Bachman, Schutt, Plass. Fundamentals of Research in Criminology and Criminal Justice. by Ronet D. Bachman & Russell K. Schutt & Peggy S. Plass

Author:Ronet D. Bachman & Russell K. Schutt & Peggy S. Plass
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2016-02-08T21:53:03.515477+00:00

Protection of Respondents

If the survey could possibly have any harmful effects for the respondents, these should be disclosed fully in the cover letter or introductory statement (recall the discussion of informed consent in Chapter 3). The procedures used to reduce such effects should also be delineated, including how the researcher will keep interviews confidential and anonymous. In addition, surveys such as the NISVS and NCVS that attempt to measure sensitive subject matter such as rape and intimate-perpetrated assault should also have other protections in place. When asking about victimizations, particularly those that are perpetrated by known offenders and family members, the World Health Organization (WHO) has been at the forefront of establishing policies to protect respondents. As WHO notes, “The primary ethical concern related to researching violence against women (VAW) is the potential for inflicting harm to respondents through their participation in the study” (Ellsberg & Heise, 2005, p. 38). Because many perpetrators of IPV use control as a form of abuse, a respondent may suffer physical harm if an abuser finds out that he or she disclosed information about their relationship to an interviewer. Guidelines to prevent this from happening include interviewing only one person in the household (Ellsberg & Heise, 2005). In addition, a graduated informed consent process is also recommended. For example, when first contacting a potential respondent, the initial person who answered the telephone should be provided only general information about the survey topic (e.g., on health-related issues). Only after a respondent is selected from a household should they be told about the specific topics that would be covered (e.g., violent victimizations). Interviewers should also remind respondents that they can stop the interview at any time, and safety plans should be established between the interviewer and the respondents.

Minimizing respondents’ distress by reliving victimization events and providing them with information on services and resources that can help their situation are also necessary. For example, the NISVS provided telephone numbers for the National Domestic Violence Hotline and the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network at the end of interviews. The College Risk Behavior Survey discussed earlier in this chapter also gave respondents information about a number of avenues for help seeking, including the phone numbers to the University of Delaware Center for Counseling and Student Development, the Delaware Council on Gambling Problems, and the Delaware 24-Hour Rape Crisis Hotline. As you can see in Exhibit 7.9, the last screen of the survey provided this information to respondents.

Exhibit 7.9 Information Provided to Respondents From the College Risk Behavior Survey

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