Psychometric Scaling Techniques Applied to Rates of Crime and Victimization

This monograph demonstrates a new method for describing crime stalistics reported in the Uniform Crime Reports. After discussing the methods currently used to present these dam, we explain a scaling modcl based on the scaling of inlelligence uscd in differential psychology and apply that model to a rescaling of reported crime occurences in 76 of the largest cities in the United Stales. A profile of victimization quotients was generated for these cities that allows for more detailed analyses of crime patterns and covariances than do otlm reporting methods. The crime quotients are still examined in relation to four structural characteristics of the 76 cities (municipal expendituscs, police service expenditures, percent of the population that is minority, and population density) as an example of the potential uses of the new scaling system. Psychometric and practical issues associated with the new scaling system are discussed.