defined membership and benefits which he/she was eligible
to receive at the time of the incident.
In addition to health insurance coverage from a private
company, we are also interested in knowing whether the
respondent was eligible for benefits from any publicly
organized system that provides health benefits, such as
medicaid, Veterans Administration, or Public Welfare.
If a respondent tells you that a friend or family member
offered to pay for his/her medical expenses, probe to find
out whether the respondent was covered by some type of
health insurance plan, even if the respondent did not submit
a claim or the plan did not pay any benefits.
Enter Precode (1) for a "Yes" answer, Precode (2) for a "No"
answer, and Precode (3) for "Don't know." After completing
Item MEDICALINSURANCE, continue with Item
MEDICALEXPENSES.
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What was the total amount of your medical expenses resulting from this incident (INCLUDING
anything paid by insurance)? Include hospital and doctor bills, medicine, therapy,
braces, and any other injury-related expenses.
Obtain an estimate if necessary
Round to the nearest dollar
Enter a number between 1-999,996
MEDICALEXPENSES
MEDICALEXPENSES
Item MEDICALEXPENSES is used to identify the
TOTAL dollar amount of the respondent's medical
expenses resulting directly from injuries suffered
during the incident. (Note that the parenthetical
phrase “INCLUDING anything paid by insurance
only appears if item MEDICALINSURANCE was
answered with Precode (1), “Yes.”) Include in this
figure any doctor and hospital bills, surgeon's fees,
emergency room expenses, ambulance services,
services provided by a physical therapist, dentist,
and so on. Also include expenses for medicine and
any kind of special devices or aids required as a
result of the respondent's injuries, such as braces,
crutches, dentures, eyeglasses, a wheelchair, or
artificial limbs.
Enter the respondent's answer in whole dollars in
the “Total amount” space. If the respondent is not
sure of the exact amount, enter his/her best
estimate of the cost for medical expenses.
If the respondent is still undergoing medical
treatment for injuries related to the incident, ask for
the respondent's best estimate of the projected total
cost for his/her medical expenses and enter the
projected estimate in the "Total amount" space.
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Enter 0 (zero), to indicate “No Cost,” if the
respondent did not incur any medical expenses for
his/her injuries as a result of the incident.
After completing Item MEDICALEXPENSES, the
instrument goes to Item IMPACT_JOB.
Emotional Toll Questions:
Items IMPACT_JOB through
KIND_HELP_ PHYPROBS
The Emotional Toll questions (added in July 2008)
are only asked of persons who reported a violent
crime, such as an attack, threat of attack,
attempted attack, or unwanted sexual contact (with
or without force).
Being a victim of crime affects people in different ways. Next I would like to ask you some
questions about how being a crime victim may have affected you.
Did being a victim of this crime lead you to have significant problems with your job or
schoolwork, or trouble with your boss, coworkers, or peers?
1 Yes
2 No
IMPACT_JOB
IMPACT_JOB
Item IMPACT_JOB informs the respondent that we
are changing the focus of the next set of questions
to talk about how being a victim of a crime has
affected them. This question specifically asks the
respondent whether being a victim of this crime has
led the respondent to have significant problems
with their job or schooling, or trouble with their
boss, coworkers, or peers.
Select Precode (1), “No,” when the respondent
reports that they have experienced significant
problems with their job or schoolwork, or people
they frequently interact with in their daily lives.
Select Precode (2), “Yes,” when the respondent
reports that they have not experienced any
significant problems with their job or schoolwork, or
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people they frequently interact with in their daily
lives.
Did being a victim of this crime lead you to have significant problems with family members or
friends, including getting into more arguments or fights than you did before, not feeling you
could trust them as much, or not feeling as close to them as you did before?
1 Yes
2 No
IMPACT_FAMILY
IMPACT_FAMILY
Item IMPACT_FAMILY is asked to find out whether
being the victim of a crime caused the respondent
to have significant problems with his/her family
and/or friends.
Select Precode (1), “Yes,” when the respondent
reports that being a victim of this crime led to
significant problems with family members or
friends.
Select Precode (2), “No,” when the respondent
reports that being a victim of this crime did not lead
to any significant problems with family members of
friends.
How distressing was being a victim of this crime to you? Was it not at all distressing, mildly
distressing, moderately distressing, or severely distressing?
1
2
3
4
Not at all distressing
Mildly distressing
Moderately distressing
Severely distressing
HOW_DISTRESSING
HOW_DISTRESSING
Item HOW_DISTRESSING is asked to find out
what level or magnitude of distress the respondent
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felt after having been the victim of a crime.
Precode (1)
Select Precode (1) when the respondent states that
being a victim of this crime was not at all
distressing.
Precode (2)
Select Precode (2) when the respondent states that
being a victim of this crime was mildly distressing.
If Precodes (1) or (2) are selected and either of the
Items IMPACT_JOB and IMPACT_FAMILY are
marked “Yes,” then the instrument goes to the
FEEL_WORRIED screen. However, if both Items
IMPACT_JOB and IMPACT_FAMILY are marked
“No” and Precode (1) or (2) is marked in Item
HOW_DISTRESSING, the instrument skips to one
of the following screens:
Item PREGATTIMEOFINC, if the respondent is
a female between the ages of 18 and 49 years
old.
Item PROTECTSELF when the respondent is
NOT a female between the ages of 18 and 49
years old.
Precode (3)
Select Precode (3) when the respondent states that
being a victim of this crime was moderately
distressing to them. If Precode (3) is selected the
instrument goes to Item FEEL_WORRIED.
Precode (4)
Select Precode (4) when the respondent states that
being a victim of this crime was severely distressing
to them. If Precode (4) is selected the instrument
goes to Item FEEL_WORRIED.
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Still thinking about your distress associated with being a victim of this crime did you feel any of
the following ways for A MONTH OR MORE? Did you feel...
Worried or anxious?
1 Yes
2 No
FEEL_WORRIED
Angry?
1 Yes
2 No
FEEL_ANGRY
Sad or depressed?
1 Yes
2 No
FEEL_SAD
Vulnerable?
1 Yes
2 No
FEEL_VULNERABLE
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Violated?
1 Yes
2 No
FEEL_VIOLATED
Like (you/he/she) couldn't trust people?
1 Yes
2 No
FEEL_MISTRUST
Unsafe?
1 Yes
2 No
FEEL_UNSAFE
Some other way?
1 Yes
2 No
FEEL_OTHER_WAY
What other way did being a victim of this crime make (you/name) feel?
FEEL_OTHER_WAY_SP
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FEEL_WORRIED through
FEEL_OTHER_WAY_SP
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Items FEEL_WORRIED through FEEL_OTHER_WAY_SP
ask about the feelings and perceptions of distress the
respondent may have had after experiencing a crime
incident.
This series of eight questions is asked when the
respondent reports that they were moderately or severely
distressed or they have experienced significant problems
at work or school or with family members or friends as a
result of being a victim of this crime. These questions are
asked independently of one another, but share the same
question stem.
On the FEEL_WORRIED screen the question stem
appears in bold face text and reads, “Still thinking about
your distress associated with being a victim of this
crime did you feel any of the following ways for A
MONTH OR MORE? Did you feel ...” followed by
“worried or anxious?”
In items FEEL_ANGRY through FEEL_OTHER_WAY the
question stem is in gray text to signify that reading the
question stem is optional, however, the specific question
text appears in bold face text and must be read to the
respondent. Repeat the question stem whenever
appropriate or if asked by the respondent. If the responses
to all eight of these questions is “No,” signifying that the
respondent has not experienced any of these types of
feelings for a month or more, the instrument goes to Item
HAVE_HEADACHES. Otherwise, it goes to Item
SEEK_PRO_HELP.
Precode (1)
Select Precode (1), “Yes,” in each of these eight questions
if the respondent reports that they experienced those
specific types of feelings for a month or more as a result of
being a victim of this crime. A “Yes” response in Item
FEEL_OTH_WAY causes the instrument to go to Item
FEEL_OTH_WAY_SP to collect any other feelings that do
not fit the first seven categories presented. Remember the
respondent must have experienced these feelings for a
month or more and attribute these feelings directly to being
a victim of this crime. Be brief but descriptive when
entering this information in Item FEEL_OTHER_WAY_SP.
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Precode (2)
Part B, Chapter 4
Select Precode (2), “No,” in each of these eight questions if
the respondent reports that they did not experience that
specific type of feeling for a month or more as a result of
being a victim of this crime.
Did you seek any kind of professional help for the feelings you experienced
as a result of being a victim of this crime?
1 Yes
2 No
SEEK_PRO_HELP
SEEK_PRO_HELP
Item SEEK_PRO_HELP is asked to find out whether the
respondent sought any kind of professional help dealing with
their feelings after experiencing a crime incident. It appears
when the respondent reported having at least one of the
feelings in FEEL_WORRIED through FEEL_OTHER_WAY
because they were a crime victim.
Precode (1)
Select Precode (1), “Yes,” if the respondent reports that they
sought some form of professional help for the prolonged
feelings they experienced. The instrument goes to
PRO_HELP_SOUGHT.
Precode (2)
Select Precode (2), “No,” if the respondent reports that they
did not seek any professional help for the feelings they
experienced. The instrument goes to HAVE_HEADACHES.
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What kind of professional help did you seek?
● Mark all that apply separated by commas
1
2
3
4
5
Counseling/therapy
Medication
Visited doctor or nurse
Visited ER/hospital/clinic
Other - Specify
PRO_HELP_SOUGHT
What other kind of professional help did you seek?
HELP_SOUGHT_SP
PRO_HELP_SOUGHT and
HELP_SOUGHT_SP
Items PRO_HELP_SOUGHT and HELP_SOUGHT_SP are
asked to find out what kind of professional help the
respondent sought. Mark as many responses as apply in
Item PRO_HELP_SOUGHT.
Item HELP_SOUGHT_SP appears if Precode (5), “Other,” is
marked in PRO_HELP_SOUGHT. Use
HELP_SOUGHT_SP to list any type of professional help
that does not appear in the answer categories in
PRO_HELP_SOUGHT. HELP_SOUGHT_SP allows 100
characters for a response.
Precode (1)
Select Precode (1) if the respondent reports that they sought
professional counseling/therapy as a result of being a victim
of this crime.
Precode (2)
Select Precode (2) if the respondent reports that they sought
medication as a result of being a victim of this crime.
Precode (3)
Select Precode (3) if the respondent reports that they visited
a doctor or nurse as a result of being a victim of this crime.
Precode (4)
Select Precode (4) if the respondent reports that they visited
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the emergency room, hospital, or clinic, as a result of being
a victim of this crime.
Precode (5)
Select Precode (5) if the respondent reports that they sought
some other form of professional help not listed in categories
1 through 4. If Precode (5) is selected, the instrument goes
to HELP_SOUGHT_SP to collect the “other” kind of
professional help the respondent sought. Be brief, but
descriptive, when entering the other kind of professional
help in the “Other - Specify” field.
Did you experience any of the following physical problems associated with being a victim of this
crime for A MONTH OR MORE? Did you experience....
Headaches?
1 Yes
2 No
HAVE_HEADACHES
Trouble sleeping?
1 Yes
2 No
TRBL_SLEEPING
Changes in (your/his/her) eating or drinking habits?
1 Yes
2 No
EATING_PROBS
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Upset stomach?
1 Yes
2 No
UPSET_STOMACH
Fatigue?
1 Yes
2 No
FATIGUE
High blood pressure?
1 Yes
2 No
HIGH_BLOOD_PRESS
Muscle tension or back pain?
1 Yes
2 No
MUSCLE_TENSION
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Some other physical problem?
1 Yes
2 No
OTHER_PHYSICAL
What other physical problem did you experience for A MONTH OR MORE?
OTH_PHY_SP
HAVE_HEADACHES through
OTH_PHY_SP
Items HAVE_HEADACHES through OTH_PHY_SP ask
about physical problems the respondent may have had in
response to the crime incident they experienced. The
respondent must have experienced the physical problems
for a month or more and attribute these problems directly
to the crime incident. These questions are asked
independently of one another but share the same question
stem.
In Item HAVE_HEADACHES the question stem appears in
bold face text and reads, “Did you experience any of the
following physical problems associated with being a
victim of this crime for A MONTH OR MORE? Did you
experience...” followed by “headaches?”
Items TRBL_SLEEPING through OTHER_PHYSICAL the
question stem appears in gray text to signify that reading the
question stem is optional, however, the specific question
text appears in bold face text and must be read to the
respondent. Repeat the question stem whenever
appropriate or if asked by the respondent. If you select the
“Yes” response to Item OTHER_PHYSICAL the instrument
goes to Item OTH_PHY_SP. Enter the verbatim response
provided by the respondent for the other physical problem
that they experienced for a month or more as a result of
being the victim of this crime.
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Precode (1)
Select Precode (1) in each of these eight questions if the
respondent reports that they experienced that specific type
of physical problem for a month or more as a result of being
a victim of this crime. If the respondent reports that they
experienced at least one prolonged physical problem for a
month or more by answering “Yes” to at least one of Items
HAVE_HEADACHES through OTHER_PHYSICAL, the
instrument goes to Item SEEK_HELP_PHYPROBS.
Precode (2)
Select Precode (2) in each of these eight questions if the
respondent reports that they did not experience that specific
type of physical problem for a month or more as a result of
being a victim of crime. If the response to all eight of these
questions is “No,” signifying that the respondent has not
experienced any of these types of physical problems for a
month or more the instrument skips to one of the following
screens:
Item PREGATTIMEOFINC, if the respondent IS a
female between the ages of 18 and 49 years old.
Item PROTECTSELF when the respondent is NOT a
female between the ages of 18 and 49 years old.
Other than any medical care you received for the (injury/injuries) did you seek any kind of
professional or medical help for the physical problems you experienced as a result of being a
victim of this crime?
1 Yes
2 No
SEEK_HELP_PHYPROBS
SEEK_HELP_PHYPROBS
Item SEEK_HELP_PHYPROBS asks the respondent if they
sought any kind of professional or medical help for the
prolonged physical problems they reported as a result of
being a victim of this crime. The phrase “Other than any
medical care you received for the injury(ies) you
suffered,” is only displayed and read to the respondent
when the respondent reported an injury. If no injuries were
reported you read, “Did you seek any kind of professional
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or medical help for the physical problems you
experienced as a result of being a victim of this crime?”
Precode (1)
Select Precode (1), “Yes,” if the respondent reports that they
sought some form of professional or medical help for the
prolonged physical problems they experienced. The
instrument goes to Item KIND_HELP_PHYPROBS.
Precode (2)
Select Precode (2) if the respondent reports that they did not
seek any professional or medical help for the physical
problems they experienced. The instrument will skip to one
of the following screens:
Item PREGATTIMEOFINC, if the respondent IS a
female between the ages of 18 and 49 years old.
Item PROTECTSELF when the respondent is NOT a
female between the ages of 18 and 49 years old.
What kind of professional or medical help did you seek?
● Mark all that apply separated by commas
1 Counseling/therapy
2 Medication
3 Visited doctor or nurse
4 Visited ER/hospital/clinic
5 Other - Specify
KIND_HELP_PHYPROBS
What other kind of professional help did you seek?
KIND_HELP_PHYOTH_SP
KIND_HELP_ PHYPROBS,
Item KIND_HELP_PHYPROBS asks the respondent what
KIND_HELP_PHYPROBS_SP kind of professional or medical help they sought for the
prolonged physical problems they experienced. This
question is only asked when the respondent reports that
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they sought professional help for the physical problems they
reported. Select all precodes that apply.
Precode (1)
Select Precode (1) if the respondent reports that they sought
professional counseling/therapy for the physical problems
they experienced.
Precode (2)
Select Precode (2) if the respondent reports that they sought
medication to alleviate the physical problems they
experienced.
Precode (3)
Select Precode (3) if the respondent reports that they visited
a doctor or nurse to treat or diagnose the physical problems
they experienced.
Precode (4)
Select Precode (4) if the respondent reports that they visited
the emergency room, hospital, or clinic, to treat the physical
problems they experienced.
Precode (5)
Select Precode (5) if the respondent reports that they sought
some other form of professional help not listed in answer
categories 1 through 4 to address the prolonged physical
problems they experienced. If Precode (5) is selected, the
instrument will proceed to the KIND_HELP_PHYOTH_SP
screen to collect the “other” kind of professional help the
respondent sought for their prolonged physical problems.
After completing the new Emotional Toll section the
instrument goes to the PREGATTIMEOFINC screen if the
respondent is a female between the ages of 18 and 49
years old. Otherwise the instrument goes to Item
PROTECTSELF.
Research shows that pregnant women may be at a higher risk of being the victim of a violent
crime.
Were you pregnant at the time of this incident?
1 Yes
2 No
PREGATTIMEOFINC
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PREGATTIMEOFINC
Part B, Chapter 4
Item PREGATTIMEOFINC is asked to determine the
pregnancy status of all female respondents ages 18 to 49
during any incidents in which they were present.
Some women may be sensitive to this question or find it
intrusive in nature. If you encounter such reactions, remind
the respondent of the confidentiality and importance of the
data.
Did you do anything with the idea of protecting YOURSELF or your PROPERTY
while the incident was going on?
1 Yes
2 No/took no action/kept still
PROTECTSELF
PROTECTSELF
Item PROTECTSELF is used to determine if the respondent
did anything in an attempt to protect himself/herself or
his/her property during the incident.
After entering Precode (1) for a "Yes" answer, continue with
Item ACTIONSDURINGINC. Enter Precode (2) when the
respondent answers "No" or says that he/she took no action
or just kept still during the incident. After entering Precode
(2), continue with Item DURINGINCIDENT.
Was there anything you did or tried to do about the incident while it was going on?
1 Yes
2 No/took no action/kept still
DURINGINCIDENT
DURINGINCIDENT
Item DURINGINCIDENT is used to find out if the respondent
did ANYTHING while the incident was taking place, even if
the respondent's actions were not intended to protect
himself/herself or his/her property.
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Enter Precode (1) for a "Yes" answer and you will continue
with Item ACTIONSDURINGINC. Enter Precode (2) if the
respondent answers "No" or says that he/she took no action
or just kept still during the incident. After entering Precode
(2), continue with Item ANYONEPRESENT.
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What did you do?
● Probe: Anything else?
● Enter all that apply, separate with commas
● Used physical force toward offender:
11 Attacked offender with gun; fired gun
12 Attacked with other weapon
13 Attacked without weapon (hit, kicked, etc.)
14 Threatened offender with gun
15 Threatened offender with other weapon
16 Threatened to injure, no weapon
● Resisted or captured offender:
17 Defended self or property (struggled, ducked, blocked blows, held onto property)
18 Chased, tried to catch or hold offender
● Scared or warned off offender:
19 Yelled at offender, turned on lights, threatened to call police, etc.
● Persuaded or appeased offender:
20 Cooperated, or pretended to (stalled, did what they asked)
21 Argued, reasoned, pleaded, bargained, etc.
● Escaped or got away:
22 Ran or drove away, or tried; hid, locked door
● Got help or gave alarm:
23 Called police or guard
24 Tried to attract attention or help, warn others (cried out for help, called children inside.)
● Reacted from pain or emotion:
25 Screamed from pain or fear
● Other:
26 Other - specify
ACTIONSDURINGINC
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ACTIONSDURINGINC
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Item ACTIONSDURINGINC is used to identify the types of
actions taken by the respondent during the incident. Since
the respondent may have taken more than one action,
continue asking, "Anything else?" until you get a "No"
response. Based on the respondent's answer, enter ALL
precodes that apply.
The types of actions listed in Item ACTIONSDURINGINC
are divided into eight groups and each group has a heading
which is in large blue type. Scan these titles to speed up
your search for the correct precodes to enter for a
respondent's answer.
Precodes (11)
through (16)
Precodes (11) through (16) fall under the heading, “USED
PHYSICAL FORCE TOWARD OFFENDER,” and cover any
aggressive actions taken by the respondent against the
offender, such as attacking the offender either with or
without a weapon or threatening to physically harm the
offender with or without a weapon.
Precodes (17) and (18)
Precodes (17) and (18) fall under the heading, “RESISTED
OR CAPTURED OFFENDER,” and cover a respondent's
actions taken in an attempt to catch the offender or resist
the offender (for example, the respondent struggled,
ducked, blocked blows, held onto property) without actually
attacking or threatening to physically harm the offender.
Precode (19)
Precode (19) falls under the heading, “SCARED OR
WARNED OFF OFFENDERS,” and covers a respondent's
actions taken in an attempt to scare or warn off the offender
by yelling, turning lights on, threatening to call the police,
and so on.
Precodes (20) and (21)
Precodes (20) and (21) fall under the heading
“PERSUADED OR APPEASED OFFENDER,” and cover a
respondent's actions taken in an attempt to coax the
offender not to take specific actions or to calm the offender
down to avoid injury. This could include pretending to
cooperate with the offender, stalling for time to escape,
pleading with the offender, etc.
Precode (22)
Precode (22) falls under the heading, “ESCAPED OR GOT
AWAY,” and covers a respondent's attempts to get away
from the offender and leave the crime scene.
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Precodes (23) and (24)
Precodes (23) and (24) fall under the heading, “GOT HELP
OR GAVE ALARM,” and cover the respondent calling the
police or a guard or the respondent trying to attract attention
(for example, crying out for help or sounding a car horn).
Precode (25)
Precode (25) falls under the heading, “REACTED TO PAIN
OR EMOTION,” and covers the respondent screaming or
making noise in reaction to pain or fear.
Precode (26)
Precode (26) falls under the heading, “OTHER,” and covers
any action(s) taken by the respondent that do not fit into one
of the previous categories for Item ACTIONSDURINGINC.
Before entering Precode (26), make sure that the answer
does not fit Precodes (11) through (25). However, if you do
enter Precode (26), always enter a description of the
respondent's action(s) on the "Specify" screen,
ACTIONSDURINGINC_SPEC.
Continue with Item INJACTION if the respondent was
injured in the incident (Precode (12) - (21) entered in Item
INJURY). Otherwise, continue with Item INJACTIONHELP.
Did you take these actions before, after, or at the same time that you were injured?
● Enter all that apply, separate with commas
1
2
3
Actions taken before injury
Actions taken after injury
Actions taken at same time as injury
INJACTION
INJACTION
Item INJACTION is used to determine whether the
respondent took the actions identified in Item
ACTIONSDURINGINC BEFORE, AFTER, OR AT THE
SAME TIME THAT THE OFFENDER INJURED THE
RESPONDENT. Enter all precodes that apply; separate with
commas.
After completing Item INJACTION, continue with Item
INJACTIONHELP.
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Did your action help the situation in any way?
● Probe: Did your action help you avoid injury, protect your property, escape from the
offender - or were they helpful in some other way?
1
2
3
Yes
No
Don't know
INJACTIONHELP
INJACTIONHELP
Item INJACTIONHELP is used to find out whether the
respondent feels that any of his/her actions identified in Item
ACTIONSDURINGINC improved the situation or helped
minimize the damage done during the incident. If the
respondent seems unsure of how to answer this question,
also ask the additional probe question shown for Item
INJACTIONHELP.
After entering Precode (1) for a "Yes" answer, you will
continue with Item HELP. After entering Precode (2) for a
"No" answer or Precode (3) for a "Don't know" answer, you
continue with Item ACTIONWORSE.
How were they helpful?
● Probe: Any other way?
● Enter all that apply, separate with commas
1
2
3
4
5
6
Helped avoid injury or greater injury to respondent
Scared or chased offender off
Helped respondent get away from offender
Protected property
Protected other people
Other - specify
HELP
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HELP
Part B, Chapter 4
Item HELP is used to identify how the respondent’s actions
improved the situation or minimized the damage done
during the incident. You will only ask this question if the
respondent answers "Yes" to the question in Item
INJACTIONHELP. Based on the respondent’s answer,
enter all precodes that apply and continue asking, "Any
other way?" until you get a "No" response.
If the respondent mentions a way that his/her actions helped
improve the situation and the answer does not fit the
descriptions in Precodes (1) through (5), enter Precode (6),
"Other," and enter the description on the "Specify" screen,
HELP_SPEC. Avoid entering Precode (6), if the answer
matches one of the other descriptions in Precodes (1)
through (5).
After completing Item HELP, continue with Item
ACTIONWORSE.
Did your action make the situation worse in any way?
● Probe: Did your action lead to injury, greater injury, loss of property, make the offender
angrier, or make the situation worse in some other way?
1 Yes
2 No
3 Don't know
ACTIONWORSE
ACTIONWORSE
Item ACTIONWORSE is used to find out whether the
respondent feels that any of his/her actions identified in Item
ACTIONSDURINGINC caused the situation to deteriorate or
the damage done to escalate during the incident. If the
respondent seems unsure of how to answer this question,
also ask the additional probe question shown for Item
ACTIONWORSE.
After entering Precode (1) for a "Yes" answer, you continue
with Item WORSE. After entering Precode (2) for a "No"
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answer or Precode (3) for a "Don't know" answer, continue
with Item ANYONEPRESENT.
How did they make the situation worse?
●Probe: Any other way?
● Enter all that apply, separate with commas
1 Led to injury or greater injury to respondent
2 Caused greater loss of property or damage to property
3 Other people got hurt (worse)
4 Offender got away
5 Made offender angrier, more aggressive, etc.
6 Other - specify
WORSE
WORSE
Item WORSE is used to identify how the respondent's
actions made the situation worse or caused the damage
done to escalate during the incident. You will only ask this
question if the respondent answers "Yes" to the question in
Item ACTIONWORSE. Based on the respondent's answer,
enter all the precodes that apply and continue asking, "Any
other way?" until you get a "No" response.
If the respondent mentions a way that his/her actions made
the situation worse and the answer does not fit the
descriptions in Precodes (1) through (5), enter Precode (6),
"Other," and enter the description on the "Specify" screen,
WORSE_SPEC. Avoid entering Precode (6), if the answer
matches one of the other descriptions in Precodes (1)
through (5).
After completing Item WORSE, continue with Item
ANYONEPRESENT.
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Was anyone present during the incident besides you and the offender? (Other than children
under age 12.)
1 Yes
2 No
3 Don't know
ANYONEPRESENT
ANYONEPRESENT
Item ANYONEPRESENT is used to find out if anyone other
than the offender and the respondent was present during
the incident, EXCLUDING children under 12 years of age.
Other persons present could include other crime victims,
bystanders, or other household members.
When deciding whether a person is "present" during an
incident, follow the instructions in this chapter for completing
Item HHMEMBERPRESENT, as well as the detailed
information about presence during an incident in Part C,
Chapter 3, Topic 6.
After entering Precode (1) for a "Yes" answer, you will
continue with Item OTHERSACTIONS. After entering
Precode(2) for a "No" answer or Precode (3) for a "Don't
know" answer, you continue with either:
Item FIRSTTOUSEFORCE when the respondent used
or threatened to use physical force against the offender
(Precodes (11) through (16) entered in Item
ACTIONSDURINGINC)
OR
Item ONEORMOREOFFENDERS when the respondent
did NOT use or threaten to use physical force against
the offender.
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Did the actions of (this person/any of these people) help the situation in any way?
1 Yes
2 No
3 Don't know
OTHERSACTIONS
OTHERSACTIONS
When persons, other than the respondent, the offender, and
children under the age of 12 were present during the
incident (Precode (1), "Yes," entered in Item
ANYONEPRESENT), you will continue with Item
OTHERSACTIONS so you can determine whether the
actions taken by any of these persons may have helped the
situation in any way.
As you read the question in Item OTHERSACTIONS, only
use the phrase "this person" if the respondent happens to
mention that there was only one other person present.
Otherwise, read the question using the phrase "any of
these people."
After entering Precode (1) for a "Yes" answer, you will
continue with Item HOWOTHERSHELP. Enter Precode (2)
for a "No" answer or for instances when the other persons
present did nothing or took no actions during the incident.
Enter Precode (3) for a "Don't know" answer. After entering
either Precode (2) or (3), continue with Item
OTHERSACTIONSWORSE.
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How did they help the situation?
● Probe: Any other way?
● Enter all that apply, separate with commas
1 Helped avoid injury or greater injury to respondent
2 Scared or chased offender off
3 Helped respondent get away from offender
4 Protected property
5 Protected other people
6 Other - specify
HOWOTHERSHELP
HOWOTHERSHELP
Item HOWOTHERSHELP is used to identify how the actions
of other persons present during the incident helped the
situation. Based on the respondent's answer, enter all
precodes that apply and continue asking, "Any other way?"
until you get a "No" response.
If the respondent mentions a way that the other person's
actions helped the situation which does not fit the
descriptions in Precodes (1) through (5), enter Precode (6),
"Other," and enter the description on the "Specify" screen,
HOWOTHERSHELP_SPEC. Avoid entering Precode (6), if
the answer matches one of the other descriptions in
Precodes (1) through (5).
After completing Item HOWOTHERSHELP, press “Enter” to
continue with Item OTHERSACTIONSWORSE.
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Did the actions of (this person/any of these people) make the situation worse in any way?
1
2
3
Yes
No
Don't know
OTHERSACTIONSWORSE
OTHERSACTIONSWORSE
Item OTHERSACTIONSWORSE is used to find out whether
the respondent feels that any actions taken by other persons
present during the incident caused the situation to
deteriorate or the damage done to escalate.
As you read the question in OTHERSACTIONSWORSE,
use the phrase "this person" if the respondent says that
there was only one other person present. Otherwise, read
the question using the phrase "any of these people."
After entering Precode (1) for a "Yes" answer, continue with
Item OTHWORSE. After entering Precode (2) for a "No"
answer or Precode (3) for a "Don't know" answer, continue
with Item PERSONSHARMED.
How did they make the situation worse?
● Probe: Any other way?
● Enter all that apply, separate with commas
1
2
3
4
5
6
Led to injury or greater injury to respondent
Caused greater loss of property or damage to property
Other people got hurt (worse)
Offender got away
Made offender angrier, more aggressive, etc.
Other - specify
OTHWORSE
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OTHWORSE
Part B, Chapter 4
Item OTHWORSE is used to identify how the actions of
other persons made the situation worse or caused the
damage done to escalate during the incident. Based on the
respondent's answer, enter all precodes that apply and
continue asking "Any other way?" until you get a "No"
response.
If the respondent mentions a way that the actions of other
persons made the situation worse and the answer does not
fit the descriptions in Precodes (1) through (5), enter
Precode (6), "Other," and enter the description on the
"Specify" screen, OTHWORSE_SPEC. Avoid entering
Precode (6) if the answer matches one of the other
descriptions in Precodes (1) through (5).
After completing Item OTHWORSE, continue with Item
PERSONSHARMED.
Not counting yourself, were any of the persons present during the incident harmed (PAUSE),
threatened with harm (PAUSE), or robbed by force or threat of harm?
(Do not include yourself, the offender, or children under 12 years of age.)
1 Yes
2 No
3 Don't know
PERSONSHARMED
PERSONSHARMED
Item PERSONSHARMED is used to determine whether or
not other persons who were present during the incident
were physically harmed, threatened with physical harm, or
robbed by force or threat of harm. As you ask the question
for Item PERSONSHARMED, make sure to pause where
indicated and make sure that the respondent understands
NOT to include:
✖ Himself/herself,
✖ The offender(s), and
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✖ Any children who were younger than 12 years of age at
the time of the incident.
After entering Precode (1) for a "Yes" answer, you will
continue with Item PERSONSHARMEDNUM. Enter
Precode (2) for a "No" answer or when the respondent
indicates that:
The respondent was the only person harmed or
threatened with harm.
The only other person who was harmed or threatened
with harm was someone under 12 years of age.
The other person(s) did NOT experience any physical
harm or threat of physical harm (for example, they had
their pockets picked or property was stolen from their
cars while they were in a bank).
Enter Precode (3) for a "Don't know" answer.
After entering Precode (2) or (3), continue with either:
Item FIRSTTOUSEFORCE when the respondent used
or threatened to use physical force against the offender
(Precodes (11) through (16) entered in Item
ACTIONSDURINGINC)
OR
Item ONEORMOREOFFENDERS when the respondent
did NOT use or threaten to use physical force against
the offender.
How many?
(Do not include yourself, the offender, or children under 12 years of age.)
PERSONSHARMEDNUM
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PERSONSHARMEDNUM
Part B, Chapter 4
Item PERSONSHARMEDNUM is used to identify the total
number of persons over the age of 12 who were harmed,
threatened with harm, or robbed by force or threat of harm
during the incident, EXCLUDING the respondent and the
offender(s). Enter the number of persons provided by the
respondent in the space for "How many harmed."
If the respondent's answer is not a number (for example, the
respondent says "several," "just a few," "many," or similar),
probe to get an estimate of the number of other persons
who were present and personally victimized during the
incident.
After completing Item PERSONSHARMEDNUM, continue
with Item HHMEMHARMED.
How many of these persons are members of your household now?
(Do not include yourself, the offender, or children under 12 years of age.)
Number of hhld members 12 years and older: 3
Number of persons present: 3
HHMEMHARMED
HHMEMHARMED
Item HHMEMHARMED is used to:
Determine whether any of the persons included in the
count in Item PERSONSHARMEDNUM are household
members at the time of interview.
Identify the number of persons included in the count in
Item PERSONSHARMEDNUM who are household
members at the time of interview.
If you enter a number of persons at this screen, continue
with Item HHMEMHARMED_NAMES.
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If not sure, ask:
Who are these household members?
(Do not include yourself, the offender, or children under 12
years of age.)
2 Jane Doe
3 Jeffrey Doe
HHMEMHARMED_NAMES
At Item HHMEMHARMED_NAMES, identify by line number,
each of the household members other than the respondent,
the offender(s), or children under 12 years of age, who were
harmed, threatened with harm, or robbed by force or the
threat of harm during the incident.
Each of the household members identified at this screen
should report this incident during his/her interview. However,
do NOT ask about the victimization reported by another
household member if the current respondent does not
mention it himself/herself. You may discover that a
household member was NOT personally victimized during
the incident or you have already interviewed one of these
household members and the person did not report this
incident. If this happens, enter this fact in an “F7" note at this
screen, as well as at the Control + F7 case level notes.
For proxy interviews, if the proxy respondent was one of the
persons who was personally victimized during the incident
reported for the proxy person, make sure that you enter the
proxy respondent's line number in Item
HHMEMHARMED_NAMES, NOT the line number for
the person for whom the interview is being taken (proxy
person).
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Who was the first to use or threaten to use physical force - you, the offender, or someone else?
1 Respondent
2 Offender(s)
3 Someone else
FIRSTTOUSEFORCE
FIRSTTOUSEFORCE
Item FIRSTTOUSEFORCE is asked when any precode of
11 through 16 is entered in Item ACTIONSDURINGINC.
This item is used to identify the first person to use or
threaten to use physical force during the incident.
If the first person to use or threaten to use force during the
incident was:
✓ The respondent (not proxy respondent) - Enter Precode
(1)
✓ One or more of the offenders - Enter Precode (2)
✓ Someone other than the respondent or an offender Enter Precode (3)
If the respondent does not know who used or threatened to
use force first - use Ctrl + D for “Don’t know.”
After entering the appropriate precode in Item
FIRSTTOUSEFORCE, continue with Item
ONEORMOREOFFENDERS.
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Do you know or have you learned anything about the offender(s) - for instance, whether there
was one or more than one offender involved, whether it was someone young or old, or male or
female?
1 Yes
2 No
KNOWLEARNOFFENDERS
KNOWLEARNOFFENDERS
Item KNOWLEARNOFFENDERS is ONLY asked when NO
household members were present during the incident
(Precode (2), "No," entered in Item HHMEMBERPRESENT).
If you discover that any household members WERE present
during the incident, do not ask the question in Item
KNOWLEARNOFFENDERS. Using the “Up” arrow, return
to Item HHMEMBERPRESENT and correct the answer to
show that the respondent or other household members were
present.
Item KNOWLEARNOFFENDERS is used to find out if the
respondent knows anything or has learned anything about
the offender(s), such as whether there were one or more
offenders, whether the offender was young or old, or male or
female. It does not matter from which source the respondent
received this information; for instance, it may have come
from the police, neighbors, or other circumstances of the
incident.
After entering Precode (1) for a "Yes" answer, continue with
Item SUREOFINFO. After entering Precode (2) for a "No"
answer, continue with Item THEFT.
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How sure are you of this information?
Do you have a suspicion, are you fairly sure or are you certain?
1 Suspicion
2 Fairly sure
3 Certain
SUREOFINFO
SUREOFINFO
Item SUREOFINFO is used to discover how sure the
respondent is about the accuracy of what he/she knows or
has learned about the offender(s).
Enter Precode (1) if the respondent only suspects what
he/she knows about the offender(s) is true. Enter Precode
(2) if the respondent is fairly sure what he/she knows about
the offender(s) is true. Enter Precode (3) if the respondent is
certain what he/she knows about the offender(s) is true.
How did you learn about the offender(s)?
Probe: Any other way?
Enter all that apply, separate with commas.
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Respondent saw or heard offender
From other member of household who was eyewitness
From other eyewitness(es) other than household member(s)
From police
Other person (not eyewitness)
Offender(s) admitted it
Offender(s) had threatened to do it
Stolen property found on offender's property or in offender's possession
Figured it out by who had motive, opportunity or had doneit before
Other - specify
LEARNOFFENDERS
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LEARNOFFENDERS
Item LEARNOFFENDERS is used to determine how the
respondent found out any information about the offender(s).
Since there may have been more than one source, enter all
precodes that apply and continue asking "Any other way?"
until you get a "No" response. Once you complete Item
LEARNOFFENDERS, continue with Item THEFT.
Precode (11)
Enter Precode (11) if the respondent saw or heard the
offender, but was not present during the incident. For more
information about presence during an incident, refer to Item
HHMEMBERPRESENT in this chapter and Part C, Chapter
3, Topic 6.
Precode (12)
Enter Precode (12) if the respondent found out about the
offender from another household member who saw the
offender, but was not present during the incident.
Precode (13)
Enter Precode (13) if the respondent found out about the
offender from someone who is not a household member,
such as a neighbor who actually saw the offender commit
the crime.
Precode (14)
Enter Precode (14) if the respondent found out about the
offender from the police department.
Precode (15)
Enter Precode (15) if the respondent found out about the
offender from someone who is not a household member, but
this person did not see the offender commit the crime.
Precode (16)
Enter Precode (16) if the offender(s) admitted his/her
offense to the respondent, another household member, or to
someone who is not a household member AFTER the
incident happened.
Precode (17)
Enter Precode (17) if the offender(s) threatened to commit
this type of crime against the respondent or someone else
PRIOR to the incident.
Precode (18)
Enter Precode (18) if the respondent or someone else found
property that was stolen during the incident on the offender's
property or in the offender's possession.
Precode (19)
Enter Precode (19) if the respondent suspects a particular
person to be the offender because that person had a motive
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or opportunity to commit the crime or because the person
had committed similar crimes in the past.
Precode (20)
Enter Precode (20) if the respondent's answer really does
not fit the descriptions in Precodes (11) through (19). After
entering Precode (20), explain how the respondent found
out information about the offender(s) on the "Specify"
screen, LEARNOFFENDERS_SPEC.
What actually happened?
● Probe: Anything else?
● Enter all that apply, separate with commas
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
Something taken without permission
Attempted or threatened to take something
Harassed, argument, abusive language
Forcible entry or attempted forcible entry of house/apartment
Forcible entry or attempted forcible entry of car
Damaged or destroyed property
Attempted or threatened to damage or destroy property
Other - specify
HAPPEN
HAPPEN
Item HAPPEN is used to determine what actually happened
during the incident when only other household members
were present, but NOT the respondent (Precode (3) entered
in Item WHICHMEMBER). Since the offender(s) may have
taken more than one action during the incident, continue
asking "Anything else?" until you get a "No" response and
enter all precodes that apply.
If you discover that a household member other than the
respondent was personally victimized during the incident,
complete the incident report items for the incident for other
household members who report that they were victimized
when you conduct their interviews. If you already
interviewed the other household members and they did not
report the incident, note this fact in an “F7" note at this
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screen, as well as at the case level notes (Ctrl + F7).
Precode (11)
Enter Precode (11) if the offender stole something that
belongs to the respondent or another household member.
Precode (12)
Enter Precode (12) if the offender:
✓ Tried to steal something that belongs to the respondent
or another household member
OR
✓ Threatened either verbally or nonverbally to take
something that belongs to the respondent or another
household member. An example of a verbal threat to
take something is the offender saying: "Give me your
jacket or I'll rip it off your back." An example of a
nonverbal threat to take something is an offender lunging
towards the household member reaching for her
necklace.
Precode (13)
Enter Precode (13) if the offender bothered a household
member verbally without threatening the household
member. This could include yelling, teasing, insulting,
arguing, using obscenities, and so on.
Precode (14)
Enter Precode (14) if the offender forced his/her way into or
attempted to force his/her way into the respondent's home
and physical evidence of force is visible on the
house/apartment after the incident happened. Do not enter
Precode (14) if there was no force involved or if the only
force involved was used against a household member and
not against the house/apartment. In this case, enter Precode
(18), "Other," and explain the situation at "HAPPEN_SPEC"
which prompts, “Please specify what actually happened.”
Precode (15)
Enter Precode (15) if the offender forcibly entered or tried to
enter a car or other motor vehicle owned by the respondent
or another household member. However, if no physical force
was used to enter or to try to enter the vehicle (for example,
offender opened an unlocked door to enter the vehicle),
enter Precode (18), "Other," and explain the situation on the
"HAPPEN_SPEC" screen that appears.
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Precode (16)
Enter Precode (16) if the offender damaged or destroyed
property during the incident that belongs to the respondent
or another household member.
Precode (17)
Enter Precode (17) if the offender tried or threatened to
damage or destroy property belonging to the respondent or
another household member while the crime was being
committed.
Precode (18)
Enter Precode (18) if the respondent's answer does not fit
any of the descriptions in Precodes (11) through (17) and
then explain what actually happened during the incident on
the "HAPPEN_SPEC" screen that appears.
Here are some examples of acceptable explanations after
entering Precode (18), "Other":
✓ Illegal entry into house/apartment, no force used
✓ Peeping tom
✓ Offender opened hood of car
✓ Obscene gestures.
After entering all appropriate precodes, press “Enter” and
proceed to the next item.
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Topic 2. Screen Layout and Instructions for
Items ONEORMOREOFFENDERS through
ANYTHINGFURTHER
● Ask or verify:
Was the crime committed by only one or by more than one offender?
1 Only one
2 More than one
3 Don't know
ONEORMOREOFFENDERS
ONEORMORE
OFFENDERS
ONEORMOREOFFENDERS is asked to find out if the
crime was committed by one offender or multiple offenders. If the
respondent has already told you how many offenders were
involved in the incident, you can verify this information with the
respondent instead of asking the question in Item
ONEORMOREOFFENDERS.
Precode (1)
Enter Precode (1) when only one offender was involved in the
incident. The instrument continues with
SINGOFFENDERKNEW, which asks the respondent if they
knew the offender.
Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2) when there were two or more offenders
involved in the incident. The instrument continues with Item
HOWMANYOFFENDERS.
Precode (3)
Enter Precode (3) if the respondent does not know whether there
was just one offender or more than one offender involved in the
incident. After entering Precode (3), continue with Item
KNOWOFFENDERS.
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Do you know anything about one of the offenders?
1 Yes
2 No
KNOWOFFENDERS
KNOWOFFENDERS
Item KNOWOFFENDERS is used to determine whether the
respondent knows anything about the offender(s). You only ask
this question when the respondent does not know whether there
was one or more than one offender (“Don’t know” entered in Item
ONEORMOREOFFENDERS).
After entering Precode (1) for a “Yes” answer, continue with Item
SINGOFFENDERKNEW, which asks the respondent if they knew
the offender. After entering Precode (2) for a “No” answer,
continue with Item THEFT.
Was the offender someone you knew or a stranger you had never seen before?
1 Knew or had seen before
2 Stranger
3 Don’t know
SINGOFFENDERKNEW
SINGOFFENDERKNEW
Item SINGOFFENDERKNEW is used to determine whether the
respondent knew the offender or had seen the offender in the
past.
Precode (1)
Enter Precode (1) if the offender knew or had seen the offender at
some time prior to the incident. After entering Precode (1),
continue with Item SINGOFFENDERHOWWELL.
Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2) if the offender is a stranger to the respondent.
After entering Precode (2), the instrument continues with Item
SINGOFFENDERRECOG.
Precode (3)
Enter Precode (3) if the respondent does not know for sure
whether or not the offender is someone he/she knows or is a
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stranger. The instrument continues with Item
SINGOFFENDERRECOG.
Would you be able to recognize the offender if you saw him/her?
1 Yes
2 Not sure (possibly or probably)
3 No
SINGOFFENDERRECOG
SINGOFFENDERRECOG
Item SINGOFFENDERRECOG is used to find out how certain
the respondent is that he/she could identify the offender if the
respondent saw the offender again.
Precode (1)
Enter Precode (1) when the respondent is fairly sure that he/she
would recognize the offender if the respondent saw the offender
again. After entering Precode (1), continue with Item
SINGOFFENDERSIGHT.
Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2) when the respondent thinks he/she might
recognize the offender if the respondent saw the person again, but
is not certain. After entering Precode (2), continue with Item
SINGOFFENDERSIGHT.
Precode (3)
Enter Precode (3) when the respondent knows that he/she could
not recognize the offender if the respondent saw the offender
again. After entering Precode (3), continue with Item
SINGOFFENDERGENDER.
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How well did you know the offender - by sight only, casual acquaintance, or well known?
1 Sight only
2 Casual acquaintance
3 Well known
SINGOFFENDERHOWWELL
SINGOFFENDERHOW
WELL
After a respondent has indicated in Item
SINGOFFENDERKNEW that he/she knew or had seen the
offender before the incident, then you ask the question in Item
SINGOFFENDERHOWWELL to find out how well the
respondent knew the offender. If the respondent does not answer
with one of the suggested choices, probe by repeating the options.
Precode (1)
Enter Precode (1) if the respondent only remembers seeing the
offender previously. After entering Precode (1), you will continue
with Item SINGOFFENDERSIGHT.
Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2) if the respondent knew the offender somewhat
and felt comfortable saying “Hello,” but did not necessarily know
his/her name. After entering Precode (2), you continue with Item
SINGOFFENDERRELATION.
Precode (3)
Enter Precode (3) if the respondent feels that he/she knew the
offender very well. Let the respondent make this decision. After
entering Precode (3), continue with Item
SINGOFFENDERRELATION.
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Would you have been able to tell the police how they might find the offender, for instance,
where he/she lived, worked, went to school, or spent time?
1 Yes
2 No
3 Other - Specify
SINGOFFENDERSIGHT
SINGOFFENDERSIGHT
Item SINGOFFENDERSIGHT is used to determine whether the
respondent has any information which may help the police find the
offender. The respondent's answer should be based on what
he/she knows about the offender, and NOT necessarily on what
the respondent actually told the police.
Enter Precode (1) for a “Yes” answer, Precode (2) for a “No”
answer, and Precode (3), “Other,” when you need to record more
than just a "Yes" or “No” answer. After entering Precode (3), make
sure to enter a description of the respondent's answer on the
SINGOFFENDERSIGHT_SPEC screen, which then appears.
When you complete Item SINGOFFENDERSIGHT,
continue with Item SINGOFFENDERGENDER.
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How well did you know the offender?
For example, was the offender a friend, cousin, etc.?
RELATIVE:
11 Spouse at time of incident
12 Ex-spouse at time of incident
13 Parent or step-parent
14 Own child or step-child
15 Brother/sister
16 Other relative - specify
NONRELATIVE:
17 Boyfriend or girlfriend, ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend
18 Friend or ex-friend
19 Roommate, boarder
20 Schoolmate
21 Neighbor
22 Customer/client
23 Patient
24 Supervisor (current or former)
25 Employee (current or former)
26 Co-worker (current or former)
27 Teacher/school staff
28 Other nonrelative - Specify
SINGOFFENDERRELATION
SINGOFFENDER
RELATION
Item SINGOFFENDERRELATION is used to identify the
relationship between the respondent and the offender, when the
respondent indicates in Item SINGOFFENDERHOWWELL that
he/she was a casual acquaintance of the offender or knew the
offender very well (Precode (2) or (3) entered in Item
SINGOFFENDERHOWWELL). Always ask BOTH questions
in Item SINGOFFENDERRELATION to ensure that the
respondent identifies all types of relationships, not just relatives.
Enter only the first precode that applies to the respondent’s
answer. Notice that the answer categories are divided into two
groups: Precodes (11) through (16) cover relatives of the
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respondent and Precodes (17) through (28) cover nonrelatives of
the respondent.
Precode (11)
Enter Precode (11) if the offender was the spouse of the
respondent (husband/wife) at the time of the incident, regardless
of whether they are currently married to each other.
Precode (12)
Enter Precode (12) if the offender was a former spouse
(husband/wife) of the respondent at the time of the incident.
Accept the respondent's answer and do not probe when the
respondent says “Ex-spouse” or “Former wife/husband.”
Precode (13)
Enter Precode (13) if the offender is the mother, father, stepmother, or step-father of the respondent. Precode (13) is not
intended for parents through marriage, which should be included
in Precode (16), “Other relative.” After entering Precode (16),
indicate the type of other relative on the “Specify” screen, such as
“father-in-law” or “mother-in-law.”
Precode (14)
Enter Precode (14) if the offender is a child of the respondent by
birth, adoption, or marriage, such as a son, daughter, step-son, or
step-daughter. Precode (14) is not intended for foster children;
instead enter Precode (28), “Other nonrelative,” and enter the
relationship on the “Specify” screen.
Precode (15)
Enter Precode (15) if the offender is a brother or sister of the
respondent or the child of a respondent's step-parent. Precode
(15) is not intended for “brothers-in-law” or “sisters-in-law.” Instead
enter Precode (16), “Other,” and enter the relationship on the
“Specify” screen.
Precode (16)
Enter Precode (16) if the offender was the respondent's aunt,
uncle, cousin, grandparent, father-in-law, mother-in-law, sister-inlaw, brother-in-law, or any offender who is related to the
respondent by blood or marriage and is not described in Precodes
(11) through (15). After entering Precode (16), always enter the
relationship on the “Specify” screen,
SINGOFFENDERRELATION_SPEC_16.
Precode (17)
Enter Precode (17) if the offender is a nonrelative who has or has
had romantic connections to the respondent. For example, the
offender and the respondent were dating at the time of the
incident or used to date before the incident.
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Precode (18)
Enter Precode (18) if the offender is a male or female friend or
past friend of the respondent AND there is no romantic connection
between the two persons.
Precode (19)
Enter Precode (19) if the offender is a person who is NOT related
to the respondent, but was living with the respondent at the time of
the incident, such as a boarder or roommate. Precode (19) is not
intended for “live-in” boyfriends/girlfriends; instead, enter Precode
(17) for these situations.
Precode (20)
Enter Precode (20) if the offender attended the same school as
the respondent at the time of the incident AND is not related to the
respondent.
Precode (21)
Enter Precode (21) if the offender lives close enough to the
respondent to be considered a neighbor AND is not related to the
respondent.
Precodes (22), (23),
(24), (25), or (26)
Enter the most appropriate precode from Precodes (22),
(23), (24), (25), and (26) if the offender is a nonrelative, but is
known by the respondent as a business client, patient, or a
supervisor, employee, or co-worker, including former supervisors,
employees, and co-workers.
Precode (27)
Enter Precode (27) if the offender is a teacher or a school staff
member at the respondent’s school. If the respondent works at the
school, use the appropriate precode (24), (25), or (26).
Precode (28)
Enter Precode (28) if the respondent's answer does not fit any of
the other nonrelative relationships, but the offender is either well
known or a casual acquaintance. Enter the offender's relationship
to the respondent on the “Specify” screen,
SINGOFFENDERRELATION_SPEC_28, such as the
respondent's barber or financial planner.
Once you have completed Item SINGOFFENDERRELATION,
continue with Item SINGOFFENDERGENDER.
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Was the offender male or female?
1 Male
2 Female
3 Don't Know
SINGOFFENDERGENDER
SINGOFFENDER
GENDER
Item SINGOFFENDERGENDER is used to identify
whether the offender is male or female. Based on the
respondent's perception, enter Precode (1) for "Male," Precode (2)
for "Female," or Precode (3) if the respondent does not know the
offender's gender. The instrument then goes to Item
SINGOFFENDERAGE.
How old would you say the offender was?
1 Under 12
2 12-14
3 15-17
4 18-20
5 21-29
6 30 or older
7 Don't know
SINGOFFENDERAGE
SINGOFFENDERAGE
Item SINGOFFENDERAGE is used to identify the approximate
age of the offender based on the respondent's perception. If the
respondent seems unsure, ask the respondent to give you his/her
best estimate.
Each precode identifies a range of years, such as "Under 12" for
Precode (1), "12-14" for Precode (2), and so on. Enter the
appropriate precode based on the respondent's answer. If the
respondent is unable to give you even an estimated age for the
offender, enter Precode (7) for "Don't know." The instrument goes
to Item SINGOFFETHNICITY.
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Was the offender Hispanic or Latino?
1 Yes
2 No
3 Don’t know
SINGOFFETHNICITY
SINGOFFETHNICITY
SINGOFFETHNICITY asks whether the offender was Hispanic
or Latino. Enter Precode (1) for a “Yes” response; Precode (2) for
“No,” or Precode (3) for “Don’t know.” The instrument then goes
to Item SINGOFFRACE.
What race or races was the offender? You may mark more than one. Was the offender...
Enter all that apply, separate with commas.
1 White?
2 Black or African American?
3 American Indian or Alaska Native?
4 Asian?
5 Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander?
6 Don’t know
SINGOFFRACE
SINGOFFRACE
Item SINGOFFRACE is used to record the offender’s race as
perceived by the respondent. Read the answer categories to the
respondent as part of the question. Do not read answer category
(6), “Don’t know.”
Enter Precode (1) for “White” and Precode (2) for “Black or
African American.” Enter Precode (3) for “American Indian or
Alaska Native.” Enter Precode (4) for “Asian.” Enter Precode (5)
for “Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander.” Enter Precode (6)
“Don’t know,” if respondent cannot identify offender’s race.
After completing Item SINGOFFRACE, continue with Item
SINGOFFENDERGANG.
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Was the offender a member of a street gang, or don't you know?
1 Yes (a member of a street gang)
2 No (not a member of a street gang)
3 Don't know (if a member of a street gang)
SINGOFFENDERGANG
SINGOFFENDERGANG
Item SINGOFFENDERGANG is used to determine whether or
not the offender is a member of a street gang based on the
respondent's perception. Consider a street gang as a group of
people who associate regularly with one another, generally have a
leader or group of leaders who issue orders and reap the rewards
of the gang's activities, and often engage in anti-social or deviant
behavior.
Some ways to identify gang members are their "colors," clothing,
tattoos, brands, or imprints of the gang's name, logo, or other
identifying marks on their bodies.
Enter the appropriate precode based on the respondent's answer–
Precode (1) for "Yes," Precode (2) for "No," or Precode (3) for
"Don't know." The instrument then goes to
SINGOFFENDERDRINKDRUG.
Was the offender drinking or on drugs, or don't you know?
1 Yes (drinking or on drugs)
2 No (not drinking/not on drugs)
3 Don't know (if drinking or on drugs)
SINGOFFENDERDRINKDRUG
SINGOFFENDER
DRINKDRUG
Precode (1)
Item SINGOFFENDERDRINKDRUG is used to find out if the
offender was drinking alcoholic beverages or under the influence
of drugs during the incident. Enter the appropriate precode based
on what the respondent believes or knows.
Enter Precode (1), "Yes," if the offender was actively drinking or
under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the incident.
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After entering Precode (1), continue with Item
SINGOFFENDERDRINKORDRUG.
Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2), "No," if the offender was not drinking or under
the influence of drugs or alcohol. After entering Precode (2),
continue with Item SINGOFFENDERONLYTIME.
Precode (3)
Enter Precode (3), "Don't know," if the respondent could not tell if
the offender was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. After
entering Precode (3), continue with Item
SINGOFFENDERONLYTIME.
Which was it? (Drinking or on drugs)?
1 Drinking
2 On drugs
3 Both (drinking and on drugs)
4 Drinking or on drugs - could not tell which
SINGOFFENDERDRINKORDRUG
SINGOFFENDERDRINK
ORDRUG
Item SINGOFFENDERDRINKORDRUG is used to distinguish
between whether the offender was just drinking, just on drugs,
under the influence of BOTH alcohol and drugs, or perhaps the
respondent cannot distinguish between the two. After completing
Item SINGOFFENDERDRINKORDRUG, continue with Item
SINGOFFENDERONLYTIME.
Precode (1)
Enter Precode (1), "Drinking," if the respondent thinks or knows
that the offender was under the influence of only alcohol during
the incident.
Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2), "On drugs," if the respondent thinks or knows
that the offender was under the influence of only drugs during the
incident.
Precode (3)
Enter Precode (3), "Both," if the respondent thinks or knows that
the offender was under the influence of BOTH drugs and alcohol
during the incident.
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Precode (4)
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Enter Precode (4), "Drinking or on drugs," if the respondent thinks
or knows that the offender is under the influence of drugs or
alcohol, but cannot tell which one.
Was this the only time this offender committed a crime or made threats against you or your
household?
1 Yes (only time)
2 No (there were other times)
3 Don't know
SINGOFFENDERONLYTIME
SINGOFFENDER
ONLYTIME
Item SINGOFFENDERONLYTIME is used to determine
whether the offender has ever committed any type of crime or
threatened to physically harm the respondent or another
household member, other than the current incident. For this
question, do not limit the respondent to crimes committed only
during the 6-month reference period.
Precode (1)
Enter Precode (1), "Yes (only time)," if the respondent tells you
that the current incident is the only crime this offender has
committed against his/her household. Make sure that the
respondent understands we are interested in crimes committed by
this offender at ANY time prior to this incident.
Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2), "No (there were other times)," if the respondent
says that this offender did commit other crimes against the
respondent or other household members at ANY time prior to this
incident.
Precode (3)
Enter Precode (3) if the respondent does not really know whether
or not the offender has committed other crimes against the
household prior to this incident.
Once you have completed Item SINGOFFENDERONLYTIME,
continue with Item THEFT.
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HOWMANY
OFFENDERS
through
MULTOFFENDER
ONLYTIME
Part B, Chapter 4
Items HOWMANYOFFENDERS through
MULTOFFENDERONLYTIME are asked to collect the same
type of information for multiple offenders as Items
ONEORMOREOFFENDERS through
SINGOFFENDERONLYTIME collect for a single offender.
Notice that the age items for multiple offenders are handled
differently. For multiple offenders, the ages of the youngest and
oldest offenders are asked.
How many offenders?
● Enter number between 2-96
HOWMANYOFFENDERS
HOWMANY
OFFENDERS
Item HOWMANYOFFENDERS appears when the respondent
indicated in ONEORMOREOFFENDERS that there was more
than one offender. Enter the appropriate number as specified by
the respondent. The instrument then goes to
MULTOFFENDERKNEW.
Were any of the offenders known to you, or were they all strangers you had never seen before?
1 All known
2 Some known
3 All strangers
4 Don’t know
MULTOFFENDERKNEW
MULTOFFENDER
KNEW
Item MULTOFFENDERKNEW is used to determine whether the
respondent knew the offenders or had seen the offenders in the
past.
Precode (1)
Enter Precode (1) if the respondent knew or had seen all the
offenders at some time prior to the incident. After entering
Precode (1), continue with Item MULTOFFENDERHOWWELL.
Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2) if the respondent knew or had seen some of the
offenders at some time prior to the incident. After entering
Precode (2), continue with Item MULTOFFENDERHOWWELL.
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Precode (3)
Enter Precode (3) if the respondent did not know or had not seen
any of the offenders at some time prior to the incident. After
entering Precode (3), continue with Item
MULTOFFENDERRECOG.
Precode (4)
Enter Precode (4) if the respondent does not know for sure
whether or not the offenders are someone he/she knows or are
strangers. The instrument continues with Item
MULTOFFENDERRECOG.
Would you be able to recognize any of them if you saw them?
1 Yes
2 Not sure (possible or probably)
3 No
MULTOFFENDERRECOG
MULTOFFENDER
RECOG
Item MULTOFFENDERRECOG is used to find out how certain
the respondent is that he/she could identify the offenders if the
respondent saw the offenders again.
Precode (1)
Enter Precode (1) when the respondent is fairly sure that he/she
would recognize the offenders if the respondent saw the offenders
again. After entering Precode (1), continue with Item
MULTOFFENDERSIGHT.
Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2) when the respondent thinks he/she might
recognize the offenders if the respondent saw them again, but
is not really certain. After entering Precode (2), continue with
Item MULTOFFENDERSIGHT.
Precode (3)
Enter Precode (3) when the respondent knows that he/she could
not recognize the offenders if the respondent saw the offenders
again. After entering Precode (3), continue with Item
MULTOFFENDERGENDER.
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How well did you know the offenders – by sight only, casual acquaintance, or well known?
1 Sight only
2 Casual acquaintance
3 Well known
MULTOFFENDERHOWWELL
MULTOFFENDER
HOWWELL
After a respondent has indicated in Item
MULTOFFENDERKNEW that he/she knew or had seen the
offenders before the incident, then you ask the question in Item
MULTOFFENDERHOWWELL to find out how well the
respondent knew the offenders. If the respondent does not answer
with one of the suggested choices, probe by repeating the options.
Precode (1)
Enter Precode (1) if the respondent only remembers seeing the
offenders previously. After entering Precode (1), continue
with Item MULTOFFENDERSIGHT.
Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2) if the respondent knew the offenders somewhat
and felt comfortable saying "Hello," but did not necessarily know
the offenders’ names. After entering Precode (2), continue with
Item MULTOFFENDERRELATION.
Precode (3)
Enter Precode (3) if the respondent feels that he/she knew the
offenders very well. Let the respondent make this decision. After
entering Precode (3), continue with Item
MULTOFFENDERRELATION.
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Would you have been able to tell the police how they might find any of them, for instance,
where they lived, worked, went to school, or spent time?
1 Yes
2 No
3 Other - Specify
MULTOFFENDERSIGHT
MULTOFFENDERSIGHT
Item MULTOFFENDERSIGHT is used to determine whether the
respondent has any information which may help the police find the
offenders. The respondent's answer should be based on what
he/she knows about the offenders, and NOT necessarily on what
the respondent actually told the police.
Enter Precode (1) for a "Yes" answer, Precode (2) for a "No"
answer, and Precode (3), "Other," when you need to record more
than just a "Yes" or "No" answer. After entering Precode (3), make
sure to enter a description of the respondent's answer on the
MULTOFFENDERSIGHT_SPEC screen, which then appears.
When you complete Item MULTOFFENDERSIGHT,
continue with Item MULTOFFENDERGENDER.
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How did you know them? For example, were they friends, cousins, etc.?
Probe: Anything else?
Enter all that apply, separate with commas.
RELATIVE:
11 Spouse at time of incident
12 Ex-spouse at time of incident
13 Parent or step-parent
14 Own child or step-child
15 Brother/sister
16 Other relative - specify
NONRELATIVE:
17 Boyfriend or girlfriend, ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend
18 Friend or ex-friend
19 Roommate, boarder
20 Schoolmate
21 Neighbor
22 Customer/client
23 Patient
24 Supervisor (current or former)
25 Employee (current or former)
26 Co-worker (current or former)
27 Teacher/school staff
28 Other nonrelative – Specify
MULTOFFENDERRELATION
MULTOFFENDER
RELATION
Item MULTOFFENDERRELATION is used to identify the
relationship between the respondent and the offenders, when the
respondent indicates in Item MULTOFFENDERHOWWELL
that he/she was a casual acquaintance of the offenders or knew
the offenders very well (Precode (2) or (3) entered in Item
MULTOFFENDERHOWWELL). Always ask BOTH questions
in Item MULTOFFENDERRELATION to ensure that the
respondent identifies all types of relationships, not just relatives.
Enter all that apply. Notice that the answer categories are divided
into two groups: Precodes (11) through (16) cover relatives of the
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respondent and Precodes (17) through (28) cover nonrelatives of
the respondent.
Precode (11)
Enter Precode (11) if any offender was the spouse of the
respondent (husband/wife) at the time of the incident, regardless
of whether they are currently married to each other.
Precode (12)
Enter Precode (12) if any offender was a former spouse
(husband/wife) of the respondent at the time of the incident.
Accept the respondent's answer and do not probe when the
respondent says "Ex-spouse" or "Former wife/husband."
Precode (13)
Enter Precode (13) if any offender is the mother, father, stepmother, or step-father of the respondent. Precode (13) is not
intended for parents through marriage, which should be included
in Precode (16), "Other relative." After entering Precode (16),
indicate the type of other relative on the "Specify" screen, such as
"father-in-law" or "mother-in-law."
Precode (14)
Enter Precode (14) if any offender is a child of the respondent by
birth, adoption, or marriage, such as a son, daughter, step-son, or
step-daughter. Precode (14) is not intended for foster children;
instead enter Precode (28), "Other nonrelative," and enter the
relationship on the "Specify" screen.
Precode (15)
Enter Precode (15) if any offender is a brother or sister of the
respondent or the child of a respondent's step-parent. Precode
(15) is not intended for "brothers-in-law" or "sisters-in-law." Instead
enter Precode (16), “Other,” and enter the relationship on the
"Specify" screen.
Precode (16)
Enter Precode (16) if any offender was the respondent's aunt,
uncle, cousin, grandparent, father-in-law, mother-in-law, sister-inlaw, brother-in-law, or any offender who is related to the
respondent by blood or marriage and is not described in Precodes
(11) through (15). After entering Precode (16), always enter the
relationship on the "Specify" screen,
MULTOFFENDERRELATION_SPEC_16.
Precode (17)
Enter Precode (17) if any offender is a nonrelative who has or has
had romantic connections to the respondent; for example, if the
offender and the respondent were dating at the time of the
incident or used to date before the incident.
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Precode (18)
Enter Precode (18) if any offender is a male or female friend or
past friend of the respondent AND there is no romantic connection
between the two persons.
Precode (19)
Enter Precode (19) if any offender is a person who is NOT related
to the respondent, but was living with the respondent at the time of
the incident, such as a boarder or roommate. Precode (19) is not
intended for "live-in" boyfriends/girlfriends; instead, enter Precode
(17) for these situations.
Precode (20)
Enter Precode (20) if any offender attended the same school as
the respondent at the time of the incident AND is not related to the
respondent.
Precode (21)
Enter Precode (21) if any offender lives close enough to the
respondent to be considered a neighbor AND is not related to the
respondent.
Precodes (22), (23),
(24), (25), or (26)
Enter the most appropriate precode from Precodes (22),
(23), (24), (25), and (26) if any offender is a nonrelative, but is
known by the respondent as a business client, patient, or a
supervisor, employee, or co-worker, including former supervisors,
employees, and co-workers.
Precode (27)
Enter Precode (27) if any offender is a teacher or a school staff
member at the respondent’s school. If the respondent works at the
school, use the appropriate precode (24), (25), or (26).
Precode (28)
Enter Precode (28) if the respondent's answer does not fit any of
the other nonrelative relationships, but any offender is either well
known or a casual acquaintance. Enter the offender's relationship
to the respondent on the "Specify" screen,
MULTOFFENDERRELATION_SPEC_28, such as the
respondent's barber or financial planner.
Once you have completed Item MULTOFFENDERRELATION,
continue with Item MULTOFFENDERGENDER.
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Were they male or female?
1 All male
2 All female
3 Don’t know sex of any offenders
4 Both male and female
MULTOFFENDERGENDER
MULTOFFENDER
GENDER
Item MULTOFFENDERGENDER asks whether the offenders
are male, female, or a combination. Based on the respondent's
perception, enter Precode (1) for "All male," Precode (2) for
"All female," Precode (3) if the respondent does not know the
offenders’ gender, and Precode (4) if the offenders were both
male and female. If the respondent answers this question with
Precode (4) and there were more than two offenders, the
instrument goes to MULTOFFENDERMOSTGENDER. Otherwise,
the instrument goes to Item MULTOFFENDERYOUNG.
Were they mostly male or mostly female?
1 Mostly male
2 Mostly female
3 Evenly divided
4 Don’t know
MULTOFFENDERMOSTGENDER
MULTOFFENDER
MOSTGENDER
Item MULTOFFENDERMOSTGENDER appears when the
respondent answers MULTOFFENDERGENDER with Precode
(4) and indicates that there were more than two offenders. Based
on the respondent’s perception, enter Precode (1) for “Mostly
male,” Precode (2) for “Mostly female,” Precode (3) for “Evenly
divided,” or Precode (4) for “Don’t know.” The instrument goes to
Item MULTOFFENDERYOUNG.
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How old would you say the youngest was?
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Under 12
12-14
15-17
18-20
21-29
30 or older
Don’t know
MULTOFFENDERYOUNG
MULTOFFENDER
YOUNG
In Item MULTOFFENDERYOUNG, enter the precode for the
age of the youngest offender, according to the perception of the
respondent. Enter Precode (1) for “Under 12,” Precode (2) for “1214,” Precode (3) for “15-17,” Precode (4) for “18-20,” Precode (5)
for “21-29,” Precode (6) for “30 or older,” and Precode (7) for
“Don’t know.” The instrument then goes to
MULTOFFENDEROLD.
How old would you say the oldest was?
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Under 12
12-14
15-17
18-20
21-29
30 or older
Don’t know
MULTOFFENDEROLD
MULTOFFENDEROLD
In Item MULTOFFENDEROLD, enter the precode for the age of
the oldest offender, according to the perception of the
respondent. Enter Precode (1) for “Under 12,” Precode (2) for “1214,” Precode (3) for “15-17,” Precode (4) for “18-20,” Precode (5)
for “21-29,” Precode (6) for “30 or older,” and Precode (7) for
“Don’t know.” The instrument then goes to
MULTOFFETHNICITY.
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Were any of the offenders Hispanic or Latino?
1 Yes
2 No
3 Don’t know
MULTOFFETHNICITY
MULTOFFETHNICITY
Item MULTOFFETHNICITY asks whether any of the offenders
were Hispanic or Latino. If you enter Precode (1) for a “Yes”
response, the instrument goes to
MULTOFFENDERMOSTTHNICITY. If you enter Precode (2)
for “No,” or Precode (3) for “Don’t know,” the instrument goes to
Item MULTOFFENDERRACE.
Were the offenders mostly Hispanic, mostly non-Hispanic, or an equal number of Hispanic and nonHispanic?
1 Mostly Hispanic
2 Mostly non-Hispanic
3 Equal number of Hispanic and non-Hispanic
4 Don’t know
MULTOFFENDERMOSTETHNICITY
MULTOFFENDER
MOSTETHNICITY
Item MULTOFFENDERMOSTETHNICITY asks whether the
offenders were mostly Hispanic, mostly non-Hispanic, or an equal
number of Hispanic and non-Hispanic. It is asked when Precode
(1), “Yes,” is entered in Item MULTOFFETHNICITY. Enter
Precode (1) for “Mostly Hispanic,” Precode (2) for “Mostly nonHispanic,” Precode (3) for “Equal number of Hispanic and nonHispanic,” or Precode (4) for “Don’t know.” The instrument goes to
MULTOFFENDERRACE.
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What race or races were the offenders? Were they…
● Enter all that apply, separate with commas.
1 White?
2 Black or African American?
3 American Indian or Alaska Native?
4 Asian?
5 Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander?
6 Don’t know
MULTOFFENDERRACE
MULTOFFENDERRACE
Item MULTOFFENDERRACE is used to record the offenders’
race(s) as perceived by the respondent. Read the answer
categories to the respondent as part of the question. Do not read
answer category (6), “Don’t know.” Enter all that apply.
Enter Precode (1) for “White” and Precode (2) for “Black or African
American.” Enter Precode (3) for “American Indian or Alaska
Native.” Enter Precode (4) for “Asian.” Enter Precode (5) for
“Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander.” Enter Precode (6)
“Don’t know,” if respondent cannot identify offenders’ race(s).
If two or more precodes are marked, the instrument goes to Item
MULTOFFENDERRACEMOST. Otherwise, it goes to
MULTOFFENDERGANG.
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What race were most of the offenders?
1 Mostly White?
2 Mostly Black or African American?
3 Mostly American Indian or Alaska Native?
4 Mostly Asian?
5 Mostly Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander?
6 Equal number of each race
7 Don’t know
MULTOFFENDERRACEMOST
MULTOFFENDER
RACEMOST
Item MULTOFFENDERRACEMOST is asked when the
respondent indicates that the offenders were of more than one
race in Item MULTOFFENDERRACE. Enter the appropriate
precode for the race of the majority of the offenders, based on the
respondent’s perception. The instrument continues with Item
MULTOFFENDERGANG.
Were any of the offenders a member of a street gang, or don’t you know?
1 Yes (a member of a street gang)
2 No (not a member of a street gang)
3 Don't know (if a member of a street gang)
MULTOFFENDERGANG
MULTOFFENDERGANG
MULTOFFENDERGANG is used to determine whether or not any
of the offenders is a member of a street gang based on the
respondent's perception. Consider a street gang as a group of
people who associate regularly with one another, generally have a
leader or group of leaders who issue orders and reap the rewards
of the gang's activities, and often engage in anti-social or deviant
behavior.
Some ways to identify gang members are their "colors," clothing,
tattoos, brands, or imprints of the gang's name, logo, or other
identifying marks on their bodies.
Enter the appropriate precode based on the respondent's answer–
Precode (1) for "Yes," Precode (2) for "No," or Precode (3) for
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"Don't know." The instrument then goes to
MULTOFFENDERDRINKDRUG.
Were any of the offenders drinking or on drugs, or don’t you know?
1 Yes (drinking or on drugs)
2 No (not drinking/not on drugs)
3 Don't know (if drinking or on drugs)
MULTOFFENDERDRINKDRUG
MULTOFFENDER
DRINKDRUG
Item MULTOFFENDERDRINKDRUG is used to find out if the
offenders were drinking alcoholic beverages or under the
influence of drugs during the incident. Enter the appropriate
precode based on what the respondent believes or knows.
Precode (1)
Enter Precode (1), "Yes," if the offenders were actively drinking or
under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the incident.
After entering Precode (1), continue with Item
MULTOFFENDERDRINKORDRUG.
Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2), "No," if the offenders were not drinking or
under the influence of drugs or alcohol. After entering Precode (2),
continue with Item MULTOFFENDERONLYTIME.
Precode (3)
Enter Precode (3), "Don't know," if the respondent could not tell if
the offenders were under the influence of drugs or alcohol. After
entering Precode (3), continue with Item
MULTOFFENDERONLYTIME.
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Which was it? (Drinking or on drugs)?
1 Drinking
2 On drugs
3 Both (drinking and on drugs)
4 Drinking or on drugs - could not tell which
MULTOFFENDERDRINKORDRUG
MULTOFFENDER
DRINKORDRUG
Item MULTOFFENDERDRINKORDRUG is used to
distinguish between whether the offender(s) were just drinking,
just on drugs, under the influence of BOTH alcohol and drugs, or
perhaps the respondent cannot distinguish between the two. After
completing Item MULTOFFENDERDRINKORDRUG,
continue with Item MULTOFFENDERONLYTIME.
Precode (1)
Enter Precode (1), "Drinking," if the respondent thinks or knows
that the offenders were under the influence of only alcohol during
the incident.
Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2), "On drugs," if the respondent thinks or knows
that the offenders were under the influence of only drugs during
the incident.
Precode (3)
Enter Precode (3), "Both," if the respondent thinks or knows that
the offenders were under the influence of BOTH drugs and alcohol
during the incident.
Precode (4)
Enter Precode (4), "Drinking or on drugs," if the respondent thinks
or knows that the offenders were under the influence of drugs or
alcohol, but cannot tell which one.
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Was this the only time any of these offenders committed a crime against you or your household or
made threats against you or your household?
1 Yes (only time)
2 No (there were other times)
3 Don't know
MULTOFFENDERONLYTIME
MULTOFFENDER
ONLYTIME
Item MULTOFFENDERONLYTIME is used to determine
whether the offenders have ever committed any type of crime or
threatened to physically harm the respondent or another
household member, other than the current incident. For this
question, do not limit the respondent to crimes committed only
during the 6-month reference period.
Precode (1)
Enter Precode (1), "Yes (only time)," if the respondent tells you
that the current incident is the only crime these offenders have
committed against his/her household. Make sure that the
respondent understands we are interested in crimes committed by
these offenders at ANY time prior to this incident.
Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2), "No (there were other times)," if the respondent
says that these offenders committed other crimes against the
respondent or other household members at ANY time prior to this
incident.
Precode (3)
Enter Precode (3) if the respondent does not really know whether
or not the offenders have committed other crimes against the
household prior to this incident.
After completing Item MULTOFFENDERONLYTIME,
continue with Item THEFT.
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? [F1]
● Ask or verify:
Was something stolen or taken without permission that belonged to you or others in the
household?
Include anything stolen from the business operated from the respondent’s home.
● Include anything stolen from an unrecognizable business
● Do not include anything stolen from a recognizable business in respondent's home or another
business, such as merchandise or cash from a register
1 Yes
2 No
3 Don't know
THEFT
THEFT
Item THEFT is used to determine whether the offender(s)
stole or took anything without permission, regardless of its
value, that was owned by the respondent or another
household member. This could include the personal
property of one household member or property that belongs
to the entire household. It could also include property stolen
during the 6-month reference period from a former
residence, IF the property was stolen from someone who is
a household member at the time of the interview.
If the respondent or other household members own an
unrecognizable business and items were stolen from that
business, those items need to be included when answering
this question. However, do NOT include items stolen or
taken without permission from a recognizable business,
unless they are personal items belonging to the respondent
or other household members.
(Refer to Part C, Chapter 2, Topic 4, for more
information about recognizable and unrecognizable
businesses.)
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You can verify the answer to this question without asking the
question if the respondent indicated the answer earlier in the
interview. Otherwise, ask the question in Item THEFT
exactly as it is worded.
Precode (1)
Enter Precode (1), "Yes," when:
✓ Items were taken that belonged to any household
member, regardless of age, during a burglary or
household theft.
✓ During any other crime of theft, items were taken that
belonged to a household member who is 12 years of age
or older.
✓ Items were taken that belong to an unrecognizable
business owned by the respondent or another household
member.
✓ Items that belong to a household member were stolen
while in the possession of a friend, neighbor, co-worker,
and so on, who had borrowed them from the household
member. However, you would enter Precode (2), "No," if
the borrowed items were just never returned to the
household member, even if the household member
asked that the items be returned.
After entering Precode (1), continue with Item
WHATWASTAKEN.
Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2), "No," when:
✓ The items taken belong to a recognizable business
owned by the respondent or another household member,
regardless of whether or not the business is located at
the sample address. However, enter Precode (1), "Yes,"
when the items stolen from a recognizable business are
personal ones belonging to the respondent or other
household members, such as a purse, watch, and so on.
✓ The items taken belong to the owner of the sample
address. However, the owner does not reside at the
sample address, because he/she rents the home to the
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respondent. In this case, the items do not belong to the
sample household, even though the items were stolen
from the sample address.
✓ The items taken belong to a nonhousehold member,
regardless of whether or not the person was at the
sample address.
✓ The items taken really belong to a nonhousehold
member because he/she lent the items to a household
member. This is true even if the household member
compensated the nonhousehold member for the
borrowed item(s).
✓ Items loaned to a friend, neighbor, co-worker, and so on,
and never returned. Do not consider these items as
stolen.
✓ Items taken belong to a household member who is
younger than 12 years old for any crime that did NOT
happen in the sample unit or on the property belonging
to the sample unit.
After entering Precode (2), "No," continue with Item
ATTEMPTTHEFT.
Precode (3)
Enter Precode (3) if the respondent does not know whether
any items were stolen or taken without permission that
belong to him/her or another household member. After
entering Precode (3), "Don't know," continue with Item
ATTEMPTTHEFT.
Items THEFT and ATTEMPTTHEFT both use the same
Help screen. Press the F1 key to access this Help screen,
which provides rules about what to include or exclude in
THEFT and ATTEMPTTHEFT.
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? [F1]
● Ask or verify:
Did the offender(s) ATTEMPT to take something that belonged to you or others in the household?
Include anything stolen from the business operated from the respondent’s home.
● Do not include anything the offender tried to steal from a recognizable business in respondent's
home or another business, such as merchandise or cash from a register
1 Yes
2 No
3 Don't know
ATTEMPTTHEFT
ATTEMPTTHEFT
Item ATTEMPTTHEFT is used to determine whether the
offender(s) tried to take something that belonged to the
respondent or another household member. You will only ask
this question when Precode (2), “No,” or Precode (3), “Don’t
know,” is entered in Item THEFT.
You can verify the answer to this question without asking the
question if the respondent has indicated the answer earlier
in the interview. Otherwise, ask the question in Item
ATTEMPTTHEFT exactly as it is worded. Read the
instruction shown below the question to yourself so you
remember what types of items to exclude.
After entering Precode (1) for a "Yes" answer, you continue
with Item ATTEMPTTHEFTWHAT. However, if you enter
Precode (2) for "No" or Precode (3) for "Don't know," you
continue with Item DAMAGED.
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What did the offender try to take?
● Probe: Anything else?
● Enter all that apply, separate with commas.
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
Cash
Purse
Wallet
Credit cards, checks, bank cards
Car
Other motor vehicle
Part of a motor vehicle (tire, hubcap, attached car stereo or satellite radio,
attached CB radio, etc.)
Gasoline or oil
Bicycle or parts
TV, DVD player, VCR, stereo, other household appliances
Silver, china, art objects
Other household furnishings (furniture, rugs, etc.)
Personal effects (clothing, jewelry, toys, etc.)
Handgun (pistol, revolver)
Other firearm (rifle, shotgun)
Other - specify
Don't know
ATTEMPTTHEFTWHAT
ATTEMPTTHEFTWHAT
Precode (11)
Item ATTEMPTTHEFTWHAT is used to identify the type of
item(s) that the respondent thinks the offender(s) attempted
to steal or take without permission. After asking the initial
question in Item ATTEMPTTHEFTWHAT, continue asking,
"Anything else?" until you get a "No" response. Enter all
appropriate precodes based on the respondent’s answer.
After recording all of the respondent’s answers, press
“Enter” to move to the next item. Some of the answer
categories are self-explanatory, but the following categories
require additional clarification.
Enter Precode (11), "Cash," if the respondent thinks that the
offender(s) tried to take paper money and/or coins, such as
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$10, $20, or $50 dollar bills and/or nickels, dimes, or
quarters. Do not enter Precode (11) for checks or credit
cards, instead enter Precode (14). Also, do not enter
Precode (11) for coin collections, instead enter Precode
(23).
Precode (14)
Enter Precode (14), "Credit cards, checks, bank cards," if
the respondent thinks that the offender(s) tried to take items
that are of little or no value unless someone tries to use
them fraudulently. For example, an offender tried to steal the
respondent's gasoline credit card so he could fraudulently
purchase gasoline for his vehicle. Also enter Precode (14) if
the offender(s) tried to take Savings Bonds, bank books,
money orders, debit cards, traveler's checks, and phone
cards.
Precode (16)
Enter Precode (16), "Other motor vehicle," if the offender(s)
tried to take without permission any type of truck, van, sport
utility vehicle (SUV), motorcycle, moped, motorized bicycle,
or any motor vehicle OTHER THAN a car that belonged to
the respondent, another household member, or an
unrecognizable business owned or operated by a household
member. If the "Other motor vehicle" was owned or operated
by a recognizable business, only enter Precode (16) if the
"Other motor vehicle" was also intended for personal use by
a household member.
DO NOT enter Precode (16) for the attempted theft of boats,
jet skis, airplanes, minibikes, or snowmobiles, instead enter
Precode (26) and identify the item(s) on the "Specify"
screen.
Precode (17)
Enter Precode (17), "Part of motor vehicle," if the offender(s)
tried to take without permission anything that is ATTACHED
to a car, truck, van, SUV, or other motor vehicle owned by
the respondent or another household member. Here are
some examples of motor vehicle parts to include: Tires,
hubcaps or wheels, CD players, scanners, CB radios, car
telephones, antenna, license plates, motor parts, mirrors,
steering wheel, door handles, and so on.
DO NOT enter Precode (17) if the items were stored in the
glove compartment, left on a seat, or kept in the trunk of a
car or the bed of a truck, since we do not consider these
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items as attached to the motor vehicle.
Precode (19)
Enter Precode (19), "Bicycle or parts," if the offender(s) tried
to take, without permission, NON-MOTORIZED bicycles or
bicycle parts owned by the respondent or another household
member.
Precode (20)
Enter Precode (20), "TV, stereo, DVD player, VCR, or other
household appliances," if the offender(s) tried to take without
permission items intended for the use of all or most of the
household members, such as a gas grill, kitchen stove,
freezer, VCR, CD player, personal computer, etc.
Precode (21)
Enter Precode (21), "Silver, china, art objects," if the
offender(s) tried to take without permission any type of
silver, china, or art object, regardless of its value.
Precode (22)
Enter Precode (22), "Other household furnishings," if the
offender(s) tried to take without permission household
furnishings, such as furniture, rugs, lamps, mirrors, and so
on, that are intended for use by all or most of the household
members. Consider items such as a daughter's bedroom
furniture to be household furnishings, even though the
furniture is used primarily by one household member.
Precode (23)
Enter Precode (23), "Personal effects," if the offender(s)
tried to take without permission items that are intended for
the sole use of one household member, rather than by all or
most household members and are considered easily
movable or portable. For example, a household member's
watch, jewelry, cellular telephone, clothing, camera,
luggage, briefcase, sports or recreation equipment, toys,
makeup, hair dryers, keys, personal collections (Hummels,
coins, bears, dolls, stamps, and so on). Since the value of
"Personal effects" is not needed, do not probe to determine
their dollar value.
Precode (24)
Enter Precode (24), "Handgun," if the offender(s) tried to
take without permission any type of hand-held gun that is
intended to shoot bullets, regardless of its condition or
usage. For example, the handgun could be a mint condition
collector's item from World War II that is never shot by its
owner or a new handgun kept by the respondent for
protection.
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Do NOT enter Precode (24) for guns that shoot pellets,
BB's, air, flares, or tear gas. Instead, enter Precode (26),
"Other," and identify the type of gun on the "Specify" screen.
Precode (25)
Enter Precode (25), "Other firearm," if the offender(s) tried to
take without permission any type of rifles or shotguns that
shoot bullets or shot, regardless of whether the rifle or
shotgun works or is used by the respondent. Do not enter
Precode (25) for handguns, instead enter Precode (24).
Also, do NOT enter Precode (25) for guns that shoot pellets,
BB's, air, flares, or tear gas. Instead, enter Precode (26),
"Other," and identify the type of gun on the "Specify" screen.
Precode (26)
Enter Precode (26), "Other," AND describe the item(s) on
the "Specify" screen, ATTEMPTTHEFTWHAT_SPEC, if the
offender(s) tried to take any of the following types of items
without permission: food, drugs, food stamps, animals,
plants, guns that fire BB's or pellets, flares, tear gas, and
other items that do not fit the categories for Precodes (11)
through (25). Also enter Precode (26) for boats, airplanes,
minibikes, snowmobiles, etc.
Precode (27)
Enter Precode (27), "Don't know" if the respondent does not
know or is unsure about what the offender(s) tried to take
without permission.
After completing Item ATTEMPTTHEFTWHAT, continue
with Item ATTEMPTTHEFTOWNER.
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Did the (property/money) the offender tried to take belong to you personally, to someone else
in the household, or to both you and other household members?
1 Respondent only
2 Respondent and other household member(s)
3 Other household member(s) only
4 Nonhousehold member(s) only
5 Other - specify
ATTEMPTTHEFTOWNER
ATTEMPTTHEFTOWNER
Precode (1)
Item ATTEMPTTHEFTOWNER is used to identify the
owner(s) of the property/money that the offender(s)
attempted to steal during the incident. When we refer to
"household member(s)" in Precodes (2) and (3), we mean
household members at the time of the interview, NOT just at
the time of the incident.
Enter Precode (1) if the offender(s) attempted to steal
property/money that belongs SOLELY to the respondent.
After entering Precode (1), continue with Item
ATTEMPTTHEFTITEMSINMV.
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Precode (2)
Part B, Chapter 4
Enter Precode (2) if the offender(s) attempted to steal
property/money that belongs to the respondent and other
household member(s) either jointly (for example, a car that
is jointly owned by the reference person and his/her spouse)
or partially (for example, a collection of music CDs of which
20 belong to the respondent and the remaining 30 CDs
belong to the respondent's son).
After entering Precode (2), Item ATTEMPTTHEFTLNS
appears. Use this item to identify by line number each
household member who owned some of the property/money
that the offender tried to steal.
● If not sure, ask:
Besides the respondent, which household member(s) owned
the property the offender tried to take?
● Enter appropriate line number(s).
1 Megan Moe
40 Household property
Enter Precode (40), “Household Property,” in Item
ATTEMPTTHEFTLNS if the property/money belongs to the
entire household jointly or if more than three household
members own the property/money jointly with the
respondent. It is acceptable to enter one or more line
numbers and also enter Precode (40), since the offender(s)
may have tried to take both personal and household
property. After completing Item ATTEMPTTHEFTLNS,
continue with Item ATTEMPTTHEFTITEMSINMV.
Precode (3)
Enter Precode (3) if the offender(s) attempted to steal
property/money that belongs ONLY to other household
member(s) and NONE of the property/money belongs to the
respondent. After entering Precode (3), Item
ATTEMPTTHEFTLNS appears, so you can identify by line
number each household member who owned some of the
property/money that the offender tried to steal.
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Precode (4)
Enter Precode (4) if the offender(s) attempted to steal
property/money that belongs ONLY to person(s) who are
NOT household members at the time of the interview. After
entering Precode (4), continue with Item
ATTEMPTTHEFTITEMSINMV.
Precode (5)
Enter Precode (5) if the offender(s) attempted to steal
property/money that belongs to two or more persons NOT
covered by Precodes (1) through (4), for example, if the
property/money belongs jointly to another household
member and a nonhousehold member. Use the "Specify"
screen ATTEMPTHEFTOWNER_SPEC to indicate who
owns the property/money (for example, L3 and a
nonhousehold member). After entering Precode (5) and
identifying the owners on the "Specify" screen, continue with
Item ATTEMPTTHEFTITEMSINMV.
● Ask or verify:
Was the article IN or ATTACHED to a motor vehicle when the attempt was made to take it?
1 Yes
2 No
ATTEMPTTHEFTITEMSINMV
ATTEMPTTHEFT
ITEMSINMV
Item ATTEMPTTHEFTITEMSINMV is used to identify
whether the offender(s) tried to steal property/money that
was either:
✓ Inside a motor vehicle or
✓ Attached to a motor vehicle.
If you entered Precodes (15) or (16) in
ATTEMPTTHEFTWHAT, the instrument skips
ATTEMPTTHEFTITEMSINMV.
For Item ATTEMPTTHEFTITEMSINMV, you can verify the
answer without asking the question if the respondent
previously indicated where the articles were when the
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offender(s) tried to steal them.
Otherwise, ask the question and enter Precode (1), "Yes," if
ANY of the articles were in or attached to a motor vehicle.
Only enter Precode (2), "No," if NONE of the articles were in
or attached to a motor vehicle.
After completing Item ATTEMPTTHEFTITEMSINMV,
continue with either:
Item ATTEMPTTHEFTONPERSON if the offender tried
to take cash, a purse, or a wallet (Precodes (11), (12), or
(13) are entered in Item ATTEMPTTHEFTWHAT).
OR
Item ATTEMPTTHEFTITEMONPERSON if the offender
tried to take anything other than cash, a purse, or a
wallet.
● Ask or verify:
Was the cash on your person, for instance, in a pocket or being held?
1 Yes
2 No
ATTEMPTTHEFTONPERSON
ATTEMPTTHEFTONPERSON
Item ATTEMPTTHEFTONPERSON is used to determine
whether the offender(s) tried to steal cash, a purse, or a
wallet directly from the respondent's hands, shoulder,
pocket, backpack, etc. For the NCVS, it makes a difference
whether the offender(s) attempted to steal cash, a purse, or
a wallet directly from the respondent, rather than from a
counter, car seat, floor of a subway car, or other places
where the respondent may have left cash, a purse, or a
wallet.
If the answer is obvious from information provided
previously by the respondent, verify the answer without
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asking the question. Otherwise, ask the question and enter
Precode (1) for "Yes;" Precode (2) for "No." After completing
Item ATTEMPTTHEFTONPERSON, continue with Item
ATTEMPTTHEFTITEMONPERSON.
● Ask or verify:
Was there anything else the offenders tried to take directly from you, for instance, from your
pocket or hands, or something that you were wearing?
● Exclude property not belonging to respondent or other household member.
1 Yes
2 No
ATTEMPTTHEFTITEMONPERSON
ATTEMPTTHEFTITEM
ONPERSON
Item ATTEMPTTHEFTITEMONPERSON is used to
determine whether the offender(s) tried to take anything
OTHER THAN cash, a purse, or a wallet (such as a watch
they were wearing) directly from the respondent or another
current household member. Exclude attempted thefts of
items belonging to nonhousehold members.
It is acceptable to verify the answer for this question without
asking the question. The instrument automatically either
inserts or omits the word "else" in the question based on
what was entered in ATTEMPTTHEFTONPERSON. If you
entered Precode (2), “No, at ATTEMPTTHEFTONPERSON,
the word “else” is omitted from the question.
Enter Precode (1) for a "Yes" answer and continue with Item
ATTEMPTTHEFTITEMS. Enter Precode (2) for a "No"
answer and continue with Item DAMAGED.
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Check Item
OTHATTEMPTON
PERS_CK
Part B, Chapter 4
If you enter Precode (1), “Yes,” at
ATTEMPTTHEFTITEMONPERSON, but did not mark any
precodes (14) - (26) in Item ATTEMPTTHEFTWHAT, edit
check OTHATTEMPTON PERS_CK appears:
The offender only tried to take cash/purse/wallet in
ATTEMPTTHEFTWHAT. If the offender tried to take something
else from victim, it must first be reported in
ATTEMPTTHEFTWHAT. If the offender only tried to take
cash/purse/wallet from victim, go to
ATTEMPTTHEFTITEMONPERSON and enter "No".
Close
Goto
OTHATTEMPTONPERS_CK
This is a hard edit. Click on “Close” or “Goto” to return to
ATTEMPTTHEFTWHAT and entering one or more
Precodes (14) - (26) or return to
ATTEMPTTHEFTITEMONPERSON and change the answer
to Precode (2), “No.”
Which items did the offenders try to take directly from you?
● Exclude property not belonging to respondent or other household member.
15
24
26
40
Car
Handgun (pistol, revolver)
Other - specify
All of the above
ATTEMPTTHEFTITEMS
ATTEMPTTHEFTITEMS
Item ATTEMPTTHEFTITEMS lists the property items
reported in Item ATTEMPTTHEFTWHAT, OTHER THAN
cash/purse/wallet, that the offender(s) tried to take directly
from the respondent or another household member. Enter
the appropriate precodes from those listed in Item
ATTEMPTTHEFTITEMS to identify the items that the
offender(s) tried to take directly from the respondent or
another household member. If the offender(s) tried to take
everything directly from the respondent, enter Precode (40),
“All of the above,” and continue with item DAMAGED.
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What was taken that belonged to you or others in the household?
● Probe: Anything else?
● Enter all that apply, separate with commas.
CASH/PURSE/WALLET/CREDIT CARDS:
11 Cash
12 Purse
13 Wallet
14 Credit cards, checks, bank cards
VEHICLE OR PARTS:
15 Car
16 Other motor vehicle
17 Part of a motor vehicle (tire, hubcap, attached car stereo or satellite radio, attached CB radio, etc.)
18 Unattached motor vehicle accessories or equipment (unattached CD player or satellite radio, etc.)
19 Gasoline or oil
20 Bicycle or parts
HOUSEHOLD FURNISHINGS:
21 TV, DVD player, VCR, stereo, other household appliances
22 Silver, china, art objects
23 Other household furnishings (furniture, rugs, etc.)
PERSONAL EFFECTS:
24 Portable electronic and photographic gear (Personal stereo, TV, cellphone, camera, etc.)
25 Clothing, furs, luggage, briefcase
26 Jewelry, watch, keys
27 Collection of stamps, coins, etc.
28 Toys, sports and recreational equipment (not listed above)
29 Other personal and portable objects
FIREARMS
30 Handgun (pistol, revolver)
31 Other firearm (rifle, shotgun)
MISCELLANEOUS:
32 Tools, machines, office equipment
33 Farm or garden produce, plants, fruits, logs
34 Animals - pet or livestock
35 Food or liquor
36 Other – specify
37 Don’t know
WHATWASTAKEN
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WHATWASTAKEN
Part B, Chapter 4
Item WHATWASTAKEN is used to identify the types of
property/money that the offender(s) took without permission.
Continue asking, "Anything else?" until you get a "No"
response and enter all appropriate precodes, then press
“Enter” to go to the next screen.
Only include property/money that belonged to the
respondent or other household members. If the respondent
mentions that the stolen property was leased or rented by
the respondent or another household member for one
month or longer, consider the household member(s) as the
owner(s) of the stolen property for this item. If necessary,
ask the respondent how long the stolen property has been
leased or rented.
Notice that Item WHATWASTAKEN has several more
answer categories than Item ATTEMPTTHEFTWHAT.
These categories are grouped together under six separate
headings:
✓ Cash/purse/wallet/credit cards
✓ Vehicle or Parts
✓ Household Furnishings
✓ Personal Effects
✓ Firearms
✓ Miscellaneous
Categories that are NOT self-explanatory are covered
below.
Precode (11)
Enter Precode (11), "Cash," when the offender(s) stole
money (bills or coins). After entering Precode (11), Item
AMOUNTCASHTAKEN appears when you press “Enter” to
leave Item WHATWASTAKEN.
If the respondent mentions that a credit card, bank card,
checks, or a coin collection were stolen, do NOT enter
Precode (11). Instead, enter Precode (14) for credit cards,
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bank cards, and checks, and enter Precode (27) for coin
collections.
Precodes (12) and (13)
Enter Precode (12) when the offender(s) stole a purse from
the respondent or another household member and enter
Precode (13) when the offender(s) stole a wallet from the
respondent or another household member. After entering
Precode (12) and/or (13), the instrument goes to Item
PRSWLT_CONTAINMONEY, where you ask the
respondent if the purse and/or wallet contained any money
when it was stolen. If you get a "Yes" answer, the instrument
stores Precode (11) in Item WHATWASTAKEN so you can
access Item AMOUNTCASHTAKEN and enter the amount
of cash taken in whole dollars. Round up or down as
necessary (as instructed above for Precode (11)).
Precode (14)
Enter Precode (14) when the offender(s) stole a credit card,
bank card, checks, and so on, which are of little value
unless used fraudulently to obtain money and/or property.
Also enter Precode (14) for stolen Savings Bonds, bank
books, money orders, travelers checks, and phone cards.
Precode (16)
Enter Precode (16) when the offender(s) stole a truck, van,
sport utility vehicle (SUV), motorcycle, moped, motorized
bicycle, or any motor vehicle OTHER THAN a car. If the
motor vehicle is owned by a recognizable business and is
never used for a household member's personal use, DO
NOT enter Precode (16).
Also, DO NOT enter Precode (16) for boats, jet skis,
airplanes, minibikes, or snowmobiles, instead enter Precode
(36), "Other," and identify the property on the "Specify"
screen, WHATWASTAKEN_SPEC.
Precode (17)
Enter Precode (17) when the offender(s) stole anything that
is ATTACHED to a car, truck, van, SUV, or other motor
vehicle owned by the respondent or another household
member. Some examples of items to include for Precode
(17) are tires, hubcaps or wheels, CD players, scanners, CB
radios, car telephones, antenna, license plates, motor parts,
mirrors, steering wheel, door handles, and so on.
DO NOT enter Precode (17) if the items were stored in the
glove compartment, left on a seat, or kept in the trunk of a
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car or the bed of a truck, since we do not consider these
items as attached to the motor vehicle.
Precode (18)
Enter Precode (18) when the offender(s) stole motor vehicle
accessories or equipment that was NOT ATTACHED to the
motor vehicle, such as a spare tire, a detachable antenna on
the back seat, a removable CD player or changer in the
trunk, etc.
Precode (20)
Enter Precode (20) when the offender(s) stole any type of
bicycle or bicycle parts that do not have a motor. Include
motorized bicycles in Precode (16).
Precode (21)
Enter Precode (21) when the offender(s) stole any type of
electrical or gas appliances, such as kitchen stoves,
freezers, dishwashers, CD players, VCRs, computers, FAX
machines, and so on.
Precode (22)
Enter Precode (22) when the offender(s) stole any type of
silver, china, or art object, regardless of its value.
Precode (23)
Enter Precode (23) when the offender(s) stole any type of
household furnishings that are intended for the use of all or
most of the household members, even if the furnishings
belong to one or more household members. For example,
bedroom furniture, rugs, patio furniture, and so on.
If you are unsure whether the stolen items are household
furnishings or personal effects, base your decision on
whether the stolen items are considered portable or
movable. If the stolen items are not easily movable or
portable, consider them household furnishings. Otherwise,
enter the appropriate "Personal Effects" precodes from
Precodes (24) through (29) to identify a stolen item that is
intended for the use of a specific household member, rather
than all or most household members.
Precode (24)
Enter Precode (24) when the offender(s) stole any type of
portable electronic or photographic gear intended for the use
of a specific household member, such as personal electronic
devices, handheld computer games, video or audio
cassettes, cell phones, cameras, etc.
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Precode (25)
Enter Precode (25) when the offender(s) stole the following
types of personal items that belong to a specific household
member: hats, gloves, coats, shoes, jackets, briefcases,
luggage, etc.
Precode (26)
Enter Precode (26) when the offender(s) stole any of the
following types of personal items, regardless of their value:
house or car keys, rings, necklaces, bracelets, money clips,
cuff links, tie tacks, watches, etc.
Precode (27)
Enter Precode (27) when the offender(s) stole any type of
personal collection, regardless of its value, such as coins,
ceramic bears, dolls, stamps, books, baseball cards, etc.
Precode (28)
Enter Precode (28) when the offender(s) stole any type of
toy, sports, or recreation equipment that belongs to a
specific household member and is not covered in Precodes
(24) through (27). Examples of such items are bowling balls,
tennis rackets, BB guns, baby dolls, etc.
Precode (29)
Enter Precode (29) when the offender(s) stole any personal
objects that are easily movable, but do not fit the
descriptions in Precodes (24) through (28). For example,
these objects could include makeup, hair dryer, curling iron,
flare guns, books, etc.
Precode (30)
Enter Precode (30) when the offender(s) stole any type of
hand-held guns (for example, pistols, revolvers, and so on),
regardless of their condition or intended use (for example,
hunting, display, target practice, and so on). Precode (30) is
not intended for pellet guns, BB guns, air pistols, flare guns,
or tear gas guns. Instead, enter Precode (28) for pellet guns,
BB guns, and air pistols, and enter Precode (29) for flare
and tear gas guns.
Precode (31)
Enter Precode (31) when the offender(s) stole any type of
firearm OTHER THAN a handgun, regardless of its
condition or intended use. For example, you should enter
Precode (31) for stolen machine guns, rifles, shotguns, etc.
Precode (31) is NOT intended for pellet guns, BB guns, air
pistols, flare guns, or tear gas guns. Instead, enter Precode
(28) for pellet guns, BB guns, and air pistols, and enter
Precode (29) for flare and tear gas guns.
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Precode (32)
Enter Precode (32) when the offender(s) stole power or
hand tools, yard equipment (for example, lawn mowers, leaf
blowers, and so on) and any type of office equipment stolen
from an unrecognizable business (for example, file cabinets,
personal computers, printers, FAX machines, scanners, and
so on). However, if the stolen office equipment is electronic
(for example, computers, printers, FAX machines, scanners,
and so on) AND the electronic equipment is used primarily
for the personal use of a household member, enter Precode
(24).
Precode (33)
Enter Precode (33) when the offender(s) stole any produce,
fruit, firewood, straw, hay, or plants (flower or vegetable)
intended for sale and NOT for the personal use or
consumption of the household members. Enter Precode
(35) for any farm or garden produce intended for the
household's personal consumption.
Precode (34)
Enter Precode (34) when the offender(s) stole any type of
animals owned by the respondent or another household
member, regardless of whether or not the animal was a pet.
This category includes cats, dogs, parakeets, hamsters,
pigs, cows, horses, etc.
Precode (35)
Enter Precode (35) when the offender(s) stole any type of
edible food, nonalcoholic beverage, or liquor, unless the
stolen food is produce or fruit intended for sale. If stolen
produce or fruit was intended for sale by the household,
enter Precode (33).
Precode (36)
Enter Precode (36) when the offender(s) stole any items that
do not fit the descriptions for any of the previous categories.
After entering Precode (36), make sure to identify the item
on the "Specify" screen, WHATWASTAKEN_SPEC.
Examples of entries could include: cases of soda belonging
to an unrecognizable business or an airplane owned by the
respondent and intended for personal use only.
Precode (37)
Enter Precode (37) when the respondent does not know or
is unsure what the offender(s) took without permission. It is
acceptable to enter this precode for some stolen items and
still enter other precodes in Item WHATWASTAKEN for
items the respondent knows or feels sure were stolen during
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the incident.
After completing Item WHATWASTAKEN, continue with
Item PRSWLT_CONTAINMONEY if Precodes (12) or (13)
were entered, otherwise continue with Item
WHOOWNEDSTOLENPROPERTY.
Did the stolen (purse/wallet) contain any money?
1 Yes
2 No
PRSWLT_CONTAINMONEY
PRSWLT_CONTAINMONEY
Item PRSWLT_CONTAINMONEY appears when Precodes
(12) or (13) are marked in WHATWASTAKEN. If you enter
Precode (1), the instrument goes to Item
AMOUNTCASHTAKEN. Otherwise, it goes to
WHOOWNEDSTOLENPROPERTY.
If not sure, ask:
How much cash was taken?
Round to the nearest dollar
Enter a number between 1-999,996
AMOUNTCASHTAKEN
AMOUNTCASHTAKEN
Item AMOUNTCASHTAKEN appears when Precode (11)
was marked in Item WHATWASTAKEN or Precode (1) was
marked in PRSWLT_CONTAINMONEY.
After determining the amount of cash taken, enter the whole
dollar amount. Round up or down as necessary. For
example, if the amount given is $150.50, round up to $151
and, if the amount given is $150.49, round down to $150. If
the respondent gives an amount that is less than $1, round
up to $1. When the respondent is unable to give an exact
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dollar amount, ask for his/her best estimate. Only enter “Ctrl”
+ “D” for “Don’t know” if the respondent truly has no idea of
the amount of cash taken.
Did the stolen property belong to you personally, to someone else in the household, or to both
you and other household members?
1
2
3
4
5
Respondent only
Respondent and other household member(s)
Other household member(s) only
Nonhousehold member(s) only
Other - specify
WHOOWNEDSTOLENPROPERTY
WHOOWNEDSTOLEN
PROPERTY
Precode (1)
Item WHOOWNEDSTOLENPROPERTY is used to identify
the owner(s) of the property/money that the offender(s) stole
during the incident. Enter only ONE precode for this item.
Also, when we refer to "household member(s)" in Precodes
(2) and (3), we mean household members at the time of the
interview, NOT just at the time of the incident. Keep in mind
that the property owner could be a current household
member whose property was stolen from a former residence
during the 6-month reference period.
Enter Precode (1) if the offender(s) stole property/money
that belongs SOLELY to the respondent. After entering
Precode (1), either:
Continue with Item PERMISSIONGIVEN if a car or other
motor vehicle was taken during the incident (Precode
(15) or (16) is entered in Item WHATWASTAKEN).
OR
Precode (2)
Continue with Item ARTICLEINCAR if the stolen
property was not a car or other motor vehicle.
Enter Precode (2) if the offender(s) stole property/money
that belongs to the respondent and other household
member(s) either jointly (for example, a video camera that is
jointly owned by the reference person and his/her spouse)
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or partially (for example, a collection of music CDs of which
20 belong to the respondent and the remaining 30 CDs
belong to the respondent's son). After entering Precode (2),
OTHERSOWNEDSTOLENPROPERTY appears. Use
OTHERSOWNEDSTOLENPROPERTY to identify by line
number each household member who owned some of the
property/money that the offender stole.
Precode (3)
Enter Precode (3) in item
WHOOWNEDSTOLENPROPERTY if the offender(s) stole
property/money that belongs ONLY to other household
member(s) and NONE of the property/money belongs to the
respondent. After entering Precode (3), Item
OTHERSOWNEDSTOLENPROPERTY appears so you can
identify, by line number, each household member who owns
any portion of the property/money that the offender stole.
Precode (4)
Enter Precode (4) if the offender(s) stole property/money
that belongs ONLY to person(s) who are NOT household
members at the time of the interview. After entering Precode
(4), either:
Continue with Item PERMISSIONGIVEN if a car or other
motor vehicle was taken during the incident (Precode
(15) or (16) is entered in Item WHATWASTAKEN).
OR
Precode (5)
Continue with Item ARTICLEINCAR if the stolen
property was not a car or other motor vehicle.
Enter Precode (5) if the offender(s) stole property/money that
belongs to two or more persons NOT described in Precodes
(1) through (4). For example, the property/money belongs
jointly to another household member and a nonhousehold
member. After entering Precode (5), use the "Specify"
screen, WHOOWNEDSTOLENPROPERTY_SPEC to
indicate who owns the property/money (for example, L3 and
a nonhousehold member). Continue to complete the incident
report items, regardless of what you enter on the "Specify"
screen.
Once you are done identifying the property/money owners,
either:
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Continue with Item PERMISSIONGIVEN if a car or other
motor vehicle was taken during the incident (Precode
(15) or (16) is entered in Item WHATWASTAKEN).
OR
Continue with Item ARTICLEINCAR if the stolen
property was not a car or other motor vehicle.
● If not sure, ask:
Besides the respondent, which household member(s) owned the stolen money and property?
2 Ted Moe
3 Megan Moe
40 Household property
● Enter appropriate line number(s).
OTHERSOWNEDSTOLENPROPERTY
OTHERSOWNED
STOLENPROPERTY
Item OTHERSOWNEDSTOLENPROPERTY is used to
identify, by line number, each household member who
owned any part of the property/money that the offender took
without permission. Enter Precode (40), “Household
property,” if the property/money belongs to the entire
household jointly or if more than three household members
own the property/money jointly with the respondent. It is
acceptable to enter Precode (40) and also enter one or
more line numbers, since the offender(s) may have tried to
take both personal and household property.
Had permission to use the car ever been given to the offender(s)?
1 Yes
2 No
3 Don't know
PERMISSIONGIVEN
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PERMISSIONGIVEN
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Item PERMISSIONGIVEN is used to determine whether the
owner of the stolen car or other motor vehicle EVER gave
the offender permission to use the vehicle.
Precode (1)
Enter Precode (1), "Yes," if the respondent has EVER given
the offender permission to use the vehicle. Also enter
Precode (1) if permission can be assumed, such as in a
family situation. After entering Precode (1), continue with
Item RETURNCAR.
Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2) "No," if the respondent NEVER gave the
offender prior permission to use the car or other motor
vehicle. After entering Precode (2):
Precode (3)
Continue with Item NUMBERHANDGUNS if you entered
Precode (30), “Handguns,” in Item WHAT WASTAKEN.
Continue with Item NUMBERFIREARMS if you entered
Precode (31), “Other firearm” in Item
WHATWASTAKEN.
Continue with Item CASHONPERSON when cash, a
purse, or a wallet were taken (Precodes (11), (12), or
(13) are entered in Item WHATWASTAKEN).
Continue with Item OTHERONPERSON when cash, a
purse, or a wallet was NOT taken.
Enter Precode (3), "Don't know," if the respondent has no
idea whether the offender had permission to use the stolen
vehicle. This could occur when the offender has not been
identified. After entering Precode (3), either:
Continue with Item NUMBERHANDGUNS if you entered
Precode (30), “Handguns,” in Item WHAT WASTAKEN.
Continue with Item NUMBERFIREARMS if you entered
Precode (31), “Other firearm,” in Item WHAT
WASTAKEN.
Continue with Item CASHONPERSON when cash, a
purse, or a wallet were taken (Precodes (11), (12), or
(13) are entered in Item WHATWASTAKEN).
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Continue with Item OTHERONPERSON when cash, a
purse, or a wallet was NOT taken.
Did the offender return the car (motor vehicle) this time?
1 Yes
2 No
RETURNCAR
RETURNCAR
Item RETURNCAR is used to find out if the offender
personally returned the motor vehicle that was taken during
the incident of his/her own free will.
Precode (1)
Enter Precode (1), "Yes," if the offender did return the motor
vehicle in person of his/her own free will.
Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2), "No," if:
✓ The police returned the motor vehicle.
✓ The motor vehicle was recovered in a way OTHER
THAN by the offender or the police.
✓ The motor vehicle was never returned or recovered.
After completing Item RETURNCAR, either:
Continue with Item NUMBERHANDGUNS if you
entered Precode (30), “Handguns,” in Item
WHATWASTAKEN.
Continue with Item NUMBERFIREARMS if you
entered Precode (31), “Other firearm” in Item
WHATWASTAKEN.
Continue with Item CASHONPERSON when cash, a
purse, or a wallet were taken (Precodes (11), (12), or
(13) were entered in Item WHATWASTAKEN).
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Continue with Item OTHERONPERSON when cash,
a purse, or a wallet was NOT taken.
● Ask or verify:
Was the article IN or ATTACHED to a motor vehicle when it was taken?
1 Yes
2 No
ARTICLEINCAR
ARTICLEINCAR
Item ARTICLEINCAR is used to find out if any articles that
the offender stole were either in or attached to a motor
vehicle during the incident. You can verify the answer to this
question without asking it if the respondent mentioned
earlier in the interview the location of the articles when they
were stolen.
Precode (1)
Enter Precode (1), "Yes," if ANY articles stolen during the
incident were in or attached to a motor vehicle. Otherwise,
enter Precode (2).
Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2), "No," if NONE of the articles stolen
during the incident were in or attached to a motor vehicle.
After completing Item ARTICLEINCAR:
Continue with Item NUMBERHANDGUNS if you
entered Precode (30), “Handguns,” in Item
WHATWASTAKEN.
Continue with Item NUMBERFIREARMS if you
entered Precode (31), “Other firearm” in Item
WHATWASTAKEN.
Continue with Item CASHONPERSON when cash, a
purse, or a wallet were taken (Precodes (11), (12), or
(13) were entered in Item WHATWASTAKEN).
Continue with Item OTHERONPERSON when cash,
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a purse, or a wallet was NOT taken.
How many handguns were taken?
NUMBERHANDGUNS
NUMBERHANDGUNS
If a respondent indicated in Item WHATWASTAKEN of the
incident report section that one or more handguns were
stolen during the incident (Precode 30), then you will see
Item NUMBERHANDGUNS. Item NUMBERHANDGUNS is
asked to determine the number of handguns stolen during the
incident.
Enter either the total number of handguns stolen or Ctrl + D
to indicate that the respondent does not know the number of
handguns stolen during the incident. Before entering Ctrl + D,
attempt to get the respondent’s best estimate of the number
of handguns stolen.
Include any type of hand-held gun, such as a pistol or
revolver, regardless of the handguns condition or intended
use, such as for hunting, display, target practice, and so on.
Exclude pellet guns, BB guns, air pistols, flare guns, or tear
gas guns. If you discover at this point that Item
WHATWASTAKEN was answered incorrectly, return to that
screen and correct the entry(ies).
How many other types of firearms were taken?
● Enter 97 for Don’t know
NUMBERFIREARMS
NUMBERFIREARMS
If a respondent indicated in Item WHATWASTAKEN of the
incident report section that one or more “other types of
firearms” were stolen during the incident (Precode 31), then
you will see Item NUMBERFIREARMS. Item
NUMBERFIREARMS is asked to determine the number of
firearms (other than handguns) stolen during the incident.
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Include machine guns, rifles, shotguns, and so on,
regardless of their condition or intended use. You will enter
either the total number of firearms (other than handguns)
stolen or Ctrl + D to indicate that the respondent does not
know the number of other firearms stolen during the
incident. Before entering Ctrl + D, attempt to get the
respondent’s best estimate of the number of other types of
firearms stolen.
Exclude pellet guns, BB guns, air pistols, flare guns, or tear
gas guns. If you discover at this point that Item
WHATWASTAKEN was answered incorrectly, return to that
screen and correct the entry(ies).
● Ask or verify:
Was the cash or purse on your person, for instance, in a pocket or being held?
1 Yes
2 No
CASHONPERSON
CASHONPERSON
Item CASHONPERSON is used to determine whether the
cash, purse, or wallet was taken directly from the
respondent, such as from his/her hands, shoulder, pockets,
backpack, etc. The answer to this question is important in
classifying the crime accurately. For example, we are
interested in whether the cash was stolen directly from the
respondent (on their person) or whether it was stolen from a
counter, car seat, or other places where the respondent may
have left it.
If the respondent already indicated the answer to this
question, you can verify the answer without asking the
question. Otherwise, ask the question as worded on the
screen.
After completing Item CASHONPERSON, continue with
Item OTHERONPERSON.
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● Ask or verify:
Was there anything else the offender took directly from you, for instance, from your pocket or
hands, or something that you were wearing?
● Exclude property not belonging to respondent or other household member.
1 Yes
2 No
OTHERONPERSON
OTHERONPERSON
Item OTHERONPERSON is used to determine whether
anything OTHER THAN cash, a purse, or a wallet were
taken directly from the respondent, such as a bracelet from
the respondent's wrist, a hat from the respondent's head, or
a computer game from the respondent's pocket. Only
include property stolen directly from the respondent or
another household member.
If the answer is obvious from the information already
provided, verify the answer without asking the question.
Otherwise, ask the question as worded on the screen.
After entering Precode (1) for a "Yes" answer, you will
continue with Item ITEMSTAKEN. After entering Precode
(2) for a "No" answer in Item OTHERONPERSON, continue
with either:
•
ALLPARTRECOVERED when ONLY Precodes (11)
and/or (14) are entered in Item WHATWASTAKEN.
OR
•
Check item
OTHERONPERSON_CK
Item PROPERTYVALUE when precodes OTHER THAN
Precodes (11) and (14) are entered in Item
WHATWASTAKEN.
Edit check OTHERONPERSON_CK appears when the
respondent reports that something other than cash, purse,
or wallet was stolen from their person, but only cash, purse,
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or wallet was reported stolen in WHATWASTAKEN.
• Only cash/purse/wallet reported as stolen in
WHATWASTAKEN. If something else was taken from
victim, it must first be reported in WHATWASTAKEN. If only
cash/purse/wallet was taken from victim, go to
OTHERONPERSON and enter "no".
Close Goto
OTHERONPERSON_CK
This is a hard edit, so click on “Close” or “Goto” to go back
and correct your entry in either WHATWASTAKEN or
OTHERONPERSON.
Which items did the offender(s) take directly from you?
● Exclude property not belonging to (respondent/victim) or other household member
ITEMS TAKEN:
20 Bicycle or parts
30 Hand gun
40 All of the above
ITEMSTAKEN
ITEMSTAKEN
Item ITEMSTAKEN is used to identify the property reported
in Item WHATWASTAKEN, OTHER THAN a
cash/purse/wallet, that the offender(s) took directly from the
respondent or household member. Enter the appropriate
precodes from those listed for Item ITEMSTAKEN.
If the offender(s) took everything directly from the
respondent, enter Precode (40), “All of the above,” and
continue with Item PROPERTYVALUE.
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What was the value of the PROPERTY that was taken? Include recovered property. (Exclude any
stolen cash, checks, credit cards. If jointly owned with a nonhousehold member(s), include only
share owned by household members.)
● Enter total dollar value for all items taken.
● Round to the nearest dollar
● Enter a number between 1-999,996
● If respondent is unsure, ask for an estimate
PROPERTYVALUE
PROPERTYVALUE
Item PROPERTYVALUE is used to identify the dollar
amount for the value of property stolen during the incident,
regardless of whether or not it was recovered. If only cash,
checks, or credit cards were stolen, you do not see Items
PROPERTYVALUE or DECIDEDVALUE.
Let the respondent arrive at this figure and, when
necessary, enter the respondent's best estimate of the value
of stolen property. Only include the dollar amount for stolen
property owned by the respondent or another current
household member.
To help the respondent decide the value of the stolen
property, you may remind the respondent of the articles
stolen. If the respondent gives you separate amounts for
each item, total the amounts and enter the sum in the space
provided.
After entering a dollar amount, you will continue with Item
DECIDEDVALUE. However, if you enter Control + D for
“Don’t know” or Control + R for “Refused” in
PROPERTYVALUE, you continue with Item
ALLPARTRECOVERED. Although these two precodes do
not appear on the screen, they are valid precodes for Item
PROPERTYVALUE.
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How did you decide the value of the property that was taken?
● Probe: Any other way?
● Enter all that apply, separate with commas.
11 Original cost
12 Replacement cost
13 Personal estimate of current value
14 Insurance report estimate
15 Police estimate
16 Don't know
17 Other - specify
DECIDEDVALUE
DECIDEDVALUE
Item DECIDEDVALUE is used to identify how the
respondent arrived at the dollar amount reported in Item
PROPERTYVALUE. Ask the question as worded and
continue asking, "Any other way?" until you get a "No"
answer. Enter precodes for all methods that the respondent
mentions.
Precode (11)
Enter Precode (11) when one of the methods used to arrive
at the amount entered in Item PROPERTYVALUE was the
price originally paid for the item when it was purchased.
Precode (12)
Enter Precode (12) when one of the methods used to arrive
at the amount entered in Item PROPERTYVALUE was the
price to replace the item, regardless of the original purchase
price.
Precode (13)
Enter Precode (13) when one of the methods used to arrive
at the amount entered in Item PROPERTYVALUE was the
respondent's personal estimate of the stolen item's worth or
current value, which is not necessarily the same as the
item's replacement cost.
Precode (14)
Enter Precode (14) when one of the methods used to arrive
at the amount in Item PROPERTYVALUE was the
insurance company’s statement of the stolen property's
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worth.
Precode (15)
Enter Precode (15) when one of the methods used to arrive
at the amount entered in Item PROPERTYVALUE was the
police department's statement of the stolen property's worth.
Precode (16)
Enter Precode (16), "Don't know," only after you have tried
to identify the method used by asking probing questions and
your probing was unsuccessful.
Precode (17)
Enter Precode (17), "Other," if the respondent mentions a
method that does not fit the descriptions in Precodes (11)
through (15). After entering Precode (17), enter the method
used on the "Specify" screen DECIDEDVALUE_SPEC,
such as “a friend's estimate.” Also enter Precode (17) for
stolen food stamps and enter the "face value" of the food
stamps on the "Specify" screen.
Was all or part of the stolen property and money recovered, not counting anything received from
insurance?
1 All
2 Part
3 None
ALLPARTRECOVERED
ALLPARTRECOVERED
Item ALLPARTRECOVERED is used to find out whether
any or all of the stolen money and/or property was
recovered.
For stolen money, only include money returned by the
offender. Also include the actual stolen money that someone
other than the offender found or discovered and returned to
the owner. Do NOT include the reimbursement of money
from an insurance company, a relative, friend, or anyone
OTHER THAN the offender.
For stolen property, only include the return of the original
property that was stolen, NOT any replacement property
from any source (for example, an insurance company or the
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offender). Also include recovered stolen property that is
being held as evidence in a court case, even though the
property has not yet been returned to the owner.
Precode (1)
Enter Precode (1) when ALL the money and ALL the
property stolen during the incident was recovered. In other
words, everything that was stolen during the incident was or
will be returned to the owner. After entering Precode (1),
either:
Continue with Item RECOVEREDCASHVALUE when
property other than cash, checks, or credit cards was
recovered.
OR
Continue with Item RECOVEREDINSURANCE when the
only property recovered was cash, checks, or credit
cards.
Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2) when only a portion of the stolen money
and/or property was recovered and was or will be returned
to the owner. After entering Precode (2), you will continue
with Item WHATRECOVERED.
Precode (3)
Enter Precode (3) when NONE of the stolen money and/or
property was recovered. After entering Precode (3), you will
continue with Item RECOVEREDINSURANCE.
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What was recovered?
● Probe: Anything else?
● Enter all that apply, separate with commas
1 Cash
2 Purse
3 Wallet
4 Credit cards, checks, bank cards
5 Car or other motor vehicle
6 Property other than the above
WHATRECOVERED
WHATRECOVERED
Item WHATRECOVERED is used to identify what PART of
the stolen money and/or property was recovered after the
incident. After asking the initial question, continue asking,
"Anything else?" until you get a "No" response and enter all
appropriate precodes.
For stolen money, only include money returned by the
offender or the actual stolen money that someone other than
the offender found or discovered and returned to the owner.
Do NOT include the reimbursement of money from an
insurance company, a relative, friend, or anyone OTHER
THAN the offender.
For stolen property, only include the return of the original
property that was stolen, NOT any replacement property from
any source (for example, an insurance company or the
offender). Also include recovered property that is being held
as evidence in a court case, even though the property has
not yet been returned to the owner.
Precode (1)
Enter Precode (1) if stolen cash was recovered. After
entering Precode (1), continue with Item
CASHRECOVERED.
Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2) if the owner's stolen purse was recovered.
After entering Precode (2), continue with Item
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CONTAINMONEY, which asks, "Did the recovered purse
contain any money?"
Precode (3)
Enter Precode (3) if the owner's stolen wallet was recovered.
After entering Precode (3), continue with item
CONTAINMONEY.
Precode (4)
Enter Precode (4) if the owner's stolen credit cards, checks,
bank cards, Savings Bonds, bank books, money orders, or
travelers checks were recovered.
Precode (5)
Enter Precode (5) if the owner's stolen car or other motor
vehicle was recovered.
Precode (6)
Enter Precode (6) if some part of the owner's stolen property
was recovered and the recovered property does not fit any of
the descriptions in Precodes (2) through (5). This could
include recovered stolen property identified in Precodes (17)
through (36) in Item WHATWASTAKEN.
Check Item
WHAT_RECOVERED_CK
If something is marked as “recovered” in Item
WHATRECOVERED that was not reported as “stolen” in Item
WHATWASTAKEN, check item WHAT_RECOVERED_CK
appears:
Invalid entry. You reported something was recovered that was
not reported as stolen.
Close
Goto
WHAT_RECOVERED_CK
This is a hard edit check. Click on “Close” or “Goto” to return
to either WHATWASTAKEN or WHATRECOVERED to
correct the entry.
Incident Report Items
B4-192
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 4
● If necessary: How much cash was recovered?
CASH REPORTED TAKEN: $124.00
● Round to the nearest dollar
● Enter a number between 1-999,996
CASHRECOVERED
CASHRECOVERED
Check Item CASH_CK
Use Item CASHRECOVERED to record the total amount of
stolen cash that was recovered in whole dollars. Round up or
down as necessary. For example, if the amount given is
$150.50, round up to $151 and, if the amount given is
$150.49, round down to $150. If the respondent gives an
amount that is less than $1, round up to $1. When the
respondent is unable to give an exact dollar amount, ask for
his/her best estimate.
If the amount of cash reported as recovered is greater than
the amount of cash reported stolen, check item CASH_CK
appears:
The amount of cash reported stolen, (amount) is less
than the amount of cash reported recovered, (amount).
Close
Goto
CASH_CK
Click on “Close” or “Goto” to return to either
AMOUNTOFCASHTAKEN or CASHRECOVERED to correct
the entry.
Incident Report Items
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Part B, Chapter 4
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Did the recovered purse/wallet contain any money?
1 Yes
2 No
CONTAINMONEY
CONTAINMONEY
If the recovered purse or wallet did contain money, enter
Precode (1) in Item CONTAINMONEY so you can record the
amount of stolen cash recovered at Item CASHRECOVERED
as shown above. Enter the whole dollar amount and round up
or down to the nearest dollar amount, as necessary.
Considering any damage, what was the value of the property after it was recovered?
Do not include recovered cash.
● If value of recovered property is the same as value of property taken then enter the amount
below
VALUE OF PROPERTY TAKEN: $550.00
● Round to the nearest dollar
● Enter a number between 1-999,996
RECOVEREDCASHVALUE
RECOVEREDCASHVALUE
Item RECOVEREDCASHVALUE is used to identify the dollar
value of stolen property that was recovered after allowing for
any damage done to the property since it was stolen. This
includes the value of all stolen property that was recovered,
regardless of whether or not it was damaged since it was
stolen.
Remind the respondent to exclude the following recovered
stolen property when determining the dollar value: cash,
credit cards, bank cards, Savings Bonds, bank books, money
orders, or travelers checks.
Also let the respondent use any means to arrive at this value.
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NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 4
To help the respondent decide the value of the recovered
property, you may remind the respondent of the articles
individually. If the respondent gives you separate amounts for
each item, total the amounts and enter the sum in the answer
space.
Enter the amount in whole dollars. Round up or down as
necessary. For example, if the amount given is $150.50,
round up to $151 and, if the amount given is $150.49, round
down to $150. If the respondent gives an amount that is less
than $1, round up to $1. When the respondent is unable to
give an exact dollar amount, ask for his/her best estimate.
Check Item
PROPERTYVALUE_CK
If the value of the item(s) recovered is a higher dollar value
than the value of the item(s) stolen, a soft edit pop-up,
PROPERTYVALUE_CK appears:
The value of the property that was recovered, (amount), is
greater than the value of the property that was taken,(amount).
Suppress
Close
Goto
PROPERTYVALUE_CK
If you select “Goto,” return to Item
RECOVEREDCASHVALUE or PROPERTYVALUE and
correct your entries so that the recovered value is less than
or equal to the original property value. If the value of the
recovered property truly is greater than its original value (for
example some art and jewelry, etc., which can appreciate
over time), then select “Suppress” and proceed to
RECOVEREDINSURANCE.
Incident Report Items
B4-195
Part B, Chapter 4
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Was the theft reported to an insurance company?
1 Yes
2 No
3 Don’t know
4 Don’t have insurance
RECOVEREDINSURANCE
RECOVEREDINSURANCE
Item RECOVEREDINSURANCE is used to find out if anyone
reported the theft to an insurance company, regardless of
whether the insurance company made any payment for the
claim.
Precode (1)
Enter Precode (1) if the respondent, another household
member, or someone outside of the household reported the
theft to an insurance company.
Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2) if the theft was not reported by anyone to
an insurance company.
Precode (3)
Enter Precode (3) if the respondent either does not know or
cannot remember whether anyone reported the theft to an
insurance company. Before entering Precode (3), ask a
probing question to help the respondent remember, such as
"Do you remember speaking to a claims adjuster or
reading any correspondence from your insurance
company about the theft?"
Precode (4)
Enter Precode (4) if the household was not covered by
insurance at the time of the incident.
Incident Report Items
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NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 4
?[F1]
Was anything that belonged to you or other members of the household damaged in this incident?
● Probe: For example, was (a lock or window broken/clothing damaged/damage done to a car), or
something else?
1 Yes
2 No
DAMAGED
DAMAGED
Item DAMAGED is used to find out if any other item was
damaged during the incident, excluding any stolen property.
This could be property owned by the respondent or any other
household member. If property was reported as stolen, the
instrument inserts the phrase, “Other than stolen property” at
the beginning of the question.
If the respondent seems unsure of how to answer this
question, also ask the probe question shown below the initial
question in Item DAMAGED. As you ask the probe question,
make sure to select the appropriate examples shown in
parentheses based on the circumstances of the theft.
Precode (1)
Enter Precode (1), "Yes," if:
✓ Items were damaged during the incident, but they were
not stolen.
✓ These damaged items belonged to a household member
at the time of the incident or to an unrecognizable
business operated from the sample address.
✓ Any items damaged, but not stolen, during an act of
vandalism which occurred during the same incident as the
theft.
After entering Precode (1), continue with Item
DAMAGEDREPAIRED.
Incident Report Items
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Part B, Chapter 4
Precode (2)
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Enter Precode (2), "No," if:
✓ The only items damaged during the incident were the
stolen items.
✓ The damaged items belonged to someone who was not a
household member at the time of the incident.
✓ The damaged items belonged to a recognizable business
operated from the sample address.
✓ The damaged items are commercial property, such as a
damaged apartment door to an apartment rented by the
respondent, even if the respondent paid for the repair or
replacement cost. In this example, the apartment door
does not belong to the respondent.
After entering Precode (2), continue with Item
POLICEINFORMED.
Was/Were the damaged item(s) repaired or replaced?
1 Yes, all
2 Yes, part
3 No, none
DAMAGEDREPAIRED
DAMAGEDREPAIRED
Item DAMAGEDREPAIRED is used to determine whether
any or all of the items damaged during the incident were
repaired or replaced, even if there was no cost involved. Also,
the person who repaired or replaced the damaged items
could be anyone, such as a household member, a friend, the
landlord, or anyone else. Only include damaged items that
were NOT stolen.
Enter the appropriate precode based on the respondent's
answer. After entering Precode (1) for “Yes, all,” or Precode
(2) for "Yes, part," continue with Item
ACTCOSTREPAIRREPLACE. If you enter Precode (3) for
"No, none," continue with Item ESTCOSTREPAIRREPLACE.
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Part B, Chapter 4
How much would it cost to repair or replace the damaged item(s)?
● Enter 0 for no cost
● Round to the nearest dollar
● Enter a number between 1-999,996
ESTCOSTREPAIRREPLACE
ESTCOSTREPAIRREPLACE
Item ESTCOSTREPAIRREPLACE is used to identify what
the cost would be to repair and/or replace any items
damaged, but not stolen, during the incident, if the
respondent decided to get the item(s) repaired or replaced. If
the respondent has difficulty giving you an exact amount, ask
for his/her best estimate.
Enter the amount in whole dollars in the dollar answer space.
Round up or down as necessary. For example, if the amount
given is $150.50, round up to $151 and, if the amount given
is $150.49, round down to $150. If the respondent gives an
amount that is less than $1, round up to $1.
Enter (0), (zero), if there would be no cost to repair and/or
replace the damaged items. If the respondent does not know
what the cost would be to repair and/or replace the damaged
items, enter Control + D to indicate “Don’t know.” Avoid “Don’t
know” answers when possible.
After entering a response (other than 0), continue with Item
PAIDREPAIRS. After entering (0), continue with Item
POLICEINFORMED.
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NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
How much was the repair or replacement cost?
● Enter 0 for no cost
● Round to the nearest dollar
● Enter a number between 1-999,996
ACTCOSTREPAIRREPLACE
ACTCOSTREPAIRREPLACE
Item ACTCOSTREPAIRREPLACE is used to identify what
the cost was to repair and/or replace any items damaged, but
not stolen, during the incident. If the respondent has difficulty
giving you an exact amount, ask for his/her best estimate.
Enter the amount in whole dollars in the dollar answer space.
Round up or down as necessary. For example, if the amount
given is $150.50, round up to $151 and, if the amount given
is $150.49, round down to $150. If the respondent gives an
amount that is less than $1, round up to $1.
Enter (0), (zero), if there was no cost to repair and/or replace
the damaged items. If the respondent does not know what
the cost would be to repair and/or replace the damaged
items, enter Control + D to indicate “Don’t know.” Avoid “Don’t
know” answers when possible.
After entering a response (other than 0), continue with Item
PAIDREPAIRS. After entering (0), continue with Item
POLICEINFORMED.
Incident Report Items
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NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 4
Who (paid/will pay) for the repairs or replacement?
● Probe: Anyone else?
● Enter all that apply, separate with commas
1 Items will not be repaired or replaced
2 Household member
3 Landlord or landlord's insurance
4 Victim's (or household's) insurance
5 Offender
6 Other - specify
PAIDREPAIRS
PAIDREPAIRS
Item PAIDREPAIRS is used to identify who paid or will pay to
repair and/or replace items that were damaged, but not
stolen, during the incident. If you enter Precode (1) or (2) in
Item DAMAGEDREPAIRED, then ask the question in Item
PAIDREPAIRS using the word "paid." Ask the question in
Item PAIDREPAIRS using the words "will pay" if you entered
Precode (3) in Item DAMAGEDREPAIRED or the respondent
has told you that the items have been repaired and/or
replaced, but the repair and/or replacement bill has not yet
been paid.
Since more than one person or company may have paid for
the repairs and/or replacements, continue asking, "Anyone
else?" until you get a "No" response and then enter all
appropriate precodes.
Only enter Precode (1) if the respondent tells you that NONE
of the damaged items will be repaired or replaced. However,
do NOT enter Precode (1) if a person or company provided or
will provide money to repair and/or replace damaged item(s),
but the respondent does not intend to use the money for this
purpose. Instead, enter the appropriate precode to indicate
who provided or will provide the money.
Also, if a household member or someone else originally paid
for the repair and/or replacement costs and the total amount
Incident Report Items
B4-201
Part B, Chapter 4
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
has been or will be reimbursed by insurance, only enter
Precode (3) or (4) to indicate whose insurance is reimbursing
the cost and do not enter the precode for who originally paid
the bill. However, if the insurance only paid a portion of the
costs and someone else paid the remainder of the costs, then
enter both precodes. For example, enter Precode (2) for a
household member and Precode (4) for the household
member's insurance.
If the respondent identifies a person, company, or
government agency that is not described in Precodes (2)
through (5), enter Precode (6), "Other," and enter the
respondent's answer on the "Specify" screen,
PAIDREPAIRS_SPEC (for example, relatives or friends of
the household, a government agency, a church, or a
community organization).
Were the police informed or did they find out about this incident in any way?
1 Yes
2 No
3 Don't know
POLICEINFORMED
POLICEINFORMED
Item POLICEINFORMED is used to determine whether the
police are aware that this incident took place, regardless of
how they found out about it.
Who Are Considered the
Police?
For the NCVS, consider the police to be all regular police
officers at the city, county, State, or Federal government
level, as well as officers who work for sheriff's departments.
Also include officers working for specialized police forces who
are authorized to make arrests in a special area or jurisdiction
(for example, campus police, park police, transit police,
harbor police, and airport police).
Exclude as Police
Officers
For the NCVS, exclude as police officers any security forces,
building guards, prison guards, fish and game wardens, fire
marshals, and all others who do not have the authority to
make police arrests.
Incident Report Items
B4-202
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 4
Victim Is a Police Officer
When the victim/respondent is a police officer and answers
"Yes" to the question in Item POLICEINFORMED, probe to
find out if the respondent or another person filed an official
report or officially notified a police department about the
incident. Do not assume that an incident was reported to the
police just because the victim/respondent is a police officer.
For example, if the respondent who is a police officer was
threatened with physical harm by a crime suspect and he/she
only mentioned it to his/her partner at the station, but never
filed a report or officially notified the department, you would
enter Precode (2), "No."
Offender Is a Police
Officer
When the victim/respondent answers "Yes" to the question in
Item POLICEINFORMED and the offender is a police officer,
probe to find out if anyone filed an official report or
officially notified a police department about the incident.
Again, do not assume because a police officer was involved
in the incident that the police were officially notified. Enter
Precode (2), "No," if no one actually notified the police.
Precode (1)
Enter Precode (1), "Yes," if the incident was reported to the
police; continue with Item POLICEFINDOUT.
Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2), "No," if the incident was NOT reported to
the police; continue with Item NOTREPORTEDPOLICE.
Precode (3)
Enter Precode (3), "Don't know," if the respondent does not
know or cannot say for sure whether anyone reported the
incident to the police and you will continue with Item
AGENCYHELP. (Also see Part C, Chapter 3, Topic 21, for
more information about incidents involving police
officers.)
Incident Report Items
B4-203
Part B, Chapter 4
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
How did the police find out about it?
● Enter first precode that applies
11 Respondent
12 Other household member
13 Someone official called police (guard, apt. manager, school official, etc.)
14 Someone else
15 Police were at scene
16 Offender was a police officer
17 Some other way - specify
POLICEFINDOUT
Special Instructions for Proxy
Interviews - Items
POLICEFINDOUT through
ANYTHINGFURTHER
Starting with Item POLICEFINDOUT and ending with Item
ANYTHINGFURTHER, do NOT follow the general rule for
asking questions during a proxy interview. Normally, you ask
the NCVS questions of the proxy respondent (who is usually
another household member) for the proxy person (the
household member who is unable to answer for
himself/herself). For example, when asking the question for
Item DAMAGED during a proxy interview, ask the question
this way:
"Other than any stolen property was anything that
belonged to Jeffrey Doe (the proxy person) or other
members of the household damaged in this incident?"
Since the questions for Items POLICEFINDOUT through
ANYTHINGFURTHER can apply to anyone in the sample
household who may have had contact with the police, ask
each of these questions of the proxy respondent, rather than
the proxy person.
For example, when you ask the proxy respondent in
POLICEFINDOUT, "How did the police find out about it?"
the proxy respondent says, "I told them." In this case, enter
Precode (11), "Respondent." However, if the proxy
respondent says that, "Jeffrey Doe (the proxy person) called
the police," enter Precode (12), "Other household member."
When conducting a proxy interview, the instrument displays
an interviewer instruction at this screen to remind you of this.
Incident Report Items
B4-204
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
POLICEFINDOUT
Part B, Chapter 4
Item POLICEFINDOUT is used to identify how the police
found out about the incident. Enter the first precode that
applies. For example, if the respondent tells you that he/she
called the police and a security guard also called the police,
enter Precode (11), "Respondent."
Precode (11)
Enter Precode (11) if the police found out about the incident
from the respondent. If you are taking a proxy interview, enter
Precode (11) if the proxy respondent informed the police.
After entering Precode (11), continue with Item
REASONREPORT.
Precode (12)
Enter Precode (12) if the police found out about the incident
from a household member OTHER THAN the respondent. If
you are taking a proxy interview, enter Precode (12) if the
proxy person informed the police. After entering Precode
(12), continue with Item POLICEARRIVE.
Precode (13)
Enter Precode (13) if the police found out about the incident
from some type of official, such as a security guard, an
apartment manager, a school principal, a store manager, and
so on. After entering Precode (13), you will continue with Item
POLICEARRIVE.
Precode (14)
Enter Precode (14) if the police found out about the incident
from a person OTHER THAN a household member or
someone acting in an official capacity. For example, you
would enter Precode (14) if a neighbor called the police or a
relative who is not a household member called the police
(such as an uncle, aunt, brother-in-law, and so on). After
entering Precode (14), you will continue with Item
POLICEARRIVE.
Precode (15)
Enter Precode (15) if the police found out about the incident
because they happened to be on the scene at the time of the
incident or came by while the incident was taking place. After
entering Precode (15), continue with Item POLICEACTION.
Precode (16)
Enter Precode (16) if the police found out about the incident
because the offender was a police officer and he/she notified
the police. After entering Precode (16), continue with Item
POLICECONTACT.
Incident Report Items
B4-205
Part B, Chapter 4
Precode (17)
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Enter Precode (17) if the police found out about the incident
in a way other than those described in Precodes (11) through
(16). After entering Precode (17), explain how the police were
informed on the "Specify" screen, POLICEFINDOUT_SPEC,
then continue with Item POLICECONTACT.
Incident Report Items
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NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 4
? [F1]
What was the reason it was not reported to the police?
● Probe: Can you tell me a little more? Any other reason?
● Enter all that apply, separate with commas.
DEALT WITH ANOTHER WAY:
11 Reported to another official (guard, apt. manager, school official, etc.)
12 Private or personal matter or took care of it myself or informally; told offender’s parent
NOT IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO RESPONDENT:
13 Minor or unsuccessful crime, small or no loss, recovered property
14 Child offender(s), "kid stuff"
15 Not clear that it was a crime or that harm was intended
INSURANCE WOULDN'T COVER:
16 No insurance, loss less than deductible, etc.
POLICE COULDN'T DO ANYTHING:
17 Didn't find out until too late
18 Could not recover or identify property
19 Could not find or identify offender, lack of proof
POLICE WOULDN'T HELP
20 Police wouldn't think it was important enough, wouldn’t want to be bothered or get involved
21 Police would be inefficient, ineffective (they’d arrive late or not at all, wouldn’t do a good job, etc.)
22 Police would be biased, would harass/insult respondent, cause respondent trouble, etc.)
23 Offender was a police officer
OTHER REASON:
24 Did not want to get offender in trouble with the law
25 Was advised not to report to police
26 Afraid of reprisal by offender or others
27 Did not want to or could not take time–too inconvenient
28 Other - Specify
29 Respondent not present or doesn't know why it wasn't reported
NOTREPORTEDPOLICE
Incident Report Items
B4-207
Part B, Chapter 4
NOTREPORTEDPOLICE
Probing for Item
NOTREPORTEDPOLICE
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Item NOTREPORTEDPOLICE is used to find out why no one
reported the incident to the police. This item consists of 19
categories, grouped together under six major headings to
help you locate the correct precode for the respondent's
answer. Since you must enter all appropriate precodes for a
respondent's answer, continue asking, "Any other reason?"
until you get a "No" response.
In some cases, a respondent's answer may seem to fit under
one of the major headings, but you are not sure which
precode to enter. In this situation, you need to ask a general
probe question. For example, a respondent answers that she
did not think the police would help her. You see the major
heading, "POLICE WOULDN'T HELP," but you are not sure
which precode to enter. You could ask, "Can you tell me a
little more?" If that probe question does not work, then you
could ask, "Why do you think that the police would not
help you?"
Since this item involves a respondent's feelings and
motivations, you must be extremely careful when asking
probe questions so you do not bias the respondent's answer.
Keep your initial probe questions general and neutral. Then
if the initial probe question does not work, ask a more specific
probe question.
Only ask the structured probe question (which can be
accessed using the F1 key) for Item
NOTREPORTEDPOLICE when:
✓ You have asked general probe questions and the
respondent's answer still does not fit under one of the
major headings.
✓ The respondent's answer is so vague and obscure that it
would not be appropriate to ask a general probe question.
Verifying Answers
To ensure that all appropriate precodes are entered in Item
NOTREPORTEDPOLICE, verify the answer categories for
which you entered precodes with the respondent BEFORE
pressing “Enter” to get to the next question. Here is an
example of how to verify the answers you entered with the
respondent: "I have entered (read descriptions for the
Incident Report Items
B4-208
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Part B, Chapter 4
entered precodes). Do these reasons cover why no one
reported the incident to the police?"
Answer Categories for
Item NOTREPORTED
POLICE
Since most of the answer categories in Item
NOTREPORTEDPOLICE are self-explanatory, descriptions
are provided below only for the categories that require special
attention.
Precode (12)
Enter Precode (12), "Private or personal matter or took care
of it myself or informally; told offender's parent," when the
respondent tells you that: "It was a family matter," "He/she
wanted to catch the thief," "He/she called the person who did
it," "He/she thought it was his/her wife/husband," "The person
was a friend," and so on.
Precode (28)
Enter Precode (28), "Other," if you have tried asking both
general probe questions and the structured probe question
AND the respondent's reason still does not fit into one of the
reasons in Precodes (11) through (27). After entering
Precode (28), enter the reason on the "Specify" screen,
NOTREPORTEDPOLICE_SPEC.
Precode (29)
Enter Precode (29), "Respondent not present or doesn't know
why it wasn't reported," if the respondent really does not
know why the incident was not reported to the police.
(For example, the respondent was not present during a
burglary incident.)
Noting Distinctions
Pay close attention when a respondent tells you that the
incident is not important enough to report to the police.
Precodes (13) through (15) cover reasons why the
respondent feels that the incident was not important enough
to report to the police, while Precode (20) covers when the
respondent thinks that the police would not consider the
incident important.
Precode (27) also implies that the respondent did not feel
that the incident was important enough to report to the police,
but the primary motivation for not reporting the incident
was the respondent's lack of time and the level of
inconvenience to him/her.
After completing Item NOTREPORTEDPOLICE, continue
with either:
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Item NOTREPORTIMPORTANT when more than one
reason is entered in Item NOTREPORTEDPOLICE.
OR
Item AGENCYHELP when only one reason is entered in
Item NOTREPORTEDPOLICE.
Which of these would you say was the most important reason why the incident was not reported
to the police?
Reasons not reported:
23 Offender was police officer
27 Did not want to or could not take time - too inconvenient
29 No one reason more important
NOTREPORTIMPORTANT
NOTREPORTIMPORTANT
Item NOTREPORTIMPORTANT is used to pinpoint which of
the reasons reported in Item NOTREPORTEDPOLICE the
respondent feels is the most important reason for not
reporting the incident to the police. If necessary, read the
reasons listed for Item NOTREPORTIMPORTANT.
Based on the respondent's answer, enter the appropriate
precode. If the respondent seems to have difficulty making up
his/her mind, ask the following probe question: "If you could
only give one reason, which one would it be?"
In Item NOTREPORTIMPORTANT, Precode (29), “No one
reason more important,” is also displayed. Use this precode if
the respondent tells you that each reason selected in Item
NOTREPORTEDPOLICE was equally important as to why
the incident was not reported to the police.
After completing Item NOTREPORTIMPORTANT, continue
with Item AGENCYHELP.
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Part B, Chapter 4
? [F1]
Besides the fact that it was a crime, did YOU have any other reason for reporting this incident to
the police?
● Probe: Any other reason?
● Enter all that apply, separate with commas.
● TO GET HELP WITH THIS INCIDENT
11 Stop or prevent THIS incident from happening
12 Needed help after incident due to injury, etc.
● TO RECOVER LOSS
13 To recover property
14 To collect insurance
● TO GET OFFENDER
15 To prevent further crimes against respondent/respondent's household by this offender
16 To stop this offender from committing other crimes against anyone
17 To punish offender
18 Catch or find offender - other reason or no reason given
● TO LET POLICE KNOW
19 To improve police surveillance of respondent's home, area, etc.
20 Duty to let police know about crime
● OTHER
21 Other reason - Specify
22 No other reason
REASONREPORT
REASONREPORT
Item REASONREPORT is used to identify why the
respondent reported the incident to the police.
There are 12 categories for Item REASONREPORT that are
grouped together under five major headings to help you locate
the correct precode to enter for the respondent's answer.
Since you need to enter all appropriate precodes for a
respondent's answer, continue asking, "Any other reason?"
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until you get a "No" response.
Since we are interested in the respondent's feelings at the
time of the incident (or the proxy respondent's feelings), be
sure to pause after reading the question to allow the
respondent time to recall his/her feelings. Do NOT read the
answer categories to the respondent BEFORE receiving the
respondent's answer.
Probing for Item
REASONREPORT
In some cases, a respondent's answer may seem to fit under
one of the major headings, but you are not sure which
precodes to enter. In this situation, you need to ask a general
probe question. For example, a respondent answers that he
thought the police should be aware of the incident. You see
the major heading, "TO LET POLICE KNOW," but you are not
sure which precode to enter. You could ask, "Can you be
more specific?" If the probe question does not work, then
you could ask, "Why did you feel that the police should be
notified?"
Since this item involves a respondent's feelings and
motivations, be extremely careful when asking probe
questions so you do not bias the respondent's answer. Keep
your initial probe question general and neutral. If the initial
probe question does not work, ask a more specific probe
question.
Only ask the structured probe question (which can be
accessed with the F1 key) for Item REASONREPORT when:
✓ You have asked general probe questions and the
respondent's answer still does not fit under one of the
major headings.
✓ The respondent's answer is so vague and obscure that it
would not be appropriate to ask a general probe question.
Verifying Answers
To ensure that all appropriate precodes are entered in Item
REASONREPORT, verify the answer categories that you
entered with the respondent BEFORE pressing “Enter” to
indicate that all responses have been entered. Here is an
example of how to verify the answers you entered with the
respondent: "I have entered (read descriptions for the
entered precodes). Do these reasons cover why you
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reported this incident to the police?"
Any precode entry/entries in Item REASONREPORT except
Precode (22) take(s) you to Item REPORTIMPORTANT. If
only Precode (22) is entered in Item REASONREPORT,
continue with Item POLICEARRIVE.
Answer Categories in Item
REASONREPORT
Since most of the answer categories in Item
REASONREPORT are self-explanatory, descriptions are
provided below only for the categories that require special
attention.
Precode (11)
Enter Precode (11) ONLY when the respondent tells you that
he/she reported the incident to the police either at the time of
the incident or just prior to the incident in an effort to keep it
from happening. The respondent must have been present
during the incident in order to mark Precode (11).
Precode (12)
Enter Precode (12) when the respondent tells you that he/she
reported the incident to the police in an effort to get help
AFTER the incident, such as medical attention.
Do NOT enter Precode (12) if the incident was reported to:
✖ Recover property (Enter Precode (13)).
✖ Collect insurance money (Enter Precode (14)).
✖ Prevent the incident from happening again (Enter Precode
(15)).
Precode (20)
Enter Precode (20) if the respondent feels that he/she had a
legal or moral obligation to report the incident to the police.
Precode (21)
Enter Precode (21) if you have tried asking both general probe
questions and the structured probe question AND the
respondent’s reason still does not fit into one of the reasons in
Precodes (11) through (20). After entering Precode (21), enter
the reason on the “Specify” screen, Item
REASONREPORT_SPEC.
Precode (22)
Enter Precode (22) if the respondent's only reason for
reporting the incident to the police was because it was a
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crime. If you enter Precode (22) along with other precodes,
Item REASONREPORT_CK appears as a pop-up. This is a
hard edit check:
Invalid entry. You cannot select answer category 22 “No other
reason” along with any other answer category in this item.
Questions involved
Value
Close
Goto
REASONREPORT_CK
Click on “Close” or “Goto” to return to REASONREPORT to
correct your entries.
Which of these would you say was the most important reason why the incident was reported to
the police?
12 Needed help due to injury, etc.
16 To stop off. from committing other crimes against anyone
22 Because it was a crime was most important
23 No one reason more important
REPORTIMPORTANT
REPORTIMPORTANT
Item REPORTIMPORTANT is used to identify which reason
from those reported in Item REASONREPORT the
respondent feels is the most important reason for reporting
the incident to the police. If necessary, read the reasons
displayed on the screen for Item REPORTIMPORTANT.
Based on the respondent's answer, enter the appropriate
precode. If the respondent seems to have difficulty making up
his/her mind, you could ask the following probe question: "If
you could only give one reason, which one would it be?"
The respondent may tell you that:
✓ His/her main reason for reporting the incident to the police
was that it was a crime. If so, enter Precode (22),
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"Because it was a crime was most important."
✓ Each reason is equally important. If so, enter Precode
(23), "No one reason more important."
After completing Item REPORTIMPORTANT, continue with
Item POLICEARRIVE.
Did the police come when they found out about the incident?
1 Yes
2 No
3 Don’t know
4 Respondent went to police
POLICEARRIVE
POLICEARRIVE
Item POLICEARRIVE is the first of three questions intended
to find out what the police did after they were notified about
the incident. Item POLICEARRIVE is used to determine
whether the police actually came to talk in person with the
victimized person.
Precode (1)
Enter Precode (1), "Yes," if the police came to see and speak
to the victimized person either at the scene of the incident or
somewhere else. If the police only spoke to the victimized
person on the telephone, enter Precode (2), "No." After
entering Precode (1), continue with Item
TIMEPOLICEARRIVE.
Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2), "No," if the police were contacted and
never came to speak in person with the victimized person
and only communicated by telephone, mail, and so on. After
entering Precode (2), continue with Item POLICECONTACT.
Precode (3)
Enter Precode (3), "Don't know," if the respondent really does
not know whether the police came to speak in person with the
victimized person once they were notified. After entering
Precode (3), continue with Item POLICECONTACT.
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Precode (4)
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Enter Precode (4), "Respondent went to police," if the
respondent went to notify the police in person about the
incident. After entering Precode (4), continue with Item
POLICEACTION.
How soon after the police found out did they respond?
Was it within 5 minutes, within 10 minutes, an hour, a day, or longer?
● Enter the code for the first answer category that the respondent is sure of.
1 Within 5 minutes
2 Within 10 minutes
3 Within an hour
4 Within a day
5 Longer than a day
6 Don't know how soon
TIMEPOLICEARRIVE
TIMEPOLICEARRIVE
Item TIMEPOLICEARRIVE is used to identify how much time
elapsed between the police being notified and the police
arriving in person to speak to the victimized person. Enter the
first category from Precodes (1) through (5) about which the
respondent feels sure.
Enter Precode (6) if the respondent really does not know how
soon after being contacted the police arrived to speak to the
victimized person, such as when someone else called the
police or the police went to the crime scene before coming to
speak to the victimized person.
After completing Item TIMEPOLICEARRIVE, continue with
Item POLICEACTION.
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What did they do while they were there?
● Probe: Anything else?
● Enter all that apply, separate with commas.
11 Took report
12 Searched/looked around
13 Took evidence (fingerprints, inventory, etc.)
14 Questioned witnesses or suspects
15 Promised surveillance
16 Promised to investigate
17 Made arrest
18 Other - specify
19 Don't know
POLICEACTION
POLICEACTION
Item POLICEACTION is used to determine what actions the
police took while they were with the victimized person during
their initial visit. Exclude any police actions taken after the
police left or during any subsequent visits with the victimized
person.
Since you need to enter all precodes that apply to the
respondent's answer, continue asking, "Anything else?"
until you get a "No" answer.
Precode (11)
Enter Precode (11), "Took report," if the police spoke to the
victimized person to find out what happened during the
incident.
Precode (12)
Enter Precode (12), "Searched/looked around," if the police
searched the area of the incident for the offender(s) or for any
of the stolen property.
Precode (13)
Enter Precode (13), "Took evidence," if the police took any
type of evidence that the offender(s) may have left at the
scene of the crime, such as fingerprints, a weapon, scraps of
clothing, a hair or blood sample, and so on.
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Precode (14)
Enter Precode (14), "Questioned witnesses or suspects," if
the police questioned any witnesses and suspects, as well as
potential witnesses and suspects (for example, neighbors,
co-workers, friends, and so on).
Precode (15)
Enter Precode (15), "Promised surveillance," if the police told
the victimized person that they will:
✓ Patrol the crime scene
OR
✓
Keep a lookout in the area where the victimized person
lives or works.
Precode (16)
Enter Precode (16), "Promised to investigate," if the police
told the victimized person that they would do any of the
following things: question suspects, witnesses, or others,
pursue the offender(s), try to recover stolen property, etc.
Precode (17)
Enter Precode (17), "Made arrest," if the respondent learned
that the police arrested a suspect(s) during the initial visit
from the police.
Precode (18)
Enter Precode (18), "Other," if the police took any actions
during their initial visit with the victimized person which are
not described in Precodes (11) through (17) and then fully
describe the action(s) taken on the "Specify" screen,
POLICEACTION_SPEC.
Precode (19)
Enter Precode (19), "Don't know," if the respondent really
does not know what the police did during their initial visit with
the victimized person. For example, the respondent may not
have been present when the police made their visit.
After completing Item POLICEACTION, continue with Item
POLICECONTACT.
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Did you (or anyone in your household) have any later contact with the police about the incident?
1 Yes
2 No
3 Don't know
POLICECONTACT
POLICECONTACT
Item POLICECONTACT is the first of four questions asking
about any subsequent contacts with the police about the
incident. Item POLICECONTACT is used to determine
whether the respondent or any other household member had
any later official contacts with the police about the incident.
For example, the police may have called the victimized
person or made another personal visit, or perhaps a
household member mailed a letter to the police inquiring
about the case.
Exclude any unofficial contacts with the police, such as a
casual conversation with a police officer who is a friend or
acquaintance.
Precode (1)
Enter Precode (1), "Yes," when:
✓ There was any contact between the household and the
police following the initial visit by the police, regardless of
who initiated the contact.
✓ The police did NOT make a personal visit when they were
originally contacted about the incident, but the police did
call or send a letter to the household after they were
contacted.
✓ The police did NOT make a personal visit when they were
originally contacted about the incident, but someone in
the household called or sent a letter to the police after
they initially notified the police.
After entering Precode (1), continue with Item
POLICEINTOUCH.
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Precode (2)
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Enter Precode (2), "No," when:
✓ There was no later contact between the household and
the police AFTER the initial visit by the police.
✓ There was no contact at all between the household and
the police after the police found out about the incident.
After entering Precode (2), continue with Item
SIGNCOMPLAINT.
Precode (3)
Enter Precode (3), "Don't know," when the respondent does
not know whether there was any later contact with the police
about the incident. After entering Precode (3), continue with
Item SIGNCOMPLAINT.
Did the police get in touch with you or did you get in touch with them?
1 Police contacted respondent or other household member
2 Respondent or other household member contacted police
3 Both
4 Don’t know
5 Other - Specify
POLICEINTOUCH
POLICEINTOUCH
Item POLICEINTOUCH is used to determine who initiated the
later contact between the household and the police about the
incident. Enter the appropriate precode based on the
respondent's answer.
Precode (3)
Only enter Precode (3), "Both," if there was more than one
later contact and some were initiated by the police and others
were initiated by someone in the household.
Precode (4)
Enter Precode (4) if the respondent does not know who
initiated the contact.
Precode (5)
If you enter Precode (5), "Other," make sure to identify who
initiated the later contact(s) on the "Specify" screen,
POLICEINTOUCH_SPEC. Avoid entering Precode (5) if the
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respondent's answer fits Precode (1), (2), or (3).
After completing Item POLICEINTOUCH, continue with Item
HOWPOLICECONTACT.
Was that in person, by phone, or some other way?
1 In person
2 Not in person (by phone, mail, etc.)
3 Both in person and not in person
4 Don't know
HOWPOLICECONTACT
HOWPOLICECONTACT
Item HOWPOLICECONTACT is used to find out whether or
not the later contacts were made in person.
Precode (1)
Enter Precode (1) if ALL later contacts were made in person,
regardless of who initiated the contacts.
Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2) if ALL later contacts were made by some
means OTHER THAN IN PERSON, such as by telephone,
FAX, mail, electronic mail, and so on.
Precode (3)
Enter Precode (3) if there were two or more later contacts
AND at least one later contact was made in person AND at
least one later contact was made by some other means, such
as by phone.
Precode (4)
Enter Precode (4) if, after probing, the respondent does not
know whether the later contacts were made in person or by
some other means.
After completing Item HOWPOLICECONTACT, continue with
Item POLICEFOLLOWUP.
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What did the police do in following up this incident?
● PROBE: Anything else?
● Enter all that apply, separate with commas.
11 Took report
12 Questioned witnesses or suspects
13 Did or promised surveillance/investigation
14 Recovered property
15 Made arrest
16 Stayed in touch with respondent/household
17 Other - Specify
18 Nothing (to the respondent's knowledge)
19 Don't know
POLICEFOLLOWUP
POLICEFOLLOWUP
Item POLICEFOLLOWUP is used to determine what actions
the police took to follow up on the incident, EXCLUDING
actions that were already identified in Item POLICEACTION
and were only taken during the initial contact.
Since you need to enter all precodes that apply to the
respondent's answer, continue asking, "Anything else?" until
you get a "No" response.
Precode (11)
Enter Precode (11), "Took report," if the police filled out a
second report or spoke to the victimized person again since
their first contact after the incident.
Precode (12)
Enter Precode (12), "Questioned witnesses or suspects," if,
after the initial contact, the police questioned any witnesses
and suspects, as well as potential witnesses and suspects
(for example, neighbors, co-workers, friends, and so on).
Precode (13)
Enter Precode (13), "Did or promised surveillance/
investigation," if, after initial contact, police investigated the
incident or told the respondent that they would investigate,
such as questioning suspects, witnesses, or others, pursuing
the offender(s), or trying to recover stolen property.
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Precode (14)
Enter Precode (14), "Recovered property," if the police were
able to recover stolen property.
Precode (15)
Enter Precode (15), "Made arrest," if the respondent learned
that the police arrested a suspect(s) after their initial visit to
the household.
Precode (16)
Enter Precode (16), "Stayed in touch with respondent/
household," if the police stayed in contact with someone in
the household by any means, such as by phone, mail, etc.
Precode (17)
Enter Precode (17), "Other," if the police took a later action
that does not fit the descriptions for Precodes (11) through
(16). After entering Precode (17), make sure to identify the
action taken on the "Specify" screen,
POLICEFOLLOWUP_SPEC.
Precode (18)
Enter Precode (18), "Nothing," if the respondent thinks that
no actions were taken by the police following the initial visit
by the police.
Precode (19)
Enter Precode (19), "Don't know," if the respondent does not
know what actions were taken since the incident happened.
After completing Item POLICEFOLLOWUP, continue with
Item SIGNCOMPLAINT.
Did you or someone in your household sign a complaint against the offender(s) to the police
department or the authorities?
1 Yes
2 No
SIGNCOMPLAINT
SIGNCOMPLAINT
Item SIGNCOMPLAINT is used to determine whether anyone
in the household signed a complaint against the offender(s)
to the police department or another authority. The complaint
could be any type of official report signed by a household
member in which one or more persons are NAMED as the
offenders in the incident. The official report could be filed with
a police department or some other legal authority, such as
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the FBI, immigration officials, and so on.
After completing Item SIGNCOMPLAINT, continue with Item
ARRESTMADE.
Ask or verify:
As far as you know, was anyone arrested or were charges brought against anyone in connection
with this incident?
1 Yes
2 No
3 Don't know
ARRESTMADE
ARRESTMADE
Item ARRESTMADE is used to find out if anyone:
✓ Was arrested in connection with the incident
OR
✓ Had charges brought against him/her.
You may already know the answer to this question. If so,
verify the answer without asking the question.
Precode (1)
Enter Precode (1), "Yes," if the respondent knows or has
heard that someone was arrested or had charges brought
against him/her in connection with the incident.
Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2), “No,” if the person was only questioned
about the incident or held in custody and then released
without being charged.
Precode (3)
Enter Precode (3) if the respondent does not know whether
anyone was arrested or charged in connection with the
incident.
After completing Item ARRESTMADE, continue with Item
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AGENCYHELP.
Did you or someone in your household receive any help or advice from any office or agency other than the police -that deals with victims of crime?
1 Yes
2 No
3 Don't know
AGENCYHELP
AGENCYHELP
AGENCYHELP is the first of two items asking about any help
the household may have received from an office or agency
that deals with crime victims, excluding the police
department. Item AGENCYHELP is used to determine
whether the household received help or advice from an office
or agency which provides assistance to crime victims.
Precode (1)
Enter Precode (1), "Yes," if anyone in the household received
help or advice as a direct result of the incident and this help
or advice was in the form of financial or legal advice,
counseling, preventing similar crimes in the future, and so on.
The help or advice could have come from any office or
agency that deals specifically with crime victims, with the
exception of the police department. After entering Precode
(1), continue with Item TYPEOFAGENCY.
Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2), "No," if no one in the household received
any help or advice from an office or agency set up to assist
crime victims. Also enter Precode (2) if the only help received
by the household came from:
✓ The police department
OR
✓ Private individuals or a group that is not trained
specifically to handle crime victims, such as neighbors,
relatives, psychologists, a family doctor, a priest or
minister, and so on.
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After entering Precode (2), either:
Continue with Item CONTACTAUTHORITIES if the police
were informed about the incident (Precode (1) entered in
Item POLICEINFORMED.)
OR
Precode (3)
Continue with Item DOINGATINCIDENTTIME if the police
were NOT informed about the incident (Precode (2) or (3)
entered in Item POLICEINFORMED.)
Enter Precode (3), "Don't know," if the respondent really does
not know whether anyone in the household received help or
advice from an office or agency set up to assist crime victims.
After entering Precode (3):
Continue with Item CONTACTAUTHORITIES if the police
were informed about the incident (Precode (1) entered in
Item POLICEINFORMED.)
OR
Continue with Item DOINGATINCIDENTTIME if the police
were NOT informed about the incident (Precode (2) or (3)
entered in Item POLICEINFORMED.)
Was that a government or a private agency?
1 Government
2 Private
3 Don't know
TYPEOFAGENCY
TYPEOFAGENCY
Precode (1)
Item TYPEOFAGENCY is used to identify whether the office
or agency who assisted the household was a government or
private agency.
Enter Precode (1) if the office or agency is supported by
Federal, state, or local government taxes.
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Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2) if the office or agency is supported by
private funds or charitable contributions.
Precode (3)
Enter Precode (3) if, after probing, the respondent really does
not know who supports the office or agency that provided
assistance to the household.
After completing Item TYPEOFAGENCY, either:
Continue with Item CONTACTAUTHORITIES if the police
were informed about the incident (Precode (1) entered in
Item POLICEINFORMED.)
OR
Continue with Item DOINGATINCIDENTTIME if the police
were NOT informed about the incident (Precode (2) or (3)
entered in Item POLICEINFORMED.)
Have you (or someone in your household) had contact with any other authorities about this
incident, (such as a prosecutor, court, or juvenile officer)?
1
2
3
Yes
No
Don't know
CONTACTAUTHORITIES
CONTACTAUTHORITIES
Item CONTACTAUTHORITIES is the first of two items used
to determine if anyone in the household has had contact with
an authority about the incident, OTHER THAN the police or
an agency identified in Item AGENCYHELP. By authority, we
mean a prosecutor, a court or juvenile officer, and so on.
If you enter Precode (1), "Yes," continue with Item
AUTHORITIES. If you enter either Precode (2), "No," or
Precode (3), "Don't know," continue with Item
ANYTHINGFURTHER.
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Which authorities?
● Probe: Any others?
● Enter all that apply, separate with commas.
1 Prosecutor, district attorney
2 Magistrate
3 Court
4 Juvenile, probation or parole officer
5 Other - specify
AUTHORITIES
AUTHORITIES
Item AUTHORITIES is used to identify which authorities a
household member has contacted about the incident. Since
more than one authority may have been contacted, continue
asking, "Any others?" until you get a "No" reply. If you enter
Precode (5), "Other," because the authority mentioned by the
respondent is not described in Precodes (1) through (4),
make sure to identify the authority on the "Specify" screen,
AUTHORITIES_SPEC. After completing Item
AUTHORITIES, continue with Item ANYTHINGFURTHER.
Do you expect the police, courts, or other authorities will be doing anything further in connection
with this incident?
1 Yes
2 No
3 Don't know
ANYTHINGFURTHER
ANYTHINGFURTHER
Item ANYTHINGFURTHER is used to find out if the
respondent knows or feels that any authority (police, courts,
and so on) will do anything further about the incident. This
could include bringing suspects to trial, questioning suspects,
offering a reward, investigating, or surveillance. Exclude any
counseling that could be provided because of this incident.
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If you enter Precode (1), "Yes," make sure to describe the
actions that the respondent knows or feels will be taken on
the “Specify” screen, ANYTHINGFURTHER_SPEC. After
completing Item ANYTHINGFURTHER, continue with Item
DOINGATINCIDENTTIME.
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Topic 3. Screen Layout and Instructions for
Items DOINGATINCIDENTTIME Through SUMMARY
● Ask or verify:
What were you doing when this incident (happened/started)?
11 Working or on duty
12 On the way to or from work
13 On the way to or from school
14 On the way to or from other place
15 Shopping, errands
16 Attending school
17 Leisure activity away from home
18 Sleeping
19 Other activities at home
20 Other - Specify
21 Don't know
DOINGATINCIDENTTIME
DOINGATINCIDENTTIME
Item DOINGATINCIDENTTIME is used to identify what the
respondent or proxy person was doing when the incident
happened or started. It is not necessary for the respondent or
proxy person to have been at the crime scene to answer this
question. If the respondent or proxy person was not present
during the incident, the instrument displays the word
“happened” when asking this question. Otherwise, it displays
the word “started.”
Proxy Interviews
Starting with Item DOINGATINCIDENTTIME, you will
again ask each question about the proxy person and not
of the proxy respondent. Only Items POLICEFINDOUT
through ANYTHINGFURTHER are asked directly of the proxy
respondent.
Answer Categories in Item
DOINGATINCIDENTTIME
Since most of the answer categories in Item
DOINGATINCIDENTTIME are self-explanatory, descriptions
are provided below only for the categories that require special
attention.
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Precodes (11) and (12)
Part B, Chapter 4
Enter Precode (11) if the respondent or proxy person was
working or on duty for his/her job when the incident began or
happened. Enter Precode (12) if the respondent or proxy
person was commuting to or from work when the incident
began or happened. After entering Precode (11), continue
with Item EMPLOYERTYPE.
After entering Precode (12), either:
Continue with Item LOSTWORKTIME if the respondent
was injured in the incident (Precodes (12) - (21) entered
in Item INJURY.)
OR
Continue with Item LOSTOTHERWORKTIME if the
respondent was NOT injured in the incident.
Precode (13)
Enter Precode (13) if the respondent or proxy person was
traveling to or from school when the incident started.
However, if the incident started while the respondent or proxy
person was in class during the school day, enter Precode
(16).
Precode (16)
Enter Precode (16) if the respondent or proxy person was in
class during the school day when the incident started.
However, if the incident started while commuting to or from
school, enter Precode (13).
Precode (19)
Enter Precode (19) when the respondent or proxy person
was involved in an activity at his/her home when the incident
started and the activity is not described in a previous answer
category for Precodes (11) through (18).
Precode (20)
Enter Precode (20) if the respondent or proxy person was
doing something when the incident started that does not fit
any of the previous answer categories in Item
DOINGATINCIDENTTIME. After entering Precode (20),
make sure to describe the activity on the "Specify" screen,
DOINGATINCIDENTTIME_SPEC.
Precode (21)
Enter Precode (21) if the respondent or proxy person really
does not know what he/she was doing when the incident
started. For instance, the respondent or proxy person could
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have been away from home on vacation when his/her house
was broken into and may not know exactly when the incident
took place and what he/she was doing.
● Ask or verify:
Did you have a job at the time of the incident?
1 Yes
2 No
JOBDURINGINCIDENT
JOBDURINGINCIDENT
Item JOBDURINGINCIDENT is used to determine whether or
not the respondent had a job or business at the time of the
incident. If you know the answer by this point in the interview,
just verify the answer without asking the question.
For the NCVS, consider the respondent as having a job or
business if:
✓ There is a definite arrangement to work for pay or profit
either full time or part time.
✓ The respondent was self-employed in his/her own
business/farm or partnership.
✓ The respondent was working without pay on a family farm
or in a family business.
Precode (1)
Enter Precode (1), "Yes," if any of the conditions mentioned
above existed at the time of the incident, even if the
respondent was temporarily absent from the job due to a
vacation, illness, bad weather, strike, or temporary layoff.
After entering Precode (1), either:
Continue with Item LOSTWORKTIME if the respondent
was injured in the incident (Precodes (12) - (21) entered
in Item INJURY.)
OR
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Precode (2)
Continue with Item LOSTOTHERWORKTIME if the
respondent was NOT injured in the incident.
Enter Precode (2), "No," if the respondent did not have a job
or business at the time of the incident. After entering Precode
(2), continue with Item MAJORACTIVITY.
What was your major activity the week of the incident - were you looking for work, keeping
house, going to school, or doing something else?
1 Looking for work
2 Keeping house
3 Going to school
4 Unable to work
5 Retired
6 Other - Specify
MAJORACTIVITY
MAJORACTIVITY
Item MAJORACTIVITY is used to find out what the
respondent's major activity was during the week of the
incident, since he/she did not have a job or business. As you
ask this question, make sure to read each of the examples in
the question.
Precode (1)
Enter Precode (1) if the respondent was attempting to find a
job or trying to start a business or profession during the week
of the incident. Examples of "looking for work" include:
✓ Registration at an employment office.
✓ FAXing your resume to potential employers.
✓ Meeting and interviewing with prospective employers.
✓ Placing or answering advertisements in newspapers or on
the Internet.
✓ Gathering information about starting his/her own
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business.
Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2) if the respondent spent most of his/her
time during the week of the incident doing work around
his/her own home. Examples of "keeping house" include:
✓ Cooking, washing clothes, cleaning house, and so on.
✓ Caring for his/her own children, step-children, or foster
children, as well as children who are brothers, sisters, or
other relatives of the respondent.
✓ Overseeing the care of the home, even if the actual work
is done by a paid maid or housekeeper.
✓ Cutting the lawn, painting the house, working in the
garden (other than on a family farm), etc.
Precode (3)
Enter Precode (3) if the respondent spent the majority of the
week of the incident attending any kind of public or private
school, including trade or vocational schools. If the
respondent would normally be attending school that week,
but was out sick or on a short vacation, still enter Precode
(3).
Do NOT enter Precode (3) if the incident happened during
the respondent's summer vacation, unless the respondent
was attending summer school during the week of the
incident.
Precode (4)
Enter Precode (4) if the respondent was unable to do ANY
kind of work during the week of the incident because he/she
has a LONG-TERM physical or mental illness or disability.
However, if the respondent is only TEMPORARILY ILL or
disabled and is expected to be well enough to work at some
kind of gainful employment within 6 months after the incident,
enter Precode (6), "Other," and explain the situation on the
"Specify" screen, MAJORACTIVITY_SPEC.
Precode (5)
Enter Precode (5) if the respondent says that he/she was
retired during the week of the incident. However, if the
respondent has only cut back on the number of hours worked
or was semi-retired during the week of the incident, you
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should enter Precode (1) in Item JOBDURINGINCIDENT to
indicate that the respondent did have a job at the time of the
incident.
Precode (6)
Enter Precode (6) if the respondent mentions a major activity
during the week of the incident that is not covered in
Precodes (1) through (5). After entering Precode (6), make
sure to explain the activity on the "Specify" screen,
MAJORACTIVITY_SPEC, such as caring for a terminally ill
spouse, child, or parent, or on summer vacation from school.
After completing Item MAJORACTIVITY, continue with Item
HHMEMLOSTWORKTIME to determine if any other
household members lost time from work due to the incident.
Now I have a few questions about the job at which you worked during the time of the incident.
Were you employed by -● Read each category - then enter appropriate code
1 A private company, business, or individual for wages?
2 The Federal government?
3 A State, county, or local government?
4 Yourself (Self-employed) in your own business, professional practice, or farm?
5 A private, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, or charitable organization?
EMPLOYERTYPE
EMPLOYERTYPE
Items EMPLOYERTYPE through ISCURRENTJOB are
asked when Precode (11) is entered in Item
DOINGATINCIDENTTIME. Notice that there is an
introductory statement printed above the question in Item
EMPLOYERTYPE. Make sure that you read this sentence to
the respondent BEFORE asking the question in Item
EMPLOYERTYPE. This statement lets the respondent know
that the following questions relate to the job at which he/she
was working during the time of the incident.
Each of the answer categories in Item EMPLOYERTYPE
signifies a different “Class of Worker” type. Ask the
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respondent about each category as a separate question. For
example: “Were you employed by a private company,
business, or individual for wages?” After asking this
question, wait for the respondent’s answer. If you get a “Yes”
answer, enter Precode (1) and you will continue with Item
INCORPORATED. If you get a “No” answer, ask the second
question, “Were you employed by the Federal
government?” Follow this procedure until you get a “Yes”
answer.
Precode (1)
Enter Precode (1) when a respondent worked for a PRIVATE
employer for wages, salary, commission, tips, piece-rates, or
pay in kind. After entering Precode (1), continue with Item
INCORPORATED.
Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2) when a respondent:
✓ Worked for any branch of the Federal government.
✓ Was elected to a paid Federal office.
✓ Was a member of the Armed Forces.
✓ Was employed by an international organization (for
example, the United Nations) or a foreign government.
Precode (3)
Enter Precode (3) when a respondent worked in any branch
of a state, county, or local government. This also includes
respondents who were elected to paid state, county, or local
offices. After entering Precode (3), continue with Item
EMPLOYERNAME.
Precode (4)
Enter Precode (4) when a respondent was self-employed for
profit or fees in his/her OWN business, farm, shop, office,
practice, etc. After entering Precode (4), continue with Item
INCORPORATED.
Precode (5)
Enter Precode (5) when a respondent was employed for PAY
at the time of the incident by a church, union, or some other
type of private nonprofit organization. After entering Precode
(5), continue with Item INCORPORATED.
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Is this business incorporated?
1 Yes
2 No
3 Don't know
INCORPORATED
INCORPORATED
If the respondent was working at the time of the incident for a
private company, his/her own private business, or for a
private, not-for-profit organization, you will continue with Item
INCORPORATED. Item INCORPORATED is used to
determine whether the business or organization is
incorporated.
The respondent should know whether or not his/her employer
is a legal corporation. Enter Precode (1) for a “Yes” answer or
Precode (2) for “No” answer. However, if the respondent
really does not know, enter Precode (3) for “Don’t know.”
What is the name of the company/agency/org for which you worked at the time of the incident?
EMPLOYERNAME
EMPLOYERNAME
Item EMPLOYERNAME is used to identify the name of the
respondent’s employer at the time of the incident. Census
Bureau coders working in the National Processing Center
need this key piece of information to assign the correct
industry code to the respondent’s employer. Record this
information accurately.
Even though a respondent may be reluctant to provide the
name of his/her employer, make every effort to collect this
information without badgering the respondent. In some
cases, you may succeed by just reassuring a respondent
that the information he/she provides is confidential.
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What kind of business or industry is this?
● Read if necessary:
What do they make or do where you worked at the time of the incident?
TYPEBUSINESS
TYPEBUSINESS
Item TYPEBUSINESS is used to determine the kind of
business or industry that is transacted by the respondent’s
employer at the time of the incident. This is another key piece
of information needed to assign the correct industry code for
a respondent’s employer.
To ensure that our coders can assign an accurate industry
code, enter a clear and specific description of the kind of
business or industry:
What is the purpose of the business?
OR
What type of products are produced by the industry?
Structured Probe
If the respondent hesitates in giving you an answer to your
initial question in Item TYPEBUSINESS, also ask the
structured probe question: “What do they make or do
where you/name worked at the time of the incident?” This
probe question may help the respondent to understand what
type of description we want for this item.
Be Specific
Avoid entering descriptions that are too general, such as:
✖ “It’s a mining company.”
✖ “The business provides a repair service.”
✖ “It’s a computer-related business.”
✖ “It’s a retail store.”
Some examples of better descriptions:
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✓ “Mines/transports coal/byproducts”
✓ “Repairs small home appliances”
✓ “Designs/sells computer software”
✓ “Operates two large hardware stores”
Enter descriptions that are specific. Avoid using unnecessary
words that make descriptions too long. This item allows for 50
characters.
Is this mainly . . .
● Read answer categories
1
2
3
4
Manufacturing?
Retail trade?
Wholesale trade?
Something else?
BUSINESSSECTOR
BUSINESSSECTOR
Item BUSINESSSECTOR is used to identify the major type of
industry in which the respondent was working at the time of
the incident:
Manufacturing
Retail trade
Wholesale trade
Something else
Distinguishing between these types of industries is important.
If this item is marked incorrectly, coders will not be able to
assign an accurate industry code.
Start by asking, “Is this mainly manufacturing?” Wait for
the respondent’s answer. If you get a “Yes” answer, enter
Precode (1) and continue with Item OCCUPATIONDESC. If
you get a “No” answer, continue by asking, “Retail trade?”
Follow this procedure until you get a “Yes” answer.
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Precode (1)
Enter Precode (1), “Manufacturing,” if a respondent’s
employer makes and sells its products in large quantities or
lots to other manufacturers, wholesalers, or retailers.
Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2), “Retail trade,” if a respondent’s employer
sells primarily to individual consumers or users, but seldom
makes products.
Precode (3)
Enter Precode (3), “Wholesale trade,” if a respondent’s
employer buys, rather than makes, products in large
quantities or lots for resale to retailers, industrial users, or to
other wholesalers.
Precode (4)
Enter Precode (4), “Something else,” if a respondent’s
employer does not manufacture or sell products as a
wholesaler or a retailer. Examples of some employers that fit
into the “Something else” category are:
When To Probe
Car repair shops,
Accounting firms,
Medical centers,
Trucking companies, or
Banks.
Some firms are engaged in more than one type of business
or activity. When you encounter this situation, do some
additional probing to determine the most appropriate category
to enter in Item BUSINESSSECTOR.
If you discover that the respondent’s employer conducts
business at more than one location (for example, making
copy machines at one location and making chemicals used
by the copy machines at another location), collect data for the
location at which the respondent works.
If you discover that the respondent’s employer conducts a
variety of activities at the same location (for example, a
gasoline station that also sells groceries), probe to determine
which activity or product the respondent is most directly
involved with in his/her job. For example, if the respondent
primarily sells groceries at the gasoline station, enter Precode
(2), “Retail trade.” However, if the respondent primarily works
as a mechanic servicing motor vehicles at the gasoline
station, enter Precode (4), “Something else.”
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What kind of work did you do, that is, what was your occupation at the time of the incident?
● For example: plumber, typist, farmer
OCCUPATIONDESC
OCCUPATIONDESC
Item OCCUPATIONDESC asks about the kind of work or
occupation the respondent had at the time of the incident. In
addition to assigning an industry code for the respondent’s
employer, the coders also assign an occupation code for the
respondent’s job based on:
The kind of work described in Item OCCUPATIONDESC
and
The respondent’s most important activities or duties
described in Item USUALJOBDUTIES.
Enter complete and accurate descriptions for these items, so
coders can assign the correct occupation code.
Job Title vs. Kind of Work
The “kind of work” descriptions that our coders need must
clearly specify the type of work the respondent does on
his/her job, and this is not necessarily the respondent’s job
title. For some occupations, the common descriptions or
general job titles that a respondent provides are not sufficient
for coders to assign the correct occupation code.
Self-Employed Persons
When a respondent is self-employed, only enter “Manager”
as his/her occupation if the person actually spends most of
the workday managing his/her business. Otherwise, enter the
kind of work the respondent spends the majority of his/her
time doing, such as plumber, hair stylist, dentist, house
painter, and so on. Describe the respondent’s actual trade or
craft, when that is the kind of work that the respondent
spends most of his/her time doing for the business.
Avoid Entering
Department or
Work Place Titles
Avoid entering kind of work entries such as “Works in
shipping department” or “Works in the warehouse.” These
entries do not adequately describe the kind of work done by
the respondent. If the respondent inspects outgoing products
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for the shipping department, enter “Inspects outgoing
products for shipping dept.” If the respondent is a clerk who
monitors inventory in a warehouse, enter “Clerk monitoring
warehouse inventory.”
Apprentice vs. Trainee
There is a difference between someone who is an apprentice
and someone who is a trainee. An apprentice is under
contract during his/her training period, but a trainee is not. If a
respondent tells you that he/she is in an apprenticeship or
trainee program, make sure to enter both the person’s
occupation or kind of work, along with the term “apprentice”
or “trainee.” For example, you may need to enter “Apprentice
plumber” or “Buyer trainee.”
Machinist vs. Machine
Operator vs. Mechanic
Although all three titles sound similar, there are major
differences in the kind of work done by a machinist, a
machine operator, and a mechanic.
A machinist is a skilled craftsman who constructs metal
parts, tools, and machines through the use of blueprints,
machine and hand tools, and precise measuring instruments.
A machine operator runs a factory machine, such as a drill
press operator.
A mechanic inspects, services, repairs, or overhauls
machinery.
Secretary vs.
“Official Secretary”
The title secretary applies to someone who does secretarial
work in an office. The title official secretary applies to
someone who is an elected or appointed officer of a
business, union, or other organization.
Probing for Difficult to
Code Occupations
Avoid entering a one-word response, because it will usually
be too general for coders to assign the correct occupation
code. For these situations, we provide the following table
along with a suggested probe for each occupation. These
probes are written to encourage the respondent to provide a
more specific description of the kind of work he/she does on
the job. This table is also available as a separate job aid,
“Difficult to Code Occupations.”
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Occupation
Part B, Chapter 4
Suggested Probe
Assembler
What do you assemble? For example, do you assemble
automobiles, electric motors, farm equipment, sheet metal, or
something else?
Clerk
What type of clerk are you? For example, do you handle
accounting, billing, filing, shipping, statistical data, sales, or
something else?
Engineer
What kind of engineer are you? For example, are you a civil,
electrical, mechanical, nuclear, chemical, train, stationary,
building, or some other type of engineer?
Inspector
What type of things do you inspect? For example, do you
inspect automobiles, restaurants, houses, buildings, meats, or
something else?
Manager
What type of manager are you? For example, do you manage a
bakery, garage, hotel, office, property, store, or something else?
Machinist
Do you set up AND operate machines?
Machine operator
How many machines do you operate? Also, what type of
machine do you operate primarily?
Mechanic
What type of mechanic are you? For example, do you service
and repair automobile bodies, engines, appliances, trucks,
valves, or something else?
Nurse
What type of nurse are you? For example, are you registered,
licensed, practical, vocational, a nursing aide, or some other
type of nurse?
Researcher
What is your field of research?
Sales Worker
What do you sell? For example, do you sell advertising, cars,
houses, insurance, shoes, tickets, or something else?
Supervisor
Who or what do you supervise? For example, do you supervise
clerical workers, counselors, laborers, field representatives, or
someone else?
Teacher
Do you teach at the preschool, elementary, high school, or
college level? Also, which subjects do you teach?
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What were your usual activities or duties at this job?
USUALJOBDUTIES
USUALJOBDUTIES
Item USUALJOBDUTIES is used to describe the usual
activities or duties a respondent performs at his/her job. This
is the second key piece of information that our coders use to
assign an occupation code. What you enter in Item
USUALJOBDUTIES is especially useful when a simple job
title does not provide enough information to code the
occupation.
Some examples of entries you may need to enter in Item
USUALJOBDUTIES:
Keeping account books
Selling new and used motor vehicles
Laying bricks and stone
Typing and filing letters, reports, memos, etc.
If a respondent tells you that his/her job duties are classified,
do NOT probe. If this happens, enter “Information is
classified.”
While working at this job, did you work mostly in –
● Read each category - then enter appropriate precode
1
2
3
4
A city?
Suburban area?
Rural area?
Combination of any of these?
JOBMSATYPE
JOBMSATYPE
Item JOBMSATYPE is asked to find out if the respondent
was working in a city, suburban area, rural area, or a
combination of any of these areas at the time of the
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incident. This type of information will help the survey’s
sponsor to determine if specific areas are more prone to
crime.
For Item JOBMSATYPE, read each answer category as part
of the question until you get a "Yes" response. Since most
respondents will know how to answer this question, let the
respondent select the type of area. When a respondent
worked for more than one employer, enter the precode for the
area in which he/she worked the greater number of hours.
Avoid entering Precode (4), "Combination of any of these?"
unless a respondent insists that the area he/she worked
MOST of the time was a combination of city, suburban, and
rural.
After completing Item JOBMSATYPE, continue with Item
INCIDENTHAPPENATWORK.
● Ask or verify:
Did this incident happen at your work site?
1 Yes
2 No
3 Don't know
4 Other - specify
INCIDENTHAPPENATWORK
INCIDENTHAPPENATWORK
Precode (1)
Item INCIDENTHAPPENATWORK is used to determine
whether the incident happened at the respondent's work site
for any job held by the respondent at the time of the incident.
If you already know the answer to this question, you can
verify the answer without asking the question.
Enter Precode (1), "Yes," if the incident happened while the
respondent was at his/her work site, which is considered the
place where his/her USUAL day-to-day activities take place.
Some examples of work sites include in an office, hospital,
taxi cab, convenience store, beauty parlor, etc.
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If the respondent works from an office or workshop in his/her
home and the incident occurred in the office or workshop,
also enter Precode (1), "Yes." However, do NOT enter
Precode (1) if the incident happened somewhere else in the
house, garage, or property OTHER THAN in the office or
workshop.
If the respondent has no usual work site, such as a traveling
salesperson, his/her work site is the place where he/she was
working when the incident occurred.
Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2), "No," if the incident happened at a location
OTHER THAN the respondent's work site, such as at a
meeting in another office building during working hours, out of
town on a business trip, and so on.
Also enter Precode (2) if the incident happened at the parking
lot at the respondent’s work site.
Precode (3)
Enter Precode (3), "Don't know," if the respondent really does
not know if the incident occurred at his/her work site. Only
enter Precode (3) as a last resort.
Precode (4)
Enter Precode (4) if the respondent's answer requires more
than just a "Yes" or "No" reply and then use the "Specify"
screen, INCIDENTHAPPENATWORK_SPEC, to answer this
question. After completing Item
INCIDENTHAPPENATWORK, continue with Item
WORKDAYNIGHT.
Did you usually work days or nights?
1 Days
2 Nights
3 Both days and nights/rotating shifts
WORKDAYNIGHT
WORKDAYNIGHT
Item WORKDAYNIGHT is used to find out if the respondent
worked primarily days, nights, or rotating shifts at the time of
the incident. Enter Precode (1) for "Days," Precode (2) for
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"Nights," and Precode (3) for "Both days and nights/rotating
shifts." After completing Item WORKDAYNIGHT, continue
with Item ISCURRENTJOB.
Is this your current job?
1 Yes
2 No
ISCURRENTJOB
ISCURRENTJOB
Item ISCURRENTJOB is used to determine whether the
respondent’s job at the time of the incident is also his/her
current job at the time of the interview.
Continue with Item LOSTWORKTIME if the respondent
was injured in the incident (Precodes (12) - (21) entered
in Item INJURY.)
OR
Continue with Item LOSTOTHERWORKTIME if the
respondent was NOT injured in the incident.
Did YOU lose time from work becauseof injuries you suffered in this incident?
1
2
Yes
No
LOSTWORKTIME
LOSTWORKTIME
Item LOSTWORKTIME is used to find out if the
respondent/victim of the incident lost time from work
because of his/her own injuries that were suffered during
the incident. Later in the interview, Items
HHMEMLOSTWORKTIME and
AMOUNTHHMEMTIMELOST are used to identify any
other household members who lost time from work
because of the incident.
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Defining Terms
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Work - For this item, work is considered a job or business
rather than housework, school, or other activities.
Time lost from work - For this item, time lost from work
could be time away from his/her job or business due to:
✓ Injuries suffered in the incident or
✓ Visits to a doctor or hospital to receive medical care
for injuries suffered during the incident.
Enter Precode (1) for a "Yes" answer and then continue
with Item AMOUNTTIMELOST. Enter Precode (2) for a
"No" answer; continue with Item
LOSTOTHERWORKTIME.
How much time did you lose because of injuries?
● Enter 0 if time lost was less than one day.
● If over 200 days, enter 200.
AMOUNTTIMELOST
AMOUNTTIMELOST
Item AMOUNTTIMELOST is used to identify how much
time the respondent lost from work due to the injuries
he/she suffered from the incident. Include time lost from
work up to the day of the interview.
If the respondent lost one or more days from work, enter
the number of whole days in the answer space. If the
respondent answers in hours, always determine whether
the hours were missed all in one day or more than one
day. For example, if the respondent lost a few hours on
one day for physical therapy and a few hours on another
day to visit the doctor, enter "2" for the number of days,
even though the respondent was at work a portion of each
day. After entering the number of days missed from work,
continue with Item LOSTPAYNOMEDINS.
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Don’t know
If the respondent is unable to give an answer, always ask
for his/her best estimate. If the respondent is still unable
to give an estimate, use “Ctrl + D” to indicate a “Don’t
know” response. Only enter “Ctrl + D” as a last resort. The
instrument goes to Item LOSTPAYNOMEDINS.
Precode (0)
Enter Precode (0) (zero) if the respondent lost less than
one workday due to his/her injuries from the incident.
After entering Precode (0), continue with Item
LOSTOTHERWORKTIME.
During these days, did you lose any pay that was not covered by unemployment insurance, sick
leave, or some other source?
1 Yes
2 No
LOSTPAYNOMEDINS
LOSTPAYNOMEDINS
Defining Terms
Item LOSTPAYNOMEDINS is used to discover whether
the respondent lost any pay because the time lost from
work was not covered by unemployment insurance, sick
leave, or some other source.
Unemployment insurance - Includes any money
received from State unemployment insurance funds or
railroad unemployment benefits.
Sick leave - Includes continued payment of wages by
the respondent's employer while the respondent is
unable to work due to illness or injury.
Some other source - Includes any money received
from private insurance plans, worker's compensation,
and so on. Worker's compensation is periodic money
payments made to workers who are injured on the job
and in some states to workers with non-occupational
temporary disability or illness. Compensation checks
could come from the state, private insurance
companies, or from private businesses that insure
their own workers.
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Precode (1)
Enter Precode (1), "Yes," if the respondent lost pay
and was NOT compensated monetarily for the time
away from his/her job due to injuries from the incident.
Also enter Precode (1) for a self-employed respondent
who was paid for the time lost from work, but was
obligated to hire someone to take his/her place. After
entering Precode (1), continue with Item
AMOUNTLOSTPAYNOMED.
Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2), "No," if the respondent was
compensated monetarily for the time lost from work
due to his/her injuries from the incident. After entering
Precode (2), continue with Item
LOSTOTHERWORKTIME.
About how much pay did you lose?
● Round to the nearest dollar
● Enter a number between 1-999,996
AMOUNTLOSTPAYNOMED
AMOUNTLOSTPAYNOMED
Item AMOUNTLOSTPAYNOMED is used to
determine how much pay the respondent lost
because he/she was unable to work due to injuries
from the incident. Also, if a self-employed
respondent was compensated monetarily for
his/her pay, but was required to hire someone to
take his/her place, record the amount paid to the
replacement as lost pay.
Enter the amount of lost pay in whole dollars in the
answer space provided in Item
AMOUNTLOSTPAYNOMED. Round the amount
up or down as necessary. For example, if the
amount given was $670.50, enter "671," and, if the
amount given was $670.49, enter "670." If the
amount was less than $1, enter "1."
If the respondent has difficulty giving you a dollar
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amount, ask for his/her best estimate. Only enter
“Ctrl + D” for “Don’t know” as a last resort.
After completing Item AMOUNTLOSTPAYNOMED,
continue with Item LOSTOTHERWORKTIME.
Did YOU lose any (other) time from work because of this incident for such things as cooperating
with a police investigation, testifying in court, or repairing or replacing damaged or stolen
property?
● Probe: Any other reason?
● Enter all that apply, separated by commas
1 Police related activities
2 Court related activities
3 Repairing damaged property
4 Replacing stolen items
5 Other - specify
6 None (did not lose time from work for any of these reasons)
LOSTOTHERWORKTIME
LOSTOTHERWORK TIME
Item LOSTOTHERWORKTIME is used to find out if the
respondent lost time from work for purposes OTHER
THAN those related to his/her injuries suffered during
the incident.
If the respondent lost time from work due to their
injuries the instrument displays the word “other” in the
first line of the question as shown above; otherwise,
“other” is not shown.
As you ask the question, pause after each example
included in the question to allow the respondent time to
answer. Enter all precodes that relate to the
respondent’s answer, separating them with commas.
Continue asking “Any other reason?” until you get a
“No” response, then press “Enter” when you are done.
Item LOSTOTHERWORKTIME relates specifically to
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time lost from work by the respondent only; that is, the
person who was victimized during the incident. Items
HHMEMLOSTWORKTIME and
AMOUNTHHMEMTIMELOST collect similar
information for other household members.
Precode (1)
Enter Precode (1) if the respondent lost time from work
due to police-related activities, such as cooperating
with an investigation by identifying suspects in a lineup,
helping to construct a composite drawing of the
offender, identifying stolen items, and so on.
Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2) if the respondent lost time from work
due to court-related activities, such as testifying in
court, attending a trial or hearing, talking to an attorney
(either the prosecutor, the defense attorney, or the
respondent's own lawyer), and so on.
Precode (3)
Enter Precode (3) if the respondent lost time from work
to repair property damaged during the incident, drop off
and pick up a damaged motor vehicle at a repair shop,
visit an optician to repair damaged eyeglasses, wait for
a locksmith, and so on.
Precode (4)
Enter Precode (4) if the respondent lost time from work
to replace stolen items, such as waiting for delivery
persons, getting a replacement driver's license, Social
Security card, credit card, checkbook, and so on.
Precode (5)
Enter Precode (5) if the respondent lost time from work
for a reason that is not covered in the descriptions for
Precodes (1) through (4). After entering Precode (5),
explain the reason on the "Specify" screen,
LOSTOTHERWORKTIME_SPEC.
For Precodes (1) through (5), continue with Item
DAYSLOSTWORK.
Precode (6)
Enter Precode (6) if the respondent did not lose any
time from work due to this incident, excluding any time
lost due to injuries from the incident. If you enter
Precode (6), do not enter any other precodes in Item
LOSTOTHERWORKTIME. After entering Precode (6),
continue with Item HHMEMLOSTWORKTIME when
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there are other household members listed on the
household roster. Otherwise, continue with:
Item TYPETRANSPORTATION when Precode (12)
(13) or (14) was entered at Item INCIDENTTIME
OR
Item SERIESNUMTIMES if the incident is part of a
series of crimes
OR
Item INCIDENTHATECRIME if the incident is NOT
part of a series of crimes
How much time did you lose altogether because of...
-- police related activities
● Enter 0 if time lost was less than one day
● If over 200 days, enter 200
DAYSLOSTWORK
DAYSLOSTWORK
Item DAYSLOSTWORK is used to identify how much
time the respondent lost from work to take care of
ALL of the tasks identified in
LOSTOTHERWORKTIME. As you ask the question
in Item DAYSLOSTWORK, read the reason(s) that
are listed on the screen, which are the precodes
selected in LOSTOTHERWORKTIME.
Include time lost up to the day of the interview. If the
respondent lost one or more days from work, enter
the number of whole days in Item
DAYSLOSTWORK. If the respondent answers in
hours, always determine whether the hours were
missed all in one day or more than one day.
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When calculating the number of days missed from
work, it is not necessary for the respondent to have
missed an entire workday. For example, the
respondent may have lost 4 hours one workday to
identify stolen property at the police station and on
another workday the respondent may have lost 3
hours to wait for a replacement television to be
delivered. In this example, enter "2" for the number of
days missed from work due to the incident. If a
respondent has missed more than 200 days from
work, enter “200.” If a respondent is unsure of the
number of days of work missed, ask for his/her best
estimate.
After entering the number of days missed from work
(between 1 and 200 days) in Item
DAYSLOSTWORK, continue with Item
LOSTPAYNOEMPINS.
Enter (0), (zero), if the respondent missed less than
one full workday due to the reason(s) shown in Item
DAYSLOSTWORK.
After entering (0), continue with Item
HHMEMLOSTWORKTIME.
Don’t know
Before accepting a “Don’t know” answer, ask the
respondent to give you his/her best estimate. Only
enter “Control + D” for “Don’t know” as a last resort.
During these days, did you lose any pay that was not covered by unemployment insurance,
paid leave, or some other source?
1 Yes
2 No
LOSTPAYNOEMPINS
LOSTPAYNOEMPINS
Item LOSTPAYNOEMPINS is used to determine
whether the respondent lost any pay because the
time lost from work was not covered by
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unemployment insurance, paid leave, or some other
source.
Unemployment insurance - Includes any money
received from state unemployment insurance funds
or railroad unemployment benefits.
Defining Terms
Paid leave - Includes continued payment of wages
by the respondent's employer while the respondent is
not at work, such as "personal" or "annual" leave.
Some other source - Includes any money received
from private insurance plans, worker's compensation,
and so on. Compensation checks could come from
the state, private insurance companies, or from
private businesses that insure their own workers.
Precode (1)
Enter Precode (1), "Yes," if the respondent lost pay
and was NOT compensated monetarily for the time
away from his/her job due to the incident. Also enter
Precode (1) if a self-employed respondent was paid
for the time lost from work, but he/she was obligated
to hire someone to take his/her place. After entering
Precode (1), continue with
AMOUNTLOSTPAYNOEMP.
Precode (2)
Enter Precode (2), "No," if the respondent was
compensated monetarily for the time lost from work
due to the incident. After entering Precode (2),
continue with Item HHMEMLOSTWORKTIME.
About how much pay did you lose?
● Round to the nearest dollar
● Enter a number between 1-999,996
AMOUNTLOSTPAYNOEMP
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AMOUNTLOSTPAY
NOEMP
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Item AMOUNTLOSTPAYNOEMP is used to determine
how much pay the respondent lost because he/she lost
time from work due to the reasons identified in Item
LOSTOTHERWORKTIME. Also, if a self-employed
respondent was compensated monetarily for his/her
lost pay, but was required to hire someone to take
his/her place, record the amount paid to the
replacement as the respondent’s lost pay.
Enter the amount of lost pay in whole dollars in Item
AMOUNTLOSTPAYNOEMP. Round the amount up or
down as necessary. For example, if the amount given
was $670.50, enter "671," and, if the amount given was
$670.49, enter "670." If the amount was less than $1,
enter "1." If the respondent has difficulty giving a dollar
amount, ask for his/her best estimate.
After completing Item AMOUNTLOSTPAYNOEMP,
continue with Item HHMEMLOSTWORKTIME.
Were there any (other) household members 16 years or older who lost time from work because of
this incident?
1 Yes
2 No
HHMEMLOSTWORKTIME
HHMEMLOSTWORKTIME
Item HHMEMLOSTWORKTIME is used to find out whether
there were other household members who were at least 16
years of age and lost time from work due to the incident. If
the respondent lost time from work due to the incident, the
word "other" is displayed by the instrument as you ask the
question in Item HHMEMLOSTWORKTIME. Otherwise, ask
the question in Item HHMEMLOSTWORKTIME without the
word "other."
Let the respondent decide how to answer this question. The
time lost from work could be due to injuries suffered by
these household members or for any of the reasons
identified in Item LOSTOTHERWORKTIME.
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Precode (1)
If you enter Precode (1), "Yes," continue with Item
AMOUNTHHMEMTIMELOST.
Precode (2)
If you enter Precode (2), "No," AND the respondent was on
the way to or from work, school, or some other place when
the incident either happened or started, continue with Item
TYPETRANSPORTATION. In other words, no household
members who were 16 years of age or older lost time from
work AND Precode (12), (13), or (14) was entered in Item
DOINGATINCIDENTTIME.
If you enter Precode (2), “No,” AND the respondent was
NOT on the way to or from work, school, or some other
place when the incident either happened or started, either:
Continue with Item SERIESNUMTIMES if the incident is
part of a series of crimes
OR
Continue with Item INCIDENTHATECRIME if the
incident is NOT part of a series of crimes.
How much time did they lose altogether?
● Enter 0 if time lost was less than one day
● If over 200 days, enter 200
AMOUNTHHMEMTIMELOST
AMOUNTHHMEMTIMELOST
Item AMOUNTHHMEMTIMELOST is used to
identify how much time household members
OTHER THAN the respondent lost from work
because of the incident.
Include time lost up to the day of the interview. If
the household member(s) lost one or more days
from work, enter the number of whole days in the
answer space provided in Item
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AMOUNTHHMEMTIMELOST. If the time lost was
in hours, determine whether the hours were missed
all in one day or more than one day.
When calculating the number of days missed from
work, it is not necessary for the household
member(s) to have missed an entire workday. For
example, one household member may have lost 4
hours one workday to visit a doctor and on another
workday another household member may have lost
3 hours to wait for a replacement television to be
delivered. In this example, enter "2" for the number
of days missed from work due to the incident.
Enter (0), (zero), if the household member(s)
missed less than one full workday due to the
incident.
Don’t know
Before accepting a “Don’t know” answer, ask the
respondent to give you a best estimate. Enter
“Control + D” for “Don’t know” only as a last resort.
After completing Item
AMOUNTHHMEMTIMELOST, continue with Item
TYPETRANSPORTATION if the respondent was
on the way to or from work, school, or some other
place when the incident either happened or started
(Precode (12), (13), or (14) was entered in Item
DOINGATINCIDENTTIME).
Otherwise, either:
Continue with Item SERIESNUMTIMES if the
incident is part of a series of crimes.
OR
Continue with Item INCIDENTHATECRIME if
the incident is NOT part of a series of crimes.
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Ask or verify: You told me earlier you were on the way to/from work when the incident happened.
What means of transportation were you using?
11 Car, truck, or van
12 Motorcycle
13 Bicycle
14 On foot
15 School bus (private or public)
16 Bus or trolley
17 Subway or rapid transit
18 Train
19 Taxi
20 Other - specify
TYPETRANSPORTATION
TYPETRANSPORTATION
Item TYPETRANSPORTATION is used to determine which
means of transportation the respondent was using when the
incident started or took place.
If you know the answer to this question, you can verify the
answer with the respondent without asking the question.
The instrument automatically displays the words “Work,”
“School,” or “Some place” based on the entry in Item
DOINGATINCIDENTTIME.
If the respondent mentions a mode of transportation not
listed in Precodes (11) through (19), enter Precode (20),
"Other," and then enter the type of transportation on the
"Specify" screen, TYPETRANSPORTATION_SPEC.
After completing Item TYPETRANSPORTATION, either:
Continue with Item SERIESNUMTIMES if the incident is
part of a series of crimes.
OR
Continue with Item INCIDENTHATECRIME if the
incident is NOT part of a series of crimes.
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You have told me about the most recent incident. How many times did this kind of thing happen
to you during the last 6 months?
● Enter a number between 6-996.
SERIESNUMTIMES
SERIESNUMTIMES
Item SERIESNUMTIMES is used to verify how many
incidents are included in the series for the 6-month
reference period. Do NOT include an incident in the series
that happened before the first day of the reference period or
on the day of the interview. It is possible that a respondent
may give you a different number of incidents now that
he/she has provided details for the most recent incident.
Number of Incidents
Differs from Item
INCIDENTNUMBER
OFTIMES
If the respondent gives you a number that is different than
the number of incidents provided in Item
INCIDENTNUMBEROFTIMES, enter the new number in
Item SERIESNUMTIMES. If the number of incidents is less
than six, the incidents do not qualify as a series. If the
number of incidents is six or more, the incidents still qualify
as a series. If the number given in Item SERIESNUMTIMES
is six or more incidents, do NOT change the number of
incidents entered in Item INCIDENTNUMBER OFTIMES,
even if they do not match.
Less Than Six Incidents
In most cases, this will not happen. However, if you
determine that there are less than six incidents, then this
incident is NOT part of a series of crimes and you must
correct the "Number of incidents" in Item
INCIDENTNUMBEROFTIMES, and:
✓ Complete a separate set of incident report items for each
incident that happened during the reference period.
Don't Know
If the respondent cannot give you the number of incidents in
the series of crimes, enter “Ctrl + D” for “Don’t know.” This
brings up Item SERIESDK.
After completing Item SERIESNUMTIMES, continue with
Item SERIESWHICHMONTHQ1 when conducting interviews
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between January and September. Otherwise, continue with
Item SERIESWHICHMONTHQ2.
SERIESDK
Is that because there is no way of knowing, or because it
happened too many times, or is there some other reason?
1 No way of knowing
2 Happened too many times
3 Some other reason – specify
SERIESDK
Ask SERIESDK to find out why the respondent is unable to
give you the number of incidents. Based on the respondent's
answer:
✓
Enter Precode (1) when the respondent has no way of
knowing the number of incidents.
✓
Enter Precode (2) when the crime happened too many
times for the respondent to give you a number.
✓
Enter Precode (3) when the respondent gives you a
reason OTHER THAN those mentioned in Precodes
(1) or (2) and then explain the reason on the "Specify"
screen, SERIESDKSPEC.
After coding Item SERIESDK continue with:
●
Item SERIESWHICHMONTHQ1 when you are
conducting an interview between January and
September;
●
Otherwise, continue with Item
SERIESWHICHMONTHQ2.
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In what month or months did these incidents take place?
● Probe: How many in (name months)?
● TOTAL NUMBER OF TIMES: 7
● Enter 0 for none
2017: AUG SEP
SERIESWHICHMONTHQ3
SERIESWHICHMONTH
Q1-Q4
Items SERIESWHICHMONTHQ1-Q4 are used to
identify in which quarter(s) of the calendar year the
incidents in the series happened. Ask the initial
question to identify the month(s) in which these
incidents occurred.
These four screens are asked based on the interview
month:
●
Item SERIESWHICHMONTHQ1 is asked when
conducting interviews from January through
September.
●
Item SERIESWHICHMONTHQ2 is asked when
conducting interviews from April through
December.
●
Item SERIESWHICHMONTHQ3 is asked when
conducting interviews from January through
March and July through December.
●
Item SERIESWHICHMONTHQ4 is asked when
conducting interviews from January through
June and October through December.
These screens also display information that can help
you in coding this item. In the third line, the display
shows “Total number of times.” This shows the
number of times that were reported in the beginning
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of the incident report. At the bottom of the
information pane the instrument displays the year
and the names of up to three months that are within
that quarter, as well as the respondent’s reference
period. In the screen as shown above, August and
September are part of the respondent’s reference
period within the third quarter of the year.
Respondent Has
Difficulty Answering
If the respondent has difficulty remembering how
many incidents took place by month or quarter:
✓ Do not rush the respondent; allow sufficient time
for him/her to recall these incidents.
✓ Use neutral probe questions to help the
respondent remember, such as "Did this type
of incident happen about an equal number of
times in July as it did in August and
September or did it happen more in August
and September than it did in July?"
✓ If your probing questions fail, ask the respondent
to give you his/her best estimate. For example,
"You told me this type of incident happened
(number entered in Item SERIESNUMTIMES).
Please give me your best estimate of how
many times the incident happened in July
and how many times in August and
September."
Recording Numbers in
Item
SERIESWHICHMONTHQ1Q4
Once you determine how many incidents from the
series happened in each quarter within the reference
period, enter the exact number in the appropriate
answer spaces for the quarter. You may need to add
together incidents by month to arrive at the total to
enter for a quarter. If no incidents in the series
happened during a particular quarter, enter Precode
(0) in the answer space for that quarter.
Only include incidents that happened after the first
day of the reference period and up to, but not
including, the day of interview. Probe as necessary
to get a precise number and do not enter a range of
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numbers. Only enter “Don’t know” (Ctrl + D) when
you have asked probing questions and the
respondent still cannot provide an answer.
The number of incidents in Items
INCIDENTNUMBEROFTIMES, SERIESNUMTIMES,
and SERIESWHICHMONTHQ1-Q4 should be
independent. Do not attempt to reconcile any
differences for a series of incidents, as long as the
total number in each of these items is at least six
incidents. Also, do not change the date entered in
Item INCIDENTDATE or the answers to Items
INCIDENTSSIMILAR or RECALLDETAILS.
After completing Items SERIESWHICHMONTHQ1Q4, continue with Item SERIESLOCATION.
Did all, some, or none of these incidents occur in the same place?
1 All in the same place
2 Some in the same place
3 None in the same place
SERIESLOCATION
SERIESLOCATION
Item SERIESLOCATION is used to find out if the
incidents in the series all happened in the same
place, or if only some happened in the same place,
or if none of them happened in the same place or
location. Enter Precode (1) for "All in the same
place," Precode (2) for "Some in the same place,"
and Precode (3) for "None in the same place." Only
enter one precode in Item SERIESLOCATION.
After completing this item, you continue with Item
SERIESOFFENDER.
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Were all, some, or none of these incidents done by the same person(s)?
1 All by same person
2 Some by same person
3 None by same person
4 Don't know
SERIESOFFENDER
SERIESOFFENDER
Item SERIESOFFENDER is asked to find out if the
offender(s) in all, some, or none of the incidents in
the series were the same person(s). Enter Precode
(1) if the offender(s) in ALL of the incidents were
the same person(s). Enter Precode (2) if the
offender(s) in SOME of the incidents were the
same person(s). Enter Precode (3) if the offender in
each of the incidents was a different person. Only
enter one precode in Item SERIESOFFENDER.
After entering Precode (1), (2), or (3), continue with
SERIESOFFENDERRELATION.
If the respondent is unable to answer this question,
enter Precode (4) and continue with Item
SAMETHINGEACHTIME.
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What (was/were) the relationship(s) of the offender(s) to you?
For example, friend, spouse, schoolmate, etc.?
● Probe: Anything else?
RELATIVE:
11 Spouse at time of incident
12 Ex-spouse at time of incident
13 Parent or step-parent
14 Own child or step-child
15 Brother/sister
16 Other relative - Specify
NONRELATIVE:
17 Boyfriend or girlfriend, ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend
18 Friend or ex-friend
19 Roommate, boarder
20 Schoolmate
21 Neighbor
22 Customer/client
23 Patient
24 Supervisor (current or former)
25 Employee (current or former)
26 Co-worker (current or former)
27 Teacher/school staff
28 Other nonrelative - Specify
SERIESOFFENDERRELATION
SERIESOFFENDER
RELATION
Item SERIESOFFENDERRELATION is used to
identify the relationship of each offender involved in
the series of crimes to the respondent at the time
of the incident. If there was more than one offender,
enter all appropriate precodes. Continue asking
“Anything else?” until you get a “No” reply. Make
sure the respondent understands that we are
interested only in the relationship of each offender
to the respondent, and NOT any relationships
between one offender and another offender.
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The relationships are separated into two groups–
Precodes (11) through (16) are grouped under the
heading "Relative" and Precodes (17) through (28)
are grouped under the heading "Nonrelative."
Precode (11)
Enter Precode (11) if the offender was either the
husband or wife of the respondent at the time of the
incident, regardless of whether or not they are still
married at the time of the interview.
Precode (12)
Enter Precode (12) if the offender was an exspouse (ex-husband or ex-wife) of the respondent
at the time of the incident. Accept the respondent's
answer without probing to determine whether they
are divorced or separated.
Precode (13)
Enter Precode (13) if the offender was a father,
mother, stepfather, or stepmother to the
respondent. Do not enter Precode (13) if the
offender was a mother-in-law or father-in-law,
instead enter Precode (16), “Other relative,” and
then enter the relationship to the respondent at the
time of the incident on the “Specify” screen,
SERIESOFFENDERRELATION14SPEC.
Precode (14)
Enter Precode (14) if the offender is a child of the
respondent by birth, adoption, or marriage, such as
a son, daughter, step-son, or step-daughter.
Precode (14) is not intended for foster children;
instead enter Precode (28), "Other nonrelative,"
and enter the relationship on the "Specify" screen,
SERIESOFFENDERRELATION26SPEC
Precode (15)
Enter Precode (15) if the offender is a brother or
sister of the respondent or the child of a
respondent's step-parent. Precode (15) is not
intended for "brother-in-laws" or "sister-in-laws;"
instead enter Precode (16), “Other,” and enter the
relationship on the "Specify" screen,
SERIESOFFENDERRELATION14SPEC.
Precode (16)
Enter Precode (16) if the offender is a relative of
the respondent OTHER THAN the relationships
described in Precodes (11) through (14). Enter
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Precode (16) if the offender is a child, aunt, uncle,
cousin, grandparent, in-law, or other relative of the
respondent by blood or marriage that is not covered
in Precodes (11) through (15).
After entering Precode (16), always enter the
relationship on the "Specify" screen,
SERIESOFFENDERRELATION14SPEC.
Precode (17)
Enter Precode (17) if the offender is a nonrelative
who has or has had romantic connections to the
respondent. For example, the offender and the
respondent were dating at the time of the incident
or used to date prior to the incident.
Precode (18)
Enter Precode (18) if the offender is a male or
female friend or past friend of the respondent AND
there is no romantic connection between the two
persons.
Precode (19)
Enter Precode (19) if the offender was not related
to the respondent by blood or marriage and lived
with the respondent as a roommate or boarder at
the time of the incident. Precode (19) is not
intended for “live-in” boyfriends/girlfriends; instead,
enter Precode (17) for those situations.
Precode (20)
Enter Precode (20) if the offender was not related
to the respondent by blood or marriage and
attended the same school as the respondent at the
time of the incident.
Precode (21)
Enter Precode (21) if the offender was not related
to the respondent by blood or marriage and was
living close enough to the respondent at the time of
the incident to be considered a neighbor.
Precode (22), (23), (24),
(25), (26)
Enter the most appropriate precode(s) from
Precodes (22), (23), (24), (25), and (26) if the
offenders are nonrelatives, but are known by the
respondent as business clients, patients, or
supervisors, employees, or co-workers, including
former supervisors, employees, or co-workers.
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Precode (27)
Enter Precode (27) if the offender is teacher or a
school staff member at the respondent’s school. If
the respondent works at the school, use the
appropriate precode (24), (25), or (26).
Precode (28)
Enter Precode (28) if the offender was not related
to the respondent by blood or marriage and the
nonrelative offender does not fit any of the
descriptions in Precodes (17) through (27). After
entering Precode (28), always enter the relationship
to the respondent on the "Specify" screen,
SERIESOFFENDERRELATION26SPEC, such as
the respondent's barber, electrician, and so on.
After completing Item
SERIESOFFENDERRELATION, continue with Item
SAMETHINGEACHTIME.
Did the same thing happen each time?
1 Yes
2 No
SAMETHINGEACHTIME
SAMETHINGEACHTIME
Item SAMETHINGEACHTIME is used to identify
how the incidents in the series may be different
from one another. If the respondent answers "Yes"
to this question, enter Precode (1), then continue
with TROUBLEONGOING. However, if the
respondent answers "No," enter Precode (2) and
then ask Item HOWINCIDENTSDIFFER (“How did
the incidents differ?”) to determine how they
were different.
For example, the offender may have vandalized the
shed in one of the incidents or perhaps the offender
used a weapon in two of the incidents. Make sure
to explain clearly what made the incidents different
on the “Specify” screen that will appear after
entering Precode (2). After completing Item
SAMETHINGEACHTIME and
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HOWINCIDENTSDIFFER, continue with Item
TROUBLEONGOING.
Is the trouble still going on?
1 Yes
2 No
TROUBLEONGOING
TROUBLEONGOING
Item TROUBLEONGOING is used to find out
whether the type of problem that was recurring in
the series of crimes is still continuing or has ended.
Enter Precode (1), "Yes," if the incidents are still
happening and continue with
SERIESCONTACTORNOT. If the respondent
answers "No," the instrument continues to
WHATENDEDIT (which asks, “What ended it?) to
determine what terminated these incidents.
If the problem or incidents in the series of crimes
has stopped, ask the question in WHATENDEDIT
and enter a description in the “Specify” space. For
example, the offender may have been arrested, the
respondent may have moved to another house, the
respondent may have changed schools, and so on.
Make sure to explain clearly what brought these
incidents to an end in the answer space. After
completing Item WHATENDEDIT, continue with
Item SERIESCONTACTORNOT.
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● Do not read to respondent
● Enter precode that best describes this series of crimes. If more than one category describes this
series, enter the appropriate precode with the lowest number
● Contact crimes:
11 Completed or threatened violence in the course of the victim's job (police officer, security
guard, psychiatric social worker, etc.)
12 Completed or threatened violence between spouses, other relatives, friends, neighbors, etc.
13 Completed or threatened violence at school or on school property
14 Other contact crimes (other violence, pocket picking, purse snatching, - Specify
● Non-contact crimes:
15 Theft or attempted theft of motor vehicles
16 Theft or attempted theft of motor vehicle parts (tire, hubcap, battery, attached car stereo,
etc.)
17 Theft or attempted theft of contents of motor vehicle, including unattached parts
18 Theft or attempted theft at school or on school property
19 Illegal entry of, or attempt to enter, victim's home, other building on property, second home,
hotel, motel
20 Theft or attempted theft from victim's home or vicinity by person(s) KNOWN to victim
(roommate, babysitter, etc.)
21 Theft or attempted theft from victim's home or vicinity by person(s) UNKNOWN to victim
22 Other theft or attempted theft (at work, while shopping, etc.) - Specify
SERIESCONTACTORNOT
SERIESCONTACTORNOT
Items SERIESCONTACTORNOT is used to help
classify the series of crimes as ONE type of crime.
It is very important that you enter the most accurate
precode to identify this series of crimes.
Based on the facts gathered to this point in the
interview, select and enter the first or lowest
numbered precode that best describes what
happened during this series of crimes. Since a
contact crime is always more serious than a noncontact crime, always enter the lowest precode
when more than one category describes this series
of crimes.
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Precodes (11) through (14) are grouped together
under the heading “Contact crimes.” Contact
crimes involve an actual or threatened face-to-face
physical confrontation between the offender and
the respondent. Precodes (15) through (22) are
grouped together under the heading “Non-contact
crimes.” Non-contact crimes do NOT involve an
actual or threatened physical confrontation between
the offender and the respondent.
Precode (11)
Enter Precode (11) when all incidents in the series
involve the offender physically attacking or
threatening to physically attack the respondent in
the course of the respondent's job. Only enter
Precode (11) if the incidents relate somehow to the
respondent's job. For example, a prison guard
reports eight incidents in which prisoners
threatened to physically harm her or an attendant at
a parking garage reports seven incidents in which
he was physically attacked and robbed while on the
job.
Precode (12)
Enter Precode (12) when all incidents in the series
involve completed or attempted violence between
spouses, other relatives, friends, neighbors, and so
on. For example, a respondent's nephew has
threatened to kill her on several occasions if she
does not give him money or a respondent's exspouse physically attacked her on several
occasions because she would not take him back.
Precode (13)
Enter Precode (13) when all incidents in the series
involve completed or threatened violence at school
or on school property. For example, a student
threatened to attack the respondent on several
occasions in the school parking lot.
Precode (14)
Enter Precode (14) when all incidents in the series
involve some type of physical violence or threat of
physical violence between the offender and the
respondent OTHER THAN those types described in
Precodes (11) through (13). After entering Precode
(14), make sure to explain clearly the type of violent
contact or threat of violent contact on the "Specify"
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screen, SERIESCONTACTORNOT14SPEC. For
example, someone grabbed respondent's purse
from her shoulder, knocked her down on the
ground, and ran with the purse on multiple
occasions.
Precode (15)
Enter Precode (15) if the series of incidents
involves the theft or attempted theft of motor
vehicles AND there was no contact between the
offender and the respondent.
Precode (16)
Enter Precode (16) if the series of incidents
involves the theft or attempted theft of parts
ATTACHED to a motor vehicle, such as hubcaps,
wheels, CD players, batteries, gasoline, attached
car stereos, and so on AND there was no contact
between the offender and the respondent.
Precode (17)
Enter Precode (17) if the series of incidents
involves the theft or attempted theft of items left
inside a motor vehicle that are NOT ATTACHED to
the motor vehicle, such as a bowling ball, cellular
phone, golf clubs, wallet, tools, clothes, and so on
AND there was no contact between the offender
and the respondent.
Precode (18)
Enter Precode (18) if the series of incidents
involves the theft or attempted theft of items
belonging to the respondent at school or on school
property AND there was no contact between the
offender and the respondent.
Precode (19)
Enter Precode (19) if the series of incidents
involves the illegal entry or attempted illegal entry
into the respondent's home, other building on
his/her property, a second home, or a motel or
hotel room where he/she is staying AND there was
no contact between the offender and the
respondent.
Precode (20)
Enter Precode (20) if the series of incidents
involves the theft or attempted theft from the
respondent's home or the property surrounding the
home by someone the respondent knows, such as
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a roommate, babysitter, or some other person
known to the respondent and this person did NOT
illegally enter the home or property. Do not enter
Precode (20) if there was any contact between the
offender and the respondent, instead enter the
appropriate precode from the contact crimes in
Precodes (11) through (14).
Precode (21)
Enter Precode (21) if the series of incidents
involves the theft or attempted theft from the
respondent's home or the property surrounding the
home by someone the respondent does NOT know,
such as an appliance repair person or traveling
sales person and this person did NOT illegally enter
the home or property. Do not enter Precode (21) if
there was any contact between the offender and
the respondent, instead enter the appropriate
precode from the contact crimes, Precodes (11)
through (14).
Precode (22)
Enter Precode (22) if the series of incidents
involves a theft or attempted theft and the
circumstances do not fit the descriptions in
Precodes (15) through (21). After entering Precode
(22), make sure to clearly explain the type of theft
or attempted theft on the "Specify" screen,
SERIESCONTACTORNOT22SPEC. Do not enter
Precode (22) if there was any contact between the
offender and the respondent, instead enter the
appropriate precode from the contact crimes,
Precodes (11) through (14).
After completing Item SERIESCONTACTORNOT,
continue with Item INCIDENTHATECRIME.
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Hate crimes or crimes of prejudice or bigotry occur when (an offender/offenders) target(s) people
because of one or more of their characteristics or religious beliefs.
Do you have any reason to suspect the incident just discussed was a hate crime or crime of
prejudice or bigotry?
1 Yes
2 No
INCIDENTHATECRIME
INCIDENTHATECRIME
Item INCIDENTHATECRIME is used to determine
whether the respondent has any reason to suspect
that the incident was a hate crime or crime of
prejudice or bigotry. Since Item
INCIDENTHATECRIME is the first in a series of
"hate crime" questions that continue through Item
TELLPOLICEHATECRIME, make sure to read the
lead-in statement and then continue by asking the
question in Item INCIDENTHATECRIME. As you
read the lead-in statement, choose the correct
wording based on whether there was one offender
or multiple offenders.
It is very important to read the lead-in statement
and ask the question exactly as it is worded on the
screen. This wording has been tested and analyzed
thoroughly and changing the wording during an
interview could jeopardize the results.
Explaining "Hate Crimes or
Crimes of Prejudice or
Bigotry"
If a respondent asks what you mean by the phrase
"hate crimes or crimes of prejudice or bigotry," you
can tell the respondent that it is a crime in which an
offender targets one or more persons out of hatred
towards certain characteristics associated with a
group. For example, because an offender hates all
persons of the Jewish faith, he spray painted a
swastika on the garage door of each household on
Main Street whose name on the mailbox sounded
Jewish to the offender.
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However, if a respondent claims that a classmate
keeps picking fights with her because she is jealous
of the respondent, this type of incident is NOT
considered a "hate crime" or a "crime of prejudice
or bigotry."
After entering Precode (1) for a "Yes" answer,
continue with Item
INCIDENTHATETARGETREASONS_RACE. After
entering Precode (2) for a "No" answer, continue
with Item Summary.
An offender/Offenders can target people for a variety of reasons, but we are only going to ask you
about a few today. Do you suspect the offender(s) targeted you because of...
Your race?
1 Yes
2 No
3 Don’t know
INCIDENTHATETARGETREASONS_RACE
Your religion?
INCIDENTHATETARGETREASONS_RELIGION
Your ethnic background or national origin (for example, people of Hispanic origin?)
INCIDENTHATETARGETREASONS_ETHNICITY
Any disability (by this I mean physical, mental, or developmental disabilities) you may have?
INCIDENTHATETARGETREASONS_DISABILITY
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Your gender?
INCIDENTHATETARGETREASONS_GENDER
Your sexual orientation?
INCIDENTHATETARGETREASONS_SEXUAL
INCIDENTHATE
TARGETREASONS:
_RACE, _RELIGION,
_ETHNICITY, _DISABILITY,
_GENDER,_SEXUAL
The INCIDENTHATETARGETREASONS items are
used to identify the type of prejudice that the
respondent suspects motivated the offender to
commit the crime. Notice that the
INCIDENTHATETARGETREASONS items start
with a lead-in statement and then continues with six
separate questions on race, religion, ethnic
background/national origin, disability, gender, and
sexual orientation.
Always read the lead-in statement and then ask the
first question:
"Do you suspect the offender(s) targeted you
because of your race?"
After asking this question, pause to let the
respondent answer. Enter Precode (1) for a "Yes"
answer, and Precode (2) for a "No" answer, and (3)
for “Don’t know.” Unless you get interrupted, you do
not need to ask the entire question for the
remaining questions. For example, just ask "Your
religion?"
Understanding "Race"
When we use the term "race," we mean whether the
person is White, Black/African American, American
Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian or
Other Pacific Islander. "Spanish, Hispanic or Latino"
relates to a person's ethnic background or national
origin, NOT to his/her race.
Reading Examples
Items
INCIDENTHATETARGETREASONS_ETHNICITY
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and
INCIDENTHATETARGETREASONS_DISABILITY
have examples in parentheses as part of the
question. These examples are included to help
avoid any misinterpretation of what we mean by
"ethnic background or national origin" and
"disabilities." Make sure to always include these
examples as you ask the question.
Understanding
“Sexual Orientation”
Most responents will probably understand what we
mean by “sexual orientation,” but,if someone seems
unsure, you can direct them to the FAQs.
After reading this statement, a respondent may tell you
that he/she meant something different. If this happens,
correct your entry for question
INCIDENTHATETARGETREASONS_SEXUAL.
Understanding "Gender"
Most respondents will probably understand what we
mean by "gender," but, if someone seems unsure, you
can direct them to the FAQs.
After completing the
INCIDENTHATETARGETREASONS items, continue
with Item
INCIDENTHATETARGETWHOYOUKNOW.
Some offenders target people because they associate with certain people or the (offender
perceives/offenders perceive) them as having certain characteristics or religious beliefs.
Do you suspect you were targeted because of...
Your association with people who have certain characteristics or religious beliefs (for example, a
multiracial couple)?
1 Yes
2 No
3 Don’t know
INCIDENTHATETARGETWHOYOUKNOW
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INCIDENTHATE
TARGETWHO
YOUKNOW
Part B, Chapter 4
After completing Item
INCIDENTHATETARGETREASONS, read the
lead-in statement first in Item
INCIDENTHATETARGETWHOYOUKNOW and
then ask the question to determine if the
respondent feels that the offender targeted
him/her due to the respondent's association with
persons who have specific characteristics,
such as being Asian, Catholic, Hispanic, physically
disabled, male or female, homosexual, and so on.
Here is an example: An offender is prejudiced
against homosexuals and believes that the
respondent is homosexual because she lives with
a woman who is known to be homosexual.
After entering Precode (1) for “Yes,” use the
“Specify” screen to enter a brief description of
WHY the respondent suspects that he/she was
targeted due to his/her association with people
who have certain characteristics or religious
beliefs. Enter Precode (2) for a “No” response.
After completing Item
INCIDENTHATETARGETWHOYOUKNOW,
continue with Item
INCIDENTHATETARGETRELIGION.
Do you suspect you were targeted because of...
The offender(s)'s perception of your characteristics or religious beliefs (for example, the
offender(s) thought you were Jewish because you went into a synagogue)?
1 Yes
2 No
3 Don’t know
INCIDENTHATETARGETRELIGION
INCIDENTHATE
TARGETRELIGION
Item INCIDENTHATETARGETRELIGION is asked to
determine if the respondent feels that the offender
targeted him/her due to the offender's perception of
the respondent's characteristics or religious beliefs.
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Here is an example: An offender is prejudiced against
persons of Italian ancestry. This offender believes that
Tina Martino is Italian because of her personal
characteristics and her name.
After entering Precode (1) for “Yes,” use the “Specify”
screen, INCIDENTHATETARGETRELIGION_SPEC to
enter a brief description of WHY the respondent
suspects that he/she was targeted due to the offender(s)
perception of his/her characteristics or religious beliefs.
Enter Precode (2) for a “No” response. After completing
Item INCIDENTHATETARGETRELIGION, continue with
either:
Item INCIDENTHAVEEVIDENCEHATE if you
entered at least ONE Precode (1), “Yes,” in any of
the six INCIDENTHATETARGETREASONS items,
INCIDENTHATETARGETWHOYOU KNOW, or
INCIDENTHATETARGETRELIGION.
OR
Item SUMMARY if you entered all Precode (2), “No”
or Precode (3), “Don’t know” answers in the six
INCIDENTHATETARGETREASONS items,
INCIDENTHATETARGETWHOYOUKNOW, or
INCIDENTHATETARGETRELIGION.
Do you have any evidence that this incident was a hate crime or crime of prejudice or bigotry?
1 Yes
2 No
3 Don’t know
INCIDENTHAVEEVIDENCEHATE
INCIDENTHAVE
EVIDENCEHATE
Item INCIDENTHAVEEVIDENCEHATE is designed
to find out if the respondent has any evidence that
the reported incident was a hate crime or a crime of
prejudice or bigotry.
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After entering Precode (1) for a "Yes" answer,
continue with Item
INCIDENTEVIDENCEHATE_MAKEFUN to
determine what type of evidence the respondent
has.
After entering Precode (2) for a "No" answer or
Precode (3) for a "Don't know" answer, continue
with
INCIDENTHAVEEVIDENCEHATE_SUGGEST.
Did the offender(s) say something, write anything, or leave anything behind at the crime scene
that would suggest you were targeted because of your characteristics or religious beliefs?
INCIDENTHAVEEVIDENCEHATE_SUGGEST
INCIDENTHAVE
EVIDENCEHATE _SUGGEST
INCIDENTHAVEEVIDENCEHATE_SUGGEST is
designed to help ensure that we get an accurate
answer concerning evidence of a hate crime.
If the probe question results in a "Yes" answer,
enter Precode (1) and continue with Item
INCIDENTEVIDENCEHATE_MAKEFUN. If the
probe question results in a “No” answer, enter
Precode (2) and continue with Item SUMMARY.
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The next questions ask about the evidence you have that makes you suspect this incident was a hate
crime or a crime of prejudice or bigotry. As I read the following questions, please tell me if any of
the following happened:
Did the offender(s) make fun of you, make negative comments, use slang, hurtful words, or abusive
language?
1 Yes
2 No
3 Don’t know
INCIDENTEVIDENCEHATE_MAKEFUN
Were any hate symbols present at the crime scene to indicate the offender(s) targeted you for a
particular reason (for example, a swastika, graffiti on the walls of a temple, a burning cross, or
written words)?
1 Yes
2 No
3 Don’t know
INCIDENTEVIDENCEHATE_SYMBOLS
Did a police investigation confirm the offender(s) targeted you (for example, did the offender(s)
confess a motive, or did the police find books, journals, or pictures that indicated the offender(s)
(was/were) prejudiced against people with certain characteristics or religious beliefs)?
1 Yes
2 No
3 Don’t know
INCIDENTEVIDENCEHATE_POLICETARGET
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Do you know if the offender(s) (has/have) committed similar hate crimes or crimes of prejudice or
bigotry in the past?
1 Yes
2 No
3 Don’t know
INCIDENTEVIDENCEHATE_OFFENDERDIDSAME
Did the incident occur on or hear a holiday, event, location, gathering place, or building commonly
associated with a specific group (for example, at the Gay Pride March or at a synagogue, Korean
church, or gay bar)?
1 Yes
2 No
3 Don’t know
INCIDENTEVIDENCEHATE_NEARHOLIDAY
Have other hate crimes or crimes of prejudice or bigotry happened to you or in your
area/neighborhood where people have been targeted?
1 Yes
2 No
3 Don’t know
INCIDENTEVIDENCEHATE_OTHERLIKECRIMES
I INCIDENTEVIDENCE
H HATE_MAKEFUN,
_ _SYMBOLS, _POLICETARGET,
_OFFENDERDIDSAME,
_ _NEARHOLIDAY,
_OTHERLIKECRIMES
Items INCIDENTEVIDENCE HATE_MAKEFUN
through
INCIDENTEVIDENCEHATE_OTHERLIKECRIMES
ask about specific evidence that a crime was a
hate crime.
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The next questions ask about the evidence you have that makes you suspect this incident was a hate
crime or a crime of prejudice or bigotry. As I read the following questions, please tell me if any of
the following happened:
Do your feelings, instincts, or perception lead you to suspect this incident was a hate crime or crime
of prejudice or bigotry, but you do not have enough evidence to know for sure?
1 Yes
2 No
3 Don’t know
INCIDENTHATE_FELT_BELIEVED
INCIDENTHATE_FELT_BELIEVED
Item INCIDENTHATE_FELT_BELIEVED is
designed to pinpoint the type of evidence
that leads the respondent to suspect that the
reported incident was a hate crime or a
crime of prejudice or bigotry.
After completing Item
INCIDENTHATE_FELT_BELIEVED,
continue with Item
TELLPOLICEHATECRIME.
At any time, did you tell the police that you believed the incident was a hate crime or crime of
prejudice or bigotry?
1 Yes
2 No
TELLPOLICEHATECRIME
TELLPOLICEHATE
CRIME
Item TELLPOLICEHATECRIME is the last "hate
crime" question in the incident report items and is
used to determine if the respondent told the police
that he/she believed the incident was motivated by
the offender's hatred, prejudice, or bigotry.
After entering Precode (1) for "Yes" or Precode (2)
for "No" continue with the summary for the incident.
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PERSON: JOHN DOE
Part B, Chapter 4
SOURCE: SQTHEFT MONTH: October
NOTES: L1's bike stolen from carport
WHERE: Own yard/sidewalk/driveway/carport/unenclosed porch.
Respondent and other household member(s) were not present.
WEAPON: No weapon present
Not attacked and Not threatened
STOLE: Bicycle
Summarize this incident. Also include any details about the incident that were not asked about in
the incident report that might help clarify the incident.
SUMMARY
SUMMARY
The SUMMARY screen is designed for you to
summarize all of the pertinent facts surrounding a
reported crime incident. Write each summary report
so that anyone reading it can get a clear, welldefined picture of how the respondent was
victimized.
Include in the summary report any details that you
feel are not evident from the answers in the incident
report items. This is very important, because before
sending a case for processing, editors often need
more specific details than they can get from other
entries for the incident report items. When this
happens, they must rely on what is written in your
summary report.
As you write your summary report, be careful not to
use misleading words, phrases, or vague terms that
may raise more questions about the incident,
instead of clarifying what really happened.
For example:
When you ask if the offender threatened the
respondent with harm in any way, the respondent
answers "No." Also, the respondent tells you in
Item WHATHAPPEN that her husband was
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harassing her and using abusive language.
However, in the summary report, you use the
phrase "verbally threatened her." Be careful that
the words and phrases you use in summary reports
help explain the situation, instead of adding
confusion.
Key Points to Cover
Use these key words to jog your memory when
writing a summary report--who, what, where,
when, and how.
Who - Using the person's line number (L1, L2, and
so on) from the household roster, identify all
household members who were involved in the
incident, even if the member was a noninterview.
Also include any nonhousehold members who were
involved in the incident. In the summary report,
identify that they are nonhousehold members and
use specific descriptions, such as "friend,"
"neighbor," or "co-worker" to show their relationship
to the respondent. Avoid using pronouns to
describe persons involved in an incident.
Reminder:
If other current household members who are at
least 12 years old were also victims of a personal
crime with contact, you need to complete a
separate set of incident report items for each of
these persons who you are able to interview.
What - Explain the type of crime and any pertinent
details related to the crime incident--purse stolen &
offender threatened to stab L1 while she was
washing her hands.
Where - Explain where the crime took place--in a
restaurant restroom.
When - Explain when the incident took place–At
8:30 p.m. on December 21.
How - Explain how the crime was executed-offender yanked purse from L1's shoulder & ran/no
injury to L1/reported to police/property not
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recovered.
Weapons Used
Item WEAPONPRESENT - Did the offender have
a weapon such as a gun or knife, or something
to use as a weapon, such as a bottle or
wrench?
Item WEAPON - What was the weapon?
Anything else?
If a respondent tells you at Items
WEAPONPRESENT and WEAPON that an
offender had a weapon other than any type of gun,
rifle, shotgun, or knife, your summary report needs
to explain if and how this object was used as a
weapon OR if the offender threatened to use this
object as a weapon. Since guns, rifles, shotguns,
and knives are obviously weapons, it is not
necessary to explain if and how any of these
weapons were used as a weapon in the summary
report.
For example:
L1 was arguing with neighbor/neighbor picked up
rock/threw it at L1 & hit L1 in head/L1 treated at
hospital emergency room & got 4 stitches for the
cut.
Thrown objects are only considered weapons if
they hit and seriously injure the respondent. BB
guns and tear gas guns are only considered
weapons if they are used as clubs.
The following objects are NEVER considered
weapons:
✖ Animals
✖ Parts of the body (for example: hands, feet,
etc.)
✖ Small empty cans
✖ Mace or pepper spray
✖ Tear gas
✖ Chloroform
✖ Rings
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✖ Casts
Sex-Related Crimes
Since sex-related crimes are rare compared to
other types of crimes, include as many details as
the respondent is willing to provide. This is
important so that we can classify any sex-related
crimes into the correct category--rape, attempted
rape, sexual assault, or unwanted sexual contact.
Avoid using phrases like "made sexually explicit
comments," "unwanted sexual contact," or
"unwanted sexual advances." These phrases do
not provide us with enough information to
determine what actually happened. We need to
know what was actually said, what parts of the
body were touched, whether or not force was used,
and so on.
Even though we want all the pertinent facts, do not
probe beyond the structured probes that are
provided for Items WHATHAPPEN,
HOWTRYATTACK, HOWTHREATEN,
HOWATTACK, and INJURY. For example, here is
the structured probe question for Item
WHATHAPPEN, which appears in Item
SEXCONFORCEPROBE_1: "You mentioned
some type of unwanted sexual contact with
force. Do you mean forced or coerced sexual
intercourse including attempts?"
Threats
In the summary, describe the specific nature of the
threat, for example, “Threatened to hurt
respondent,” “Threatened to rape respondent,”
“Threatened to kill respondent,” “Threatened to
beat up the respondent.”
The threat must be in person. Threats over the
phone, by email, text message, or on the internet
do not count as threats for the NCVS.
Stolen Property
Item ATTEMPTTHEFTOWNER - "Did the
(property/money) the offender tried to take
belong to you personally, to someone else in
the household, or to both you and other
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household members?"
Item WHOOWNEDSTOLENPROPERTY - "Did
the stolen (property/money) belong to you
personally, to someone else in the household,
or to both you and other household members?"
Items ATTEMPTTHEFTOWNER and
WHOOWNEDSTOLENPROPERTY relate to
ownership of property and/or money that an
offender tried to steal or stole. If property and/or
money involved in the incident belongs to the
respondent AND other household members OR just
to other household members, make sure to
specifically identify these persons by their line
numbers (L1, L2, and so on).
If property and/or money involved in the incident
belongs to nonhousehold members, mention that
they are nonhousehold members, along with a
specific description of their relationship to the
respondent, such as co-worker, friend, cousin, and
so on.
Also, if multiple items that were jointly owned by
household and nonhousehold members were
stolen or attempted to be stolen, record which items
belonged to nonhousehold members.
Item PROPERTYVALUE - "What was the value
of the PROPERTY that was taken? Include
recovered property. (Exclude any stolen cash,
checks, or credit cards. If jointly owned with a
nonhousehold member(s), include only the
share owned by household members.)"
When completing Item PROPERTYVALUE,
please note: If stolen property is jointly owned by
one or more household members together with one
or more nonhousehold members, only include the
dollar amount for the portion that was owned by the
household members.
When identifying the value of stolen property that
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was owned jointly by a household member and a
nonhousehold member, show a separate dollar
amount in your summary report to differentiate
between the share owned by the household
member and the share owned by the nonhousehold
member. Do not use names in your summary
report; instead, use line numbers for household
members and relationships to the respondent for
nonhousehold members.
Offender is a Police Officer
Whenever an offender is a police officer, there are
specific facts that we need to have in your
summary report. Include as many of these facts as
you can gather. Be diplomatic and ask for the
following facts in a way that does not aggravate the
respondent:
✓ Get a complete description of both the officer's
and the victim's actions.
✓ Find out if the officer used or attempted to use
his/her gun or billy club.
✓ Determine if the victim signed a complaint and,
if so, include any additional details (for
example, victim was arrested).
✓ Ascertain whether any property was confiscated
by the police. If so, find out what was done with
the confiscated property--was it returned, kept
as evidence, and so on.
Commercial Establishment
If a crime incident occurred at a business or
commercial establishment, include in your
summary report as many facts as possible to
provide a complete picture of what took place. Also,
make sure to mention whether the business is
recognizable or unrecognizable.
For example:
L2 was shot in arm during clothing store robbery
(recognizable business)/Off. shot L2 with small
handgun as L2 reached under register to set off
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burglar alarm/L2 treated @ emergency room/Store
clothing & displays damaged/store closed for 2
days/Est. $50k in stolen money, damages & lost
sales to store/Off. arrested.
Although the NCVS is not interested in the theft of
property or cash belonging to a recognizable
business, we do want this information in the
summary report when it helps in describing a
situation in which:
✓ Personal property was also stolen from a
household member.
✓ A household member received a face-to-face
threat of physical harm, was attacked, or an
attempt was made to attack the household
member.
✓ Someone illegally entered, broke into, or
attempted to break into the sample housing
unit.
Series of Crimes
When writing a summary report for series of crimes,
start by providing a GENERAL description of the
entire series of incidents. For the last or most
recent incident in the series, provide a DETAILED
description of the incident following the who, what,
where, when, and how format.
Verifying Summary Reports
Once you have completed the summary report,
ALWAYS read it back to the respondent. This gives the
respondent a final opportunity to either change or add
any facts that may provide a clearer picture of the crime
incident.
Lengthy Summary Reports
The SUMMARY screen allows for a summary
description of up to 300 characters. If you need more
space, you may add information about an incident in the
Case Level Notes. The Case Level Notes can be
accessed at the SUMMARY screen, as well as
throughout the instrument by pressing the “Ctrl” + “F7”
keys.
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Things to Avoid
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
When writing summary reports for crime incidents, avoid
the following bad habits:
✖ Using very general or vague statements or any
unnecessary words or phrases. Write the facts in
short, concise sentences.
✖ Using the exact wording from the answer categories
in the instrument.
✖ Using pronouns (she, he, him, her, they, their, and so
on), instead of line numbers.
✖ Using abbreviations that most editors would not
understand. If you must abbreviate, use the
abbreviations list in the NCVS instrument by entering
Shift + F11 at the SUMMARY screen. Lists of
standard abbreviations can also be found in the
NCVS-554 “Field Representative Information Card
Booklet,” and Part B, Chapter 5 of this manual.
✖ Omitting pertinent facts that could help clarify details
of an incident.
Examples of Good Summary
Reports
Some examples of good summary reports:
☺ At 10 p.m. on Aug. 4, L1's drunken ex-spouse
(nonhousehold member) was arguing & using
abusive language while in L1's home/ex-spouse
refused to leave & threatened to burn down the
house if L1 didn't take him back/police arrested exspouse/no injury to L1/lamp 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. mgr.) was shot in the
arm by angry evicted tenant in L2's office/small hand
gun used/police notified & off. arrested/L2
hospitalized overnight.
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☺ At 2 a.m. on Dec. 12, off. attempted to break into
L1's home/no one present/security alarm scared off.
& off. ran away/damage 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 customer/no injuries or store
damage/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.
Examples of Bad
Summary Reports
Some examples of bad summary reports:
☹ There was unwanted sexual contact between off. and
L2 with no injuries.
☹ Sam was threatened by his co-worker in an office
building. There were no injuries.
☹ Rsp. sd she was shot at while walking down the
street/offenders were arrested.
☹ Rsp. was involved in a car jacking/threatened to
shoot/not far from home/police notified.
☹ Was on way to school/music compact discs
stolen/$75/no police.
☹ Garage broken into/HH sleeping at time/bike
stolen/no police/no injuries.
☹ Same as before.
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NOTES
Incident Report Items
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Part B, Chapter 5
Chapter 5
Middle Section of the NCVS Instrument:
Additional Incidents, Unduplication, and Help Screens
Table of Topics
Topic
1 Screen Layout and Instructions for the Additional
Incident Items
2 Screen Layout and Instructions for the
Unduplication Items
3 Help Screens and Abbreviations
Additional Incidents, Unduplication, and Help Screens
B5-1
Page
B5-2
B5-7
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Part B, Chapter 5
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Topic 1. Screen Layout and Instructions for the
Additional Incidents Items
Importance of Completing
Incident Report Items
The incident report items are designed to gather detailed
information about each time an incident or victimization
occurred during the reference period.
It is your responsibility to:
Collect accurate information as you screen respondents
making sure to enter the "number of times" count
correctly for reported incidents, and
Complete a separate set of incident report items for
each "time" that an incident or victimization happened
during the reference period, regardless of how minor the
incident may seem.
Ideally, once all interviews are completed for a sample
household, the case should show the identical number of:
No Incident is Too Minor
Incidents reported in the screening section of the
instrument and
Sets of incident report items for the household.
Your main task is to gather as much information as possible
about each crime incident that occurred during the
reference period by asking all appropriate questions from
the NCVS instrument. It is not your responsibility to
determine whether or not a reported incident is important
enough to require completion of the Incident Report
questions. Leave that responsibility to the survey’s data
processing staff. They take all of the detailed information
you collect and use it to determine which reported incidents
classify as crimes.
Cutting corners to save time or appease a reluctant
respondent can jeopardize the value of the data that you
collect. Do not delete crime incidents for the wrong
reasons.
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Part B, Chapter 5
Here are a few examples of what NOT to do:
Example 1:
When an interviewer asked a respondent the question for
Item SQATTACKWHERE (attacks, threats, and stolen
items), the respondent replied that some of his money was
stolen from his bowling bag on two different nights while he
was bowling with his bowling league. Since the two reported
incidents sounded basically the same, the interviewer only
completed one set of incident report items. WRONG!
Even though the circumstances seem to be the same, the
respondent reported two distinct incidents and the
interviewer must complete two separate sets of incident
report items.
Example 2:
After an interviewer asked the question at Item SQSEXUAL
(forced or unwanted sexual acts), the young female
respondent answered "Yes." However, she told the
interviewer that she really did not want to discuss any
details about what happened to her. The interviewer
entered a "No" reply to this screen question, because the
interviewer didn't think he could persuade the respondent to
complete the incident report items. WRONG!
The interviewer must record the "Yes" answer given by the
respondent, and make every effort to persuade the
respondent to answer the incident report questions. If he
can't persuade the respondent to complete the incident
report items for an incident, then the interviewer must
classify the respondent as a refusal and the respondent's
interview is considered incomplete.
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Did the respondent mention additional incidents for the household or himself not already
Covered that were within the last 6 months, that is between:
July 01, 2015 AND January 01, 2016
1 Yes: another incident needed for this person
2 No: NONE to add
INCIDENTTOADD
INCIDENTTOADD
The INCIDENTTOADD screen always appears following
the SUMMARY screen after ALL incidents reported in the
screener section have been completed. You can use the
INCIDENTTOADD screen to:
Add an incident for a household member.
Record that there are no additional incidents for the
household member.
When Precode (1), “Yes: another incident needed for this
person” is selected the instrument goes to
INCIDENTNUMTOADD. Otherwise, it goes to
CRIME_END.
INCIDENTNUMTOADD
How many incidents do you want to add?
Enter a number between 1-25
INCIDENTNUMTOADD
Use this screen to enter the number of additional incidents
you have discovered for this respondent. After recording the
number of incidents that you need to add, continue with item
INCIDENTTOADDWHY.
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INCIDENTTOADDWHY
Explain why incidents were added (i.e. what happened)
INCIDENT TOADDWHY
Use the INCIDENTTOADDWHY screen to describe the
additional incident(s), similar to the descriptions entered in
the screener section of the instrument, such as in item
SQTHEFTSPEC. After entering your explanation, continue
to complete the incident report items for the first incident
that you added. Complete a separate incident report for
each incident that you added, starting at the
INCIDENT_INTRO screen.
If you enter Precode (2), “No,” at the INCIDENTTOADD
screen, continue with the CRIME_END screen.
All incident reports completed for: James Boe
NO
NAME
SOURCE
STATUS
_________________________________________________________________________________
1
James Boe
SQTHEFT
One REGULAR
incident
CRIME_END
CRIME_END
CRIME_END marks the end of the incident report section
and lets you know that you have completed all reported
incidents for the household member.
If multiple incidents were reported by the respondent or
multiple incidents for the household (that is, other
respondents also reported incidents) the instrument
continues to INTRO_UNDUP in the unduplication section.
The instrument also continues with the unduplication
section when there were incidents recorded during the last
enumeration, even if there was only one incident reported
for the household during this enumeration. If there is only
one incident report and no incidents reported in the last
Additional Incidents, Unduplication, and Help Screens
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enumeration, the instrument continues to the
sociodemographic section.
Additional Incidents, Unduplication, and Help Screens
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Part B, Chapter 5
Topic 2. Screen Layout and Instructions for the
Unduplication Items
Now it will just take me a minute to review the crime incidents I have
recorded from you during this interview at your household.
Enter 1 to continue
INTRO_UNDUP
INTRO_UNDUP
The unduplication process starts with the INTRO_UNDUP
screen. Unduplicating or bounding interviews is an NCVS
process to ensure that each reported incident is not a
duplicate of another incident already reported for the
respondent or the sample household in the current and
previous enumerations periods. (If an incident is
identified as a duplicate, it is then omitted from any further
duplicate checking.)
The unduplication process is designed to avoid listing
duplicate incidents. This could occur when:
The incident actually happened and was reported in a
previous enumeration period and did not occur again
during the current enumeration period, but was reported
again during the current enumeration period.
The incident was reported already by another
household member during the current enumeration
period, such as a household break-in and robbery in
which no household members were threatened,
attacked, or personally victimized during the incident.
However, if any household members were personally
victimized during a crime incident, complete a separate
incident report for each household member who was
personally victimized during the incident.
This quality assurance measure is designed so that we can
provide a more accurate measure of criminal victimization in
the United States.
Additional Incidents, Unduplication, and Help Screens
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Read the statement at INTRO_UNDUP to let the
respondent know what you are doing for the next few
minutes of the interview. After reading this statement to the
respondent, enter Precode (1) to move to the next screen
and begin the unduplication process. When there are
multiple incidents reported by the respondent and/or other
respondents in the household, the instrument goes to item
UNDUP_CURINC. However, if there is only one incident
reported by the current respondent and no other incidents
reported by other respondents the instrument continues
with item UNDUP_OLD.
During the unduplication process, DO NOT discuss with the
respondent the incidents you are comparing, even to verify
that they are the same or different incidents. This tool is
provided because the respondent may have given you
information that is not readily available to staff who review
the data after it is collected.
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UNDUP_CURINC
Part B, Chapter 5
The UNDUP_CURINC screen, shown above, provides you
with pertinent facts about the current incident that you use to
compare this incident against other reported incidents, both
from the same respondent and from other respondents in
the same household. The UNDUP_CURINC screen
provides you with the following types of information about
the current incident: the enumeration period in which the
incident was reported, respondent's line number, month
incident occurred, where incident occurred, who was
present, weapon information, information on threats and
attacks, stolen items, and summary report information.
UNDUP_CURINC directs you to compare the two incidents
shown and determine whether the incident on the left is a
duplicate of the incident shown on the right. “Duplicate”
does not mean “similar.” Determine if the incident on the left
is the same incident that is displayed on the right side of the
Additional Incidents, Unduplication, and Help Screens
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screen. If it is a duplicate, enter precode (1) for “Yes.” If it is
not a duplicate, enter precode (2) for “No.”
This continues as all potential duplicate incidents are shown
for your review. When all incidents are reviewed, the
instrument takes you to UNDUP_OLDINC if there are
incidents from previous interviews to review for
unduplication. If there are no incidents from previous
interviews, the instrument takes you to UNDUP_DONE.
UNDUP_OLDINC
UNDUP_OLDINC looks similar to UNDUP_CURINC, but is
used for comparing and unduplicating current reported
incidents against up to four incidents reported in past
interviews. It instructs you to compare the two incidents
shown and determine whether the incident on the left
(currently reported incident) is a duplicate of the incident on
the right (previously reported incident). If it is a duplicate,
enter Precode (1) for “Yes.” If it is not a duplicate, enter
Precode (2) for “No.” When all old incidents have been
compared to current incidents, the instrument takes you to
UNDUP_DONE.
UNDUP_DONE
THIS PERSON DOES NOT HAVE ANY MORE
INCIDENTS TO REVIEW, CONTINUE WITH THE
INTERVIEW.
Enter 1 to continue
UNDUP_DONE
When incident review and unduplication is complete, the
UNDUP_DONE screen appears as shown above. Enter
Precode (1) to continue with the interview.
Additional Incidents, Unduplication, and Help Screens
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Part B, Chapter 5
Topic 3. Help Screens and Abbreviations
Introduction
As part of the NCVS instrument, several screens link to
“Help” screens which provide concept definitions and other
information relevant to the specific screen. If a “Help” screen
is available for a particular screen, a question mark icon
appears in the upper left corner of the info pane.
The NCVS instrument also has an abbreviation pop-up help
screen, which you can access at any time by pressing Shift
+ F11. In an effort to promote uniformity, you may use these
abbreviations to help save time and space and make it
easier for you to fit the summary report and any notes about
the case in the allotted space. However, avoid using
abbrevations unless it is necessary.
Listed below are the “Help” screens available for
specific NCVS items within the instrument:
SCREEN NAME--
SCREEN TEXT--
H_ABBREV
List of abbreviations interviewers can use to shorten the
SUMMARY and various notes.
H_STATE
Lists two-letter state abbreviations; can be accessed from
Items NEWADDSTATE, NEWMAIL STATE,
NEWADDSTATE_CP, NEWMAILSTATE _CP, and
INCIDENTSTATE.
H_PRESENCE
TO BE CONSIDERED PRESENT
a household member must be at the immediate scene of
the crime incident and there is an opportunity for the
offender to attack or threaten to physically harm a
household member or to take something directly from a
household member.
H_WEAPON
Objects that are NEVER considered weapons include
animals, parts of the body, small empty cans, mace or
pepper spray, tear gas, chloroform, rings, and casts.
BB guns and tear gas are only considered weapons when
used as clubs. Include these latter two items in Category 5:
"Blunt Object". If any object that is typically considered a
Additional Incidents, Unduplication, and Help Screens
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NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
weapon such as a knife or club is used only as a tool, it will
not be considered a weapon.
H_THEFT
What to Include/Exclude as Theft/Attempted Theft
INCLUDE:
- items belonging to any member of the household,
regardless of age, taken in a burglary or household theft.
- items belonging to any member of the household 12 years
of age or older.
- items regardless of value (for example, accept theft of
"worthless" and "priceless" items)
- items that are personal property of an individual
household member
- items that belong to the entire household
- items that belong to an unrecognizable business
EXCLUDE:
- items that belong to a recognizable business in the sample
unit, even if the business is owned by a household
member.
- items that belong to some other commercial
establishment, even if the business is owned by a
household member.
- items belonging to the owner of a house, apartment, or
room that a household member was renting at the time of
the incident.
- items belonging to a nonhousehold member
- items that the respondent or another household member
had borrowed from a nonhousehold member.
- items loaned to a friend, neighbor, etc., and not
returned. (However, if someone stole the items from the
friend, neighbor, etc., INCLUDE the items)
Additional Incidents, Unduplication, and Help Screens
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Part B, Chapter 5
- items belonging to a household member under age 12,
taken in any type of crime other than a burglary or
household theft.
H_DAMAGED
Include only items that were damaged but not stolen.
Include damaged items that belonged to an unrecognizable
business but exclude damaged items belonging to a
recognizable business.
H_POLICEINFORMED
'POLICE' refers to all regular police and sheriff departments
at the city, county, State, or Federal level of government. If
the victim or the offender was a police officer, probe to
determine if an official report was filed or if the police
department was notified.
H_NOTREPORTED
Structured Probe: Was the reason because you dealt with
it another way, it wasn't important enough to you, insurance
wouldn't cover it, police couldn't do anything, police
wouldn't help, or was there some other reason?
(This help screen is also available in Spanish.)
H_WHYREPORTED
Structured Probe: Did you report it to get help with this
incident, to recover your loss, to stop or punish the offender,
to let the police know about it, or was there some other
reason?
(This help screen is also available in Spanish.)
H_INTROLETTER
Includes the text that appears on the NCVS-572(L),
Introductory Letter.
H_NONINT
Type A/B/C noninterview reasons:
Type A Noninterviews
Language problems
No one home
Temporarily absent - Specify
Refused
Other occupied -Specify
Type B Noninterviews
Vacant - regular
Vacant - storage of household furniture
Additional Incidents, Unduplication, and Help Screens
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Temporarily occupied by persons with URE
Unfit or to be demolished
Under construction, not ready
Converted to temporary business or storage
Unoccupied site for mobile home, trailer, or tent
Permit granted, construction not started
Other - Specify
Type C Noninterviews
Demolished
House or trailer moved
Outside segment
Converted to permanent business or storage
Merged
Condemned
Unused line of listing sheet
Other- Specify
Unlocatable Sample Address
Unit does not exist or is out of scope
Permit abandoned
Listed below are the abbreviations found on the help screen that can be accessed by pressing
Shift + F11. In addition to using these abbreviations when preparing your summary report for an
incident, you can also use them when entering any other written entries or notes in the NCVS
instrument.
Additional, ADL
Address, ADR
Agendum, AG
Again, AGN
Answering Machine or Morning, AM
Answering Machine Message Left, AMML
Answering Machine No Message Left, AMNML
Answer, ANS
Appointment, APPT
Apartment, APT
Association, ASSN
Assessor, ASSR
Assistant, Assist, ASST
Avenue, AVE
Available, AVL
Building, BLDG
Additional Incidents, Unduplication, and Help Screens
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Block, BLK
Boulevard, BLVD
Broken, BRKN
Best Time, BT
Battery, BTRY
CallBack, CB
Could Not, CDNT
Central Daylight Time, CDT
Circle, CIR
Called, CLD
Closed, CLSD
Completed Interview, CMPINT
Count, CNT
Contact, CNTC
County, CNTY
Company, CO
Complete, COMP
Continue, CONT
Cooperate, COOP
Contact Person, CP
Court, CT
Central Standard Time, CST
Directory Assistance, DA
Daughter, DAU
Disconnected, DISC
Drive, DR
Descriptive Address, DSC ADR
Duplicate, DUP
East, E
Eastern Daylight Time, EDT
Exact Match, EM
Eastern Standard Time, EST
Female, F
Fast Data, FD
Find/Found, FND
Field Representative, FR
Front, FRNT
Friday, FRI
Foot/Feet (Distance), FT
Follow-up, FU
Forward, FWD
Gender Identity, GI
Guess Call Back, GCB
Group, Group Home, GRP
Additional Incidents, Unduplication, and Help Screens
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Part B, Chapter 5
Part B, Chapter 5
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Hard Call Back, HCB
Hang Up, HGUP
Household, HH
Household Member, HHM
History, HIST
Hawaiian Standard Time, HST
Housing Unit, HU
Highway, HWY
Identification, ID
Immediate, IMMD
Include, INCL
Income, INCM
Internet, INTRNT
Information, INFO
Inside, INSD
Interview/Interviewer, INT
Line Number, LN
Language Problem, LNG PRB
Laptop Computer, LPTP
Large, LRG
Listing Sheet, LS
Left, LT
Letter, LTR
Leave, LV
Male, M
Member, MBR
Mountain Daylight Time, MDT
Manager, MGR
Mobile Home Park, MHP
Mile(s), MI
Message Left, ML
Month, MO
Monday, MON
Missed Appointment, MSD APPT
Message, MSG
Mountain Standard Time, MST
Multiple Units, MU
Move, Moved, MV(D)
North, N
Not Available/Not Applicable, NA
Northeast, NE
Not in Service, NIS
No Message Left, NML
No One Home, NOH
Additional Incidents, Unduplication, and Help Screens
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Noninterview, NO INT
Nearby, NRBY
Number, #
Northwest, NW
Organization, ORG
Original Sample Person, OSP
Other, OTH
Outside, OTSD
Pacific Daylight Time, PDT
Person, PER
Phone, Phone Number, PH
Park, PRK
Parkway, PKY
Place, PL
Afternoon/Evening, PM
Property Manager, PMGR
Place of Business, POB
P.O. Box, PO BX
Place of Employment, POE
Possible, POS
Previous, PREV
Property, PROP
Partial Interview, PRT INT
Provide, PRVD
Pacific Standard Time, PST
Public Library, PUB LIB
Personal Visit, PV
Proxy, PXY
Question, QST
Questionnaire, QSTNR
Road/Rural Delivery, RD
Received, RECD
Refused, REF
Reference Person, REF PER
Request, REQ
Rooming House, RH
Reluctant, RLCT
Roommate, RM
Ring No Answer, RNA
Rural Route, RR
Rural Route Delivery, RRD
Respondent, RESP
Right, RT
Route, RTE
Additional Incidents, Unduplication, and Help Screens
B5-17
Part B, Chapter 5
Part B, Chapter 5
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
South, S
Sample Address, SA
Sample Person, SP
Sample Unit, SU
Saturday, SAT
Sexual Orientation, SO
Soft Call Back, SCB
Screen (computer), SCRN
Said, SD
Southeast, SE
Senior Field Representative, SFR
Signal, SGNL
Sheet#, Line#, S_L_
Small, SM
Spoke With, SP/W
Spanish Speaking, SS
Spanish Speaking Household, SSHH
Social Security Number, SSN
Street, ST
Status, STAT
Sunday, SUN
Supervisor, SUP
Southwest, SW
Temporarily Absent, TA
Terrace, TER
Thursday, THUR
Talk(ed), TLK(D)
Tomorrow, TOMO
Turnpike, TPK
Trail, TR
Trailer, TRLR
Trailer Park, TRLR PRK
Transmission/Transmitted, TRNSM
Transfer, TRSFR
Tuesday, TUE
Tax Assessor, TX AS
Unable to Locate, UTL
Vacant, VAC
Visited, VST(D)
West, W
Wednesday, WED
Within, W/IN
Additional Incidents, Unduplication, and Help Screens
B5-18
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Week, WK
Without, W/OUT
Wrong, WRG
World Wide Web/Internet, WWW
Time, Two Times, Three Times, etc., X, 2X, 3X, etc.
Extra, XTR
Yukon Daylight Time, YDT
Year(s), YR(S)
Yukon Standard Time, YST
Additional Incidents, Unduplication, and Help Screens
B5-19
Part B, Chapter 5
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 6
Chapter 6
Back Section of the NCVS Instrument
Table of Topics
Topic
Page
1 Introduction
B6-2
2 Screen Layout and Instructions
B6-3
Back Section of the NCVS Instrument
B6-1
Part B, Chapter 6
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Topic 1. Introduction
Wrapping Up the NCVS
Interview
The Back Section of the NCVS instrument includes screens
used to:
Make appointments to call back a sample household;
Thank each sample household member for his/her time
and participation in the NCVS;
Code any language issues encountered while trying to
interview the household; and
Verify and/or update the telephone numbers that have
been collected, or add up to three additional telephone
numbers for the household.
Back Section of the NCVS Instrument
B6-2
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 6
Topic 2. Screen Layout and Instructions
Did this interview end because of a refusal, a callback was needed, a breakoff occurred,
or some other problem?
1 Refusal
2 Callback
3 Breakoff
4 Language or other problem (refer to supervisor)
REFCBBREAK_CP
REFCBBREAK_CP
REFCBBREAK_CP records the incomplete status of a
household respondent or individual respondent’s interview
in CAPI. Precodes (1) and (3) take you to Item VERIFY;
Precode (2) takes you to Item APPT when interviewing the
household respondent and to item PERSAPPT for
individual respondents, and Precode (4) takes you to Item
LANGUAGEPROBLEM_CP.
Enter a time to recontact the household.
I would like to schedule a date and time to complete the interview.
What date and time would be best?
Today is 1/15/2017
APPT
APPT
The APPT screen is the first screen that you access to set a
future telephone contact with a household respondent who
still needs to be interviewed. This item is a text field, so you
can enter a date, for example “9/1/17,” or a day and time, for
example, “Monday at 7 PM.” The entry at this item appears
in the appointment box in laptop case management. Also
enter the household respondent appointment information in
the case level notes.
Back Section of the NCVS Instrument
B6-3
Part B, Chapter 6
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
What is the telephone number of the phone where you would like to be called?
Record new number
Enter 0 for no telephone number
TELEPH
TELEPH
Item TELEPH is used to record the telephone number.
Enter the telephone number, or enter “0” (zero) if there is no
telephone number.
What type of phone is this (for example, a home, office, or cell phone)?
1 Home
2 Work/office
3 Cell/digital
4 Beeper/pager/answering service
5 Pay phone
6 Toll free
7 Other
8 Fax
TELEPHTYPE
TELEPHTYPE
Item TELEPHTYPE is used to record the telephone type
(Home, work/office, cellular or digital,
beeper/pager/answering service, public pay phone, toll free,
or other).
Back Section of the NCVS Instrument
B6-4
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 6
Thank you for your help.
I will call back at the time suggested.
CALLBACK: Friday October 19, 2:00 PM
THANKCB_CP
THANKCB_CP
The THANKCB_CP screen is the thank-you screen to thank
the respondent and tell him/her that we will call back at the
suggested time. Notice that the scheduled callback date
and time are shown on this screen. After reading this
statement to the respondent, press (1) to continue to Item
VERIFY.
Press Control+F7 to enter appointment information for this person in Case Level Notes.
PERSAPPT
PERSAPPT
Because laptop case management is not set up to store
callback information for individual respondents, PERSAPPT
prompts you to enter any respondent callback information in
the Case Level Notes, which may be accessed here by
pressing “Ctrl” and “F7” simultaneously. After entering
callback information, press “1” to continue to
THANKYOU_INDIV.
Thank you. I'll call back at the time suggested.
THANKYOU_INDIV
THANKYOU_INDIV
THANKYOU_INDIV is the thank-you screen for individual
respondents after recording callback information in Case
Level Notes. Pressing “1” to continue takes you to Item
VERIFY.
Back Section of the NCVS Instrument
B6-5
Part B, Chapter 6
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Record the language spoken by the respondent or enter 28 if respondent is hard of hearing.
11 Spanish
12 Arabic
13 Chinese
14 French
15 German
16 Greek
17 Italian
18 Japanese
19 Korean
20 Polish
21 Portuguese
22 Russian
23 Tagalog
24 Urdu
25 Vietnamese
26 Other - Specify
27 Unknown language
28 Other problem - hard of hearing
LANGUAGEPROBLEM_CP
LANGUAGE PROBLEM_CP
LANGUAGEPROBLEM_CP allows you to record the fact
that a language problem (or other related problem; for
example, a person who is hard of hearing) exists for a
respondent. An entry of 26 takes you to LANGUAGE
PROBLEM_SPEC_CP. Otherwise, the instrument goes to
Item VERIFY.
Record the language spoken by the respondent.
LANGUAGEPROBLEM_SPEC_CP
LANGUAGE
PROBLEM_SPEC_CP
Use the LANGUAGEPROBLEM_SPEC_CP screen to
record the specific language spoken by the respondent.
This question is asked only of the household respondent.
After entering this information, the instrument proceeds to
Item VERIFY.
Back Section of the NCVS Instrument
B6-6
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 6
Read if necessary
Thank you for your time.
THANKYOU_CP
THANKYOU_CP
THANKYOU_CP is the thank-you screen used after the
household is completed. The instrument fills in the screen
text to be read to the respondent based on the situation.
For noninterview households you are prompted to thank
the contact person, when appropriate, as shown above.
For completed interviews, the question text is based on
the time in sample (TIS) of the case.
Verifying Telephone
Information
For TIS 1-6, item THANKYOU_CP reads: "Six months
from now we will be contacting you again. Thank you
for your time. You've been very helpful."
For TIS 7 cases, item THANKYOU_CP reads: "This is
the last regularly scheduled interview for this
household, for the National Crime Victimization Survey.
Thank you for your participation in this survey."
The next set of screens is for the purpose of verifying and
updating previously collected telephone information. These
include:
Back Section of the NCVS Instrument
B6-7
Part B, Chapter 6
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Review information listed below
Do you need to make any changes?
Press “Control T” to review/update interview time preference
TELEPHONEOK: Yes
Telephone (1) - Extn. Type:
Telephone (2) - Extn. Type:
Telephone (3) - Extn. Type:
VERIFY
VERIFY
VERIFY displays the telephone information that has been
collected to date. If no changes to this information are
needed, enter Precode (2), “No,” to exit the instrument and
proceed to the Case Level Notes. If changes are necessary,
enter Precode (1), “Yes,” and the instrument takes you to
VER_TELEPHONEACCEPTABLE.
Is a telephone interview acceptable?
Previous answer: Yes
1 Yes
2 No
VER_TELEPHONEACCEPTABLE
VER_TELEPHONE
ACCEPTABLE
Item VER_TELEPHONEACCEPTABLE allows you to
update whether or not a telephone interview is acceptable
for the household. Entering Precode (1), Yes,” takes you to
VER_PHONE. Entering Precode (2), “No,” takes you out of
the instrument and into the Case Level Notes.
Back Section of the NCVS Instrument
B6-8
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part B, Chapter 6
What is the telephone number of the phone where you would like to be called?
VER_PHONE1, 2, 3
VER_PHONE1, 2, 3
Items VER_PHONE1, 2, 3 allow you to enter or update
phone numbers for the first, second, and third household
contacts. If no update needs to be made to the first phone
number, press “Enter” to continue to VER_PHONETYPE,
which will keep the previous phone number. If you do not
need to update any other information from VER_PHONE
through VER_PHONETYPE, then enter “0” (zero) which
takes you out of the instrument and to the Case Level
Notes.
However, if you do not need to change the first number but
do need to change or update the second or third phone
number, do not enter “0,” as that will take you out of the
instrument. Instead, press “Enter” until you reach the screen
that needs to be updated. Note that if there is not a number
in VER_PHONE, you cannot press “Enter” to go to the
second phone number. You must collect the first number in
order to collect the second, and so on.
Back Section of the NCVS Instrument
B6-9
Part B, Chapter 6
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
What type of phone is this (for example, a home, office, or cell phone)?
1 Home
2 Work/office
3 Cell/digital
4 Beeper/page/answering service
5 Pay phone
6 Toll free
7 Other
8 Fax
VER_PHONETYPE1, 2, 3
VER_PHONETYPE
1, 2, 3
Item VER_PHONETYPE1, 2, 3 allows you to enter or
update the type of phone for the first, second, and third
household contact numbers. After completing the VERIFY
section the instrument proceeds to the Case Level Notes.
Back Section of the NCVS Instrument
B6-10
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
CASE NOTE EDITOR
Part B, Chapter 6
The CASE NOTE EDITOR (see illustration above) screen
appears after you exit the case, to enter any final notes
about the case which may be helpful for future contacts with
the household. You may also access the CASE NOTE
EDITOR by pressing Control + F7 at any time during the
interview.
Note: The CASE NOTE EDITOR is where you record any
callbacks necessary for individual respondents.
The instrument automatically fills in a CAPI indicator, time,
date, and your FR code. If any notes were recorded from a
previous CAPI interview, the window also displays the
previous notes. You may add to the notes or only view them.
Here are some examples of things that should be entered in
the CASE NOTE EDITOR:
Explaining why you are unable to interview an eligible
household member.
Explaining any difficulties interviewing because of a
speech or hearing disability, a particularly difficult
respondent, language difficulties, etc.
Instructions about a disabled person who requires extra
time to answer his/her telephone.
For partial interviews, noting where the interview left off.
When you finish entering your notes or if no notes are
necessary, press F10 to exit NOTES. If you added a new
note, the instrument prompts you to save the new entry.
Back Section of the NCVS Instrument
B6-11
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part C, Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Basic National Crime Victimization Survey Concepts
Table of Topics
Topic
Page
1 Overview of Chapter 1
C1-2
2 Reference Period
C1-3
3 Household Membership
C1-5
4 Reference Person
C1-11
5 Household and Individual
Respondents
C1-14
6 Proxy Interview
C1-18
7 Unduplicating/Bounding Interviews
C1-24
8 Out-of-Scope Incident
C1-28
9 Overview of the NCVS Process
C1-29
10 Replacement Households
C1-32
Basic National Crime Victimization Survey Concepts
C1-1
Part C, Chapter 1
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Topic 1. Overview of Chapter 1
Purpose
The primary purpose of the National Crime Victimization
Survey (NCVS) is to obtain, from respondents who are 12
years of age and older, an accurate and up-to-date measure
of the amount and kinds of crime committed during a
specific 6-month reference period. When you are assigned
an NCVS case for the first interview, you are given a sample
address to visit and interview, but are not provided with any
respondent names.
Your responsibilities
During your initial contact with a sample address, your
responsibility as a CAPI interviewer is to identify:
The household members who usually reside at the
sample address (household membership);
The relationship of each household member to a
reference person;
A household respondent who will provide specific
information about the household; and
All household members who are eligible as individual
respondents for an NCVS interview.
Each eligible respondent is expected to respond for himself
or herself. However, under specific circumstances, another
household member can respond for an eligible respondent
and give a proxy interview.
To avoid duplicate incidents, you will go through an
unduplicating/bounding process to ensure that duplicate
incidents are not processed. When a reported incident falls
outside of the NCVS survey limits, you delete the incident
because it is considered an out-of-scope incident.
Chapter 1 defines all of these highlighted concepts in more
detail.
Basic National Crime Victimization Survey Concepts
C1-2
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part C, Chapter 1
Topic 2. Reference Period
Definition
A reference period is a time interval for which we want to
collect information from a respondent. The NCVS reference
period covers the 6 months prior to the interview date. When
conducting interviews, we are interested only in crime
incidents that happened during a household member's
specific 6-month reference period.
The type of reference period that we use for the NCVS is
often referred to as a floating reference period or
period-to-period recounting. By using this type of a
reference period, we can compile a continuous record of a
household's experiences throughout the entire 3 years that
the household is in the NCVS sample.
First Enumeration Period
Interviews
Although the reference period is calculated automatically by
the NCVS CAPI instrument, it is still important for you to
understand the reference period. For the first enumeration
period, each household member’s reference period starts
on the first day of the month 6 months before the interview
month, and ends on the day before the interview date.
Household respondent example:
If a household respondent’s first enumeration period
interview is conducted on July 2, 2017, the current
reference period for the household respondent is
January 1, 2017 to July 1, 2017.
Individual respondent example:
If the remaining household members are interviewed for the
first enumeration period on July 3, 2017, the current
reference period for each household member is
January 1, 2017 to July 2, 2017.
Second Through Seventh
Enumeration Period
Interviews
After the first enumeration period, reference periods for all
remaining enumeration periods start on the date of the
household member's last interview and end on the day
before the household member's interview date. Unlike the
first enumeration period, each household member could
have a different reference period start date for the second
through seventh enumeration periods based on the
member's last interview date.
Basic National Crime Victimization Survey Concepts
C1-3
Part C, Chapter 1
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Incidents Outside of the
Reference Period
While interviewing, it is important to keep reminding the
respondent of the starting and ending dates for his/her
reference period. If a respondent seems to be having
difficulty keeping track of the reference period dates, try
adding the actual dates after reading "in the last 6 months."
This will help the respondent to stay focused on the correct
time frame for the interview.
Only complete the incident report section of the instrument
for incidents that happened during the reference period for
the respondent's current interview. (If the incident happened
on the day of the interview, collect the information as usual.
These incidents are reviewed during post-collection data
processing and either categorized as “in scope” or “out of
scope.” These incidents are used for comparison purposes
during unduplication in the next interview period.) If you
discover that the incident is outside of the respondent's
reference period (at Item INCIDENTDATE), the instrument
does not prompt you to collect information for that incident.
(See Topic 8 of this chapter for out-of-scope incidents.)
Basic National Crime Victimization Survey Concepts
C1-4
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part C, Chapter 1
Topic 3. Household Membership
Definition
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, even if
he/she is temporarily absent at the time of interview,
OR
Staying temporarily at the sample address at the time of
the current interview AND not have a USUAL PLACE
OF RESIDENCE ELSEWHERE. This category could
include recent immigrants, persons trying to find
permanent living quarters, and persons who have no
other home of their own. This category could also
include entire households with no usual place of
residence elsewhere, because they are renting or
lending their usual living quarters to others and have no
other home of their own.
(See “Determining Usual Place of Residence” on the
next page for a definition of “Usual place of
residence.”)
Non-family persons may be considered household
members if the sample address is their usual place of
residence. These non-family household members could be
lodgers, servants, farmhands, or other employees, as long
as they:
Live at the sample address
AND
Claim the sample address as their usual place of
residence.
Household membership is not limited to sample housing
units and can also include residents of non-institutional
group quarters selected for the NCVS sample, such as
college dormitories, homes for unwed mothers, dormitories
Basic National Crime Victimization Survey Concepts
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Part C, Chapter 1
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
for student nurses and doctors, and so forth.
Determining Usual Place of
Residence
A person's usual place of residence is a specific living
quarters, either a housing unit or a non-institutional group
quarters unit, where he/she lives and sleeps most of the
time and is free to return to at any time. Do not consider a
mailing address that does not identify a living quarters as a
usual place of residence. For example, if a person has mail
delivered to a box in a post office, that person’s mailing
address does not identify a living quarters.
Also, do not consider a person's living quarters as his/her
usual place of residence when the person:
Is not residing at the living quarters AND is renting or
lending the living quarters to someone else who is
residing there in his/her absence,
OR
Families With Two or
More Homes
Is not residing at the living quarters AND the vacant
living quarters is offered for sale or rent.
If a household owns more than one housing unit and spends
time in both homes, only ONE of the housing units can be
considered the usual place of residence for these
household members. Consider the home where they spend
most of the calendar year as their usual place of residence.
If the household spends an equal amount of the calendar
year at each home, consider the family to be household
members at the address where they reside at the time of the
interview.
Here are some examples for handling this type of situation:
The Moe family owns two housing units--one in the suburbs
of Detroit, the other a cabin in a mountain resort area. They
spend about 11 months of the year in their suburban Detroit
home. The Moe family does not rent out either home in their
absence.
If the Moes were residing at their suburban Detroit home
when you attempt to interview at that residence, you
would interview all eligible household members. Since
Basic National Crime Victimization Survey Concepts
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NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part C, Chapter 1
this is the Moes’ usual place of residence, all family
member's who usually live at the address and are 12
years of age and older are considered eligible
household members at this address.
When you attempt to interview at the cabin address, you
discover that the Moes are residing at the address.
Since the cabin is not their usual place of residence, you
would not interview them as household members at the
cabin address.
Foster Children
Always consider foster children in the household at the time
of your interview as household members at the sample
address, regardless of how long they are expected to stay
with the family.
Crew Member on a
Sailing Vessel
Never consider a sailing vessel to be a usual place of
residence for its crew members. This is true even when the
crew member is on the sailing vessel at the time of your
interview AND is on the vessel for long periods of time.
Household Members
Who Are Temporarily
Absent
Listed below are circumstances in which persons claiming
the sample address as their usual place of residence are
considered to be household members, even though they
are temporarily absent from the address at the time of
interview:
Foreign Citizens
Temporarily Staying
in the United States
Business travelers,
Crew members on sailing vessels,
Railroad personnel,
Long haul truck drivers,
Bus drivers, and
Persons who are away visiting relatives or friends, on
vacation, or temporarily in general (noninstitutional)
hospitals.
Only consider citizens of foreign countries as household
members at a sample address when:
Basic National Crime Victimization Survey Concepts
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Part C, Chapter 1
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
They are temporarily living (not visiting or traveling) in
the United States,
The sample address is not an Embassy, Consulate,
Chancellery, or any other type of office for a foreign
country,
AND
Members of the
Armed Forces
The sample address is their usual place of residence
while residing in the United States.
Men and women who are Armed Forces members can be
considered household members at a sample housing unit if:
They usually sleep at the sample housing unit and
They are stationed in the same locality as the sample
housing unit.
Do not consider Armed Forces members to be household
members at a sample housing unit if:
They are stationed in a different locality than the sample
housing unit and
They are only staying at the sample housing unit while
on leave to visit family or friends.
Students
When you interview at a sample housing unit and discover
that a student is residing away from the family residence
while attending school (boarding, college, trade, or
commercial school in the United States or overseas), do not
consider the student to be a household member at the
family residence. While attending school, the student is
considered a household member at his/her school
residence, and is interviewed at that residence if it falls into
the NCVS sample.
However, students are considered household members at
their family residence when they are:
Living at the family residence while attending school,
Basic National Crime Victimization Survey Concepts
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NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part C, Chapter 1
Living at the family residence at the time of interview
because they are on a short holiday (for example,
Thanksgiving or spring break) or home on summer
vacation,
AND
Student Nurses
Claiming the family residence as their usual place of
residence.
At the time of interview, consider a student nurse’s usual
place of residence to be the hospital, nurse’s home, or other
place where he/she resides while receiving nurse’s training.
For example:
Before entering nursing school, David lived with his parents
at 101 Railroad Drive, Any Town, AK. David is now
attending nursing school and living at 102 Maple Avenue,
Any Town, CO. While attending nurse’s training, David’s
usual place of residence is the 102 Maple Avenue address.
Persons Working
Overseas
Do not consider persons who are absent from the sample
address at the time of interview because they are working
and residing overseas for more than 6 months out of the
year to be household members at the sample address.
Persons With
Concurrent
Residences
You may find that some persons reside part of the week at
one address and the rest of the week at another address. In
this situation, count the person as a household member at
the address where he/she resides the greater part of the
week. If the person spends an equal amount of the week at
each address, consider the person as a household member
at the address where he/she is residing at the time of your
interview.
Persons in Vacation
Homes, Tourist
Cabins, and Trailers
If persons are residing in vacation homes, tourist cabins,
and trailers and do NOT have any other usual place of
residence at the time of interview, consider these persons
as household members where they are residing at the time
of your interview. However, if these persons do have a usual
residence elsewhere, do not consider them as household
members at the vacation homes, tourist cabins, and trailers
where they are staying at the time of the interview.
Basic National Crime Victimization Survey Concepts
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Part C, Chapter 1
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Inmates and Patients
in Institutional Group
Quarters
Inmates and patients in institutional group quarters are not
considered household members at the sample address
while they are residing in the institutional group quarters.
These inmates and patients could reside in the following
types of institutional group quarters:
Correctional Institutions
Nursing, Convalescent, and Rest Homes
Hospitals
Institutions for the Disabled
Institutions for the Mentally Ill/Retarded
Juvenile Institutions.
Remember that persons in institutional group quarters are
not free to come and go without permission. Also, persons
residing in institutional group quarters are not eligible for
NCVS interviewing, even if the group quarters is in the
NCVS sample. Do not take proxy interviews for
institutionalized persons, because they are not considered
household members while residing in an institution.
(See the Listing and Coverage Manual for Field
Representatives, Form 11-922, for more details about
group quarters.)
When You Are Still Unsure
About Household
Membership
If you have read all the household membership procedures
and still are unsure whether or not to include someone as a
household member, it is better to:
Include the person
AND
Explain the situation in either an “F7 Note” by using
Control + F7 Case Level notes screen.
Basic National Crime Victimization Survey Concepts
C1-10
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part C, Chapter 1
Topic 4. Reference Person
Definition
We want the household's reference person to be a
responsible adult household member who is not likely
to permanently leave the household.
To meet this goal, the reference person must:
Qualify as a household member at the sample address,
Be one of the owners or renters of the sample housing
unit, and
Be at least 18 years of age (in most cases).
Since one of the owners or renters of the sample housing
unit is normally the most responsible and knowledgeable
household member, we prefer that the reference person
also be the household respondent. However, a household
respondent does not have to be one of the household
members who owns or rents the sample housing unit.
During your initial interview with a household you must
designate one of the household members who meets the
above criteria to be the reference person.
(See Topic 5 of this chapter for more details about
household respondents.)
Special Situations
When identifying a reference person for a sample
household, you may encounter one of the following
situations:
Housing Unit Rented
Without Cash
Payment
If a sample housing unit is occupied without payment of
cash rent, then any household member who is at least 18
years of age can qualify as the reference person. (Also see
"When Can a Reference Person Be Under 18 Years of
Age?" shown below.)
Housing Unit Jointly
Owned or Rented
If a sample housing unit is owned or rented jointly, then the
instrument automatically designates as the reference
person the first owner/renter who is listed on the household
roster. This person also must be a household member at the
sample address and must be at least 18 years of age. (Also
Basic National Crime Victimization Survey Concepts
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see "When Can a Reference Person Be Under 18 Years
of Age?" shown below.)
When Can a
Reference Person Be
Under 18 Years of
Age?
There are two situations when the household’s reference
person can be a household member who is under 18 years
of age. These situations include:
Sample households in which ALL household members
are 17 years of age. The reference person should be
one of the 17-year-old household members who owns
or rents the sample housing unit.
Sample households in which the owners/renters are
married and one or both of them are 17 years of age.
The reference person can be either person.
NOTE: If you encounter a household in which ALL
household members are under 17 years of age, tell your
supervisor. They will discuss this situation with HQ staff and
let you know how to handle the case.
Changing the Reference
Person
You may encounter situations in subsequent interviews
when you may need to identify a different person from the
household roster as the reference person. This could
happen when the reference person from the previous
enumeration period is no longer a household member
because he/she has:
Died or
Moved out of the sample address permanently.
You may discover this at Item NAMECHECK, which
displays the household roster and asks if it is correct. If you
answer “No,” then Item REFPERSTILLLIVE appears and
asks, “Does (name of person) still live at this address?” If
you answer “No,” Item NEWREFPER appears.
At the NEWREFPER screen, you ask the following question
to identify a new reference person for the sample
household, “What is the name of the person (or one of
the persons) who owns or rents that home? Would that
be you?” Enter the line number of the new reference
person at this screen; enter "31" if the new reference person
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is new to the household and must be added to the roster.
The instrument then follows with prompts to add the new
person to the household roster.
After selecting or adding a new reference person, item
MEMBERCHANGES appears and asks you to enter the
reason(s) for changes in the household roster.
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Topic 5. Household and Individual Respondents
Definition
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
herself/himself. For example, the household respondent
must be able to:
Update demographic information on the household
information tables in the front section (“Control Card”
section) of the NCVS instrument.
Complete the household respondent's screening section
of the instrument.
Complete the incident report section of the instrument
for all incidents reported by herself/himself.
An individual respondent is any household member who
is at least 12 years of age and is not selected as the
household respondent. In most cases, you will interview
each individual respondent by self-response.
Who Qualifies as a
Household Respondent?
In most cases, the household respondent must be:
A household member,
At least 18 years of age, and
Knowledgeable enough about the household to provide
the necessary information for the Control Card screens,
and, if necessary, the incident report screens for each
incident he/she reports.
Normally, the best candidate for the household respondent
is the reference person or another household member
who owns or rents the housing unit. However, unlike the
requirements for a reference person, the household
respondent does not have to be one of the owners or
renters of the housing unit.
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(See Topic 4 of this chapter for information about
reference persons.)
During your initial interview with a household, you select a
household member who meets the household respondent
requirements. In subsequent interviews, the NCVS
instrument prompts you to ask to speak to the household
respondent from the previous enumeration period.
However, if this is not possible, make sure that the
household member you select for the current interview
period meets the requirements for a household respondent
and is knowledgeable about the household.
Exceptions to the Rule
Is it acceptable for a household respondent to be under
18 years of age?
If the reference person and/or the spouse of the reference
person is 17 years of age, either the reference person or the
spouse of the reference person can be the household
respondent. For example, a sample household is comprised
of a married couple ages 28 and 17. Because they are
married, either person qualifies as a household respondent,
even though one person is 17 years old.
If ALL household members are 17 years of age, select the
household member who appears to know the most about
the sample household. For example, three 17-year-old
friends rent an apartment together while attending college.
Try to select the household member who is most likely to
provide accurate information about household matters.
If you discover a household comprised of at least one
17-year-old and the remaining persons are all under 17
years of age, select the 17-year-old household member as
the household respondent.
NOTE: If you encounter a household in which ALL
household members are under 17 years of age, tell your
supervisor, who will discuss this situation with HQ staff and
let you know how to handle the case. Also, make a note of
the situation in the case notes.
However, if the household consists of two or more
unmarried individuals AND at least one of the individuals is
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18 years of age or older, then the household respondent
must be one of the members who is at least 18 years old.
For example, Joe, Terry, and Frank rent a house together.
Joe is 17 years old, Terry is 19 years old, and Frank is 20
years old. In this example, Terry and Frank are eligible to be
the household respondent, but Joe is NOT eligible because
of his age.
When can a household respondent be a non-household
member?
A non-household member can ONLY be a household
respondent WHEN ALL OF THE FOLLOWING
CONDITIONS EXIST:
ALL eligible household members are physically and/or
mentally unable to be interviewed,
ALL eligible household members have been under the
care of the non-household member for the entire
reference period,
AND
None of the eligible household members were able to
leave the sample address during the entire reference
period, unless they were accompanied by the
non-household member.
If any of the eligible household members are capable of
being interviewed, select a capable household member as
the household respondent, instead of selecting the
non-household member.
Changing Household
Respondents During an
Interview
There may be instances when you need to change
household respondents after starting an interview.
This could happen if:
You ask to speak to the previous household respondent
and discover that he/she is no longer considered a
household member.
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You discover that the previous household respondent is
unable to answer many of the questions about the
household. (However, this situation should seldom
occur.)
Under these circumstances, stop interviewing the current
household respondent and find a current household
member who is more knowledgeable about the household.
Use the “New HHR” tab at the top left of the NCVS interview
screen. The screen that appears, Item NEW_HHR, allows
you to select a different household respondent. At
NEW_HHR, select the line number of the new household
respondent.
Once you have selected a new household respondent, start
the household respondent's interview from the beginning.
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Topic 6. Proxy Interview
Definition
A proxy interview is one in which someone other than the
intended household member answers the interview
questions for another eligible household member.
The person who is authorized to answer for the intended
household member is referred to as the proxy
respondent.
The intended household member who is unable to
answer the interview for himself/herself is referred to as
the proxy person.
Since a proxy respondent is more likely to omit an incident
or leave out some of the details about a reported incident,
we discourage proxy interviews, except as a last resort.
Acceptable Reasons for
Proxy Interviews
Only THREE conditions allow you to take a proxy interview
for a household member. These conditions are:
A parent will not allow you to speak to his/her 12- or
13-year-old child to conduct the interview. In this
situation, any household member who is at least 18
years of age can be the proxy respondent for the child.
However, one of the child's parents would be the best
proxy respondent.
An eligible household member is temporarily absent
during the entire interview period, such as a household
member who will be out of town for the entire interview
month caring for a sick relative. Before accepting a
proxy interview for this situation, make sure that the
absent person still qualifies as a household member. If
the absent person is still a household member, you can
accept a proxy interview from an eligible household
member.
(See "Who Qualifies as a Proxy Respondent?" later
in this topic. Also see Topic 3 of this chapter for
more information about household membership.)
An eligible household member is physically or mentally
incapacitated continuously throughout the entire
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interview period, due to health or mental illness
problems. For example, a household may have a family
member who is too hard of hearing to complete a
telephone interview for himself/herself or a household
may have a family member with Alzheimer’s disease
who cannot respond for herself/himself.
The following problems do not constitute being
physically or mentally incapacitated and cannot be
accepted as reasons for taking a proxy interview: old
age (by itself), colds or flu, drunkenness, under the
influence of drugs, or any problems that might be
aggravated because a respondent feels that some
NCVS questions are upsetting (such as the NCVS
questions related to rape and sexual assault).
Proxy Interviews for
Household Respondents
There is ONLY ONE ACCEPTABLE REASON for taking a
proxy interview for a household respondent - when a
non-household member is a proxy respondent for an
ENTIRE household. This should happen only occasionally,
but when it does, the non-household member must be the
proxy respondent for the household respondent AND all
other household members who are eligible for the NCVS
interview.
If at least one eligible household member is capable of
being interviewed by self-response, then that person must
be the household respondent and the proxy respondent for
the remaining household members who are eligible for
interview. Always complete the household respondent's
interview BEFORE interviewing any other eligible
household members.(Also see "Accepting a
Non-household Member as a Proxy Respondent" later
in this topic.)
Here are some scenarios:
Both members of the Coe household suffer from
Alzheimer’s disease and a nurse cares for them on a
daily basis. The nurse is over 18 years of age, caring for
Roy and Mary Coe for the past 2 years. In this situation,
the nurse qualifies as a proxy respondent for Roy and
Mary. The nurse would be the proxy respondent for the
household respondent and the individual respondent.
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Unacceptable Reasons for
Proxy Interviews
The Moe household includes the reference person,
Megan Moe, and her 78-year-old mother, Jane Voe.
When you call the Moe household, only Jane Voe is at
home. Since both Megan and Jane are eligible to be the
household respondent. You should make Jane the
household respondent, take her NCVS interview, and
recontact the household later to interview Megan as an
individual respondent.
When you contact the Coe household, the only
household member who meets the requirements for a
household respondent is away on a business trip and
will not return before closeout. However, his 16-year-old
son, Colin, is available when you call the household. In
this situation, you cannot take a proxy interview for
Colin's father and Colin cannot be the household
respondent. Since you must always interview the
household respondent first, you would not be able to
interview this household and the case is considered a
Type A noninterview.
To reinforce the fact that proxy interviews must only be
taken as a "last resort," several situations are listed below in
which you may be tempted to take a proxy interview for an
individual respondent, but must NOT. If you experience any
of these situations, you will not be able to interview the
household member.
You make several attempts to contact a household
member during the interview period, but are never
successful in reaching him/her at home. A good
example of this would be a student who lives at home,
but is engaged in so many activities during the day and
evening that you are unable to set up an interview
before closeout.
A household member refuses to be interviewed even
after you try to persuade him/her to cooperate, but tells
you to get the information from another household
member.
You are unable to interview an eligible household
member, because another household member refuses
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to let you conduct the interview. A good example of this
is a parent who refuses to let you interview his/her
15-year-old child.
Who Qualifies as a Proxy
Respondent?
If you must take a proxy interview for an acceptable reason,
your first choice for a proxy respondent would be:
A household member who is at least 18 years old,
Very knowledgeable of the proxy person, and
Has already completed his/her own NCVS interview by
self-response.
Two exceptions to the age requirement for a proxy
respondent are when:
Accepting a
Non-household Member as
a Proxy Respondent
The household's reference person or one of the other
persons who owns or rents the home is under 18 years
of age or
All household members are under 18 years of age.
On rare occasions, a non-household member can be a
proxy respondent. However, several requirements must be
met before you can allow a non-household member to be a
proxy respondent.
ALL of the following conditions must exist before accepting
a non-household proxy respondent:
Due to physical or mental illness problems, you are
unable to interview ALL eligible household members
by self-response.
During the entire reference period (6 months prior to
the interview date), ALL eligible household members at
the sample address were unable to leave the sample
address, unless they were accompanied by the
non-household person who cares for them.
The non-household caretaker must be the proxy
respondent for the entire household, including the
household respondent. This is the only situation in
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which a household respondent's interview can be a
proxy interview.
The non-household proxy respondent must be at least
18 years old.
The non-household proxy respondent must have cared
for all eligible household members during the entire
reference period. If the non-household member did not
care for some or all of the household members for more
than a few days during the reference period, this
person does NOT qualify as a proxy respondent.
If you do not feel comfortable or are unsure about a
non-household member as a proxy respondent, check with
your supervisor before conducting the proxy interview.
Protecting
Confidentiality
When you conduct a proxy interview for the entire
household with a non-household member, you must enter a
description of the situation and explain who the proxy
respondent is in the “Case Level Notes.”
We have such strict requirements for accepting a
non-household proxy respondent because we want to
ensure each sample household member's confidentiality.
When talking to a proxy respondent who is not a household
member, you need to be especially careful not to mention
any information provided in a previous enumeration period.
This includes the following types of information -- household
composition, marital status, education, income, and so
forth.
Keeping Proxy Interviews
to a Minimum
Whenever possible, we want eligible respondents
(household members who are at least 12 years of age) to
answer the interview questions for themselves. By allowing
a proxy respondent to answer for a household member, you
run the risk of:
Missing incidents and/or
Not getting sufficient details about reported incidents.
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(Also see pages A2-12 through A2-17 for proxy
respondent procedures.)
Problems Conducting a
Proxy Interview
You may encounter situations in which a proxy interview is
acceptable, but cannot be done because:
You are unable to identify an acceptable proxy
respondent
OR
An acceptable proxy respondent refuses to give you an
interview for a household member.
When this happens, you will not be able to conduct an
NCVS interview for the household member.
In the following situation, you will not be able to interview a
sample household and the case will be considered a Type A
noninterview:
All household members are unable to be interviewed by
self-response due to health or mental illness problems,
AND
The entire household is under the care of a
non-household member caretaker,
AND
The non-household caretaker refuses to give a proxy
interview for at least the household respondent.
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Topic 7. Unduplicating/Bounding Interviews
Definition
Unduplicating or reviewing bounding incidents 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 in a previous enumeration
period and did not occur again during the current
enumeration period.
The incident was reported already by another household
member during the current enumeration period, such as
a household break-in and robbery in which no
household members were threatened, attacked, or
personally victimized during the incident. However, if
any household members were personally victimized
during a crime incident, complete the incident report
questions for each household member who was
victimized during the incident.
This quality assurance measure is designed so that we can
provide a more accurate measure of criminal victimization in
the United States.
Unduplication Section of
the NCVS Instrument
After completing all incident reports with an eligible
household member (all screens covering the screen
questions and the incident report questions), the instrument
checks to see if there are any other incidents reported for
household members (including the current respondent)
either during the current interview month or during the
previous interview month. If there are other incidents
reported for the respondent or the household, then you go
through a set of unduplication screens in the NCVS
instrument.
As you go through this section of the instrument, compare
each incident reported by a respondent during the current
interview month against:
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All other incidents reported during the current interview
month
AND
Up to four incidents reported in the previous interview
month.
The NCVS instrument skips you over the unduplication
section if:
The respondent did not report any incidents during the
current interview month,
OR
The respondent only reported one incident and there are
no other incidents reported in either the current or
previous interview with the sample household.
If you need to go through the unduplication section of the
NCVS instrument, some or all of the following screens
appear:
INTRO_UNDUP
Purpose of screen:
To let the respondent know what you are doing for the next
few minutes of the interview.
Text read to respondent:
"Now it will just take me a minute to review the crime
incidents I have recorded from you during this
interview at your household."
Instructions to you:
None
Precodes:
(1) Enter 1 to continue (This precode takes you to
UNDUP_CURINC if there is more than one incident
reported in the current interview.)
UNDUP_CURINC
Purpose:
Provides you with pertinent facts about the current incident
that you use to compare it against other reported incidents
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in the same interview. Instrument provides the following
information about the current incident: enumeration period
in which the incident was reported, respondent's line
number, incident number, month incident occurred, where
incident occurred, weapon information, presence, theft, and
attack information, and summary report information.
Text read to respondent:
None
Instructions to you:
Compare the incident data below. Is the incident on the left
a duplicate of the incident on the right?
Precodes:
(1) Yes
(2) No
Precode (1) codes the incident on the left as a duplicate
incident.
If there were no incidents reported for the household from a
previous interview month, then you go from the
UNDUP_CURINC screen to the JOBLASTWEEK screen.
UNDUP_OLDINC
Purpose:
Provide you with key facts for up to four incidents reported
during a previous interview month, so you can compare
each one against the incident described on the left of the
screen.
Text read to respondent:
None
Instructions to you:
Compare the incident data below. Is the incident on the left
a duplicate of the incident on the right?
Precodes:
(1) Yes
(2) No
Precode (1) codes the incident on the left as a duplicate
incident.
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Purpose:
To let you know that your review of reported incidents is
complete and you can continue with the interview.
Text read to respondent:
None
Instructions to you:
THIS PERSON DOES NOT HAVE ANY MORE INCIDENTS
TO REVIEW, CONTINUE WITH THE INTERVIEW.
Precodes:
(1) To continue. After pressing “1” the instrument proceeds
to JOBLASTWEEK when the respondent is 16 or older. If
the respondent is between ages 12-15, the instrument
proceeds to the NEXTPERSON screen.
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Topic 8. Out-of-Scope Incident
Definition
An "out-of-scope" incident is one that falls outside of the
limits defined for this survey. The BJS has specific reasons
for wanting to exclude certain types of incidents from our
crime victimization data.
Outside Reference Period
Once you start completing the incident report section of the
NCVS instrument, there is only ONE reason for stopping
before the end of the section. If you discover at the
INCIDENTDATE screen that the incident occurred either
before the reference period start date, a popup screen
INCIDENTDATE_OK: appears, prompting you to confirm
the date: “Did you say (month)?” Click the “suppress”
button on the popup screen to confirm that the date is
outside the reference period and keep any more questions
from being asked about the incident.
To change the date of the incident, click the “Close” or
“Goto” button to return to INCIDENTDATE.
OSINCNOTNEEDED
If the incident is outside the reference period, the next
screen that appears is OSINCNOTNEEDED:
“We are only asking about crimes that happened
during the last 6 months. We will not collect
information on this incident.”
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Topic 9. Overview of the NCVS Process
NCVS Sample
The NCVS sample is made up of households from
across the country that are selected every 10 years
based on the results from the Decennial Census. The
NCVS sample is split into six rotation groups which
are interviewed twice a year for a total of seven
interviews. This format provides households to be
interviewed each month throughout the year.
Before Interviewing Starts
Each month your Regional Office (RO) splits up that
month’s sample cases among all of the Field
Representatives (FRs) and then releases your
monthly assignment to you.
Data Collection
Starting on the first of the month, you use your
survey-specific and general FR training to go out and
do your best to finish all your interviews in the most
complete and timely manner possible. As you
complete and transmit your monthly assignments,
each RO ensures that all assigned sample cases are
accounted for and all data have been received. At the
end of the month, that month’s survey closes out. This
ends the data collection phase of the NCVS for that
month.
Editing/Coding Operation
Data from all of the ROs are combined and a database
containing all cases that have at least one incident
report is created. That database is then sent to the
Census Bureau’s National Processing Center (NPC) in
Jeffersonville, Indiana. In this next phase of data
preparation, the data are clerically reviewed and
edited. This operation in the NPC is the first look we get
at the incident reports collected each month. During
this process, the data are reviewed to ensure they
meet the NCVS guidelines and inconsistent data are
corrected.
The database (created with all cases that have at least
one incident) contains on average about 1,000 cases.
Each case can have multiple incidents, so the number
of incidents reviewed is even larger.
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The edits range from minor corrections such as
recoding an “Other - Specify” entry to major
modifications that change how the incident classifies.
NPC staff members review incident reports to ensure
data quality, by reviewing such items as
“Other-Specify” write-in entries to determine whether
those entries can be recoded to a precoded category.
For example, if the location of the incident was
classified as “Other” and the write-in entry is “inside the
restaurant where respondent works,” it is reclassified
to the precoded category “Inside restaurant, bar,
nightclub.”
The NPC staff also compares the crime incident report
data to the data entered at the SUMMARY screen, the
description of the incident in the screener question,
and any case level notes and edit the data to make the
incident report is consistent with the other information.
If the summary or other notes are vague or incomplete,
NPC and Headquarters staff may not be able to recode
the incident to match what actually happened.
Although the entire incident report is reviewed,
particular attention is paid to the questions regarding
location, presence, and theft since they are main
factors used to determine how to classify an incident.
Incidents that cannot be corrected are referred to
another unit of editors at Headquarters. Approximately
300 of the 1,000 cases that make up the NPC’s
workload each month are referred to Headquarters
staff for further review.
The editing and coding process ensures that the best
quality data are provided to the BJS and data users.
Incorrectly coding the location, presence, or theft
questions can have a large impact on the data. Since
each household interviewed represents about 3,500
households, that means those incidents, when applied
to the national population, equate to thousands of
incidents that would have been miscoded if we had not
recoded them during the editing and coding operation.
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Once the referral process is completed, certain
incidents go through industry and occupation coding
and/or geographic location coding. The review and
coding operations take two months to complete, at
which point computer processing is started.
Processing the data
During the processing stage, the data are edited for
consistency, missing values are estimated, estimates
are produced, and final tabulations prepared. The
data are used to produce data files to be released to
the public.
Releasing the data
Twice a year the NCVS data are sent to the
Interuniversity Consortium for Political and Social
Research (ICPSR) at the University of Michigan, where
our data are accessible for data users. We also send
annual data in the form of statistical tables to the BJS,
which publishes them in both paper reports and on its
web site.
The usefulness and accuracy of the published data
depends in large part upon how well you, the field
representatives, do your job. You are an essential,
extremely important part of this process.
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Topic 10. Replacement Households
NCVS Sample
The NCVS is a sample of addresses. The sample size
for the NCVS consists of approximately 78,000
addresses throughout the United States. These
addresses are scientifically selected so that
characteristics of the people who reside at these
addresses are representative of the entire population.
When Household Members
Change
Always interview the current household members at an
assigned sample address. If one or more of the
occupants from the previous interview still live at the
sample address, interview them using the current
case. If some of the respondents from the last interview
moved out, but at least one respondent from the
previous enumeration still lives at the address,
interview them using the current case.
If all of the occupants of a sample address change,
interview the people who currently live at the address
and consider the address to be their usual place of
residence. This is done by creating a replacement
household case within the NCVS instrument.
When you create a replacement household, the roster
and data from the old case are deleted and a new case
starts. You must collect a household roster and control
card information for the new residents of the sample
address.
Procedures for Phone
Interviews
If you attempt to conduct a telephone interview with a
returning household and find that the household has
moved you must attempt a personal visit to verify the
current status of the sample address. During the
personal visit follow-up, determine whether the sample
address: 1) has been vacated by the prior respondents
and 2) is occupied (new household members have
moved into the sample address) and therefore is a
replacement household. If unoccupied (new
respondents have NOT moved into the sample
address), the original case is coded as a Type B
noninterview.
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Procedures for Personal
Visits
During a personal visit, if you discover that the
respondents from the previous enumeration no longer
live at the sample address, find out whether the sample
address is now occupied (new household members
have moved into the sample address) and therefore, is
a replacement household. If unoccupied (new
respondents have NOT moved into the sample
address), the original case is coded as a Type B
noninterview.
Coding Replacement
Households
At Item HHNUM_VR_CP, the instrument asks, “Is this
a replacement household?” If this is a replacement
household, answer Precode (1), “Yes.” Item
CK_REPLACE_CP appears; “A replacement
household means that there are no members of the
original household living at this address. Are you sure
this is a replacement household?” Enter Precode (1),
“Yes.”
A soft error CK_REPLACE_CP: Verify Replacement
then appears: “This is the last screen before the roster
and all incoming data is deleted and must be
re-entered. You are about to start a new case and this
action cannot be undone without the case being
restarted. If “Yes,” click suppress.”
If this is in fact a replacement case, suppress the error.
Continue with the case as if it were a new case.
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Part C, Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Screening for Crimes
Table of Topics
Topic
Page
1 Overview of Chapter 2
C2-2
2 Crimes Measured by the NCVS
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3 Threats
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4 Recognizable/Unrecognizable Businesses
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5 Ownership of Motor Vehicles
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6 Months/Years Living at Address
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7 Frequency of Household Moves
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Topic 1. Overview of Chapter 2
You use the Screen Section of the NCVS instrument to determine if any eligible
household members have been victimized during the reference period. As you use this
section of the NCVS instrument to screen for crimes, you ask a series of detailed
questions about various types of victimizations, including situations in which crimes
could occur. However, not all crimes reported by respondents are measured by the
NCVS. Topic 2 covers crimes measured by the NCVS.
As you screen for crime incidents, you need to understand the concepts that are
associated with NCVS crimes. For example, a respondent may report that he or she
was threatened over the telephone, but the NCVS only includes face-to-face threats
made directly by the offender to the respondent. Topic 3 covers threats.
When respondents report thefts from their businesses, it is important to determine
whether these businesses are recognizable or unrecognizable. Not all thefts from
businesses owned by eligible respondents are measured by the NCVS. Only thefts
from businesses that are NOT advertised to the general public with signs or other
visible indicators of a business are included in the NCVS. Topic 4 covers
recognizable/unrecognizable businesses. When respondents report motor vehicle
thefts, the NCVS measures these thefts if they happened during the reference period
and the vehicles were owned by eligible household members at the time of each
incident. If a stolen vehicle is recovered and then sold before the interview date, the
NCVS still includes the theft. Topic 5 covers ownership of motor vehicles.
Besides screening for crimes, you also ask questions about the sample household, such
as questions about a household's mobility. Topic 6 covers months/years living at
address, and Topic 7 covers frequency of household moves.
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Topic 2. Crimes Measured by the NCVS
NCVS Crime Categories
and Types
The NCVS incidents reported by sample household
members can be separated into two main crime categories:
personal crimes and property crimes.
Personal Crimes
Personal crimes include attempted and completed
crimes that involve direct contact between the victim and
the offender(s). Personal crimes can fall under one of the
following subcategories:
Violent crimes
Listed below are the types of personal crimes that are
considered violent crimes whether they are attempted
or completed:
Rape
Sexual assault
Personal robbery
Assault
Verbal threats of rape, sexual assault, personal
robbery, and assault
Personal theft
Listed below are the types of personal crimes that are
considered crimes of theft if they are attempted or
completed:
Purse snatching
Pocket picking
A personal theft crime involves an offender taking or
attempting to take property or cash directly from the
victim by stealth, without force or threat of force.
Property Crimes
Property crimes include attempted and completed crimes
that do not involve any direct contact with a sample
household member. Listed below are the types of crimes
that are considered property crimes:
Forcible entry
Burglary, with forcible entry
Burglary, with illegal entry and no force
Motor vehicle theft
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Personal Crimes vs.
Property Crimes
Theft
Personal crimes involve direct contact between offenders
and eligible household members during an incident,
whether or not the crimes were completed. If more than one
eligible household member was attacked, verbally
threatened, or had property or cash taken directly from them
during the same incident, you must complete the incident
report screens of the NCVS instrument, for each eligible
household member who was personally victimized during
the incident.
For example:
The Doe brothers, L1 (line number 1) and L2 (line number 2)
are both eligible household members. While they were
waiting together in a movie line, someone threatened to
stab both of them if they did not hand over their wallets.
Since both household members were threatened with
physical harm, you must complete the incident report
screens when interviewing both household members, L1
and L2.
Since property crimes do not involve any personal contact
between a household member and an offender, you only
need to keep one set of incident report screens for a
property crime incident. For example, if two household
members report the same property crime incident, you
delete one incident report during the unduplication process.
For example:
During the reference period, the Moe’s house was illegally
entered and burglarized while they were away. John and
Ellen Moe both reported this incident, but you only need to
keep the incident report screens for the incident from one of
their interviews.
Suppose you complete the incident report screens for the
property crime described above, one for L1 (John Moe) and
another for L2 (Ellen Moe), and then discover that you
completed two sets of incident report screens for the same
property crime incident.
If this happens, only keep one incident report, usually the
one reported by the household respondent, who is L1 in the
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example above, and delete the duplicate incident reported
in L2's interview during the unduplication process.
(Also see Part C, Chapter 1, Topic 7, for information on
“Unduplicating/Bounding Interviews.”)
Crimes Not Measured by
the NCVS
The NCVS does not collect information about the following
types of crimes:
Murder (because there is no victim to interview)
Kidnaping
Any crimes against recognizable businesses,
regardless of whether the business is or is not operated
from a sample address
Con games and fraud, such as credit card and
computer-related
Blackmail
The following crimes against society also are excluded from
the NCVS:
Public drunkenness
Drug abuse
Prostitution
Illegal gambling
If a respondent reports a crime not measured by the NCVS,
complete the incident report screens so that we do not miss
any other crime that is measured by the NCVS and could
have been committed during the same incident.
Classifying NCVS Crimes
After the following tasks are completed, a computer
program is used at Headquarters to classify each incident
into a specific type of NCVS crime:
All out-of-scope incidents for the NCVS have been
deleted,
Any editing discrepancies have been resolved, and
Specified NCVS data have been keyed.
Using a computer program designed to classify incidents by
type of crime ensures a consistent and standardized
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classification of incidents. Keeping errors to a minimum and
reporting all important facts about a reported incident at the
SUMMARY screen helps ensure that each incident
classifies as the correct type of crime.
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Topic 3. Threats
Definition
A threat must meet the following conditions to be acceptable
as a threat for the NCVS:
The threat must be delivered verbally and face-to-face
between the offender and the respondent.
AND
The threat must involve the potential for physical harm
to the respondent.
Examples of Acceptable
Threats
The following examples are acceptable threats for the
NCVS:
Example 1:
Julie was withdrawing money at an ATM when an offender
walked up behind her, threatened her with a knife, and told
her to give him the money she withdrew or he would stab
her.
Example 2:
David and Bobby were arguing in the school parking lot.
During the argument, David threatened to break Bobby’s
arm.
Example 3:
Ted heard a noise outside his front door. He went to the
door and asked, “Who’s there?” The woman outside
answered, “Let me in or I’ll kill you.”
Not Included for the NCVS
The following types of threats are not threats for the NCVS:
Threats to physically harm the respondent delivered
over the telephone or a FAX machine,
Threats to physically harm the respondent delivered in a
letter or an "email" message,
Threats to physically harm the respondent delivered by
someone else for an offender,
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Threats to physically harm a household member who is
under 12 years of age,
Threats to steal something from a household member or
damage something belonging to a household member,
without a threat to physically harm the household
member,
Threats to physically harm household pets without a
threat to physically harm a household member
(including thefts of household pets), and
Incidents in which a household member felt threatened,
but an offender did not verbally threaten to physically
harm the household member.
Threats made on social media, such as Twitter or
Facebook.
Examples of Unacceptable
Threats
The following are examples of unacceptable threats for the
NCVS:
Example 1:
Frank and Mike are friends. Mike asked Frank to deliver a
threat to his (Mike’s) ex-girlfriend, Diane, for him. Frank met
Diane at her office and passed on Mike’s threat to beat her
up if she continued dating her new boyfriend Tony.
Example 2:
Barbara was driving at night on the highway when she
noticed a truck tailing her. The truck driver honked, flashed
his headlights, then sped past her. Barbara says she felt
threatened during the incident, even though she exchanged
no words with the other driver.
Example 3:
Nick sent an e-mail message to Sam warning him to stop
parking in his parking space or Nick would break Sam’s
arm.
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Topic 4. Recognizable/Unrecognizable Businesses
Definitions
When a business is operated from a sample address, we
only collect information about reported incidents involving
the business, such as a theft of business property, when the
business is considered unrecognizable. For this reason, it is
important that you understand the differences between an
unrecognizable and a recognizable business.
For the NCVS, an unrecognizable business must meet
ALL of the following criteria:
It must be an establishment selling products or providing
services for a fee that is operated by a household
member from the sample address.
There must be NO indication or sign announcing the
business to anyone from outside the sample address,
such as on a front door, window, garage door, mail box,
or a free standing sign in the front yard.
For the NCVS, a recognizable business must meet ALL of
the following criteria:
It must be a commercial establishment operated by a
household member either at the sample address or in
another structure from which products are sold or
services are provided for a fee.
The business has a sign announcing its existence and
the sign is clearly visible to the general public from
OUTSIDE of the business.
When the business is operated from the sample
address, the sign announcing the business must be
located on the sample household's property, such as a
sign on a front door, window, garage door, mailbox, or a
free standing sign in the front yard.
Any crimes committed against a recognizable business,
such as an attempted or actual illegal entry of a
recognizable business or an attempted or actual theft of
property belonging to a recognizable business, are NOT
included in the NCVS. However, we do include in the NCVS
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incidents in which a household member was verbally
threatened or harmed in some way or had personal property
taken while at a recognizable business.
Here are some examples of incidents that require the
incident report screens be completed, because a household
member was verbally threatened or harmed in some way or
had personal property taken while at a recognizable
business:
Example 1:
A robbery took place while Jessica was buying milk at a
convenience store. During the robbery, the offender
threatened to kill her if she did not give him her purse. She
gave him the purse without saying anything.
Example 2:
While Dave was picking up a prescription at the pharmacy,
someone stole his wallet from his jacket pocket.
Example 3:
John operates a recognizable insurance agency from his
home. Last week, someone broke a window, entered the
home, and stole property belonging to the business and
property belonging to John personally.
Identifying Businesses
Operated From the Sample
Address
There are two questions in the Screen Section of the NCVS
instrument that are asked only of the household respondent
to determine if:
Anyone in the household operates a business from the
sample address (Item BUSINESS) and, if the answer is
"Yes,"
Whether there is a sign on the premises or some other
indication to the general public that a business is
operated from the sample address (Item
BUSINESSSIGN).
A "Yes" answer for Item BUSINESSSIGN indicates that a
recognizable business is operated from the sample
address. A "No" answer for Item BUSINESSSIGN indicates
that an unrecognizable business is operated from the
sample address.
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Unacceptable Signs of a
Recognizable Business
Part C, Chapter 2
Do not consider the following indicators as proof that a
recognizable business is operated from a sample address:
A business advertisement appearing on the Internet or
in a newspaper or telephone book.
Any form of motor vehicle that has a business logo
painted on it, such as a car, van, or truck parked either in
the driveway or on the street outside the sample
address.
Special Situations
Farms and ranches:
Consider a farm or ranch a recognizable business when
either of these conditions exist:
A sample address is on a farm or ranch AND there is a
sign somewhere on the property that identifies the farm
or ranch by a specific name, such as "Desert Creek
Dude Ranch."
A sample address is on a farm or ranch that has a
produce stand by the roadside of the property.
If the household respondent tells you at Item BUSINESS
that someone in the household operates a business from
the sample address, but the farm or ranch does not have a
sign or roadside produce stand on the property, enter
Precode (2), "No," at Item BUSINESSSIGN and consider
the business unrecognizable.
Apartments:
When a household member manages an apartment
complex in which he/she resides, consider this as a
business operated from the sample address. If the following
conditions exist, consider the business to be recognizable:
A sign is present outside the apartment of a resident
manager, resident owner, or apartment superintendent
stating his/her job.
OR
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A sign is visible somewhere in the complex directing
people to this person's specific apartment because of
his/her job.
If either situation exists, exclude any incidents involving
thefts of property owned only by the apartment complex,
such as furnishings from a furnished apartment or any hall
decorations. However, you would complete the incident
report screens if any personal items belonging to the
respondent or other household members were stolen.
When no visible sign exists in the apartment complex or
outside the resident manager's apartment identifying his/her
position, enter Precode (2), "No," at Item BUSINESSSIGN
indicating an unrecognizable business. In this situation,
include any reported crime incidents involving property
owned by the apartment complex and reported by the
property's owner, such as furnishings stolen from a
furnished apartment.
Motor Vehicles:
Item SQTOTALVEHICLES is asked only of the household
respondent and the question asks:
"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."
When a respondent operates a recognizable business from
the sample address and has a business vehicle, only
include the business vehicle in the count for Item
SQTOTALVEHICLES, if the vehicle is also used for
personal use. If the vehicle is used only for the recognizable
business, do NOT include it in the count for Item
SQTOTALVEHICLES.
If the respondent operates an unrecognizable business
from the sample address and has a business vehicle, the
business vehicle would be included in the count for Item
SQTOTALVEHICLES, regardless of whether the vehicle
was used for business or personal reasons.
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Identifying Ownership of
Stolen Property
Part C, Chapter 2
It is possible that a respondent could report a crime incident
in which property was stolen that belonged to the
household, a household member, and an unrecognizable
business operated from the sample address. When writing
the incident summary at the SUMMARY screen, it is
important to identify separately who owned the stolen items.
For example, during one incident:
A television valued at $800 belonging to the entire
household was stolen,
Three rings valued at $2,000 belonging to the wife of the
reference person were stolen, and
Five watches were stolen that were valued at $1,250
and belonged to the unrecognizable jewelry repair
business operated from the sample address.
When describing the type and value of stolen property, do
not add together stolen property that belongs to the
respondent or his/her household with stolen property
belonging to the respondent's business. If the stolen
property belongs to a respondent's unrecognizable
business, describe the type and value of the business
property separately from the stolen property belonging to
the respondent or his/her household. Make sure to state
clearly that the stolen property belongs to an
unrecognizable business.
Handling Crime Incidents
Involving Businesses
The following examples show when to report incidents
involving businesses, as well as which parts of incidents
should not be reported in the incident report section of the
NCVS instrument:
A respondent owns a recognizable candy store that is
not operated from the sample address. A theft occurred
at the candy store in which $100 was taken from the
register and $30 was taken from the respondent's
wallet.
DO--Accept the incident when asking the screen
questions and complete the incident report questions for
the $30 theft from the respondent's wallet. However, do
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NOT include information about the theft from the
register when completing the incident report questions.
A respondent works at a recognizable department store
that was robbed. During the course of the robbery, the
respondent was shot in the arm with a handgun and
$500 was stolen from the register at which she was
working.
DO--Accept the incident when asking the screen
questions and complete the incident report questions for
the personal injury to the respondent. However, do NOT
include information about the theft from the register
when completing the incident report questions.
A respondent owns a recognizable hair salon and also
operates part of the business from her home (which
appears to be unrecognizable). Someone broke into her
home at the sample address and stole merchandise
belonging to the business.
DO--Accept the incident when asking the screen
questions and complete the incident report screens for
the household break in. Do NOT include information
about the theft, because the stolen property belongs to a
recognizable business.
A respondent operates a recognizable lawn mower
repair service from his home. When he and his family
were on vacation, someone broke into their home and
stole some household items, as well as business tools
and a few lawn mowers from his business.
DO--Accept the incident when asking the screen
questions. When you complete the incident report
questions, only include information about the household
break in and the stolen household items. Do NOT
include information about the stolen business tools and
lawn mowers from the recognizable business.
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Someone broke into the respondent's recognizable
shoe store after it was closed for the day and stole
several shoes, boots, and purses. The respondent did
not discover the incident until the next morning when
she opened the store.
DO NOT accept the incident and do NOT complete the
incident report questions, because the stolen property
belongs to a recognizable business and no sample
household members were threatened or injured during
the incident.
A respondent operates a recognizable apartment house
at a beach resort that contains beach rental units. The
respondent reported that someone broke into and
vandalized two apartments, during the off season when
the apartment house was vacant. The offender(s) also
stole electronic equipment and appliances.
DO NOT accept the incident and do NOT complete the
incident report questions. Since this is a recognizable
business, do NOT keep the break in and theft
information. Also, since no sample household members
were threatened or injured during the incident, you do
not need to complete the incident report questions.
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Topic 5. Ownership of Motor Vehicles
Definition
Item SQTOTALVEHICLES
For the NCVS, motor vehicles owned by household
members are any vehicles that:
Can be legally tagged, registered, and used as a means
of transportation on most roads and highways (such as
cars, trucks, motorcycles, and recreation vehicles/motor
homes) and
Were owned by a sample household member during the
6 months prior to the interview (reference period),
regardless of whether the vehicle was sold, given away,
junked, stolen, or abandoned before the interview date.
Item SQTOTALVEHICLES is asked only of the household
respondent as part of his/her screening interview. The
question at Item SQTOTALVEHICLES reads as follows:
"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."
If the household respondent answers "None," you skip over
Item SQMVTHEFT, which asks about any incidents
involving motor vehicles owned by the sample household.
Household Respondent
Refuses
If a household respondent refuses to tell you the number of
vehicles owned by the household, tell the respondent that
we ask this question so we know whether or not to ask
about any crime incidents involving household vehicles.
If the household respondent still refuses to answer your
question, enter Control + R, “Refused.” Item SQMVTHEFT
appears next, asking about any crime incidents involving
household vehicles.
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Which Vehicles Do You
Include?
Part C, Chapter 2
Under the following circumstances, INCLUDE a motor
vehicle in the count of motor vehicles at Item
SQTOTALVEHICLES:
Vehicles used for private and/or business purposes if
the vehicles are owned by a household member who
also operates an unrecognizable business from the
sample address.
Vehicles used partially for private purposes if the
vehicles are owned by a household member who also
operates a recognizable business. You may need to
ask the household respondent whether or not a vehicle
is used only for business purposes when you are unsure
about its usage.
Vehicles that are leased by a household member for
more than one month AND for which a household
member is responsible in case of theft.
Which Vehicles Do You
Exclude?
Under the following circumstances, EXCLUDE a motor
vehicle from the count of motor vehicles for Item
SQTOTALVEHICLES:
Vehicles that are used SOLELY for a recognizable
business operated by a household member.
Vehicles that are loaned to a household member from
someone who is not a household member or from a
business owned by someone who is not a sample
household member.
Vehicles that are kept at school and used by students
living away from the sample address while attending
school, even if the parents of the students own the
vehicles.
Vehicles that are rented or leased by a household
member for a short period of time (less than one month).
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Topic 6. Months/Years Living at Address
Definition
For the NCVS, “Months/years living at address” means the
most current continuous length of time the household
member has lived at the sample address.
For example:
John and Cindy lived at the sample address for a year
before their trial separation. While they were separated for
two months, John left the sample address and lived with his
brother at another address. After the two-month separation
ended, John moved back into the sample address and has
now lived there continuously for the last four years. In this
situation, we consider John to have lived at the sample
address for four years.
Items Using This Concept
Item TIMEATADDRESS asks:
How long have you lived at this address?
When to Probe
Notice that in the top right corner of the screen text appears
that shows the “last reported as” address. The instrument
fills in the months and years the respondent answered
during the last enumeration. You can use that information if
you verify it with the respondent.
For most NCVS interviews, accept the answer given by the
respondent without probing after you ask, "How long have
you lived at this address?" However, if a respondent does
ask you to explain this question or the answer given seems
incorrect, probe by telling him/her that we want to know how
many months or years he/she has resided continuously as
a household member at the sample address.
If a respondent's answer is either too vague or given to you
in a range of years or months, probe for a more precise
answer.
If a respondent answers:
"Heavens, I've lived here for years and years."
Use this probe:
"Is it more than 5 years or less than 5 years?"
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If a respondent answers:
"It's been about 5 to 10 years."
Use this probe:
"Can you give me your best estimate of the number of
years?"
If a respondent answers:
"Oh, I haven't lived here very long, less than a year."
Use this probe:
"Have you lived here less than 6 months or more than 6
months?"
Is a "Don't Know" Entry
Acceptable?
If you have probed for an answer and the respondent really
doesn't know and is unable to give you an estimate, you can
enter "Don't know" by pressing “Ctrl” + “D.” The instrument
then takes you to Item TIMEATADDRESSPROBE.
Interpreting a
Respondent's Answer
There may be instances when you cannot enter exactly
what the respondent answers and you need to convert the
respondent ‘s answer to an acceptable form for entry. Here
are some examples for TIMEATADDRESS:
Respondent answers:
Enter:
"Half a year"
"It's been 2 1/2 years."
"I've lived here 1 year, 3 months,
and 10 days."
"11 and 1/2 months"
"All my life"
Precode 0
3 years
"Just 5 days"
"11 weeks"
"11 months and 1 week"
1 year
1 year
Respondent's age from the HHROSTER tab
by pressing “Shift” and “F1" simultaneously, or
clicking on the tab
Precode 0
Precode 0
Precode 0
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If a respondent has lived at a sample address for less than
one year (1 to 11 months), enter Precode (0) and then
enter the number of months at the MONTHSATADDRESS
screen. If a respondent has lived at a sample address 12
months or more, enter the number of years at the
TIMEATADDRESS screen.
When a respondent gives an answer in fractions of a
month or in the number of weeks, always convert weeks to
one or more months and either round up to the next month
or down to the previous month. If a respondent answers
less than a month, enter "1 month." If a respondent
answers with a number of years, plus a number of months,
either:
Round up to the next year when the number of months
given is 6 or more (7 years and 8 months converts to 8
years).
When the number of months given is 5 or less, ignore
the number of months and simply enter the number of
years (7 years and 2 months converts to 7 years).
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Topic 7. Frequency of Household Moves
Definition
For the NCVS, we consider a move to be each time a
household member changes his/her usual place of
residence, regardless of whether the usual place of
residence was inside or outside of the United States. A
usual place of residence is the specific living quarters where
a household member usually lives and sleeps the majority
of each week or year.
TIMESMOVEDIN5YEARS
If a household member has lived at the sample address for
less than 5 years, you ask the following question at
TIMESMOVEDIN5YEARS:
"Altogether, how many times have you moved in the
last 5 years, that is, since (month of interview) , (year 5
years prior to interview year)?"
The NCVS instrument will fill the correct information for the
“month of interview” and “year 5 years prior to interview
year.” If an eligible household member has lived
continuously at the sample address for 5 or more years prior
to the interview, the instrument skips over
TIMESMOVEDIN5YEARS.
Acceptable Answers
Acceptable answers at TIMESMOVEDIN5YEARS are:
One number that is a total of all moves made by the
respondent during the past 5 years, including the
household member's move to the sample address. If a
respondent answers with a range of times moved, you
need to probe for a single number.
An estimated number when a respondent cannot
provide the exact number of moves.
Enter “Ctrl” + “D,” “Don‘t know,” only as a last resort
when a respondent cannot provide even an estimated
number of times moved.
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Probing for an Accurate
Answer
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Some respondents may have difficulty remembering how
many times they have moved in the last 5 years, while
others may not understand what we mean by "moved." Be
prepared to explain what the number of times moved should
include whenever a respondent appears confused or asks
you a question about TIMESMOVEDIN5YEARS.
When you need to probe for an accurate count to enter at
Item TIMESMOVEDIN5YEARS, try asking the respondent
where he/she was living just before moving to the sample
address and how long he/she stayed at that address.
Repeat this type of questioning until you have covered the
respondent's moves within the past 5 years.
College Students
When interviewing a college student, you may need to
explain that we want to know each time he/she has moved
between his/her dormitory and parents' home during the
past 5 years. These students may not consider these
changes in their usual place of residence as moves, but we
do for the NCVS.
College students who live away from home during the
months of the year when school is in session should
consider the place where they are living as their usual place
of residence. However, if they return to their parents' home
to live during long vacation periods, their parents' home
would be considered their usual place of residence at that
time.
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Part C, Chapter 3
Chapter 3
Reporting Crime Incidents
Table of Topics
Topic
Page
1
Overview of Chapter 3
C3-2
2
Series of Crimes
C3-3
3
Right to Legally Enter Home/Lodging
C3-7
4
Restricted Areas/Areas Open to the Public
C3-10
5
Illegal Entry (With or Without Force)
C3-12
6
Presence During an Incident
C3-16
7
Weapons
C3-22
8
Rape/Unwanted Sexual Conduct
C3-29
9 Theft/Attempted Theft of Cash/Property
10 Value of Stolen Property/Method Used to
Determine Value
C3-36
11 Property Ownership
C3-47
12 Recovered Money and/or Property
C3-51
13 Medical Care
C3-55
14 Medical Expenses
C3-57
15 Race of Offenders
C3-59
16 Other Victimized Household Members
C3-62
17 Damage to Property During an Incident
C3-65
18 Job/Business at Time of Incident
C3-70
19 Major Activity During Week of Incident
C3-71
20 Incident Occurred at Work Site
C3-74
21 Incidents Involving a Police Officer
C3-76
22 Writing Summary Reports
C3-78
23 Type of Industry and Occupation
C3-85
Reporting Crime Incidents
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C3-44
Part C, Chapter 3
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Topic 1. Overview of Chapter 3
Use the incident report section of the NCVS instrument to report crime incidents.
Each time an incident or personal victimization occurred during the reference period,
complete the incident report screens to collect detailed information about the
incident or personal victimization. Complete the incident report section for each
household member who reports a personal victimization during an incident (an
attack, attempt to attack, or threat of physical harm). However, only keep one set of
incident report questions for each reported incident of a property crime in which none
of the household members were personally victimized (an illegal entry, something
taken without permission, and so forth).
As you collect data about crime incidents, there are several concepts that you need to
understand. Following this overview, definitions and examples are provided for
important concepts associated with the incident report module of the NCVS instrument.
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Topic 2. Series of Crimes
Definition
For the NCVS, a series of crimes consists of six or more
separate incidents that:
ALL occurred during the 6-month reference period,
Were ALL reported in the same screen question,
Are ALL very similar in nature,
AND
Cannot be described separately in enough detail so that
you can complete most screens in the incident report
section of the NCVS instrument.
All of these conditions must be met before you can
complete only one set of incident report questions for
multiple incidents.
Whenever possible, attempt to complete a separate
incident report section for each reported incident.
Classify six or more similar incidents as a "series" only
as a last resort, since the NCVS will be losing detailed
information for all but the most recent incident.
Five or Less Similar
Incidents
If a respondent reports that five or less similar incidents
happened during the reference period, then you must
complete a separate set of incident report questions for
EACH reported incident. The instrument leads you
automatically through the correct number of incident
reports.
Classify an individual respondent as a noninterview if:
The respondent reports five or less similar incidents,
BUT
The respondent is unable to recall enough individual
details to complete a separate set of incident report
questions for each of these similar incidents.
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If this situation happens while interviewing a household
respondent, first try to select a new household respondent.
If you are able to do this but cannot complete the original
household respondent’s (who is now an individual
respondent) interview, classify the original household
respondent as a Type Z noninterview. However, if you are
not able to interview a household respondent, then classify
the entire household as a Type A – “Other” noninterview
and describe the situation in item TYPEA_SPEC6.
Verifying a Series of
Crimes
INCIDENTNUMBER
OFTIMES,
INCIDENTSSIMILAR,
and RECALLDETAILS
At the beginning of the incident report questions, there are
three screens to verify whether or not six or more similar
incidents meet the criteria for a series of crimes.
Screens INCIDENTNUMBEROFTIMES,
INCIDENTSSIMILAR, and RECALLDETAILS help
determine whether the multiple incidents meet the criteria
for reporting them as a series of crimes. If the multiple
incidents qualify as a series of crimes, then complete only
ONE set of incident report questions for the MOST
RECENT incident in the series.
At screen INCIDENTNUMBEROFTIMES, ask:
“Altogether, how many times did this type of incident
happen during the last 6 months?”
At screen INCIDENTSSIMILAR, ask:
“Are these incidents similar to each other in detail or
are they for different types of crimes?”
At screen RECALLDETAILS, ask:
“Can you recall enough details of each incident to
distinguish them from each other?”
If you enter the following answers to these three questions,
then the similar incidents will qualify as a series of crimes:
At INCIDENTNUMBEROFTIMES, enter:
The number 6 or a number higher than 6.
At INCIDENTSSIMILAR, enter: Precode (1),
"Similar."
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At RECALLDETAILS, enter: Precode (2), "No."
If you enter a different answer for any one of these three
screens, the instrument skips to Item INCIDENTTIME,
because the multiple incidents do not qualify as a series of
similar incidents. In this instance, you complete a separate
set of incident report questions for each of the multiple
incidents.
Details for the Most Recent
Incident
Statement at Item
INCIDENTTIME
Examples of Incidents That
Qualify as a Series of
Crimes
Once you have determined that the multiple incidents
qualify as a series of crimes, for most of the incident
questions you only ask about the MOST RECENT
INCIDENT in the series of crimes.
ALWAYS read the "lead-in" statement above the question in
Item INCIDENTTIME BEFORE asking the question. This
statement says: “The following questions refer only to
the most recent incident.” With the exception of Item
SERIESNUMTIMES through SERIESCONTACTORNOT,
do not include information about any earlier incidents in the
series when completing the incident report questions.
Listed below are two examples of reported incidents that
qualify as a series of crimes:
Example 1:
Interview date: August 2
Reference period: February 1 through August 1
Tammy reported that money was stolen from her desk at
work on seven different occasions between February and
April. She never found out who stole the money and each
time, the circumstances were so similar that she cannot
differentiate one incident from another. The incidents
stopped in April, because Tammy stopped leaving money in
her desk.
Example 2:
Interview date: March 1
Reference period: September 3 through February 28
Dennis reported that the shed in his yard was broken into
and a variety of small garden tools were stolen on six
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different occasions between October and November. He
can’t remember enough details about each incident to
report them separately. The series of incidents ended when
the offender was caught.
Examples of Incidents that
Do NOT Qualify as a Series
of Crimes
Listed below are two examples of reported incidents that do
NOT qualify as a series of crimes:
Example 1:
Interview date: September 1
Reference period: March 1 through August 31
Bridget reported that a male co-worker kissed her against
her will on four different occasions in July. She was so upset
that she remembers the circumstances of each incident
very well.
In this situation, the crimes do NOT qualify as a series of
crimes because the respondent reported less than six
similar incidents, regardless of whether or not the
respondent remembers enough details to report each
incident separately.
Example 2:
Interview date: April 2
Reference period: October 2 through April 1
Tim reported that his ex-girlfriend threatened to shoot him
on seven different occasions between November and
January. He was so frightened that he remembers the
details of each incident clearly.
In this situation, the crimes do NOT qualify as a series of
crimes, even though there were more than six, because the
respondent remembers the details of each situation well
enough to differentiate between them to complete the
incident report questions.
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Topic 3. Right to Legally Enter Home/Lodging
Definition
For the NCVS, we consider that an offender has a legal right
to enter a respondent's home or lodging when the offender:
Was living or staying with the respondent at the time of
the incident,
OR
OFFENDERLIVE
Had the right to be in the home or lodging or had
permission at the time the incident took place to be
inside the home or lodging, such as a maid from a
cleaning service or a hotel maid, a babysitter, nurse,
salesperson, meter reader, maintenance person, friend,
or relative.
When a respondent tells you at Item
LOCATION_IN_HOME that an incident happened in his/her
own home, in a detached building on his/her property, in a
vacation or second home, or in his/her hotel/motel room and
you enter a precode from (11) through (14) or a “Don’t
know” or “Refused” response, the instrument skips you to
OFFENDERLIVE next. At Item OFFENDERLIVE, you ask:
“Did the offender live there or have a right to be there,
for instance, as a guest or a repair person?”
This question is intended to determine whether or not the
offender had a legal right to enter the respondent's home or
lodging.
No Legal Right to Enter
Under the following circumstances, an offender does NOT
have a legal right to enter a respondent's home or lodging:
The offender misrepresented himself/herself as a
policeman, repairperson, and so forth, and fraudulently
gained permission to enter the respondent's home or
lodging.
The offender was let in by a child or neighbor when the
homeowners would not have allowed the offender to
enter their home.
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The offender forced his/her way into the respondent's
home or lodging as the respondent answered the door.
The offender broke a door lock or window or cut a
screen to enter the respondent's home or lodging.
Offender Not Known,
But Suspected
Examples of Having a Legal
Right to Enter Home/
Lodging
If a respondent is not certain who the offender was, ask the
respondent if the person "suspected" of being the offender:
Was living or staying with the respondent at the time of
the incident.
Had the right to be in the home or lodging or had
permission at the time that the incident took place to be
inside the home or lodging, such as a maid, babysitter,
nurse, salesperson, meter reader, maintenance person,
friend, or relative.
Listed below are two examples of an offender who has a
legal right to enter the respondent’s home/lodging:
Example 1:
Sara, who is 14 years old, reported that during a recent
slumber party one of her guests stole a ring that belonged to
her mother from the kitchen table. Another guest saw her
steal it and told Sara the next morning.
In this situation, the offender was a guest in the
respondent’s home and had permission at the time of the
incident to be inside Sara’s home.
Example 2:
Paul reported that his cell phone was stolen from the kitchen
table by an appliance repair person who was working on his
kitchen stove.
In this situation, the offender had permission at the time of
the incident to be inside Paul’s house.
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Examples of Not Having a
Legal Right to Enter Home/
Lodging
Part C, Chapter 3
Listed below are two examples of an offender who does
NOT have a legal right to enter the respondent’s
home/lodging:
Example 1:
Jack reported that someone who misrepresented himself as
a police officer entered his home, tied him up, and stole
cash and jewelry from him.
In this situation, the offender did not have a legal right to
enter Jack’s home. If Jack had known that the offender was
not a police officer, he would not have allowed him to enter
the home.
Example 2:
Tony has a restraining order against his brother, which
prohibits his brother from coming onto Tony’s property.
While Tony was out of town, his neighbor was housesitting
for him. The neighbor was not aware of the restraining order
and let the brother into Tony’s house. While the brother was
in the house, he stole Tony’s coin collection.
In this situation, the offender did not have a legal right to
enter Tony’s home.
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Topic 4. Restricted Areas/Areas Open to the Public
Definition
For the NCVS, we consider a "restricted area" one in
which:
Only certain people are allowed to enter without being
considered trespassers.
Persons found in the area OTHER THAN the
"acceptable persons" are considered trespassers.
We consider an area "open to the public" at the time of the
incident if anyone has a right to enter the place.
RESTRICTEDAREA
When you determine at Item LOCATION_GENERAL that
an incident happened in a commercial place, parking lots or
garages, at school, or in a place identified in the "Other"
category, the instrument goes to Item RESTRICTEDAREA,
which asks:
"Did the incident happen in an area restricted to certain
people or was it open to the public at the time?"
For this question, you have the option of either asking the
question or verifying the answer before entering a precode.
The answer categories include:
Precode (1) - Open to the public
Precode (2) - Restricted to certain people (or nobody
had a right to be there)
Precode (3) - Don’t know
Precode (4) - Other - Specify
Areas Open to the
Public
The following places are examples of areas USUALLY open
to the public:
Public areas in commercial establishments, such as in
department stores, convenience stores, barber shops,
restaurants, and so forth.
Public sidewalks and parks
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Areas Restricted to
Certain People
Part C, Chapter 3
Public buildings, such as local libraries, Social Security
offices, motor vehicle administration offices, and so
forth.
Parking lots that do not charge a fee, such as most
shopping center parking lots
Apartment yards
The following places are examples of areas USUALLY
restricted to certain people:
School buildings and school grounds
Private yards
Employee's lounges, back rooms, storage areas,
kitchens, and so forth, in commercial establishments
Private clubs, such as country clubs and swim clubs
Military bases
Public areas of commercial establishments when not
open for business
Other (Specify)
Enter Precode (4), "Other (Specify)," when a respondent's
answer at Item RESTRICTEDAREA does not fit any of the
preceding categories. After entering Precode (4), the
instrument prompts you to enter a description of the area
and the special circumstances.
Don’t know
Enter Precode (3), “Don’t know,” when a respondent is not
sure if the area was open to the public when the incident
happened. This could be the case if the respondent does
not know when the incident took place.
For example:
Susan left her jacket at the library where she had been
studying. She returned the next day to get it, but no one
knew where it was. In this case, she does not know whether
an offender stole her jacket while the library was open to the
public or after the library was closed for the night.
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Topic 5. Illegal Entry (With or Without Force)
Definition
For the NCVS, illegal entry happens when a person who
has no legal right to be on the premises enters, with or
without force, a residence or lodging that is owned or rented
by the sample household during the reference period. The
NCVS is also interested in collecting data on unsuccessful
attempts to illegally enter a sample household's residence
or lodging.
Since most illegal entries result in the theft of household
property, the NCVS is not only interested in actual or
attempted illegal entries at the sample address, but also at
any residences, vacation homes, recreation vehicles, and
so forth, that are occupied by the sample household at the
time of the incident.
Examples of Illegal Entries
Without Force
Here are two examples of incidents involving illegal entries
without force:
Example 1:
While Pat was watering his garden in the backyard, he left
the front door unlocked. As he entered his house from the
back door, he heard noises in the living room. Just as he
entered the living room, he saw someone running out the
front door. He then noticed that his cell phone was missing
from the hall table.
Example 2:
While Frank and Amy were renting a summer cottage, they
left the door unlocked and went for a walk. When they
returned, they found a stranger in the kitchen helping herself
to food from the refrigerator. The stranger said that since the
door was open, she let herself in.
Examples of Illegal Entries
With Force
Here are two examples of incidents involving illegal entries
with force:
Example 1:
John returned home from the movies and discovered that
the glass in his garage window was broken. As he entered
the garage, he found that several tools were gone and the
side door to the garage was left open.
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Example 2:
When Dave and Becky returned home from shopping, they
discovered that the porch screen was cut and all of their
outdoor furniture had been stolen.
Item SQBREAKIN
Item SQBREAKIN is the only screen question that
specifically asks about any attempted or actual illegal
entries that occurred during the 6-month reference period
and this screen question is asked only of the household
respondent.
Make sure to include illegal entries or attempted illegal
entries:
At a household respondent's previous residence if
he/she is in the process of relocating to the sample
address and still owns the previous residence during the
reference period.
At the sample address if the current household owned
the residence during the reference period, but had not
yet moved into residence at the time of the incident.
Into a garage, shed, or storage room at the sample
address if the household respondent owned or rented
the property during the reference period.
Into a hotel or motel room, vacation home, second
home, or recreation vehicle in which the respondent or
other household members were staying when the
incident took place.
Into a vacation home owned by the respondent, but
unoccupied at the time of the incident.
Even though Item SQBREAKIN is the only screen question
that specifically asks about illegal entries, you may
discover other incidents involving an illegal entry as you ask
other screen questions. Always enter incident information at
the screen question where the respondent mentions them,
including illegal entry incidents.
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Items in the Incident Report
Section
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
There are five items in the incident report section of the
NCVS instrument that are used to collect information about
illegal entriesBItems OFFENDERINSIDE, OFFENDERTRY,
OFFENDERGETIN, FORCEDENTRY, and EVIDENCE. At
the SUMMARY screen, include details (not already entered
in the incident report) about an illegal entry as you
summarize the reported incident.
Other items in the incident report section that mention illegal
entry or attempted illegal entry in their answer categories
are Items WHATHAPPEN and HAPPEN. However, these
two screens are not actually used during post data
collection processing to classify incidents as an illegal entry.
OFFENDERINSIDE
When a respondent tells you at Item
LOCATION_IN_HOME that the incident occurred in his/her
home or lodging (and the answer to OFFENDERLIVE is
“No” or “Don’t know”), then you ask the question at Item
OFFENDERINSIDE to determine whether the offender
actually entered or got inside the respondent's home or
lodging. For example, an offender may have entered a large
apartment building, but never actually entered the
respondent's apartment unit.
OFFENDERTRY
If a respondent tells you at Item OFFENDERINSIDE that an
offender did not get inside the respondent's home or lodging
or a respondent gives you a "Don't know" answer, then ask
the question at Item OFFENDERTRY to determine whether
the offender tried to get inside the home or lodging.
A "No" answer at Items OFFENDERINSIDE and
OFFENDERTRY indicates that the offender did NOT get
inside or try to get inside the respondent's home or lodging.
If OFFENDERLIVE, OFFENDERINSIDE, or
OFFENDERTRY are all answered “No,” the hard error
pop-up box ENTRY_CK appears. This edit check appears
when you entered precodes indicating that the incident
happened inside the respondent’s home or lodging, but the
offender did not have a right to be inside, nor did they get
inside or try to get inside. Therefore, the incident could not
have happened inside. Use the “Close” or “Goto” button to
navigate to the correct screen to fix the inconsistency.
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FORCEDENTRY and
EVIDENCE
Part C, Chapter 3
Items FORCEDENTRY and EVIDENCE are used to
determine whether there was any visible evidence (and
what the evidence was) that an offender used force to
illegally enter or try to illegally enter a respondent's home or
lodging.
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Topic 6. Presence During an Incident
Definition
For the NCVS, "presence" during an incident is intended to
determine whether any sample household member at the
time of interview:
Was at the immediate scene of the crime during the
incident
AND
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.
Understanding whether or not a respondent was "present"
during an incident and entering the correct information at
Items HHMEMBERPRESENT and WHICHMEMBER is a
very important part of the incident report section of the
NCVS instrument. Whenever a respondent was "present"
during an incident, you will ask additional questions to
determine if the offender attacked the respondent,
attempted to attack the respondent, threatened the
respondent, or injured the respondent. Getting an accurate
and complete picture of everything that transpired during
the incident will help later to classify the incident into the
proper type of crime category during post data collection
processing.
When an Attack, Robbery,
or Threat Has Occurred
Consider the respondent or any other current household
member to be “present” if you determine that:
They were attacked or someone attempted to attack
them.
They had something taken directly from them or an
attempt was made to take something from them.
They were personally threatened with physical harm by
the offender, even when the offender delivers the threat
from the other side of a closed door.
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Do NOT include threats received by telephone, postal mail,
electronic mail, social media, or facsimile machines. Also
exclude any threats delivered indirectly from someone other
than the person who intended to physically harm the
respondent.
HHMEMBERPRESENT and
WHICHMEMBER
The question at Item HHMEMBERPRESENT asks:
"Were you or any other member of this household
present when this incident occurred?"
(Note that there is a HELP screen for this item; press F1 to
access it.) You must ask or verify this information before
entering an answer at Item HHMEMBERPRESENT. Only
verify the answer when you are ABSOLUTELY SURE of the
answer based on what the respondent has already told you
about the incident. If the only persons who were present at
the time of the incident are not household members at the
time of your interview, then enter Precode (2), "No."
The question at Item WHICHMEMBER asks:
"Which household members were present?"
This screen is designed to identify which household
members were present during the incident--the respondent
(victim) only, the respondent (victim) and other household
members, or only other household members. If you
mistakenly enter Precode (3), "Only other household
member(s), not respondent," the respondent will not have
an opportunity to provide us with any information about
possible attacks, attempted attacks, threats, or injuries
associated with the incident. (If you mistakenly enter
Precode (3) at WHICHMEMBER, be sure to correct your
answer.)
For proxy interviews, enter Precode (1) if the proxy person,
NOT the proxy respondent, was present. However, if the
proxy person and other household members (including the
proxy respondent) were present during the incident, enter
Precode (2), “Respondent and other household members.”
You may discover that a respondent was present during an
incident after entering a "No" answer at Item
HHMEMBERPRESENT. If this happens, back up to Item
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HHMEMBERPRESENT with the “Up Arrow” key and
change the "No" answer to a "Yes" answer by entering
Precode (1). Then, ask the subsequent questions as the
appropriate screens appear based on a “Yes” response at
Item HHMEMBERPRESENT.
You must complete a separate set of incident report
questions for EACH household member who is 12 years of
age or older at the time of interview and who was
personally victimized during a crime incident. This is true
even if more than one household member was victimized
during the SAME incident.
When and How to Probe for
HHMEMBERPRESENT
If you sense that a respondent does not grasp the intent of
the question at Item HHMEMBERPRESENT, then you
should probe to assist the respondent in giving an accurate
answer. Here are some probes you might want to try:
"Were you at the immediate scene of the crime?"
"Were you inside the house when the offender broke
into your basement?"
"Were you inside the house when your party guest
stole your jewelry?"
"Were you inside the house when the offender
attempted to break into your attached garage?"
"Were you and the offender both in your yard when the
bicycle was stolen from the driveway?"
A "Yes" answer to any of these probes indicates that the
respondent was present during the incident.
"Did you go outside when you saw the offender
tampering with your car parked in your driveway, or did
you watch from inside your house?"
If the respondent went outside during the incident and the
offender had not fled the scene, then the respondent was
present during the incident. Consider the respondent
present in this situation because he/she was at the
immediate scene of the crime during the incident AND was
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in a place that was reachable by the offender. Therefore, the
offender could have attacked, threatened to attack, or stolen
something directly from the respondent. However, if the
respondent watched the offender from inside the house,
then the respondent was NOT present during the incident.
If probing still does not help to confirm whether anyone in
the household was present during the incident, enter
Precode (1), "Yes," at Item HHMEMBERPRESENT. Only
enter Precode (2), "No," when you are sure that NONE
of the household members were present during the
incident.
Examples of When It Is
Correct to Enter
Precode (1), "Yes," at
HHMEMBER
PRESENT
For each of the following situations, enter Precode (1),
"Yes," at Item HHMEMBERPRESENT:
Respondent was reading in the den while the offender
broke into her attached garage and stole some tools,
even if there was no entrance leading directly from the
attached garage into the home.
Respondent was sewing in an upstairs room while the
offender broke into her enclosed porch and stole her
gas grill.
Respondent and his family were all asleep on the
second floor of their home while the offender broke in
through the basement door and stole some stereo
equipment from the basement.
While respondent was sleeping on his beach blanket,
someone stole his watch and wallet from the blanket.
While respondent was getting into her car in a parking
garage, the offender pointed a gun at her and stole her
purse.
A student punched the respondent in the stomach in the
school cafeteria.
While the respondent was on a business trip, the
offender picked his pocket and stole his wallet.
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While at a house party, an offender threatened to break
down the door and knock the respondent unconscious if
he did not unlock the door and let his girlfriend out of the
bedroom.
During a party at the respondent's home, the
respondent was in his family room while a party guest
stole money from the bedroom dresser.
Examples of When It Is
Correct to Enter
Precode (2), “No,” at
HHMEMBER
PRESENT
For each of the following situations, enter Precode (2), "No,"
at Item HHMEMBERPRESENT:
The home/apartment at a sample address was broken
into while the respondent and all other household
members were shopping at a mall.
The respondent and all other household members were
sleeping in their bedrooms when someone stole the
respondent's car from his driveway.
The respondent was at a restaurant when her leather
coat was stolen from the coatroom in the restaurant
lobby.
Respondent looked out her kitchen window and saw
someone steal her son's bicycle from the backyard.
(Even though the respondent saw the incident happen,
she was not present -- because she was inside while the
incident happened outside.)
Someone stole a rocking chair from a respondent’s
unenclosed front porch while the respondent was
baking in her kitchen.
Someone stole an air compressor from a respondent’s
detached garage while the respondent was working in
his home office.
ANYONEPRESENT
Item ANYONEPRESENT asks, "Was anyone present
during the incident besides you and the offender?
(Other than children under age 12.)" The same
guidelines on presence that you just read for Item
HHMEMBERPRESENT also apply to Item
ANYONEPRESENT.
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As you ask the questions at Items ANYONEPRESENT
through HHMEMHARMED in the incident report section,
you may discover that current household members were
either harmed, threatened with harm, robbed by force or by
threat of harm. If this happens, you need to complete a
separate set of incident report questions for each household
member who:
Is at least 12 years of age,
Was present during the incident,
Considers herself/himself to be a victim of a crime, and
Have not yet completed their NCVS interview.
Be careful not to assume that other household members
were victims of a crime just because they were present
during a crime incident.
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Topic 7. Weapons
Definition
For the NCVS, most guns and knives are always considered
weapons. However, BB guns and tear gas guns are only
considered weapons when offenders use them as clubs to
attack or threaten to attack respondents. Before any other
type of blunt or sharp object can be considered a weapon,
the offender must have used or threatened to use the object
to inflict physical harm upon a respondent.
Example of an object used as a weapon:
As Ben entered the stockroom where he worked, he
discovered an offender who cut Ben’s throat with a
screwdriver. In this incident, the screwdriver is a weapon.
Example of an object NOT used as a weapon:
An offender tried to break into a respondent’s house using a
screwdriver to break the door lock, but was unsuccessful. In
this incident, the screwdriver is NOT a weapon.
If an offender throws an object at a respondent AND the
object hits and seriously injures the respondent, then the
thrown object can be considered a weapon.
A motor vehicle can be considered a weapon if:
The respondent knows the offender and the offender
deliberately used a motor vehicle to try to run into the
respondent's vehicle or a vehicle in which the
respondent is riding.
The respondent believes that the offender deliberately
struck or tried to hit him/her with a motor vehicle while
the respondent was on foot, a bicycle, in a motor
vehicle, and so forth. The respondent's belief could be
based on words spoken by the offender or facts known
about the offender.
However, the offender's vehicle is NOT a weapon if the
respondent does not know the offender and there was
NO verbal threat of physical harm to the respondent
when:
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The offender cut in front of a vehicle driven by the
respondent.
The offender cut in front of a vehicle in which the
respondent was a passenger.
The offender and the respondent were involved in
some type of traffic accident or incidence of road
rage.
The following objects are never considered weapons:
Animals
Parts of the body (for example, hands, feet, and so forth)
Small empty cans
Mace or pepper spray
Tear gas
Chloroform
Rings
Casts
Press “F1” at Item WEAPON to access a “Help” screen
which shows a list of objects that are never considered
weapons for the NCVS.
WEAPONPRESENT and
WEAPON
Item WEAPONPRESENT is used to determine whether or
not the offender had a weapon or something he/she
intended to use as a weapon during the incident. The
question at Item WEAPONPRESENT asks:
"Did the offender have a weapon such as a gun or
knife, or something to use as a weapon, such as a
bottle or wrench?"
If you get a "Yes" response, ask the question at Item
WEAPON next, so that you can identify the weapon(s) used
during the incident. The answer categories for Item
WEAPON are:
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Precode:
(1) Hand gun (pistol, revolver, etc.)
(2) Other gun (rifle, shotgun, etc.)
(3) Knife
(4) Other sharp object (scissors, ice pick, axe, etc.)
(5) Blunt object (rock, club, blackjack, etc.)
(6) Other - Specify
Since Item WEAPON allows for multiple entries, continue
asking "Anything else?" until you get a "No" response.
Remember the following points for Item WEAPON:
If an offender had a blunt or sharp object, other than a
gun or knife, and he/she did not use or threaten to use
the object to inflict physical harm upon the respondent,
the object is NOT a weapon. If no other weapon was
mentioned, go back to Item WEAPONPRESENT and
change the answer to "No" by entering Precode (2) at
Item WEAPONPRESENT.
If an offender used either a BB gun or a tear gas gun as
a club to hit or threaten to hit the respondent, enter
Precode (5), "Blunt object," at Item WEAPON.
If an offender made a deliberate attempt to hit the
respondent with a motor vehicle or to cause an accident
and physically harm the respondent in some way with a
motor vehicle (within the guidelines listed on Page
C3-22), enter Precode (6), "Other," and enter "motor
vehicle" in the "Specify" space at Item
WEAPON_SPEC.
Whenever you enter Precodes (4), (5), or (6) at Item
WEAPON, make sure to explain at the SUMMARY
screen what the object was and how the offender either
used or threatened to use the object as a weapon to
physically harm the respondent.
When a respondent tells you that an offender had a weapon
at Item WEAPONPRESENT and then the respondent
identifies one or more weapons at Item WEAPON, the
respondent should answer “Yes” in at least one of the
following items:
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HOWTRYATTACK and
HOWTHREATEN
ATTACK -- “Did the offender hit you, knock you
down, or actually attack you in any way?”
TRYATTACK --“Did the offender try to attack you?”
THREATEN --“Did the offender threaten you with
harm in any way?”
Whenever a respondent says that an offender either tried to
attack or threatened to attack him/her, ask the question at
Item HOWTRYATTACK for "tried to attack" OR the
question at Item HOWTHREATEN for "threatened to
attack." The answer categories for both items are identical
and the following categories involve the use of a weapon:
Precode:
(17) Weapon present or threatened with weapon
(18) Shot at (but missed)
(19) Attempted attack with knife/sharp weapon
(20) Attempted attack with weapon other than
gun/knife/sharp weapon
Remember these points for Items HOWTRYATTACK and
HOWTHREATEN:
Enter Precode (17) when a weapon was present during
the incident or if the offender threatened to physically
harm the respondent with the weapon. However, if the
respondent was injured by the weapon, enter a “Yes”
answer in Item ATTACK; you skip to Item
HOWATTACK.
Enter Precode (18) when an offender discharged a gun
in the direction of the respondent, but the respondent
was not hit. However, if the respondent was injured by
gun fire, enter a “Yes” answer in Item ATTACK ; you
skip to Item HOWATTACK.
If an offender attempted to attack the respondent with a
knife or another sharp object, such as scissors or an ice
pick, enter Precode (19).
If an offender attempted to attack the respondent with
an object such as a rock, club, or blackjack, enter
Precode (20).
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HOWATTACK
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
When the respondent tells you at Item ATTACK that the
offender hit, knocked down, or actually attacked him/her in
any way, you skip to Item HOWATTACK to determine how
the respondent was attacked. The following answer
categories for Item HOWATTACK involve the use of a
weapon:
Precode:
(14)
(15)
(16)
(17)
(18)
(19)
(20)
(21)
Shot
Shot at (but missed)
Hit with gun held in hand
Stabbed/cut with knife/sharp object
Attempted attack with weapon (other than gun)
held in hand
Hit by object (other than gun) held in hand
Hit by thrown object
Attempted attack with weapon other than
gun/knife/sharp weapon.
Since Item HOWATTACK allows for multiple entries,
continue asking "Anything else?" until you get a "No"
response.
Remember the following points for Item HOWATTACK:
If you discover that the respondent was not attacked
and there was no physical contact between the offender
and the respondent, go back to Item ATTACK and enter
a "No" answer by entering Precode (2) at Item
ATTACK.
If you enter Precodes (15), (18), or (21) at Item
HOWATTACK and no physical attack with contact took
place during the incident, then the respondent was not
attacked. In this situation, go back to Item ATTACK and
enter a "No" answer by entering Precode (2) at Item
ATTACK.
INJURY
If the respondent was attacked in any way during the
incident, you ask the question at Item INJURY to determine:
If the respondent sustained any injuries AND
If so, what type of injuries the respondent suffered from
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the attack.
The following two answer categories for Item INJURY relate
directly to injuries sustained from a weapon:
Precode:
(15)
Knife or stab wounds
(16)
Gun shot, bullet wounds.
Since Item INJURY allows for multiple entries, continue
asking "Anything else?" until you get a "No" response.
Remember the following points for Item INJURY:
INJURYNOTGUN and
FIRSTINJURY
Do not consider "mental or emotional suffering" to be an
injury. If only mental or emotional suffering is mentioned
by the respondent, enter Precode (11), "None."
Do not enter Precode (16) if the respondent tells you
that he/she was injured from being shot with a BB gun or
a tear gas gun. Instead, enter Precode (21), “Other Specify” and describe clearly what type of injuries were
sustained in the “Specify” space in INJURY_SPEC.
Item INJURYNOTGUN is used to determine whether any of
the injuries mentioned at Item INJURY were caused by a
weapon other than a gun or knife. You have the option of
either verifying the answer or asking the question before
marking the answer for this item.
If you enter Precode (1), "Yes," at Item INJURYNOTGUN,
ask the following question at Item FIRSTINJURY:
"Which injuries were caused by a weapon other than a
gun or knife?"
Since Precodes (15) and (16) for Item INJURY describe
injuries caused by a gun or a knife, these two precodes are
omitted from the answer categories for Item FIRST
INJURY. (Item FIRSTINJURY is not asked if only Precode
(15), only Precode (16) or only Precodes (15) and (16) are
marked in Item INJURY.)
ACTIONSDURINGINC
If the respondent tells you at Item PROTECTSELF or
DURINGINCIDENT that he/she did or tried to do something
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about the incident while it was happening, ask the question
at Item ACTIONSDURINGINC next. Item
ACTIONSDURINGINC is used to determine what actions
the respondent took during the incident. Under the first
heading, "USED PHYSICAL FORCE TOWARD
OFFENDER," the following four categories identify actions
involving a weapon:
Precode:
(11)
(12)
(14)
(15)
Attacked offender with gun; fired gun
Attacked with other weapon
Threatened offender with gun
Threatened offender with other weapon
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Topic 8. Rape/Unwanted Sexual Contact
Definition
For the NCVS, rape is defined as forced sexual intercourse
including both psychological coercion, as well as physical
force. Forced sexual intercourse means 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. A rape victim can be either female
or male and the rape can be heterosexual or homosexual.
The NCVS also obtains information on attempted rapes and
verbal threats of rape and sexual assault. An attempted
rape is an incident in which the offender intends to force the
victim to have sexual intercourse, but the offender does not
penetrate the victim.
Unwanted sexual contact is separate from rape or
attempted rape. Unwanted sexual contact may or may not
involve force and includes such things as grabbing and
fondling without the consent of the victim.
Rape, attempted rape, sexual assaults, and threats of rape
and sexual assault are all considered to be personal crimes
of violence.
WHATHAPPEN
Item WHATHAPPEN is used to determine what actually
happened during a reported incident when a respondent
answers "No" to all three of the following questions:
“Did the offender hit you, knock you down, or
actually attack you in any way?” (Item ATTACK)
“Did the offender try to attack you?” (Item
TRYATTACK)
“Did the offender threaten you with harm in any
way?” (Item THREATEN)
Item WHATHAPPEN allows for multiple answers. Two of
the answer categories are:
Precode (14) - Unwanted sexual contact with force
(grabbing, fondling, etc.)
Precode (15) - Unwanted sexual contact without force
(grabbing, fondling, etc.)
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These two answer categories are intended for respondents
who do not perceive that the offender attacked, tried to
attack, or threatened them in any way during the unwanted
sexual contact. Since these two categories can encompass
a broad range of sexual acts, it may not always be clear
which precode to enter. Base your decision on the
degree of force used in the incident.
Generally, if the incident involved grabbing and other acts of
force, enter Precode (14). However, if the incident involved
only touching and/or fondling with no mention of force, enter
Precode (15). When you are unsure, always go with the
respondent's perception of whether or not the offender used
force.
Probing to Identify Rape
or Attempted Rape
Each time you enter Precode (14), "Unwanted sexual
contact with force," for Item WHATHAPPEN, you must ask
the probing question at Item SEXCONFORCEPROBE_1
which asks:
"You mentioned some type of unwanted sexual contact
with force. Do you mean forced or coerced sexual
intercourse including attempts?"
If you get a "Yes" answer to this probing question, you will
skip to Item HOWATTACK next.
HOWTRYATTACK and
HOWTHREATEN
If a respondent tells you at Item TRYATTACK that the
offender tried to attack him/her, then you will ask the
question at Item HOWTRYATTACK to determine how the
offender tried to attack the respondent. If a respondent tells
you at Item THREATEN that the offender threatened
him/her with harm in any way, then you will ask the question
at Item HOWTHREATEN to determine how the offender
threatened the respondent.
Both of these questions allow for multiple answers. Two of
the answer categories that might require further clarification
are:
Precode (15) - Unwanted sexual contact with force
(grabbing, fondling, etc.)
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Precode (16) - Unwanted sexual contact without force
(grabbing, fondling, etc.)
Since these two categories can encompass a broad range
of sexual acts, it may not always be clear which precode to
enter. Base your decision on the degree of force used in
the incident.
Generally, if the incident involved grabbing and other acts of
force, enter Precode (15). However, if the incident involved
only touching and/or fondling with no mention of force, enter
Precode (16). When you are unsure, always go with the
respondent's perception of whether or not the offender used
force.
Probing to Identify Rape
or Attempted Rape
After entering Precode (15), "Unwanted sexual contact with
force (grabbing, fondling, etc.)," at Item HOWTRYATTACK
or HOWTHREATEN, the instrument shows the following
probe question SEXCONFORCEPROBE_2 that you must
ask:
"You mentioned some type of unwanted sexual contact
with force. Do you mean forced or coerced sexual
intercourse including attempts?"
If you get a "Yes" answer to this probing question, the
instrument automatically fills a Precode (1), “Yes” answer to
item ATTACK and skips to Item HOWATTACK next.
HOWATTACK
Ask the question at Item HOWATTACK to determine how
the respondent was attacked. This item allows for multiple
answers. Three of the answer categories are:
Precode (11) - Raped
Precode (12) - Tried to rape
Precode (13) - Sexual assault other than rape or
attempted rape.
If a respondent tells you that the offender either raped or
tried to rape her/him, then you need to ask one of the
following probe questions to ensure that you are entering
the correct precode:
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When you enter Precode (11), "Raped," the
RAPE_CK1 probe asks:
"You mentioned rape. Do you mean forced or coerced
sexual intercourse?"
If you get a "No" answer, also ask the following question so
you can determine what the respondent means when using
the term “rape”:
"What do you mean?"
When you enter Precode (12), "Tried to rape," the
ATTRAPE_CK1 probe asks:
"You mentioned attempted rape. Do you mean
attempted forced or coerced sexual intercourse?"
If you get a "No" answer, also ask the following question so
you can determine what the respondent means when using
the term "tried to rape":
"What do you mean?"
These probe questions are used to ensure that the
respondent's interpretation of the term "rape" is the same as
the definition used for the NCVS. After asking "What do
you mean?" for either probe question, do not ask any other
probing questions related to rape or attempted rape. Make
sure that you enter the correct precodes for Item
HOWATTACK.
PRETHREATEN
After determining how a respondent was attacked at Item
HOWATTACK, you will ask the question at Item
PRETHREATEN to determine if the offender threatened to
hurt the respondent before actually attacking her/him.
At the time of the incident and prior to the rape or attempted
rape, it is possible that the offender may have verbally
threatened to hurt the respondent in one of the ways
mentioned at Item HOWATTACK, even though none of
these precodes were entered at Item HOWATTACK. If a
"Yes" or "No" answer does not adequately cover the
respondent's answer for PRETHREATEN, enter Precode
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(3), "Other - (Specify)" and enter a note explaining the
situation in the “Specify” space in PRETHREATEN_SPEC.
INJURY
When a respondent has been attacked during an incident,
you will ask the question at Item INJURY to determine what
type of physical or bodily injuries the respondent may have
received during the attack. The question at Item INJURY
asks:
"What were the injuries you suffered, if any?"
Do not consider mental or emotional suffering, such as
depression or the need for counseling after a rape, as an
injury. If the respondent did not suffer any physical injuries
from the incident, enter Precode (11), "None."
If a respondent tells you at Item INJURY that her/his injury
was the rape or attempted rape AND you did not enter the
precode for "Raped" or "Tried to rape" at Item
HOWATTACK, then ask one of the following probe
questions:
When Precode (12), "Raped," is entered at Item INJURY
and Precode (11), "Raped," is NOT entered at
Item HOWATTACK, ask the following probe question in
RAPE_CK2:
"You mentioned rape. Do you mean forced or coerced
sexual intercourse?"
If you get a "No" answer, also ask the following question so
you can determine what the respondent means when using
the term "raped":
"What do you mean?"
When Precode (13), "Attempted rape," is entered at
Item INJURY and Precode (12), "Tried to rape," is NOT
entered at Item HOWATTACK, ask the following probe
question in Item ATTRAPE_CK:
"You mentioned attempted rape. Do you mean
attempted forced or coerced sexual intercourse?"
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If you get a "No" answer, also ask the following question so
you can determine what the respondent means when using
the term "attempted rape":
"What do you mean?"
These probe questions are used to ensure that the
respondent's interpretation of the term "rape" or “attempted
rape” is the same as the definition used for the NCVS and to
distinguish between rape and other types of sexual
assaults. If your probing questions verify that the offender
did rape or tried to rape the respondent, then use the up
arrow to back up and enter the appropriate precodes at Item
HOWATTACK. If prompted to ask "What do you mean?" for
either question, do not ask any other probing questions
related to rape or attempted rape.
"Raped" Entered at Item
HOWATTACK
If a respondent said that he/she was raped at Item
HOWATTACK, always enter Precode (12), "Raped" at Item
INJURY, even if the respondent does not report
"Raped" as an injury. This is the only precode that you
would enter at Item INJURY without being told to do so by
the respondent. Once you have asked the probe questions
at Item HOWATTACK, do not ask them again at Item
INJURY.
"Tried to Rape" Entered
at Item HOWATTACK
Do NOT automatically enter Precode (13), "Attempted
rape," as an injury at Item INJURY when you entered
Precode (12), "Tried to Rape," at Item HOWATTACK. Only
enter Precode (13), "Attempted rape," at Item INJURY
when the respondent specifically mentions it as an injury
from the incident. Also, if a respondent only mentions
"Attempted rape" at Item INJURY, make sure that there
were no other injuries from the incident by asking,
"Anything else?".
"Sexual Assault Other
Than Rape or
Attempted Rape"
Entered at Item
HOWATTACK
Do NOT automatically enter Precode (14), "Sexual assault
other than rape or attempted rape," as in injury at Item
INJURY when you enter Precode (13) as the type of attack
at Item HOWATTACK. Only mark it as an injury at Item
INJURY when the respondent specifically mentions it as an
injury from the incident. Also, if a respondent only mentions
"Sexual assault other than rape or attempted rape" at Item
INJURY, make sure that there were no other injuries from
the incident by asking, "Anything else?".
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Completing the SUMMARY
Screen
Part C, Chapter 3
Since sex-related crimes are rare compared to other types
of crimes, include as many details as the respondent is
willing to provide. This is important so that we can classify
any sex-related crimes into the correct category--rape,
attempted rape, sexual assault, or unwanted sexual
contact.
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Topic 9. Theft/Attempted Theft of Cash/Property
Definition
For the NCVS, completed or attempted theft of cash and/or
property is defined differently depending on whether or not
the incident involved direct contact between a sample
household member and an offender. When there was no
direct contact between the offender and a household
member during the theft or attempted theft, then the incident
is considered a property crime. If the incident of theft or
attempted theft involved any direct contact between the
offender and a household member, such as an attack,
threat, robbery by force or threat, purse snatching or pocket
picking, the incident is considered a personal crime.
Property Crime
When an incident involves a theft or attempted theft in which
there was no direct contact between an eligible household
member and an offender, the incident is considered a
property crime.
A property crime of theft or attempted theft can fall into one
of the following categories:
Burglary,
Theft, or
Motor vehicle theft.
Complete ONLY ONE set of incident report questions for
each property crime of theft or attempted theft in which the
offender did NOT attack, attempt to attack, or threaten to
physically harm a household member.
Burglary
The property crime of burglary usually involves a theft or
attempted theft, but always involves the unlawful or forcible
entry or attempted entry of a sample address.
Example of burglary:
Harry returned home and his door was open and the lock
broken. However, nothing appeared to have been stolen.
Theft
Theft is the successful or unsuccessful attempt to take cash
and/or property from within the sample address or its
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immediate vicinity by someone who has a legal right to be in
the residence at the sample address, such as a maid, guest,
or delivery person.
Theft can also include the successful or unsuccessful
attempt to take property and/or cash from a place other than
the sample address or its immediate vicinity when the
property and/or cash belongs to one or more eligible
household members and there was no direct contact
between the offender and an eligible household member.
Example of theft:
Jenny invited two of her co-workers to spend the night at her
house. After they left the next morning, she discovered that
her watch was missing from the bathroom. She is pretty
sure that one of her co-workers stole the watch.
Example of attempted theft:
While in a movie theater, Jay threw his leather coat over the
empty seat beside him. He noticed that someone was
pulling on the coat, trying to steal it. He grabbed the coat,
and the person who was trying to take it got up and ran out
of the theater.
Motor Vehicle Theft
Motor vehicle theft is defined as stealing or unauthorized
taking of a motor vehicle that belongs to one or more eligible
household members. Motor vehicle theft also includes failed
attempts to steal or take a motor vehicle without
authorization from the owner(s).
Example of motor vehicle theft:
Brian left his car running with the keys in it to warm up on a
cold morning. When he went back outside, the car was
gone.
Example of attempted motor vehicle theft:
Diane caught her 15-year-old nephew trying to start her car
and take it out for a ride. She was able to stop him before he
left in the vehicle.
Personal Crime
A completed or attempted theft of cash and/or property is
considered to be a personal crime when:
There was direct contact between an eligible
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household member and an offender, such as a personal
attack or threat of physical harm, or
Cash, a purse or wallet was taken directly from an
eligible household member without the use of force or
threat of physical harm.
Example of theft with direct contact:
As Margaret was leaving the shopping mall and walking to
her car, a man took her purse. He knocked her to the ground
and ran away with the purse.
Purse Snatching and
Pocket Picking
Thefts from Unrecognizable
Businesses
Purse snatching and pocket picking are the successful
and/or unsuccessful attempts to take cash, a purse, or
wallet directly from an eligible household member without
the use of force or threat of physical harm.
The NCVS is interested in collecting information for
incidents involving thefts from a business when:
An eligible household member operates an
unrecognizable business from the sample address.
AND
Cash and/or property belonging to the unrecognizable
business is stolen either from the sample address or
from another location where the business is still
unrecognizable.
Example of theft from an unrecognizable business:
Frank repairs lawn mowers in his garage as a side
business, but there is no sign on the premises advertising
lawn mower repair. While Frank was away, someone broke
into his garage and stole tools and lawn mowers belonging
to the business.
The NCVS is not interested in collecting information for
incidents involving thefts from a recognizable business,
regardless of whether or not it is operated from the sample
address. In general terms, a recognizable business is one
that has a sign on the premises or some other indication to
the general public that a business is operated from the
address.
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(Also refer to Part C, Chapter 2, for a detailed explanation of
recognizable and unrecognizable businesses.)
Example of theft from a recognizable business:
Cindy runs a ceramics class and retail shop from her home
and she has a sign on the premises advertising the
business. While she was on vacation, someone broke into
her home and stole several finished ceramic pieces that
were for sale.
Thefts From Children Under
12 Years of Age
The NCVS is interested in collecting information for
incidents involving thefts from a sample household member
who is under 12 years of age ONLY when:
The thefts took place at the sample address (inside the
home or in the immediate vicinity of the home), or at a
vacation/second home or hotel/motel where the family is
staying temporarily.
AND
The child was not attacked or threatened with physical
harm during the incident.
Example of acceptable theft from a child under 12:
While interviewing the household respondent, she reported
that her 5-year-old son’s wagon was stolen from the front
yard of their home. She and her son were inside eating
lunch when the wagon was stolen.
The NCVS is NOT interested in collecting information for
incidents involving thefts from a sample household member
who is under 12 years of age when:
The theft took place at a location other than the family’s
home and its immediate vicinity or at a place other than
any lodging and immediate vicinity where the family is
staying temporarily, such as from a friend’s yard.
OR
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The child was attacked or threatened with physical harm
during the incident, regardless of where the theft took
place.
Example of unacceptable theft from a child under 12:
While interviewing the parent of a 10-year-old boy, the
parent reported that his son was injured by an older boy
while playing in the park near their home. During the
incident, the older boy stole the son’s remote control race
car.
THEFT and ATTEMPTTHEFT
Item THEFT determines whether or not something was
stolen or taken without permission that belonged to the
respondent or another household member. Item
ATTEMPTTHEFT determines whether or not an
unsuccessful attempt was made to steal or take without
permission items belonging to the respondent or another
household member.
If a respondent indicated earlier in the interview that items
were taken without permission or an unsuccessful attempt
was made to take items belonging to the respondent or
another household member, you have the option to either
ask the question or verify the answer before entering the
appropriate precode to answer Item THEFT or
ATTEMPTTHEFT.
Do not consider the cash and/or property as stolen if any of
the following conditions exist:
The items belong to a recognizable business operated
from the sample address or any other location where the
business is recognizable.
The items belong to someone who is not a sample
household member, such as the owner of a rental
home/apartment or a neighbor/friend who left the items
at the respondent's home or allowed the respondent to
borrow the items.
The items belong to the respondent and were loaned to
someone who never returned the items.
The items belong to a household member under 12
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years of age who was attacked and/or threatened with
physical harm during the incident.
The items belong jointly to a legally separated husband
and wife who are not yet divorced and the offender is
one of the spouses.
ATTEMPTTHEFTWHAT
Item ATTEMPTTHEFTWHAT will identify what items the
respondent thinks that the offender was trying to steal.
Since this item allows for multiple entries, continue asking,
"Anything else?" until you get a "No" reply.
Remember the following for Item ATTEMPTTHEFTWHAT:
For Precode:
(11) Cash
Do not enter this precode for checks, credit cards, or
coin collections. Enter Precode (14) for checks and
credit cards, and Precode (23) for coin collections.
(14)
Credit cards, checks, bank cards
In addition to the items mentioned, also enter
Precode (14) for other items which have little or no
value unless used fraudulently, such as Savings
Bonds, bank books, money orders, and traveler's
checks.
(16)
Other motor vehicle
Enter Precode (16) for any type of truck, van, sport
utility vehicle (SUV), motorcycle, or moped. Precode
(16) is NOT intended for boats, airplanes, minibikes,
or snowmobiles; instead, enter Precode (26)
"Other," and identify the type of transportation in the
"Specify" space in Item
ATTEMPTHEFTWHAT_SPEC. Also, if the motor
vehicle was owned and operated exclusively for a
recognizable business, do not enter Precode (16) at
Item ATTEMPTTHEFTWHAT.
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For Precode:
(17) Part of motor vehicle
Do not enter Precode (17) for any items stored in the
glove compartment, left on the seat, or kept in the
trunk, since they are not considered part of the motor
vehicle.
WHATWASTAKEN
(23)
Personal effects
Enter Precode (23) for items used by a specific
household member, rather than by most or all
household members. Some examples include:
watches, jewelry, personal luggage, clothing,
cameras, books, stamp or coin collections, compact
discs, and so forth.
(24)
Handgun
Enter Precode (24) for all "hand-held" guns,
regardless of how they are used. Precode (24) is not
intended for pellet guns, BB guns, air pistols, flare
guns, or tear gas guns; instead, enter Precode (26)
for these types of guns and identify the type of gun in
the "Specify" space in Item
ATTEMPTHEFTWHAT_SPEC. .
(25)
Other firearm
Enter Precode (25) for all rifles and shotguns,
regardless of how they are used, but do not enter
Precode (25) for pellet guns, BB guns, air pistols,
flare guns, or tear gas guns; instead, enter Precode
(26) for these types of guns and identify the type of
gun in the "Specify" space in Item
ATTEMPTHEFTWHAT_SPEC. .
Item WHATWASTAKEN is asked to identify what items
were taken from the respondent or other household
members during the incident. This item has 27 answer
categories from which to choose, as compared to only 17
answer categories in Item ATTEMPTTHEFTWHAT for
attempted thefts. Item WHATWASTAKEN also allows for
multiple entries, so continue asking, “Anything else?” until
you get a “No” reply.
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Only include property/money that belonged to the
respondent or other household members. If the respondent
mentions that the stolen property was leased or rented by
the respondent or another household member for one
month or longer, consider the household member(s) as
the owner(s) of the stolen property for this item. If
necessary, ask the respondent how long the stolen property
has been leased or rented.
(Refer to Part B, Chapter 4, for detailed instructions
about specific answer categories in Item
WHATWASTAKEN.)
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Topic 10. Value of Stolen Property/Methods Used to Determine Value
Definition
For the NCVS, the value of stolen property should be the
respondent's best estimate of the dollar value:
Excluding any stolen cash, checks, or credit cards
AND
Excluding any portion of the dollar amount that covers
the stolen property owned by a nonhousehold member.
Respondents can use any method they choose to arrive at a
dollar value for the stolen property that belonged to sample
household members.
PROPERTYVALUE
When items other than cash/checks/credit cards were
stolen during an incident, you will ask the respondent the
following question at Item PROPERTYVALUE:
"What was the value of the PROPERTY that was taken?
Include recovered property. (Exclude any stolen
cash/checks/credit cards. If jointly owned with a
nonhousehold member(s), include only share owned
by household members.)"
As you ask this question:
Only include the dollar amount for stolen property or the
portion of the stolen property that is owned by sample
household members.
If the stolen property was owned jointly by one or more
household members and a nonhousehold member, only
include the dollar amount for the portion of the property
owned by household member(s).
Although you do not want to suggest a method for
arriving at the dollar amount, you can mention the stolen
items individually to the respondent. If the respondent
finds it easier to give you separate dollar amounts for
each stolen item, then just total the separate amounts
(you can use the F11 key to bring up an onscreen
calculator) and enter the total in PROPERTYVALUE.
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If one of the stolen items is food stamps, ask the
respondent for the "face value" of the food stamps.
Enter the value of the stolen property in whole dollars
rounding up or down as necessary.
DECIDEDVALUE
Item DECIDEDVALUE is used to determine how the
respondent arrived at the amount given for the value of the
stolen property provided at Item PROPERTYVALUE. Ask
the question exactly as it is worded on the screen:
"How did you decide the value of the property that was
taken?"
Since this screen allows for multiple entries, continue asking
"Any other way?" until you get a "No" reply. Avoid reading
the answer categories to the respondent, except as a last
resort.
Methods Used to
Decide
Precode (11), Original cost
The price paid for the item when the respondent first bought
it.
Precode (12), Replacement cost
If the stolen property has been replaced already, it would be
the price paid at that time. Otherwise, it would be the cost to
replace the stolen property at the time of interview. When
using the replacement cost, do NOT consider the original
purchase price.
Precode (13), Personal estimate of current value
Current value is not the same as the property's replacement
cost. A personal estimate of current value is the
respondent's idea of what the stolen property was worth at
the time of the incident.
Precode (14), Insurance report estimate
This is the amount that an insurance company estimates the
stolen property to be worth.
Precode (15), Police estimate
This is the amount that the police estimate the stolen
property to be worth.
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Precode (17), Other (Specify)
Use this category when the respondent gives you a definite
way in which he/she arrived at the value, but it is not one of
the categories listed in Precodes (11) through (15) of Item
DECIDEDVALUE. After entering Precode (17), always
enter what the method was in the “Specify” space in
DECIDEDVALUE_SPEC, such as "a friend's estimate,"
"appraisal from an antique dealer," or "face value" (for
stolen food stamps).
Precode (16), Don't know
By entering Precode (16), you are indicating that the
respondent does not know how he/she decided on the
amount given as the value of the stolen property at Item
PROPERTYVALUE. Always probe to get a more precise
answer before entering Precode (16) for “Don’t know.”
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Topic 11. Property Ownership
Definition
The NCVS is interested in obtaining information about
attempted or actual thefts of property or money only when
the property or money is owned by persons who are
eligible sample household members at the time of
interview. As you complete the incident report section of
the NCVS instrument for an attempted or actual theft, you
determine whether the property is owned by:
The respondent only
The respondent and other household member(s)
Other household member(s) only
Nonhousehold member(s) only
Jointly by a household member and a nonhousehold
member.
Theft Incidents From
Former Residences
You may encounter incidents where an attempted or actual
theft occurred during the reference period while the sample
household resided at an address other than the sample
address. As long as the property that the offender stole or
attempted to steal is owned by a person who is a household
member at the sample address at the time of interview, you
keep the attempted or actual theft report for the NCVS.
However, if the attempted or actual theft involved property
owned SOLELY by a person who is NOT a household
member at the sample address at the time of interview,
continue to collect information for that incident.
Theft Incidents From
a Legally Separated
Spouse
If a husband and wife are legally separated and not yet
divorced, any property that they owned jointly while married
is still considered jointly owned during their legal separation.
ATTEMPTTHEFT
OWNER and
WHOOWNEDSTOLEN
PROPERTY
When you determine at Items ATTEMPTTHEFT and
ATTEMPTTHEFTWHAT that a reported incident involves
an attempted theft, you ask the respondent Item
ATTEMPTTHEFTOWNER:
"Did the (property/money) the offender tried to take
belong to you personally, to someone else in the
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household, or to both you and other household
members?"
When you determine at Items THEFT and
WHATWASTAKEN that a reported incident involves an
actual theft, you will ask the respondent the following
question at Item WHOOWNEDSTOLENPROPERTY:
"Did the stolen (property/money) belong to you
personally, to someone else in the household, or to
both you and other household members?"
Both of these items are designed to determine whether the
owner is:
The respondent only
The respondent and other household member(s)
Other household member(s) only
Nonhousehold member(s) only
Other "Specify" (For example, property or money owned
jointly by a household member and a nonhousehold
member.)
Here are a few situations in which you enter Precode (5)
"Other" at Items ATTEMPTTHEFTOWNER or
WHOOWNEDSTOLENPROPERTY:
Owners of the property/money are the respondent and a
nonhousehold member.
OR
Nonhousehold Member
at Time of Interview
Owners of the property/money are another household
member and a nonhousehold member.
When a reported incident of theft or attempted theft involves
property belonging to a person who is NOT a sample
household member at the time of interview, the incident will
be kept for the NCVS. If you discover at
ATTEMPTTHEFTOWNER or
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WHOOWNEDSTOLENPROPERTY that the property/
money belongs only to a person who is a nonhousehold
member at the time of interview, you still must finish
completing the incident report section of the instrument. By
completing the incident report section, you may discover
other facts about the incident that are within the scope of the
survey.
(See Part C, Chapter 1, Topic 8, for more information
about out-of-scope incidents.)
ATTEMPTTHEFTLNS and
OTHERSOWNED
STOLENPROPERTY
When the property/money involved in a theft or attempted
theft incident is owned by the respondent AND other sample
household members, you will identify by line number at
either Item ATTEMPTTHEFTLNS or Item
OTHERSOWNEDSTOLENPROPERTY which household
members other than the respondent own the property.
For an attempted theft, enter the line number(s) at
ATTEMPTTHEFTLNS. For an actual theft, enter the line
number(s) at OTHERSOWNEDSTOLENPROPERTY.
Consider the property to belong to the ENTIRE sample
household and enter Precode (40), "Household property" if:
The respondent tells you that the property belongs to
ALL household members
OR
The respondent tells you that the property belongs
jointly to himself/herself AND more than two other
household members.
Depending on the circumstances, it is acceptable to enter
line number(s) for the theft of personal property and also
enter Precode (40), "Household property."
The SUMMARY Screen
When property from an attempted or actual theft incident is
owned by two or more persons, you need to identify at the
SUMMARY screen which persons own which items and,
when necessary, which items are household property. For
example, if you enter Precode (2) at Item
ATTEMPTTHEFTOWNER or
WHOOWNEDSTOLENPROPERTY, identify by line number
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in your summary report which items belong to the
respondent and which items belong to the other household
member(s).
It is not necessary to do this when the property/money:
Belongs only to the respondent
OR
Is considered to be entirely household property.
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Topic 12. Recovered Money and/or Property
Definition
ALLPARTRECOVERED
For the NCVS, "recovered money and/or property" means:
For stolen money: Any money stolen during the
reported incident that has either been found and
returned to the respondent OR that the offender has
reimbursed to the respondent for all or part of the stolen
money.
For stolen property: All or part of the original stolen
property was returned to the respondent or is being held
as evidence for a court case.
Item ALLPARTRECOVERED is one of the questions that
you will ask the respondent when money and/or property
was stolen during a reported incident. The question at Item
ALLPARTRECOVERED asks:
"Was all or part of the stolen (money/property)
recovered, not counting anything received from
insurance?"
The information recorded at Item WHATWASTAKEN will
indicate whether you will ask about the recovery of stolen
money, property, or both at Item ALLPARTRECOVERED.
For the NCVS, we want to determine whether all, part, or
none of the stolen money and/or property was recovered.
Do Not Include as
Recovered
Under the following circumstances, do NOT consider the
stolen money and/or property to be recovered:
An insurance company replaced the stolen property or
provided money to replace the stolen property.
The offender replaced the stolen property or provided
money to replace the stolen property.
Anyone other than the offender reimbursed the
respondent for the money that was stolen, such as an
insurance company or a relative.
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For the NCVS, we are only interested in the original
property/money, not property/money that was given to the
owner as a replacement or reimbursement.
WHATRECOVERED
If a respondent tells you at Item ALLPARTRECOVERED
that only part of the stolen money and/or property was
recovered, then you determine at Item WHATRECOVERED
how much of the stolen money and/or property was
recovered.
Cash Was Recovered
When stolen cash was recovered, enter Precode (1),
"Cash," and then enter the amount in whole dollars
(rounding up or down as necessary) in the "Amount of cash
recovered" space at Item CASHRECOVERED. An
estimated dollar amount is acceptable when the respondent
is unable to give you an exact amount.
Only Property Was
Recovered
When stolen property was recovered, there are five
separate "Property" answer categories in
WHATRECOVERED:
Precode (2), "Purse"
Precode (3), "Wallet"
Precode (4), "Credit cards, checks, bank cards"
Precode (5), "Car or other motor vehicle"
Precode (6), "Property other than the above"
Based on the respondent's answer, enter precodes for all
property categories that apply. Any time a respondent
answers "Purse" or "Wallet," Item CONTAINMONEY
appears next, which asks: "Did it contain any money?"
This additional question is to ensure that we document any
stolen cash that may have been recovered. If you get a
"Yes" answer, make sure to enter the dollar amount in the
"Amount of cash recovered" space in Item
CASHRECOVERED.
Enter Precode (6), "Property other than the above" when:
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The respondent mentions recovered property not
described in any of the other four property categories at
Item WHATRECOVERED.
OR
The respondent does not know or is unsure about which
stolen property items were recovered.
Both Cash and Property
Were Recovered
RECOVEREDCASH
VALUE
When both stolen money and property were recovered:
Enter Precode (1) and then enter the amount in whole
dollars (rounding up or down as necessary) in the
"Amount of cash recovered" space, and
Enter precodes for all appropriate "property" categories
from Precodes (2) through (6) based on the
respondent's answer.
When the stolen property recovered was something other
than cash, checks, or credit cards, then you will ask the
question at Item RECOVEREDCASHVALUE to determine
the value of the recovered stolen property. The question at
Item RECOVEREDCASHVALUE asks:
"Considering any damage, what was the value of the
property after it was recovered? (Do not include
recovered cash, checks, or credit cards.)"
For Item RECOVEREDCASHVALUE:
Include the value of a recovered purse and/or wallet, but
do not include the value of recovered cash, checks, or
credit cards that may have been in the purse or wallet.
Damage to stolen property before it is recovered may
cause its value to decrease from what it was before the
theft.
Include the total whole dollar amount (rounding up or
down as necessary) for all recovered property both
damaged and undamaged (other than cash, checks,
and credit cards).
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It is acceptable to mention recovered items individually
to a respondent and allow the respondent to use any
means he/she wishes to arrive at the item's value. Then,
total the individual amounts (You can use the F11
Calculator function here if desired.) and enter the total in
the "Value of property recovered" space at Item
RECOVEREDCASHVALUE.
POLICEFOLLOWUP
Item POLICEFOLLOWUP is one of a series of questions
inquiring as to how the police responded when notified
about an incident. The question at Item
POLICEFOLLOWUP asks:
"What did the police do in following up this incident?"
This question allows you to enter more than one precode.
"Recovered property" is one of the answer categories to
identify what the police followed up on for the incident.
Before entering Precode (14), "Recovered property," make
sure that the stolen property is considered "recovered" by
the NCVS definition provided earlier in this topic.
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Topic 13. Medical Care
Definition
For the NCVS, medical care is any care or treatment that a
respondent received for physical injuries suffered during
the incident, regardless of:
Who administered the care or
Where the care was administered.
Medical care can range from something as simple as
applying an ice pack to something as complicated as major
surgery. The person administering the medical care does
not need to be anyone with medical training. In fact, it could
even be the respondent treating his/her own injuries. The
location where treatment is provided can be anywhere--at
the crime scene, at home, in an ambulance, or at a hospital.
MEDICALCARE
When a respondent tells you that he/she was injured during
the incident, you will ask the following question at Item
MEDICALCARE:
"Were you injured to the extent that you received any
medical care, including self treatment?"
Item INJURY will actually identify what type of injuries were
suffered, if any. If the respondent suffered injuries during an
incident, but did not receive any care or treatment for those
injuries, enter Precode (2) "No" at Item MEDICALCARE
and the instrument skips to Item PREGATTIMEOFINC if
you are speaking to a female respondent age 18 to 49,
otherwise the instrument continues with Item
PROTECTSELF.
A "Yes" answer at Item MEDICALCARE takes you through
Items RECEIVECAREWHERE through
CAREDAYHOSPIT, so you can determine:
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Where the respondent received medical care for his/her
injuries (Item RECEIVECAREWHERE). Item
RECEIVECAREWHERE contains seven different
answer categories identifying where medical care could
have been provided to the respondent. Since you can
enter more than one precode at Item RECEIVE
CAREWHERE, continue asking "Anywhere else?" until
you get a "No" response.
Whether the respondent stayed at the hospital
overnight, when care was administered at a hospital
(Item CAREOVERNIGHT).
How many days the respondent stayed at the hospital,
when the respondent stayed overnight at a hospital
(Item CAREDAYHOSPIT).
If you determine that medical care was not provided at a
hospital, then you will skip to Item MEDICALINSURANCE
after completing Item RECEIVECAREWHERE, so you can
inquire about medical insurance.
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Topic 14. Medical Expenses
Definition
MEDICALEXPENSES
For the NCVS, medical expenses are intended to include all
costs incurred directly as a result of treatment received for
any injuries that the respondent experienced during the
incident, regardless of who paid these costs. Consider the
following costs as medical expenses if they are related
directly to the respondent's injuries from the incident:
Services provided by doctors, surgeons, and hospitals,
Ambulance service and emergency room fees,
Physical therapist and dentist fees,
Any costs for medicine or special devices, such as
braces, wheelchairs, dentures, and so forth.
Item MEDICALEXPENSES is used to determine what the
total dollar amount was for medical expenses resulting from
the incident. The question at Item MEDICALEXPENSES
reads as follows:
"What was the total amount of your medical expenses
resulting from this incident (INCLUDING anything paid
by insurance)? Include hospital and doctor bills,
medicine, therapy, braces, and any other injury-related
expenses."
Make sure to read the statement following the question so
that the respondent understands fully what to include when
providing you with a total amount. If the respondent told you
at Item MEDICALINSURANCE that he/she was covered by
medical insurance or another type of health benefits
program at the time of the incident, make sure to read the
statement within parentheses, "(INCLUDING anything
paid by insurance)" as you ask the question at Item
MEDICALEXPENSES.
If the respondent is unable to provide an exact amount, take
the respondent's best estimate of the total dollar amount for
medical expenses. In some cases, a respondent may still be
undergoing treatment for his/her injuries at the time of
interview. If so, try to get a projected estimate for the total
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cost of medical expenses resulting from the incident. When
a respondent is unable to provide even an estimated
amount, enter “Ctrl” + “D” for "Don't know."
Enter “0” (Zero) for “No cost" at Item MEDICALEXPENSES
for instances when medical care was provided at no cost to
the respondent or his/her medical insurance.
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Topic 15. Race of Offenders
Definition: Ethnicity
Ethnicity or ethnic origin is a person’s heritage, nationality, lineage,
or country of birth of the person him/herself or of his/her ancestors.
“Ethnicity” does not have the same meaning as “race” even though
respondents may use the terms interchangeably. People who
report their origin as Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino may be of any
race.
SINGOFFETHNICITY
When a respondent tells you that the crime was committed by one
offender, you ask a series of questions in the incident report section
of the instrument to gather information about the offender. One of
these questions is Item SINGOFFETHNICITY, which asks, “Was
the offender Hispanic or Latino?” Enter Precode (1) for “Yes,” (2) for
“No,” or (3) for “Don’t know.”
MULTOFFETHNICITY
When a respondent tells you that the crime was committed by more
than one offender, you also ask item MULTOFFETHNICITY, “Were
any of the offenders Hispanic or Latino?” Enter Precode (1) for
“Yes,” (2) for “No,” or (3) for “Don’t know.”
MULTOFFENDERMOST
ETHNICITY
When the respondent indicates that at least one of the offenders
was Hispanic or Latino, you ask item
MULTOFFENDERMOSTETHNICITY, “Were the offenders mostly
Hispanic, mostly non-Hispanic, or an equal number of Hispanic and
non-Hispanic?” Enter the answer as indicated by the respondent.
Definition: Race
For the NCVS, we use the following race categories at Items
SINGOFFRACE and MULTOFFENDERRACE to identify an
offender’s race – “White,” “Black or African American,” “American
Indian or Alaska Native,” “Asian” (for example, Japanese, Chinese,
Filipino, Korean, Asian Indian, Vietnamese), and “Native Hawaiian
or Other Pacific Islander.”
SINGOFFRACE
When a respondent tells you that the crime was committed by just
one offender, you ask him/her a series of questions to gather
information about the offender. One of these questions is Item
SINGOFFRACE, which asks about the offender's race. The answer
categories for this item are “White,” “Black or African American,”
“American Indian or Alaska Native,” “Asian,” and “Native Hawaiian
or Other Pacific Islander.”
Since an offender could be of more than one race, you can enter
more than one precode at Item SINGOFFRACE to identify the
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races of each offender. The answer categories for Item
SINGOFFRACE are:
Precode (1), White
Precode (2), Black or African American
Precode (3), American Indian or Alaska Native
Precode (4), Asian
Precode (5), Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
Precode (6), Don't know
When reading the question at Item SINGOFFRACE you will read
answer categories 1-5 as part of the question. However, do not
read category 6, “Don’t know” to the respondent.
A person's ethnic origin is NOT the same as a person's race. If
a respondent answers the offender’s race question with
“Spanish, Hispanic, Latino” or another ethnic origin, such as
“French” or “German,” enter Precode (1), “White.”
MULTOFFENDERRACE
and
MULTOFFENDERRACE
MOST
When a respondent tells you that the crime was committed by more
than one offender, you ask the respondent a series of questions in
the incident report section to gather information about these
offenders. Two of these questions are at Items
MULTOFFENDERRACE and MULTOFFENDERRACEMOST. The
question at Item MULTOFFENDERRACE asks: “What race or
races were the offenders? Were they …” Since the offenders could
be of more than one race, you can enter more than one precode at
Item MULTOFFENDERRACE to identify the races of each
offender. The answer categories for Item MULTOFFENDERRACE
are:
Precode (1), White
Precode (2), Black or African American
Precode (3), American Indian or Alaska Native
Precode (4), Asian
Precode (5), Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
Precode (6), Don't know
When reading the question at Item MULTOFFENDERRACE you
will read answer categories 1-5 as part of the question. However,
do not read category 6, “Don’t know” to the respondent.
A person's ethnic origin is NOT the same as a person's race. If
a respondent answers the offender’s race question with
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“Spanish, Hispanic, Latino” or another ethnic origin, such as
“French” or “German,” enter Precode (1), “White.”
The question at Item MULTOFFENDERRACEMOST asks: “What
race were most of the offenders?” When two or more precodes are
entered at Item MULTOFFENDERRACE, ask the question at Item
MULTOFFENDERRACEMOST to determine the race of MOST of
the offenders. Only enter ONE of the following precodes at Item
MULTOFFENDERRACEMOST:
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
Precode (1), Mostly White
Precode (2), Mostly Black or African American
Precode (3), Mostly American Indian or Alaska Native
Precode (4), Mostly Asian
Precode (5), Mostly Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
Precode (6), Equal number of each race
Precode (7), Don't know
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Topic 16. Other Victimized Household Members
Definition
For the NCVS, "Other victimized household members"
consist of sample household members who are:
Also victims in an incident reported by the household
member you are currently interviewing,
Household members at the time of interview, and
At least 12 years of age at the time of the incident.
Consider a household member to be a "victim" if the
offender did any of the following things to an eligible
household member:
Hit, knocked down, or actually attacked the household
member.
Tried to attack the household member.
Threatened to physically harm the household member.
Since it is important that we get a complete picture of each
household member's victimization, you must complete a
separate set of incident report questions for each eligible
household member at the time of interview who was
personally victimized during an incident.
PERSONSHARMED
Through HHMEMHARMED
Item PERSONSHARMED is used to determine if any
persons who were present during the incident, other than
the respondent, the offender, and any children under 12
years of age were victimized. If you get a "Yes" answer at
Item PERSONSHARMED, then, at Item
PERSONSHARMEDNUM, document the number of
victimized persons excluding the respondent, the offender,
and any children under 12 years of age.
Item HHMEMHARMED is used to determine if any of the
persons present during the incident who were victimized are
eligible household members at the time of interview and, if
so, to identify the household members by line number. The
question at Item HHMEMHARMED asks:
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"How many of these persons are members of your
household now? Do not include yourself, the offender,
or children under 12 years of age."
Victimized Member Not
Yet Interviewed
If a household member identified at Item
HHMEMHARMED_NAMES does not mention that he/she
was personally victimized during his/her interview, remind
the respondent about the incident reported by the other
household member. There may be instances when the
respondent contradicts what the other household member
told you.
Victimized Member
Already Interviewed
At Item HHMEMHARMED_NAMES you enter the line
numbers of the household members who were personally
victimized during this incident. If you have already
interviewed a household member who was identified at Item
HHMEMHARMED_NAMES and the household member did
not mention that he/she was personally victimized in the
incident, you will not be able to complete an incident report
for that person. If you come across this situation, be sure to
document it in the “Case Level Notes.”
Victimized Person No
Longer a Household
Member
Do NOT enter a previous household member's line number
at Item HHMEMHARMED_NAMES if the person is NOT a
household member at the time of the incident.
Victimized Person Is a
Proxy Respondent
If you are conducting a proxy interview, the question and
statement at Item HHMEMHARMED_NAMES is worded
differently so that you ask about the proxy person, NOT the
proxy respondent.
Make sure to enter the proxy respondent's line number at
Item HHMEMHARMED_NAMES if the proxy respondent:
Is a household member at the time of interview
AND
Was personally victimized during the reported incident.
If you confirm that a proxy respondent was personally
victimized, make sure to document it in the “Case Level
Notes.”
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Victimized Person Is a
Noninterview
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If you have already tried and are unable to interview a
household member and another household member tells
you that this noninterviewed person was also personally
victimized during an incident, do not attempt to re-contact
the noninterviewed person about the victimization.
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Topic 17. Damage to Property During an Incident
Definition
The NCVS measures "damage to property" when the
property is:
Owned by someone who was a household member at
the time of the incident,
OR
Owned by an unrecognizable business that is operated
from the sample address,
AND
The property was damaged or vandalized during the
incident.
When to Exclude Damaged
Property
Under the following circumstances, EXCLUDE information
about damaged property for the NCVS:
The damaged property belonged to someone who was
not a sample household member at the time of the
incident and at the time of the interview.
The damaged property belonged to a recognizable
business operated by a household member.
The damaged property is commercial property that does
not belong to a household member.
Incident Report Screens
WHATHAPPEN
There are several screens in the incident report section that
are used to collect information about property damage
during a reported crime incidentBItems WHATHAPPEN,
HAPPEN, and DAMAGED through PAIDREPAIRS. At the
SUMMARY screen, include details about damaged property
as you summarize the reported incident.
Item WHATHAPPEN is used to determine what actually
happened during the incident and it allows for multiple
answers. Ask the question at Item WHATHAPPEN when
the respondent was present during the incident and
answered "No" when asked if the offender:
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Hit, knocked down, or actually attacked the respondent
in any way (Item ATTACK);
Tried to attack the respondent (Item TRYATTACK); and
Threatened to physically harm the respondent in any
way (Item THREATEN).
Two of the answer categories for Item WHATHAPPEN deal
with damage to property:
Precode (18), Damaged or destroyed property, and
Precode (19), Attempted or threatened to damage or
destroy property.
HAPPEN
Item HAPPEN is also used to determine what actually
happened during the incident and this screen allows you to
enter more than one precode. You will see Item HAPPEN
when only household members, other than the respondent,
were present during the incident.
Item HAPPEN includes two answer categories that deal
with damage to property:
Precode (16), Damaged or destroyed property, and
Precode (17), Attempted or threatened to damage or
destroy property.
DAMAGED
Item DAMAGED determines whether any property owned
by a household member at the time of the incident (other
than stolen property) was damaged during the incident.
Since Item DAMAGED excludes damage done to property
stolen during an incident, make sure to read the lead-in
statement Other than any stolen property, whenever an
incident involves stolen property. If the incident does not
involve stolen property, then the instrument does not display
the lead-in statement. If you entered Precodes (12) through
(36) in Item WHATWASTAKEN, then you should read the
lead-in statement when asking the question Item
DAMAGED.
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If a respondent appears to be confused, ask the probe
question shown below the question at Item DAMAGED to
give the respondent some examples. The probe reads: "For
example, was (a lock or window broken/clothing
damaged/damage done to a car), or something else?"
Based on the type of incident reported, decide which phrase
within the parentheses is most appropriate to read for the
probe question.
DAMAGEDREPAIRED
ESTCOSTTOREPAIR
REPLACE and
ACTCOSTREPAIR
REPLACE
When you enter Precode (1), "Yes," at Item DAMAGED,
continue with Item DAMAGEDREPAIRED to determine
whether any or all of the items that were damaged during an
incident were either repaired or replaced. A "Yes" answer
(Precode (1), “Yes, all,” or (2), “Yes, part”) is acceptable at
Item DAMAGEDREPAIRED regardless of:
Who repaired or replaced the damaged items or
What the repair or replacement cost may have been,
even if the repair or replacement was done at no charge.
If a respondent tells you that the damaged items were not
repaired or replaced, ask the question at Item
ESTCOSTTOREPAIRREPLACE to determine what it
would cost to repair or replace the damaged items.
If a respondent tells you that all or part of the damaged
items were repaired or replaced, ask the question at Item
ACTCOSTREPAIRREPLACE to determine what it did cost
to repair or replace the damaged items. For Items
ESTCOSTTOREPAIRREPLACE and
ACTCOSTREPAIRREPLACE, enter the amount in whole
dollars, rounding up or down as necessary. If a respondent
is having difficulty giving you an amount, probe to help
him/her decide on an accurate answer. It is acceptable to
enter the respondent's best estimate when an exact amount
is not readily available or remembered. Only enter Control +
D for "Don't know," when you are unable to even get an
estimated cost after probing. If the household did not incur
any cost to repair or replace the damaged property, then
enter Precode “0” (zero), "No cost."
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PAIDREPAIRS
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Item PAIDREPAIRS determines who either paid or would
pay the cost to repair or replace any items damaged during
a reported incident. When asking the question at Item
PAIDREPAIRS, make sure to use the appropriate words
based on the answers you received at Items DAMAGED
through ACTCOSTREPAIRREPLACE. Since the repair or
replacement costs could be paid by more than one person
or organization, Item PAIDREPAIRS allows you to enter
more than one precode. Continue asking "Anyone else?"
until you get a "No" answer.
When recording answers at Item PAIDREPAIRS,
remember the following points:
Precode (1) "Items will not be repaired or replaced":
Only enter Precode (1) when NONE of the damaged
property will be repaired or replaced. However, if money
was paid by insurance or another source to the respondent
for the purpose of repairing or replacing the damaged
property and the respondent decided not to use it for that
purpose, do NOT enter Precode (1). Instead, enter
Precodes (3) through (6), as appropriate. Here are a few
examples:
The victim's insurance paid to repair some furniture that
was damaged during a household theft and the victim
decided to give the damaged furniture away and use the
insurance money for some other purpose. In this
example, enter Precode (4), "Victim's (or household's)
insurance," even though the furniture was not repaired.
The respondent's neighbor gave the respondent money
to replace a lamp that the neighbor broke while arguing
and physically assaulting the respondent during a party
at the respondent's home. The respondent did not use
the money to replace the lamp. In this example, enter
Precode (5), "Offender."
Any time money is given to a respondent for the purpose of
repairing or replacing a damaged item, enter the
appropriate precodes to show who gave the money,
regardless of whether or not the money was used for that
purpose.
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Precode (3), "Landlord or landlord's insurance," and
Precode (4), "Victim's (or household's) insurance":
Any time the cost to repair or replace a damaged item is
paid for by someone other than an insurance company and
that person is later reimbursed by an insurance company,
you would enter Precode (3) and/or Precode (4) depending
on whose insurance reimbursed the person. If the
household member had to pay a deductible and the
insurance company paid the balance, enter Precode (2),
"Household member," AND Precode (4), "Victim's (or
household's) insurance."
Precode (6), "Other":
If the money to repair or replace the damaged property
came from a source not covered in Precodes (1) through
(5), enter Precode (6) and describe the type of person or
organization in the “Specify” space in Item
PAIDREPAIRS_SPEC. Some examples are: a relative,
friend, government agency, church, or community
organization.
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Topic 18. Job/Business at Time of the Incident
Definition
For the NCVS, a job or business at the time of the incident
means that the respondent:
Had a definite arrangement to work for pay or profit on a
part-time or full-time basis at the time of the incident.
Was self-employed in his/her own business/farm or
partnership at the time of the incident.
Was working without pay on a family farm or in a family
business at the time of the incident.
If a respondent meets one of the conditions stated above
and is temporarily absent from work because of an illness,
vacation, bad weather, strike, or temporary layoff, you
would still consider him/her to have a job at the time of the
incident.
Do NOT consider a respondent to have a job at the time of
the incident, if the respondent was:
Doing volunteer work without pay.
Keeping house without pay.
Receiving money from a scholarship.
JOBDURINGINCIDENT
The question at Item JOBDURINGINCIDENT can be either
asked or verified and it asks: "Did you have a job at the
time of the incident?" A "Yes" answer to this question
takes you to Item LOSTOTHERWORKTIME, if the
respondent was not injured. However, if the respondent was
injured and answers “Yes” at Item JOBDURINGINCIDENT,
continue with Screen LOSTWORKTIME. A “No” answer
takes you to Item MAJORACTIVITY.
The employment questions in the screening section of the
instrument ask about the respondent's job or business held
for at least two consecutive weeks in the 6 months before
the interview and Item JOBDURINGINCIDENT asks about
the respondent’s job or business at the time of the incident.
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Topic 19. Major Activity During Week of the Incident
Definition
For the NCVS, major activity during the week of the incident
is intended to identify the one activity at which the
respondent spent the majority of his/her time during the
week that the incident occurred. Whenever a respondent
says at Item JOBDURINGINCIDENT that he/she did not
have a job or business at the time of the incident, you ask
the question at Item MAJORACTIVITY to determine how
the respondent spent most of his/her time during the week
of the incident.
MAJORACTIVITY
When a respondent tells you at Item
JOBDURINGINCIDENT that he/she did not have a job or
business at the time of the incident, continue with the
question at Item MAJORACTIVITY to find out whether the
person was:
Precode (1), Looking for work
Precode (2), Keeping house
Precode (3), Going to school
Precode (4), Unable to work
Precode (5), Retired
Precode (6), Other - Specify
Make sure that you read the entire question, so the
respondent has a better idea of the question's purpose and
only enter ONE precode.
The question at Item MAJORACTIVITY asks:
"What was your major activity the week of the incident
-were you looking for work, keeping house, going to
school, or doing something else?"
Looking for Work
The following activities constitute "Looking for work,"
Precode (1):
Registering at an employment office,
Meeting with prospective employers,
Placing or answering job advertisements, and
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Investigating the possibility of starting a business or
professional practice.
Keeping House
Precode (2), "Keeping house," is intended for respondents
whose primary responsibility during the week of the incident
involved housework within their own home. "Keeping
house" includes the following activities:
Cooking, washing clothes, and cleaning house,
Caring for their own children, foster children, or children
of relatives, such as brothers, sisters, cousins, and so
forth,
Overseeing the care of their home, even if someone
else actually does the labor, and
Maintaining their yard and house, such as cutting the
grass, painting the house, and caring for vegetable and
flower gardens (other than on a family farm).
Consider a respondent as having a job at the time of the
incident if the respondent is paid to keep house, such as a
maid. If this happens, go back to Item
JOBDURINGINCIDENT and change the “No” answer to a
“Yes” answer.
Going to School
Precode (3), "Going to school," is intended for respondents
who spent the major part of the incident week attending any
kind of public or private school, including a trade or
vocational school. When a respondent was not at school
due to an illness or short vacation, you still enter Precode
(3), "Going to school."
However, a student's summer vacation is treated differently.
If the respondent was on summer vacation when the
incident occurred and he/she was not attending summer
school during that week, enter one of the other categories,
NOT Precode (3), "Going to school."
For example, if the household member was:
Looking for work, enter Precode (1),
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OR
"Babysitting brother and sister" or "Doing volunteer work
without pay," enter Precode (6), "Other," and enter the
activity in the "Specify" space in Item
MAJORACTIVITY_SPEC.
Unable to Work
Precode (4), "Unable to work," is intended for respondents
who are unable to do any kind of work either permanently or
for more than 6 months from the time of the incident due to a
long-term physical/mental illness or disability. This category
is NOT intended for respondents who are only ill or disabled
temporarily and will be able to do some type of work within 6
months following the incident. For a temporary illness or
disability that keeps a respondent from working, you may
need to enter Precode (6), "Other," and enter a description
of the major activity in Item MAJORACTIVITY_SPEC.
Retired
Precode (5), "Retired," is intended for respondents who
have discontinued working permanently from their jobs. If a
respondent has retired from one job, but was working at
least part of the incident week, consider the person as
having a job at the time of the incident, go back to Item
JOBDURINGINCIDENT and change the answer to “Yes.”
Other
Enter Precode (6), "Other, specify" when the respondent's
major activity during the incident week does not fit any other
category from Precodes (1) through (5) for Item
MAJORACTIVITY. Whenever you enter Precode (6), you
must enter a written description of the major activity, such
as recuperating from surgery, caring for a sick relative, and
so on in Item MAJORACTIVITY_SPEC.
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Topic 20. Incident Occurred at Work Site
Definition
For the NCVS, a work site is the area in which the
respondent usually conducts his/her day-to-day job-related
tasks for all jobs held by the respondent at the time of the
incident.
INCIDENTHAPPENAT
WORK
If you determine at Item DOINGATINCIDENTTIME that the
incident happened while the respondent was working or on
duty, then you ask a series of questions about the
respondent's job and employer. Item
INCIDENTHAPPENATWORK is part of this series of
questions and is asked to find out if the incident happened
at the respondent's work site. You can either verify the
answer or ask the question before entering the appropriate
precode.
Here are some situations in which you must enter Precode
(1), "Yes," at Item INCIDENTHAPPENATWORK:
Example 1:
As a taxi cab driver was driving a customer to the airport, the
customer threatened to stab him with a knife if he did not
turn over his money and watch.
Example 2:
While working at a construction site, a bricklayer was
physically attacked by a coworker.
Example 3:
An insurance agent was sexually assaulted in her office
while working late one evening. However, if this incident had
occurred while meeting with a potential client in a
restaurant, then the incident did not happen at the
respondent's work site; enter Precode (2), "No," at Item
INCIDENTHAPPENATWORK.
Example 4:
A traveling salesperson was physically assaulted by a
potential customer while he was in the customer's home
trying to make a sale.
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Example 5:
An accountant who works out of her unrecognizable home
office reported that her office was broken into, vandalized,
and computer and other electronic equipment were stolen
during the incident. However, if the only items stolen
belonged to the respondent personally and not to the
unrecognizable business, enter Precode (2), "No," at Item
INCIDENTHAPPENATWORK.
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Topic 21. Incidents Involving a Police Officer
Definition
Police officers can be involved in crime incidents as either
victims or offenders. The NCVS is interested in all incidents
involving police officers, regardless of whether the officers
are victims or offenders or on duty or off duty. Due to the
nature of their job, police officers present special issues for
the NCVS.
An assault, a threat of physical harm, or any other type of
NCVS crime in which a police officer has been victimized is
no less of a crime because of his/her line of work. However,
due to a police officer's job, he/she is more likely to report a
greater number of incidents than the average NCVS
respondent.
Even though a police officer in the line of duty sometimes
has the right to use necessary physical force to make an
arrest or to keep the peace, a police officer while either on or
off duty can still be an offender in a crime incident. If a
respondent claims that an offender is a police officer, do
NOT attempt to determine whether the police officer was or
was not acting in the line of duty.
Headquarters staff reviews all incident reports involving
offenders who are police officers and determines whether
each incident:
Should be kept because the police officer acted beyond
the line of duty
OR
POLICEINFORMED
Should be deleted because the police officer acted
within the line of duty.
When completing the incident report questions for an
incident in which a police officer is either the victim or the
offender, do not assume that the police department was
informed and an official report was filed.
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The question at Item POLICEINFORMED asks:
"Were the police informed or did they find out about
this incident in any way?"
Ask this question of the respondent and, if necessary, probe
by asking whether or not an official report was filed for the
incident. If a report was not filed, enter Precode (2), "No."
The SUMMARY Screen
When a police officer is reported as the offender in an
incident, Headquarters staff rely heavily on the facts that
you enter at the SUMMARY screen. Since this information
helps determine whether or not the incident falls out of
scope for the NCVS, you need to provide as many facts as
possible to answer the following questions:
Was the victim/respondent arrested?
Did the victim/respondent press charges against the
police officer?
Did the police confiscate any property? If so, was the
property returned, kept as evidence, and so forth?
Was the police officer on or off duty?
Did the police officer have a hand gun or billy club? If so,
did the police officer draw or use either the gun or billy
club?
Probe to get a complete description of the police officer's
actions AND the victim's actions during the incident without
offending the respondent.
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Topic 22. Writing Summary Reports
Definition
The Summary Report, which you enter at Item SUMMARY
is intended for you to summarize all of the pertinent facts
involving a reported crime incident. Each summary report
should be written so that anyone reading it can get a clear,
well-defined picture of how the respondent was victimized
during the reported incident.
Include in the summary report any details that you feel are
not evident from the answers in the incident report section of
the interview. This is very important because, before
sending a case for processing, editors often need more
specific details than they can get from other entries in the
NCVS interview. When this happens, they must rely on what
is written in your summary report.
As you write your summary report, be careful not to use
nonspecific or misleading words or phrases that may raise
more questions about the incident, instead of clarifying what
really happened.
For example:
When you ask if the offender threatened the respondent
with harm in any way, the respondent answers "No." Also,
the respondent tells you at Item WHATHAPPEN that her
husband was harassing her and using abusive language.
However, in the summary report, you use the phrase
"verbally threatened her." Be careful that the words and
phrases you use in summary reports help explain the
situation, instead of adding more confusion to the situation.
Key Points to Cover
Use these key words to jog your memory when writing a
summary report--who, what, where, when, and how.
Who - Using the person's line number (L1, L2, etc.) from
the household roster, identify all household members who
were involved in the incident, even if the member was a
noninterview. Include any nonhousehold members who
were involved in the incident. In the summary, identify that
they are nonhousehold members and use specific
descriptions, such as "friend," "neighbor," or "co-worker" to
show their relationship to the respondent. Avoid using
pronouns to describe persons involved in an incident.
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Reminder:
If other current household members who are at least 12
years old were also victims of a personal crime with contact,
you need to complete a separate set of incident report
questions for each of these persons who you are able to
interview.
What - Explain the type of crime and any pertinent details
related to the crime incident--purse stolen & offender
threatened to stab L1 while she was washing her hands.
Where - Explain where the crime took place--in a restaurant
restroom.
When - Explain when the incident took place--At 8:30 p.m.
on December 21.
How - Explain how the crime was executed--offender
yanked purse from L1's shoulder & ran/no injury to
L1/reported to police/property not recovered.
Weapons Used
Item WEAPONPRESENT - Did the offender have a
weapon such as a gun or knife, or something to use as
a weapon, such as a bottle or wrench?
Item WEAPON - What was the weapon?
If a respondent tells you at Items WEAPONPRESENT and
WEAPON that an offender had a weapon other than any
type of gun, rifle, shotgun, or knife, your summary report
needs to explain if and how this object was used as a
weapon. Since guns, rifles, shotguns, and knives are
obviously weapons, it is not necessary to explain if and how
any of these weapons were used as a weapon in the
summary report.
For example:
L1 was arguing with neighbor/neighbor picked up
rock/threw it at L1 & hit L1 in head/L1 treated at hospital
emergency room & got 4 stitches for the cut.
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Thrown objects are only considered weapons if they hit and
seriously injure the respondent. BB guns and tear gas guns
are only considered weapons if they are used as clubs.
The following objects are NEVER considered weapons:
Sex-Related Crimes
Animals
Pellet guns
Chloroform
Mace or pepper spray
Parts of the body
Small empty cans
Tear gas
Water balloons
Since sex-related crimes are rare compared to other types
of crimes, include as many details as the respondent is
willing to provide. This is important so that we can classify
any sex-related crimes into the correct category--rape,
attempted rape, sexual assault, or unwanted sexual
contact.
Avoid using phrases like "made sexually explicit
comments," "unwanted sexual contact," or "unwanted
sexual advances." These phrases do not provide us with
enough information to determine what actually happened.
We need to know what was actually said, what parts of the
body were touched, whether or not force was used, and so
forth.
Even though we want all the pertinent facts, do not probe
beyond the structured probes that are provided for Items
WHATHAPPEN, HOWTRYATTACK, HOWATTACK, and
INJURY. For example, the structured probe question for
Item SEXCONFORCEPROBE_1 is "Do you mean forced
or coerced sexual intercourse including attempts?"
Stolen Property
Item ATTEMPTTHEFTOWNER - "Did the
(property/money) the offender tried to take belong to
you personally, to someone else in the household, or to
both you and other household members?"
Item WHOOWNEDSTOLENPROPERTY - "Did the stolen
(property/money) belong to you personally, to
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someone else in the household, or to both you and
other household members?"
Items ATTEMPTTHEFTOWNER and
WHOOWNEDSTOLENPROPERTY relate to ownership of
property and/or money that an offender tried to steal or
stole. If property and/or money involved in the incident
belongs to the respondent AND other household members
OR just to other household members, make sure to
specifically identify these persons by their line numbers (L1,
L2, and so forth).
If property and/or money involved in the incident belongs to
nonhousehold members, mention that they are
nonhousehold members, along with a specific description of
their relationship to the respondent, such as co-worker,
friend, cousin, and so forth.
Item PROPERTYVALUE - "What was the value of the
PROPERTY that was taken? Include recovered
property. (Exclude any stolen cash/checks/credit
cards. If jointly owned with a nonhousehold member(s),
include only share owned by household members.)"
When completing Item PROPERTYVALUE, please note:
If stolen property is jointly owned by one or more household
members together with one or more nonhousehold
members, only include the dollar amount for the portion that
was owned by the household members.
When identifying the value of stolen property that was
owned jointly by a household member and a nonhousehold
member, show a separate dollar amount in your summary
report to differentiate between the share owned by the
household member and the share owned by the
nonhousehold member. Do not use names in your summary
report; instead, use line numbers for household members
and relationships to the respondent for nonhousehold
members.
Offender is a Police
Officer
Whenever an offender is a police officer, there are specific
facts that we need to have in your summary report. Include
as many of these facts as you can gather. Be diplomatic and
ask for the following facts in a tactful manner:
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Get a complete description of both the officer's and the
victim's actions.
Find out if the officer used or attempted to use his/her
gun or billy club.
Determine if the victim signed a complaint and, if so,
include any additional details (for example, victim was
arrested).
Ascertain whether any property was confiscated by the
police. If so, find out what was done with the confiscated
property -- whether it was returned, kept as evidence,
etc.
Commercial
Establishment
If a crime incident occurred at a business or commercial
establishment, include in your summary report as many
facts as possible to provide a complete picture of what took
place. Also, make sure to mention whether the business is
recognizable or unrecognizable.
For example:
L2 was shot in arm during clothing store robbery
(recognizable business)/Off. shot L2 with small handgun as
L2 reached under register to set off burglar alarm/L2 treated
emergency room/Store clothing & displays damaged/store
closed for 2 days/Est. $50k in stolen money, damages & lost
sales to store/Off. arrested.
Although the NCVS is not interested in the theft of property
or cash belonging to a recognizable business, we do want
this information in the summary report when it helps in
describing a situation in which:
Personal property was also stolen from a household
member.
A household member received a face-to-face threat of
physical harm, was attacked, or an attempt was made to
attack the household member.
Series Crimes
Someone illegally entered, broke into, or attempted to
break into the sample housing unit.
When writing a summary report for series of crimes, start by
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providing a GENERAL description of the entire series of
incidents. For the last or most recent incident in the
series, provide a DETAILED description of the incident
following the who, what, where, when, and how format.
Things to Avoid
When writing summary reports for crime incidents, avoid:
Using very general or vague statements or any
unnecessary words or phrases. Instead, write the facts
in short, concise sentences.
Using the exact wording from the answer categories in
the instrument.
Using pronouns (she, he, him, her, they, their, and so
forth).
Using abbreviations that most editors would not
understand. Instead, access and use the abbreviations
list in the NCVS instrument by using Shift + F11 or the
F1 Help key at the SUMMARY screen.
Omitting pertinent facts that could help clarify details of
an incident.
Examples of Good
Summary Reports
Here are some examples of good summary reports:
At 10 p.m. on Aug. 4, L1's drunken ex-spouse
(nonhousehold member) was arguing & using abusive
language while in L1's home/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/lamp
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. mgr.) was shot in the arm by
angry evicted tenant in L2's office/small hand gun
used/police notified & off. arrested/L2 hospitalized
overnight.
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At 2 a.m. on Dec. 12, off. attempted to break into L1's
home/no one present/security alarm scared off. & off.
ran away/damage 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 customer/no injuries or store damage/ 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.
Examples of Bad Summary
Reports
The following are examples of bad summary reports:
Unwanted sexual contact between off. and L2 with no
injuries.
Sam was threatened by his co-worker in an office
building. There were no injuries.
Rsp. sd she was shot at while walking down the
street/offenders were arrested.
Rsp. was involved in a car jacking/threatened to
shoot/not far from home/police notified.
Was on way to school/music compact discs
stolen/$75/no police.
Garage broken into/HH sleeping at time/bike stolen/ no
police/no injuries.
Lawnmower stolen from premises/hh on vacation.
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Part C, Chapter 3
Topic 23. Type of Industry and Occupation
Definition
Specific questions in the incident report section of the
instrument, ask about various aspects of a respondent’s job
at the time of the incident. The information collected about
the respondent’s employer, kind of business, and kind of
work done at the time of the incident are used to assign
industry and occupation codes that uniquely identify the
respondent’s job by type of industry and occupation.
The aggregated data from these industry and occupation
items allow users to analyze crime data by different types of
industries and occupations.
Conditions for Asking the
Industry and Occupation
Questions
The only time you ask a respondent the industry and
occupation questions is when the respondent reports that
he/she was working or on duty when the incident
happened/started. In other words, Precode (11), “Working
or on duty,” is entered at Item DOINGATINCIDENTTIME.
Screens Covering the
Industry and Occupation
Questions
The industry and occupation questions are Items
EMPLOYERTYPE through ISCURRENTJOB.
EMPLOYERTYPE
Item EMPLOYERTYPE is used to identify into which “Class
of Worker” type the respondent’s employer fits. The “Class
of Worker” categories include:
Precode (1)
Precode (2)
Precode (3)
Precode (4)
Precode (5)
INCORPORATED
A private company, business, or individual
for wages.
The Federal government.
A State, county, or local government.
Yourself (Self-employed) in your own
business, professional practice, or farm.
A private, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, or
charitable organization.
Item INCORPORATED is used to determine whether the
business at which the respondent worked at the time of the
incident is incorporated. Only ask this question if you
entered Precode (1), (4), or (5) at Item EMPLOYERTYPE.
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EMPLOYERNAME
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Item EMPLOYERNAME is used to identify the name of the
respondent’s employer at the time of the incident. Since
Census Bureau coders working in the National Processing
Center need this key piece of information to assign the
correct industry code, make sure that you record this
information accurately.
Even though a respondent may be reluctant to provide the
name of his/her employer, make every effort to collect this
information without badgering the respondent. In some
cases, you may succeed by just reassuring a respondent
that the information he/she provides is held strictly
confidential.
TYPEBUSINESS
Item TYPEBUSINESS is used to determine the kind of
business or industry that is transacted by the respondent’s
employer at the time of the incident. This is another key
piece of information needed to assign the correct industry
code for a respondent’s employer.
To ensure that our coders can assign an accurate industry
code, enter a clear and specific description of the
employer’s kind of business or industry:
What is the purpose of the business?
OR
What type of products are produced by this industry?
Structured Probe
If the respondent hesitates in giving you an answer to your
initial question at Item TYPEBUSINESS, also ask the
structured probe question printed below the initial question.
This question may help the respondent to understand what
type of description we want at this screen.
Be Specific
Make sure that you avoid entering descriptions that are too
general, such as:
“It’s a mining company.”
“The business provides a repair service.”
“It’s a computer-related business.”
“It’s a retail store.”
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Here are some examples of better descriptions:
“Mines & transports coal & coal byproducts.”
“Repairs small home appliances.”
“Designs & sells computer software.”
“Operates two large hardware stores.”
Enter descriptions that are specific, but avoid using
unnecessary words that make the descriptions too long.
Keep your descriptions under 50 characters, since this is
the maximum number of characters allotted for keying this
information. This is true for each industry and occupation
item requiring a write-in entry.
BUSINESSSECTOR
Item BUSINESSSECTOR is used to identify the major type
of industry in which the respondent was working at the time
of the incident. The four options to choose from are:
Manufacturing
Retail trade
Wholesale trade
Something else
Distinguishing between these types of industries is very
important, because type of industry also plays an essential
role in assigning the correct industry code. If this question is
answered incorrectly, the coders will not be able to assign
an accurate industry code for the respondent’s employer.
Precode (1),
Manufacturing
If a respondent’s employer makes and sells its products in
large quantities or lots to other manufacturers, wholesalers,
or retailers, the respondent’s employer is probably a
manufacturing company.
Precode (2), Retail
Trade
If a respondent’s employer sells primarily to individual
consumers or users, but seldom makes products, the
respondent’s employer is probably a retail establishment.
Precode (3),
Wholesale Trade
If a respondent’s employer buys, rather than makes,
products in large quantities or lots for resale to retailers,
industrial users, or to other wholesalers, the respondent’s
employer is probably a wholesale establishment.
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Precode (4),
Something Else
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If a respondent’s employer does not manufacture or sell
products as a wholesaler or a retailer, then enter Precode
(4), “Something Else.” Examples of some employers that fit
into the “Something Else” category are:
When To Probe
Car repair shops,
Accounting firms,
Medical centers,
Trucking companies, or
Banks.
Some firms are engaged in more than one type of business
or activity. When you encounter this situation, probe to
determine the most appropriate precode to enter at Item
BUSINESSSECTOR.
If you discover that the respondent’s employer conducts
business at more than one location (for example, making
copy machines at one location and making chemicals used
by the copy machines at another location), collect data for
the location at which the respondent works.
If you discover that the respondent’s employer conducts a
variety of activities at the same location (for example, a
gasoline station that also sells groceries), probe to
determine which activity or product the respondent is most
directly involved with in his/her job. For example, if the
respondent primarily sells groceries at the gasoline station,
enter Precode (2). However, if the respondent primarily
works as a mechanic servicing motor vehicles at the
gasoline station, enter Precode (4).
OCCUPATIONDESC
Item OCCUPATIONDESC is used to determine the kind of
work or occupation the respondent had at the time of the
incident. In addition to assigning an industry code for the
respondent’s employer, the coders also assign an
occupation code for the respondent’s job based on:
The kind of work described at Item
OCCUPATIONDESC and
The respondent’s most important activities or duties
described at Item USUALJOBDUTIES.
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Make sure that you enter complete and accurate
descriptions for both of these items, so that the coders can
assign the correct occupation code.
Job Title vs. Kind of
Work
The “kind of work” descriptions that our coders need must
clearly specify the type of work the respondent does on
his/her job, and this is not necessarily the respondent’s job
title. For some occupations, the common descriptions or
general job titles that a respondent provides will not be
sufficient for the coders to assign the correct occupation
code.
Self-Employed
Persons
When a respondent is self-employed, only enter “Manager”
as his/her occupation if the person actually spends most of
the workday managing his/her business. Otherwise, we
want you to enter the kind of work the respondent spends
the majority of his/her time doing, such as plumber, hair
stylist, dentist, house painter, and so forth. In other words,
describe the respondent’s actual trade or craft, when that is
the kind of work that the respondent spends most of his/her
time doing for the business.
Avoid Entering
Department or Work
Place Titles
Avoid entering kind of work entries such as “Works in
shipping department” or “Works in the warehouse.” These
entries do not adequately describe the kind of work done by
the respondent. If the respondent inspects outgoing
products from the shipping department, enter “Inspects
products leaving shipping department.” If the respondent is
a clerk who monitors inventory in a warehouse, enter “Clerk
monitoring warehouse inventory.”
Apprentice vs.
Trainee
There is a difference between someone who is an
apprentice and someone who is a trainee. An apprentice is
under contract during his/her training period, but a trainee is
not. If a respondent tells you that he/she is in an
apprenticeship or trainee program, make sure to enter both
the person’s occupation or kind of work, along with the term
“apprentice” or “trainee.” For example, you may need to
enter “Apprentice plumber” or “Buyer trainee.”
Machinist vs. Machine
Operator vs.
Mechanic
There are major differences in the kind of work done by a
machinist, a machine operator, and a mechanic.
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Machinist: skilled craftsman who constructs metal parts,
tools, and machines through the use of blueprints, machine
and hand tools, and precise measuring instruments.
Machine operator: runs a factory machine, such as a drill
press operator.
Mechanic: inspects, services, repairs, or overhauls
machinery.
Secretary vs. “Official
Secretary”
The title secretary applies to someone who does
secretarial work in an office. The title official secretary
applies to someone who is an elected or appointed officer of
a business, union, or other organization.
Probing for Difficult to
Code Occupations
For Item OCCUPATIONDESC, avoid entering a one word
response, because it will usually be too general for our
coders to assign the correct occupation code.
For these situations, refer to the table on the next page. It
provides some difficult to code, one word occupations,
along with a suggested probe for each occupation. These
probes are written to encourage the respondent to provide a
more specific description of the kind of work he/she does on
the job.
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Occupation
Part C, Chapter 3
Suggested Probe
Assembler
What do you assemble? For example, do you assemble automobiles,
electric motors, farm equipment, sheet metal, or something else?
Clerk
What type of clerk are you? For example, do you handle accounting,
billing, filing, shipping, statistical data, sales, or something else?
Engineer
What kind of engineer are you? For example, are you a civil, electrical,
mechanical, nuclear, chemical, train, stationary, building, or some other
type of engineer?
Inspector
What type of things do you inspect? For example, do you inspect
automobiles, restaurants, houses, buildings, meats, or something else?
Manager
What type of manager are you? For example, do you manage a bakery,
garage, hotel, office, property, store, or something else?
Machinist
Do you set up AND operate machines?
Machine operator
How many machines do you operate? Also, what type of machine do
you operate primarily?
Mechanic
What type of mechanic are you? For example, do you service and
repair automobile bodies, engines, appliances, trucks, valves, or
something else?
Nurse
What type of nurse are you? For example, are you registered, licensed,
practical, vocational, a nursing aide, or some other type of nurse?
Researcher
What is your field of research?
Sales Worker
What do you sell? For example, do you sell advertising, cars, houses,
insurance, shoes, tickets, or something else?
Supervisor
Who or what do you supervise? For example, do you supervise clerical
workers, counselors, laborers, field representatives, or someone else?
Teacher
Do you teach at the preschool, elementary, high school, or college
level? Also, which subjects do you teach?
Truck Driver
What type of truck do you operate? What type of cargo do you
transport?
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USUALJOBDUTIES
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Item USUALJOBDUTIES is used to describe the usual
activities or duties a respondent performs at his/her job.
This is the second key piece of information that our coders
use to assign an occupation code. What you enter at Item
USUALJOBDUTIES is especially useful when a simple job
title does not provide enough information to code the
occupation.
Here are some examples of entries you may need to enter
at Item USUALJOBDUTIES:
Keeping account books
Selling new and used motor vehicles
Laying bricks and stone
Typing and filing letters, reports, memos, etc.
If a respondent tells you that his/her job duties are
classified, do NOT probe. In this situation, enter
“Information is classified.”
JOBMSATYPE
Item JOBMSATYPE is used to find out if the respondent
was working in a city, suburban area, rural area, or a
combination of any of these areas at the time of the incident.
This type of information helps our sponsor, the BJS, in
determining if specific areas are more prone to crime.
When a respondent worked for more than one employer at
the time of the incident, enter the precode for the area in
which he/she worked the greater number of hours. Avoid
entering Precode (4), “Combination of any of these?”,
unless a respondent insists that the area he/she worked
MOST of the time was a combination of city, suburban, and
rural.
INCIDENTHAPPEN
ATWORK
Item INCIDENTHAPPENATWORK is used to determine
whether the incident happened at the respondent’s work
site for any job held by the respondent at the time of the
incident. If you already know the answer to this question,
you can verify the answer without asking this question.
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Incident Happened at
Work Site
Consider a respondent’s work site to be the place where
his/her USUAL day-to-day activities take place. Some
examples of work sites include: office, hospital, taxi cab,
convenience store, beauty parlor, and so on.
Work Site at Sample
Address
If a respondent works out of an office or workshop in his/her
home and the incident occurred in the office or workshop,
consider the incident as happening at the respondent’s work
site. However, if the incident happened somewhere else in
the house, garage, or property OTHER THAN in the office
or workshop, then the incident did not happen at the
respondent’s work site.
Not at Usual Work Site
Do not consider the incident as happening at a respondent’s
work site if it occurred while the respondent was on the job,
but not at his/her usual work site. Some examples include
attending a meeting in another office building during
working hours or attending a business meeting out of town.
Last Resort Answer
Only enter Precode (3), “Don’t know,” when a respondent
really does not know if the incident happened at his/her
work site.
Explanation Required
Enter Precode (4), “Other,” if a respondent’s answer
requires more than just a “Yes” or “No” answer and then use
the “Specify” space at Item
INCIDENTHAPPENATWORK_SPEC to answer this
question.
WORKDAYNIGHT
Item WORKDAYNIGHT is used to find out if the respondent
worked primarily days, nights, or rotating shifts at the time of
the incident.
ISCURRENTJOB
Item ISCURRENTJOB is used to determine whether the
respondent’s job at the time of the incident is also his/her
current job at the time of the interview.
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Part D, Chapter 1
Chapter 1
NCVS Case Management
Table of Topics
Topic
Page
1 Getting into Case Management
D1-2
2 Transmissions
D1-14
NCVS Case Management
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Part D, Chapter 1
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Topic 1. Getting Into Case Management
Introduction
This document outlines procedures for the NCVS CAPI
Case Management System used by field staff to manage
the NCVS assignments in the field.
Case Management helps you organize and manage your
assignments and is an important part of interview planning.
Case Management provides a list of all sample units in
your assignment, along with additional information such as
respondent names, telephone numbers, scheduled
appointments, etc.
Although some of the sign in screens and the case list
screen will be from the new Mobile Case Management,
once you select a case from the case list screen, the
previous version of Case Management will appear on the
screen.
Logging onto Laptop
The first screen that appears when you turn on the
computer is the swirly multi-color screen used for Mobile
Case Management. It will have the time, and a few other
items. Follow the instructions at the top of the screen.
They are:
Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete or use the Windows Security button
to unlock.
The Unlock the PC screen appears.
Enter you user name (jBond ID) and password.
The black screen with icons on it appears.
Two CISCO AnyConnect pop-ups may appear. The
Mobility Client pop-up will indicate that VPN is awaiting
user input.
The CAPI-DATA pop-up will display your username
(jBond ID) and a place to enter you Passcode.
Enter you passcode (eight-digit number + RSA token
number)
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Then click the Mobile Case Management icon
At the gray warning screen, click OK.
This brings you to the Mobile Case Management Case
List screen.
A pop-up may suggest you can transmit. If you have a
good connection, and want to transmit, click the
Yes,Transmit Now button. If not, click the No, I Will
Transmit Later button.
Notice from this Mobile Case Management Case List
Screen, in the top right corner are links to the
Training/Manuals (purple), Support (green), and My Apps
(blue).
Use these links to get to these areas.
Training/Manuals (purple) has two sections
Training includes LCM and LIMA Training
1. NCVS Initial and Refresher Training
Resources includes Manuals, CBTs and the Census
Learning Center (CLC)
2, NCVS Manuals, Self-studies, and CLCs
Support (green) has
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
LCM Log Viewer
Folder link
Bongar Remote Support
Enterprise Password Reset
Enterprise Security (Update Security Questions)
Update User Settings (for TAC only)
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MY Apps has two sections – Apps and Web Apps
1. Apps has
a. FR Survey
b. LIMA Standalone
2. WebApps has
a. WebFred (payroll)
b. Internet Explorer (IE)
c. Outlook Web App (e-mail)
d. CHRIS
To Get back to the Mobile Case Management Home Page
that has the Case List, click on Home on the top left of the
screen.
When you click on an NCVS Case in the Case List in the
Current Cases section on the left side of the window, you
will leave Mobile Case Management, and enter the
previous Case Management (black & white).,
Getting into Case
Management
Menu Bar
General Information
The Menu Bar is at the top of the screen. It is labeled as
follows:
File - selections include:
Edit
View
Actions
Help
In Windows Case Management, there are some
functions that can only be accomplished through use of
menus (that is, there is no Function key assigned for
that function).
All actions that may be performed with a Function or
shortcut key may also be performed through the
menus.
Accessing a Menu
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To access a menu, position the cursor over the
selection on the menu bar and left click, and a dropdown menu appears.
The selections for the menu appear. Each has Function
or shortcut keys that perform the same action.
To make a selection there are two options:
Use the arrow keys to highlight your selection and
press “ENTER,” OR
Press the key combination.
Tool Bar and
Function Keys
General Information
The tool bar contains icons (or symbols) labeled with
the function key names. The icons remind you of what
the function keys do.
You can also use your mouse or touchpad to click on
these to perform the same function as pressing the
corresponding function key.
F1 - Help
Displays the Help information about the active window.
In Case Management, information about various topics
such as sorting cases, adding cases, outcome codes,
etc. is provided.
F2- Interview
Opens the selected case so you can interview the
respondent.
Displays the control number, eight character case ID,
house number, house number suffix, street name, unit
designation, physical description, place, state, and ZIP
code (ZIP and ZIP + 4).
If you chose the correct case, click “OK” or press
“ENTER.”
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If you chose the wrong case, click “Cancel” or highlight
“Cancel” using the “TAB” key and press “ENTER.”
F3 - Next Tab
Controls the display at the bottom half of the Case
Management screen by moving you from tab to tab.
F4 - Go Detail / Case List
Activates the Details (bottom) pane. Toggles to Case
List, to let you return to the Case List (top) pane.
F4 was chosen because it is the function key in the
instrument that “jumps.”
Use this function key when you need to edit something
in one of the tabs.
The tool bar toggles between “Go Detail” and “Case
List” depending on which pane is active.
F5 - Reports
Displays the Case Management Report Selection dialog
box, where you choose the report(s) you want.
Select the report you would like to display with either
the mouse or arrow keys. Select “OK” and press
“ENTER.”
F7 - Notes
Displays the Notes field for the selected case. You may
edit your notes.
Multiple pages of notes may be entered. Notes can
handle up to 10,000 characters.
Case Management and the NCVS instrument use the
same application for editing notes. Notes entered in
Case Management are displayed in the survey
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instrument and case level notes entered in the
instrument can be viewed in Case Management.
The notes application automatically fills in a CAPI
indicator, date, time, and your FR code, so that notes
may be tracked if a case is transferred to another FR.
Enter “F10” to exit the notes application.
Select “Yes” and press “ENTER” to save the note.
F8 - View
Activates the “Display category selection” dialog box, in
which you choose the category of cases you want to
see. This lets you look at a shorter list of cases - only
those which fall into the category you choose - or at a
list of all your cases.
Categories are:
All
Not started
Open
Partial
Interviewed
Type A
Type B
Type C
CATI
Deleted
Missing Data
Observed
Transmitted
Received in HQ
When you select an option, the program lists only the
cases that match that criteria. The display will be just
like the main display, but with a label to identify which
set of cases you selected.
Use F8 again to select a different category.
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Use Shift + F8 to return to the main Case Management
screen.
F9 - Sort
Allows you to rearrange the listed cases according to
your criteria.
Select the sort you want by highlighting a category in
the left of the pop-up box and holding down the left
mouse button. You then move the mouse to the right
until an arrow appears on the right of the pop-up box.
Cases will be sorted first by the top category, then the
second category from the top, etc., and lastly by
bottom category
You may select as many columns as you like.
F10 - Exit
Exits/closes Case Management and returns to the
Windows desktop.
F12 – Person Level Contact History Instrument (pCHI)
Opens the Person Level Contact History Instrument
also known as pCHI. See Part D, Chapter 2 for more
details.
Other Functions
Windows Case Management uses function keys in
combination with other keys on the keyboard to allow you
to perform other operations. These include:
Shift + F1 - Displays Welcome, the first help topic
Alt + F4 - Closes the active window or exits the
program
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Shift + F8 - Returns you to the main Case Management
screen from the Display Categories screen
Control + K - Accesses the list of shortcut keys
Control + Home - Moves you to the first case on the list
Control + End - Moves you to the last case on the list
Case List Pane
General Information
The case list pane is in the top half of the screen and
shows the list of cases you still have to complete.
Completed cases do not appear on this list.
The case list pane differs from survey to survey.
Use the vertical scroll bar area on the right hand side of
the case list to move up and down in the case list (click
on the up and down arrows that appear at the bottom
and top of the scroll bar).
Columns
For the NCVS the following columns appear:
Control Number - PSU, segment, sample, serial
number, household number (for 2000 sample design
cases) OR survey code, PSU state and county codes,
frame, sample designation, sequence numbers 1-2,
time of interview code (for 2010 sample design cases).
* (Asterisk) - a case is flagged with an asterisk if there is
something special about it, for example, Reassigned
cases that are , confirmed refusals and Dangerous
Address Database (DAD) Cases. If an asterisk appears
for a case, one or more small icons will appear in the
upper right corner of each tab in the Details pane
Case Address - House number, house number suffix,
street name, unit designation, GQ unit designation,
non-city address, physical description. There is a
space between each field. Address is truncated to fit
the screen. If truncated, a “~” should appear in the last
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space to indicate continuation. (Note: If house number,
house number suffix, and street name are blank, then
the physical description will be displayed.)
Place Name/City - City, town, or designated place
where address is located.
ZIP - ZIP code.
Appointment - This field is filled with an appointment or
the best time to contact a household. If no specific
appointment has been made with a household, this
field is filled with BESTTIME. BESTTIME is the time
range the respondent in the previous interview said
was the best time to reach them. In the first interview
month, this field is blank. Best time values are listed
below:
00 - Special restriction; supervisor sets appointment
01 - 9 am - 12 noon
02 - 11 am - 1 pm
03 - 12 noon - 4 pm
04 - 4 pm - 7 pm
05 - 6 pm - 9 pm
06 - 9 am - 9 pm
07 - 7 pm - 9 pm
08 - 9 am - 4 pm
09 - After 5 pm
P/T - Indicates whether the case is to be completed by
personal interview (P) or by telephone (T).
Status - interview status codes. Status codes include:
O - Case has been opened
P - Partial interview completed
I - Completed interview
A - Type A noninterview
B - Type B noninterview
C - Type C noninterview
X - Bad case, missing data
R - case has been reassigned to another FR
T - Transmitted
TR - Case has been Transmitted and Received by HQ
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Telephone number – Household’s phone number.
Int # - Number of interview (1-7).
Rte - Allows you to enter the order or route in which you
plan to visit your cases. You can then sort (F9) your
cases so that they are displayed in the order you want
to work that day.
Details Pane
General Information
The details pane is the area in the bottom half of the
screen.
The information displayed in the details pane
corresponds to whichever case is highlighted in the
Case List pane.
The Details pane contains eleven tabs/sections
(Assignment, HH Roster, Additional Information, Notes,
Contacts, Letter Mgmt, History, Contact History,
Returning Contact History, Interview Time
Preference, and Bldg Mgmt). These tabs act as folders
to store information about a particular case. The
selected tab will be displayed with its title bolded.
If you are in a detail pane, the title appears in red.
The F3 key changes the tab that is displayed.
Fields with a white background may be edited. Shift + S
saves any changes you enter.
Assignment Tab
The assignment tab is the main tab and contains
information about the control number, assignment
period, interview number, household respondent name,
home addresses, GPS coordinates, GQ building ID
(where applicable), separate mailing addresses, refusal
information, languages spoken, telephone numbers,
appointments, and more.
HH Roster Tab
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The HH Roster tab displays the household roster - line
number, name, age, birthdate, and sex of all household
members. It also identifies the household respondent.
The roster is updated when you exit a case in the
instrument.
You cannot update the roster in Case Management;
you can only view it.
Additional Information Tab
This tab provides additional information about cases
that are in group quarters.
Notes Tab
Allows you to view the notes for the case.
For more information see Tool Bar Icons / Function
Keys, F7 - Notes.
Contacts Tab
Contains contact information for the case.
Letter Mgmt Tab
Shows a history of letters that have been sent to the
sample address.
History Tab
Contains the history of all previous interviews for the
case.
Contains a record of all the times the case has been
accessed in the current month.
Contact History Tab
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Contains a record of contact history for the household
for the current interview period. (See Part D, Chapter 2
for more information.)
Returning Contact History Tab
Contains a record of contact history for the household
for past interview periods. (See Part D, Chapter 2 for
more information.)
Interview Time Preferences Tab
Displays the interview time preferences of the sample
household, if any have been collected.
Building Mgmt Tab
Displays building management contact information for
multi-unit buildings from the Building Management
Contact (BMC) database. If information from this tab is
needed by FRs, and this tab has no data in obsolete,
FRs can enter new data, or replace obsolete. The
new and changed data is sent to the RO when it is
reviewed. Once a new case or update is Accepted, it
is put on the server for all FRs who have cases in the
building.
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Topic 2. Transmissions
General Information
You will need to make a transmission every day that
you work. Making transmissions is very simple on your
Field Representative laptop. Before completing a
transmission, you must be connected to the internet and
VPN. Once you have internet and VPN connections,
follow the instructions below
Completing a Transmission
and Accessing MCM
To access MCM you need to be at the desktop screen of
your laptop. There is an icon on your desktop that reads
Mobile Case Management
1. Using the touchscreen, double tap your finger on the
MCM icon on the desktop.
2. Once you select the MCM icon, if there are any
software updates, the MCM Update Manager will
appear and start to update the application. Click
Update. This update shouldn’t take more than a few
minutes.
After all updates are finished, a Warning screen
appears notifying you that all data contained within the
Census Bureau computer system are owned by the
Census Bureau, and that use of this computer without
authorization or for unauthorized purposes is a violation
of federal law.
3.
Click OK to acknowledge the warning. You will then
see the MCM home screen, shown below.
When you are connected to the VPN, a dialog box will
prompt you to transmit each time you enter MCM.
4.
Click the green Yes, Transmit Now button.
If the dialog box does not appear when you enter
MCM, you can initiate the transmission.
5.
Click the green Transmit button.
If you are not connected to the VPN, a pop up message
will appear notifying you that a VPN connection is
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Completing a Transmission
and Accessing MCM (cont.)
Part D, Chapter 1
required to complete a transmission, shown below. Click
OK.
If you lose your VPN connection during the transmission,
an error message will appear. Click OK.
You will need to complete the steps again to establish a
VPN connection and transmit again.
If you are working on DAAL, you will receive a message
once your transmission is complete. Click OK.
If you are not working on DAAL, you can check the log
under the support page. On the upper right ribbon on
your screen is where you will access the support page.
Click on Support.
This is where you will access your LCM Log Viewer.
Click on the LCM log viewer link.
This is where you will see if your transmission was
successful.
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Part D, Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Person Level Contact History Instrument (pCHI)
Topic
Table of Topics
Page
1 Overview of the pCHI
D2-2
2 The pCHI and Case Management
D2-4
3 The pCHI and Households Without a
Roster
4 The pCHI and Households With a Roster
5
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D2-28
How to Code the pCHI in Specific
Situations
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Topic 1. Overview of the Person Level Contact History Instrument
(pCHI)
What are the CHI (Contact
History Instrument) and the
Person Level Contact History
Instrument (pCHI)?
The Contact History Instrument (CHI)
The CHI was developed to capture details of ALL contact
attempts made to a household. This means each time you
ATTEMPT to make contact or MAKE contact with a household
you enter information into the CHI. By completing the questions
asked in the CHI, you provide valuable information for yourself or
other FRs who may need to contact the household, as well as,to
your regional office (RO), headquarters staff, and our survey
sponsors. The 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.
The Person Level Contact History Instrument (pCHI)
The pCHI (pronounced “pee-ki”) has been developed to record
contact history for individual respondents on person-level
surveys like the NCVS, because:
There may be varying degrees of availability and
willingness to be interviewed among different members
of the same sample household; and
Different strategies may be used for each respondent.
The pCHI allows you to record contact information for individual
household members.
Regional office managers use reports generated from the pCHI
data. These reports provide a way for your supervisor to give
feedback on your contact attempts and make suggestions for
future contacts. Headquarters staff, along with the survey
sponsor, analyzes pCHI data to help formulate better strategies
for non-contact and refusal cases.
pCHI Screen Layout
The pCHI screen is formatted into the “Information” or “Info”
Pane and the “Form” Pane, the same as the NCVS instrument.
For the pCHI, the “Info” Pane displays the instructions for what to
enter on that screen as well as the answer list. The “Form” pane
contains the area where the data is entered.
Tabs are displayed at the top left of the screen (see example
below):
Person Level Contact History Instrument (pCHI)
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Entering the pCHI instrument
Selected Case Confirmation
Screen
Part D, Chapter 2
“pCHI” tab - contains the main screens to enter the contact
attempt information.
“Roster Information” tab - displays the household roster; can
be used to reference the household roster composition
before entering the main pCHI screens.
If you get into the NCVS instrument during a contact attempt,
pCHI appears automatically.
To access the pCHI from Case Management, highlight the
case and press F12 or click on the Contact History or
Returning Contact History tabs
The “Selected Case Confirmation Screen” dialog box appears
when entering pCHI from Case Management. Make sure you
have chosen the correct case.
If this is the correct case, click OK. If not, click cancel and
choose the correct case from your case list.
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Topic 2. The pCHI and Case Management
Contact History Tab
In Case Management, on the bottom half of your screen under
your Case List, notice the “Contact History” Tab. The Contact
History tab shows all current month contact attempt information
for whatever case you have highlighted in your case list. Note: If
you have not accessed the case or the pCHI, there will be no
information displayed on this tab yet. From left to right, the
columns are:
1. FR Code
2. The “Type” column shows whether the record displayed is for
household level (denoted by “HH”) or respondent level If it
is for the respondent or person level, it shows the line
number (L1, L2, etc.) to which it refers. Respondent or
person level screens will have screen names that start with a
small p (i.e. pCTTYPE)
3. “Contact Date” lists the date the contact was attempted.
4. “P/T” displays a “P” or “T” depending on whether the contact
attempt was a personal visit or a telephone attempt.
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5. “Status” shows the status of the contact attempt. The codes
are: “C” - Completed case, “P” - Partial interview, “U” Unable to conduct interview, or “N” – Noncontact or “X” for
Not Attempting Contact.
At the household level, the “Status” column refers to the
case level status. The case level status does not display a
“C” until all eligible NCVS respondents have been completed
or coded as a Type Z noninterview. At the person level, the
“Status” column refers to the status of the respondent after
that contact attempt.
6. “Description” displays the entries made at the noncontact
and noninterview screens.
7. “Strategy” lists the strategies previously used, such as
leaving an advance letter, or checking with a neighbor.
8. “Reluctance” displays the concerns or reluctance expressed
in previous visits. If contact was not made during that visit,
“N/A” for “not applicable” is displayed in the Reluctance
column.
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Returning Contact History
Tab
On the Case Management screen, the “Returning Contact
History” tab includes the same information as the “Contact
History” tab, with an extra column labeled “Int #” for “Interview
Number.” This tab is used for longitudinal surveys like the NCVS.
Use this tab to view pCHI records from the last enumeration.
You may use this contact history information to plan your
assignments. For example, you may determine the best days
and times to make contact and work cases that required extra
effort in previous interview periods early in your current
assignment.
Snowflake
You may see a small snowflake next to some of the columns;
this means that there are multiple entries for that column.
Clicking on the snowflake brings up a dialog box that displays
ALL entries that the FR made for that column, for that particular
date and time. See example below:
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CTATEMPT
Part D, Chapter 2
CTATEMPT is the “Contact Attempt” screen. (The screen name
is located in the bottom left corner of the pCHI instrument
window, just as it is in the NCVS instrument.) Choose “Personal
visit” to record the details of a personal visit attempt. Choose
“Telephone (outgoing)” when you attempt a telephone contact.
Choose “Telephone (incoming)” when a respondent contacts you
on the telephone. Choose “Not attempting contact” when you do
not attempt contact or want to exit the pCHI.
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NOATTEMPT
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NOATTEMPT appears when you select “Not attempting contact”
in CTATEMPT. Enter the code for the appropriate category.
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SPECNOATTEMPT
Part D, Chapter 2
SPECNOATTEMPT appears when Precode (99), “Other –
specify” is marked in NOATTEMPT. Enter the specific “other”
activity you were doing at this screen.
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TIMEOFCT
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TIMEOFCT is the “Time of Contact” item, and appears if you
entered Precode (1), “Contact attempt”, Precode (2),
“Telephone (outgoing)”, or Precode (3), “Telephone
(incoming)” in Item CTATEMPT. This item asks if you are
entering the pCHI at the exact time that the contact attempt
was made. If you are, click “Yes,” or enter “1.” You may also
enter contact information later. This provides you flexibility to
enter the contact attempt information when it is convenient for
you. (For accuracy, entering the pCHI contact information at
the time of the contact is preferred.)
For example, if it is more convenient for you to record several
contact attempts later that night after you have returned
home, you may. Although you are recording your contact
attempt later in the day, the instrument still records the “real”
time of the contact attempt so that pCHI records are accurate.
If you enter “1,” “Yes,” and a roster exists, the instrument goes
to pCASECONTACT; if no roster exists, the instrument goes
to CASECONTACT. If you enter “2,” “No,” the instrument
goes to FR_DATE to allow you to enter the date and time of
the contact attempt manually.
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FR_DATE
Part D, Chapter 2
FR_DATE appears when you select “2,””No,” at item
TIMEOFCT. Enter the date of the contact attempt in
this item. The contact attempt date is pre-filled. If you
are entering the pCHI on the same day that the
contact attempt was made, press enter. If not, enter
the date in MM/DD/YYYY format. For example, if the
contact attempt is made on November 20, 2017,
enter 11/20/2017.
The instrument then goes to FR_TIME.
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FR_TIME
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
FR_TIME is the “Time of Contact” screen, where you
enter the time of day that the contact attempt was
made. It appears if an entry was made in FR_DATE.
Enter the time that the contact attempt was made,
not the current time when you are making the entry.
When entering the time of the contact attempt, enter
the hours and minutes of the contact and AM or PM.
Do not use colons when entering the hours and
minutes; the instrument does that for you. For
example, if you made contact at 11:00AM, type
1100A.
If a roster exists, the instrument goes to
pCASECONTACT; if no roster exists, the instrument
goes to CASECONTACT.
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Topic 3. The pCHI and Households Without a Roster
Household Contact History
When an NCVS household does not yet have a roster, the
CHI questions are about the household and the screens will
not have a small ‘p’ preceding the screen names.
CASECONTACT
CASECONTACT is the pCHI “Contact Status” screen. Notice
the message “No Roster Present – Household CHI.” Since
there is no roster present, regular household CHI questions
are asked. At this item, select whether the attempt is a
contact or noncontact.
All contact attempts will fall into one of three categories:
“Contact with SAMPLE unit member;”
“Contact with NON-SAMPLE unit member”; OR
“Noncontact.”
For pCHI, select “Contact with SAMPLE unit member” for
household members and persons you believe to be household
members. Select “Contact with NON-SAMPLE member” for
non-household members, such as building managers,
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babysitters, neighbors, and the like. “Contact with NONSAMPLE member” is considered a noncontact for the pCHI.
If this item is answered with “1 - Contact with SAMPLE unit
member,” the instrument goes to CTTYPE. A response of “2 Contact with NON-SAMPLE unit member” or “3 – Noncontact”
takes the instrument to NCTPER for personal visits or to
NCTTEL for telephone call attempts.
CTTYPE
CTTYPE is the “Contact Type” screen, and appears when
CASECONTACT is answered “1 – Contact with SAMPLE unit
member.”
Notice Precode (1), “Completed case – ready to transmit.”
Since this screen appears for cases that do not have a
household roster, Precode (1) does not apply for the NCVS.
If you have completed an interview with a household
member a roster exists, so the instrument takes a different
path. If you have a case with no roster and it is a Type A, B,
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or C noninterview, select Precode (3), “Unable to conduct
interview,” not Precode (1).
NONINTER
Select Precode (2) – “Partial interview - follow-up required”
only if you have started an interview with a household
respondent, but the interview broke off before the household
roster was completed. (If a household roster was completed
during the interview, the instrument proceeds as discussed
in Topic 3, “The pCHI and Households With a Roster.”) The
instrument continues with NONINTER.
If you spoke with another household member but were not
able to conduct an interview with anyone, select Precode (3),
“Unable to conduct interview,” to record the noninterview
information for that respondent. The instrument goes to
NONINTER.
Item NONINTER appears when CTTYPE is answered with “2 Partial interview - follow-up required,” or “3 - Unable to conduct
interview.” Select the categories that best describe why you were
not able to conduct or complete the interview with the
respondent during THIS contact attempt.
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Select Precode (4), “Language problem - specify,” if there is a
language barrier between you and the sample unit member. The
instrument goes to cLANGUAGE.
Select Precode (99), “Other – specify,” to record a situation not
covered by Precodes (1) – (6). The instrument skips to
CTOTHER.
Precodes (1)-(3), and (5), all continue with RSPNDENT. Precode
(6) is not used in the NCVS.
RSPNDENT
RSPNDENT asks about respondent concerns, behaviors,
and/or reluctance. The purpose of this item is to describe
possible reluctance by the respondent. Even if this contact
attempt results in a completed case, it will be helpful for future
interview attempts with this case to know the household’s
concerns.
This item has check boxes; mark all that apply. You can click
the box or enter the number you would like to select. If you are
entering more than one number, separate them using
commas.
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RSPNDOTH
Part D, Chapter 2
Item RSPNDOTH appears when “99 - Other – specify” was
selected in RSPNDENT.
Enter the respondent’s “other” concerns that do not fit into
any of the categories in RSPNDENT here. The instrument
goes to STRATEGS.
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STRATEGS
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Item STRATEGS asks about “Contact Strategies Attempted.”
It appears for all contact attempts.
Precode (11) – “Offered incentive” is only used in surveys that
offer monetary incentives. Do not select Precode (11),
“Offered incentive,” for the NCVS; currently, the NCVS does
not offer any monetary incentives.
Precode (12) – “CED double placement” is only used in the
Consumer Expenditures survey. Do not mark this precode for
the NCVS.
Precode (98) – “No Strategies” refers to THIS particular
contact attempt, not all previous attempts. Mark this precode if
you did not use any specific technique for this contact
attempt.
STRATEGS is to help you keep track of all of the strategies
you have used to make contact for each contact attempt.
When you exit pCHI, a Case Management pop-up window
appears, telling you that the database has been successfully
updated.
Person Level Contact History Instrument (pCHI)
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STRATOTH
Part D, Chapter 2
STRATOTH appears when Precode (99), “Other – specify”
was marked in STRATEGS. Enter the “other” strategy; the
instrument returns to the Case Management screen.
Person Level Contact History Instrument (pCHI)
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Part D, Chapter 2
cLANGUAGE
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
In cLANGUAGE, select the categories that describe the
language situation.
Marking Precode (1), “Specify language or dialect,” takes you to
LANGLIST. Otherwise, the instrument goes to RSPNDENT.
Person Level Contact History Instrument (pCHI)
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NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
LANGLIST
Part D, Chapter 2
Item LANGLIST asks you to specify the language or
dialect; it appears if Precode (1), “Specify language or
dialect,” is marked in cLANGUAGE. Enter the
appropriate precode for the respondent’s language or
dialect here. The instrument then goes to RSPNDENT.
Person Level Contact History Instrument (pCHI)
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Part D, Chapter 2
SPECLANG
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
SPECLANG asks you to specify the language or
dialect; it appears if Precode (99), “Other – specify” is
marked in LANGLIST. Specify the respondent’s
language or dialect here. The instrument goes to
RSPNDENT.
Person Level Contact History Instrument (pCHI)
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CTOTHER
Part D, Chapter 2
CTOTHER appears when you mark Precode (99), “Otherspecify,” in NONINTER. Specify the reason for not completing
or not conducting the interview in this contact attempt. The
instrument then goes to RSPNDENT.
Person Level Contact History Instrument (pCHI)
D2-23
Part D, Chapter 2
NCTPER
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
NCTPER is the “Noncontact/Personal Visit” item. This item
appears when Precode (1), “Personal” is marked in item
CTATEMPT and Precode (2), “Contact with NON-SAMPLE
unit member,” or Precode (3), “Noncontact,” is marked in
item CASECONTACT or pCASECONTACT. Select all the
categories that describe why you were not able to make
contact.
For Precode (10) – “Completed case (Type B or C),” select
this category for all Type B and Type C cases.
For most answers to NCTPER the instrument goes to
STRATEGS, except::
Precode (99), “Other – specify” goes to NCTPEROT.
Person Level Contact History Instrument (pCHI)
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NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
NCTPEROT
Part D, Chapter 2
NCTPEROT appears when NCTPER was answered with
Precode (99), “Other-specify.” This item allows 80 characters.
Enter the details of this personal visit noncontact. The
instrument then proceeds to STRATEGS.
Person Level Contact History Instrument (pCHI)
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Part D, Chapter 2
NCTTEL
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
NCTTEL is the “Noncontact/Telephone” item, and appears when
you select Precode (2) “Telephone (outgoing)” as the type of
contact attempt made in CTATEMPT and you have selected
Precode (2), “Contact with NON-SAMPLE unit member,” or
Precode (3), “Noncontact,” at item CASECONTACT or
pCASECONTACT. Select all categories that describe why
contact could not be made.
The instrument then proceeds to STRATEGS, unless you enter
Precode (99), “Other - specify.” In that case, the instrument goes
to NCTTELOT.
Person Level Contact History Instrument (pCHI)
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NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
NCTTELOT
Part D, Chapter 2
NCTTELOT appears when NCTTEL was answered with
Precode (99), “Other - specify.” Enter the details of this
telephone noncontact. The instrument then proceeds to
STRATEGS.
Person Level Contact History Instrument (pCHI)
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Part D, Chapter 2
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Topic 4. The pCHI and Households With a Roster
Features of the person
section
When a roster exists for the household, the instrument goes
through Items CTATEMPT, TIMEOFCT, FR_DATE, and
FR_TIME. The person section of the pCHI appears next.
This section of the pCHI allows you to enter contact
information for individual respondents within the sample
household.
The pCHI receives roster information from the NCVS
instrument and cycles through each NCVS eligible person.
Update the contact history for each NCVS eligible household
member. When you have updated for each eligible member,
the pCHI sends you back to the Case Management screen.
After you complete a household member’s NCVS interview,
no further entries in pCHI are required for the household
member during that interview period.
Household roster access
You may view the roster and corresponding line numbers for
each household member at any time by clicking the “Roster
Information” tab at the top left of the screen.
Exit the roster by clicking on the “pCHI” tab or entering 1 to
continue.
Person Level Contact History Instrument (pCHI)
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NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
pCASECONTACT
Part D, Chapter 2
pCASECONTACT is the pCHI screen that shows the entire
household roster. It shows six columns:
LNO – person’s line number and interview status:
(C) denotes a completed interview – person has
completed their NCVS interview during a previous
contact,
(I) denotes an ineligible person/ non-household
member – persons who are no longer eligible
household members or are not eligible for the
NCVS
If neither (C) nor (I) is displayed, it means that this
line number is eligible for pCHI: they are NCVS
eligible and did not complete their NCVS interview
during a previous contact.
STATUS – person’s status
NAME – person’s name
AGE – person’s age
BIRTHDATE – person’s birthdate
SEX – person’s sex
Person Level Contact History Instrument (pCHI)
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Part D, Chapter 2
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Enter Precode (1), “Made contact with one or more eligible
person(s),” if you made contact with one or more eligible
persons. Select Precode (1) when you made contact with
eligible persons, whether you completed their interview or
only spoke with them. The instrument then goes to
PCONTACTPER.
Enter Precode (2), “Made contact with only non-eligible
persons,” if the only people you made contact with were
ineligible persons on the roster or those whose interview is
already complete.
Enter Precode (3), “Noncontact,” if you were unable to make
a contact.
For Precodes (2) and (3), the instrument goes to NCTPER
for a personal visit contact. It goes to NCTTEL for a
telephone contact.
Person Level Contact History Instrument (pCHI)
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NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
PCONTACTPER
Part D, Chapter 2
PCONTACTPER is the first “person level” question in the
pCHI. This and subsequent items are formatted to show the
NCVS roster. The pCHI collects contact information for each
line number until you have entered information for each
eligible household member.
PCONTACTPER asks about each eligible individual on the
roster, “Did you make contact with (NAME) or a
knowledgeable proxy for (NAME)?”
Enter Precode (1), “Made contact with (NAME),” if you
made contact with the named household member during
this contact attempt. The instrument goes to pCTTYPE.
Enter Precode (2), “Made contact with proxy” if you made
contact with a knowledgeable proxy for the named
household member. The instrument goes to pCTTYPE.
Enter Precode (3), “Noncontact,” if you did not make
contact with the named household member. The
instrument goes to pNOCONTACT.
Person Level Contact History Instrument (pCHI)
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Part D, Chapter 2
pNOCONTACT
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
pNOCONTACT appears when Precode (3), “Noncontact,” is
marked in PCONTACTPER. Mark the appropriate
precode(s) to explain the reason(s) for the noncontact.
Precodes (1) – (5) go to pSTRATEGS.
Precode (3), “Person home but avoided contact,” is a
category added to record situations in which the respondent
is at home, but not answering the door.
Precode (99), “Other – specify,” continues to
pNONCONOTH to collect the “other” reason for personal
visit noncontact.
Person Level Contact History Instrument (pCHI)
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NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
pNONCONOTH
Part D, Chapter 2
pNONCONOTH appears when Precode (99), “Other –
specify” was marked in pNOCONTACT. Enter the “other”
reason for the noncontact. This item allows for 80 characters.
The instrument proceeds to pSTRATEGS.
Person Level Contact History Instrument (pCHI)
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Part D, Chapter 2
pCTTYPE
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
If you make contact with a household member or eligible
proxy, pCTTYPE asks whether the contact resulted in a
completed interview, partial interview, or no interview.
Enter Precode (1), “Completed interview,” for a fully
completed interview for the respondent. The instrument goes
to pRSPNDENT.
Enter Precode (2), “Partial interview” for a partial interview for
the respondent. A partial interview occurs when you start an
interview with a respondent or a proxy respondent, but were
unable to complete the interview. Also, select this precode
when you have completed a respondent’s NCVS interview
but were not able to complete their supplement interview
during this contact. (This is necessary so you can document
subsequent contact attempts to complete the supplement
interview.) The instrument goes to pNONINTER.
Enter Precode (3), “Unable to conduct interview,” if no
interview was conducted for that respondent. The instrument
goes to pNONINTER.
Person Level Contact History Instrument (pCHI)
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NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
pNONINTER
Part D, Chapter 2
pNONINTER asks the reasons for the noninterview for the
household member.
Notice Precode (5), “Potential Type-Z.” This category was
added in order to record respondents who you believe may
become Type Z noninterviews or have been coded as a
Type Z noninterview in the NCVS instrument.
If you select:
Precode (1), “Inconvenient time,” the instrument goes to
pRSPNDENT.
Precode (2), “Respondent is reluctant,” the instrument
goes to pRSPNDENT.
Precode (3), “Language problem – specify,” the
instrument goes to pLANGUAGE.
Precode (4), “Health problem,” the instrument goes to
pRSPNDENT.
Person Level Contact History Instrument (pCHI)
D2-35
Part D, Chapter 2
pCTOTHER
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Precode (5), “Potential Type Z,” the instrument goes to
pRSPNDENT.
Precode (99), “Other – specify,” the instrument goes to
pCTOTHER.
pCTOTHER appears when Precode (99), “Other – specify” is
selected at pNONINTER. Enter the “other” reason in the
space provided. This field allows for up to 80 characters.
The instrument then goes to pRSPNDENT.
Person Level Contact History Instrument (pCHI)
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NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
pLANGUAGE
Part D, Chapter 2
pLANGUAGE appears if Precode (3), “Language problem –
specify” is selected at pNONINTER.
Record the language situation that led to the noninterview
during this contact attempt. Mark the appropriate precode.
Marking Precode (1), “Specify language or dialect,” takes
you to LANGLIST. All other responses go to RSPNDENT.
Person Level Contact History Instrument (pCHI)
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Part D, Chapter 2
pLangLIST
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
pLangLIST appears when Precode (1), “Specify language or
dialect,” is selected in pLANGUAGE. Mark the appropriate
precode for the language or other problem.
For Precodes (11) - (25) and (97) - (98), the instrument goes
to pRSPNDENT. For Precode (99), the instrument goes to
pSPECLANG.
Person Level Contact History Instrument (pCHI)
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NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
pSPECLANG
Part D, Chapter 2
pSPECLANG appears when Precode (99), “Other-specify”
was marked in pLangLIST. Specify the language or dialect.
This item allows 80 characters.
The instrument then goes to pRSPNDENT.
Person Level Contact History Instrument (pCHI)
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Part D, Chapter 2
pRSPNDENT
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
In pRSPNDENT, mark the respondent’s concerns, behaviors,
or reluctance during this contact attempt. Enter all that apply;
separate with commas.
Select the categories in this question in the order the
respondent mentions them. For example, a respondent may
be reluctant to complete the interview because of privacy
concerns, then say they are too busy to complete it. In this
scenario, select Precode (6) “Privacy concerns,” then
Precode (2), “Too busy.”
When selecting multiple categories in pRSPNDENT, you
cannot select Precode (98), “No concerns,” in combination
with any other category. If it is selected with other categories,
error message CONCERNSBEHAVIORRELUCT appears.
After making all selections, if you selected Precode (99),
“Other – specify” the instrument continues with
pRSPNDOTH. Otherwise, the instrument goes to
pSTRATEGS.
Person Level Contact History Instrument (pCHI)
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NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
pRSPNDOTH
Part D, Chapter 2
pRSPNDOTH appears if Precode (99), “Other – specify,”
was marked in pRSPNDENT. Enter the “other” category.
This item allows 80 characters.
After this item, the instrument goes to pSTRATEGS.
Person Level Contact History Instrument (pCHI)
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Part D, Chapter 2
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
If the respondent has NO concerns, select
answer category 98.
If there are other concerns, behaviors, or
reluctance during this contact attempt,
then enter all that apply, separate with
commas. Do NOT select answer category
98.
Close
CONCERNSBEHAVIORRELUCT
Goto
CONCERNSBEHAVIORRELUCT is a hard error check
item. It appears if Precode (98), “No concerns,” was
selected in addition to any other precode in pRSPNDENT.
Click on “Goto” to return to pRSPNDENT and correct the
error to dismiss the check item and continue.
Person Level Contact History Instrument (pCHI)
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NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
pSTRATEGS
Part D, Chapter 2
pSTRATEGS asks about contact strategies attempted for the
respondent. It appears for all contact attempts. pSTRATEGS
is designed to help you keep track of all the strategies you
have used to make contact for each household member.
Notice Precode (11), “Offered incentive.” This refers to
monetary incentives that some surveys offer. Do not select
this precode for the NCVS. Currently, the NCVS does not
offer any monetary incentives.
Precode (12) – “CED double placement” is only used in the
Consumer Expenditures survey. Do not mark this category
for the NCVS.
Precode (98) – “No Strategies” refers to THIS particular
contact attempt, not all previous attempts. Mark this category
if you did not use any specific technique for this contact
attempt.
When selecting multiple precodes in this item, you cannot
select Precode (98), “No Strategies” in combination with any
other precode. If you do, check item
CONTACTSTRATATTEMPTED appears. Return to
Person Level Contact History Instrument (pCHI)
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Part D, Chapter 2
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
pSTRATEGS and correct your error to dismiss the check
item and continue.
When Precode (99), “Other-specify” is selected, the
instrument continues with pSTRATOTH. Otherwise, it goes
to pCONTACTPER for the next eligible respondent.
pSTRATOTH
pSTRATOTH appears if Precode (99), “Other – specify” was
marked in pSTRATEGS. Enter the “other” strategy. This field
allows 80 characters.
After you complete this item, the instrument goes to
pCONTACTPER for the next eligible respondent so you can
enter their contact information. When you are finished
entering the contact information for each eligible household
member, you exit pCHI.
Person Level Contact History Instrument (pCHI)
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NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Part D, Chapter 2
If NO contact strategies were used, select answer category 98.
If there are other contact strategies attempted during this contact attempt, then enter all
that apply, separate with commas. Do NOT select answer category 98.
Close
Goto
CONTACTSTRATATTEMPTED
CONTACTSTRATATTEMPTED is a hard error check item,
which appears when Precode (98), “No Strategies,” is
selected in addition to any other precode in pSTRATEGS.
Click on “Goto” to return to pSTRATEGS and correct the
error to dismiss the check item and continue.
Remember...
Enter pCHI after EACH contact attempt. This is a great way for
you to keep track of your efforts with each respondent. It’s also
a quick way for you to see what days and times you have
attempted to make contact, so you can come up with
strategies to contact that respondent and get the interview.
Person Level Contact History Instrument (pCHI)
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Part D, Chapter 2
NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Topic 5. How to Code the pCHI in Specific Situations
When the Only Person
Contacted During A Contact
Attempt Has Already
Completed Their Interview
You may encounter situations in which the only person
contacted has already completed their interview.
For example: You are contacting a household to follow up
on a respondent who has not yet completed their
interview. When you call the respondent (Line 2) they are
not at home, but you speak with another respondent (Line
1) who has already completed their NCVS interview. In this
situation, code that you did not make contact with an
eligible household member and code Line 2 as a
noncontact.
At pCASECONTACT, select Precode (2), “Made contact
with only non-eligible persons” to record the fact that you
made contact with someone, but that person was not
eligible as they had already completed their interview.
Code the noncontact with Line 2 and record the applicable
contact information in the remaining pCHI items for Line 2.
When Someone Has Moved
Out of the Household and the
Case is Not a Replacement
Household
When someone has moved out of the household, but other
household members from the last enumeration still live at
the sample address, that person is considered a
nonhousehold member. If this change is discovered while
updating the household roster, the person who has moved
out is ineligible for the NCVS and therefore not eligible in
pCHI. Do not collect contact information for that person.
However, if the change in household membership is
discovered after the roster has been verified, that person is
still displayed as eligible in pCHI because they are on the
household roster in the NCVS instrument. (This can occur
when a college student is away at college, but the
household respondent considers them a household
member because they return home for holidays and
summer vacation. In this situation, document that this
person has moved out of the household in pCHI.)
For this person, code PCONTACTPER as “Noncontact,”
Precode (3). At pNOCONTACT select Precode (5),
“Person moved” to note that the person moved away from
the sample address.
Person Level Contact History Instrument (pCHI)
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NCVS-550 (CAPI) (8/2017)
Coding a Respondent As a
Type Z Noninterview
Part D, Chapter 2
In pCHI you can mark someone as a potential Type Z
noninterview to show that a person is reluctant OR as an
actual Type Z noninterview once a respondent has been
coded as a Type Z in the NCVS instrument.
To code a respondent as a Type Z or potential Type Z
code that contact was made with the respondent, as the
noncontact path in pCHI does not contain a category for
Type Z noninterviews. To code a Type Z or potential Type
Z enter Precode (1), “Made contact with (NAME)” in Item
PCONTACTPER and select Precode (3), “Unable to
conduct interview” at pCTTYPE. At pNONINTER select
Precode (5), “Potential Type Z” to document the
noninterview or potential noninterview situation. Record
the applicable contact attempt information in the remaining
pCHI screens.
Note that selecting Precode (5), “Potential Type Z” at Item
pNONINTER does not make that respondent a Type Z
noninterview in the NCVS instrument. Selecting Precode
(5), “Potential Type Z” at pNONINTER only documents the
situation, and does not code a respondent as a
noninterview. All Type Z noninterviews must be coded in
the NCVS instrument.
Person Level Contact History Instrument (pCHI)
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| File Type | application/pdf |
| Author | stone007 |
| File Modified | 2019-01-31 |
| File Created | 2017-12-18 |