BLACKSBURG, Aug. 11, 1999 -- Virginians feel safer in their communities than they did last year, but express great concern over the safety of others in their family, according to the 1999 Quality of Life in Virginia survey conducted by Virginia Tech's Center for Survey Research.
The eighth annual survey was conducted after the shooting at Columbine High School in Littleton, Col., explains Susan M. Willis-Walton, associate director of the survey center. "For that reason, we added a question about public school administrator responsibility in preventing school violence and about concern that a family member will become a victim of crime. The results:
- 78 percent agree school administrators should do more to prevent violence in schools; and
- 52 percent often or sometimes worry that someone in their family will become a victim of crime, and women are significantly more concerned than men.
As regards violence in society, 77 percent of Virginians surveyed "strongly" or "somewhat" agree that network programming needs to be regulated to reduce TV violence, compared to 68 percent last year.
"It will be interesting to see if the tragedy at Columbine High School was a watershed event and the responses on these issues continue at this level in future years' surveys," Willis-Walton commented.
In other respects, Virginians appear to be responding to the national statistics that show a decline in crimes against individuals. Only 22 percent of Virginians surveyed report they believe crime has increased in their community over the last two years -- substantially different from the 30 percent response last year and 41 percent who perceived increased crime in 1997. Fear of crime has also subsided: only 18 percent report they feel "very unsafe" or "somewhat unsafe" walking alone at night in their neighborhood. "But there is a strong disparity between women's and men's feelings on this question, with one-quarter of all women but less than one in 10 men feeling unsafe," Willis-Walton points out.
Fear of crime may explain why almost half of Virginians endorse the legal banning of handguns, with 52 percent of residents of the urban crescent (the cities and counties in Northern Virginia, Richmond, and Hampton Roads) versus 40 percent of the residents of rural areas and small towns support banning handguns. However, 33 percent "strongly disagree" with banning handguns. Only 28 percent of Virginians have handguns.
Virginians have confidence in local law enforcement with 73 percent of citizens rating local law enforcement as excellent or good.
The number of citizens who favor the death penalty is declining somewhat, with 74 percent in favor now, compared to 80 percent in 1997. However, 55 percent agree with eliminating the death penalty if there were a mandatory penalty of life without parole for 25 years combined with a requirement that the prisoner work for money to go to the families of murder victims. Respondents under the age of 40 particularly favor the alternative.
Surveyors completed 514 interviews to provide a representative sample of adult respondents in households across Virginia with a margin of error of plus-or-minus 4.4 percent. In other words, if the survey were repeated 100 times, results would vary beyond 4.4 percent in only five out of the 100 surveys.
Copies of the QOL survey are available for $12 including postage and handling. Make check payable to Treasurer, Virginia Tech, and mail to the Virginia Tech Center for Survey Research, 207 W. Roanoke St. (0543), Blacksburg, VA 24061. Learn more about the center at www.vt.edu:10021/centers/survey/
RADIO ADVISORY--Virginia Tech Radio's "Soundline" service will have actualities related to the survey. Stations can call 540-231-5636 between 4 pm Tuesday, August 10, and 7 a.m. Friday, August 13, to record excerpts of an interview with Alan Bayer and Susan Willis-Walton regarding the survey.