BJS report describes new method of estimating prevalence for the NCVS

BJS has released A New Measure of Prevalence for the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). Prevalence is a measure of crime that reflects the number or percentage of unique persons who were victims of crime, or of unique households that were victimized, at least once during a given period. This report describes a new method of estimating prevalence to be implemented starting with the forthcoming Criminal Victimization, 2023 report. It discusses the limitations of the old prevalence estimation method, describes the new method, and compares estimates produced using the two different methods.

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A New Measure of Prevalence for the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCJ 307554) was written by BJS Visiting Fellow Emily Berg, PhD, and BJS Statistician Susannah N. Tapp, PhD. The report, related documents, and additional information about BJS?s statistical publications and programs are available on the BJS website at bjs.ojp.gov.

BJS releases third-party report on methods of estimating prevalence rates for the NCVS

National Crime Victimization Survey: Prevalence Estimation Methods is a third-party report produced by RTI International and funded by BJS. This report evaluates the current method for estimating prevalence rates using the NCVS. Because the NCVS was designed to produce victimization rates and uses a rotating panel, its data structure contributes to challenges with estimating prevalence rates. RTI compared several alternative methods to determine whether any would overcome the limitations of the current method. Additionally, RTI developed detailed examples to illustrate how each method could be operationalized and what the resulting estimates would look like.

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BJS funds research and reports by other organizations or individuals to foster knowledge in the criminal justice field. These third-party reports are not BJS reports and do not release official government statistics. Please see the full disclaimer for more information.

The Bureau of Justice Statistics of the U.S. Department of Justice is the principal federal agency responsible for collecting, analyzing, and disseminating reliable statistics on crime and criminal justice in the United States. Kevin M. Scott, PhD, is the acting director.

For more information on BJS's publications, data collections, data analysis tools, and funding opportunities,?visit?bjs.ojp.gov.