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Description: There is a disparity between the number of crimes committed and number of reports victims file with police, often called the "reporting gap" (Baumer & Lauritsen, 2010). The reporting gap makes it important to understand what influences victims' decisions to report crimes. Previous research has indicated that a variety of factors influence reporting intentions but most research does not rely on a behavioral theory. This research uses the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB; Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980) to predict crime victims' intentions to report their victimizations to police. Using a mock crime scenario and survey questions, this research explored whether the TPB model factors (i.e., victims' attitudes, perceived social norms, and perceived behavioral control (PBC)) predict crime reporting intentions. A second "expanded model" included traditional predictors of reporting (e.g., perceived severity, victim characteristics) in addition to the TPB factors. The TPB model predicted crime reporting intent. The enhanced model did not increase predictive power over the TPB model. The most influential TPB factor was social norms. The strong predictive power of social norms was greater than attitudes, PBC, and even traditional predictors of reporting. This expands the behavior and decision-making contexts in which this model can be used. Knowing what factors (e.g., social norms) predict victim reporting could assist in implementing programs to increase crime reporting and improve policing.
Suggested Citation:
Keller, P. H., & and Miller, M. K. (2015). Using the Theory of Planned Behavior to predict crime reporting intent. [Electronic Version]. Applied Psychology in Criminal Justice,
11(3), 193-206.
Keywords: crime reporting; victim reporting; policing; Theory of Planned Behavior
Date: Nov 30, 2015 | File Size: 272.46 Kb | Downloads: 1574