When presented with a list of six crimes that could happen in
their local communities, a recent CNN/USA Today/Gallup
poll finds that Americans express the greatest concern about child
molestation and the sale and use of methamphetamines or "crystal
meth." The public also expressed considerable worry about the sale
and use of cocaine as well as identity theft, but is less worried
about violent crime or terrorism.
Two in Three Americans "Very Concerned" About Child
Molestation, Crystal Meth
The poll, conducted Feb. 25-27*, asked Americans to rate their
level of concern on five different aspects of crime in their local
communities. In a separate question, Gallup also asked Americans to
describe their level of concern about identity theft, the crime in
which someone steals personal information, such as a Social
Security number, and uses that information to commit fraud.
Sexual molestation of children and the use or sale of
methamphetamines top the list of these local crime worries, with
roughly two in three Americans saying they are "very concerned"
about these two issues. The use or sale of cocaine, with 61% saying
they are very concerned, and identity theft, with 59%, follow
closely behind. Americans are less concerned about violent crime,
although a slim majority (52%) still says it is very concerned
about it. Just about a third of all Americans, 36%, say they are
very concerned about acts of terrorism occurring in their local
communities.
Crystal Meth a Concern in Rural Communities, the
Midwest, South, and West
News reports depict how the sale and use of crystal meth has
been surging in rural and suburban communities across the country
in recent years, particularly in the Midwest and the West.
The current poll finds that a slight majority of Americans (53%)
living in the eastern part of the country say they are very
concerned about crystal meth. However, this sentiment is much
higher among those living in the Midwest (68%), the South (68%),
and the West (70%).
People residing in suburban areas are less likely than people in
urban or rural areas to say they are very concerned about crystal
meth. Seventy-five percent of adults living in rural areas and 67%
of adults in urban areas say they are very concerned about the
drug, compared with 60% of those living in suburban
communities.
When comparing Americans' concerns about crystal meth with their
concerns about cocaine, the data also show some differences by
region and type of community. Roughly two in three adults living in
the Midwest say they are very concerned about the use or sale of
crystal meth, while 55% of those living in that region are
concerned about cocaine. Among residents living in the West, 70%
are very concerned about crystal meth, compared with 61% who are
concerned about cocaine. The data show only slight variations among
residents in the eastern and southern parts of the country on these
two measures.
There are only modest differences in the levels of concern about
crystal meth compared with cocaine in urban and suburban
communities. Americans living in rural communities, however, are
more likely to express concern about crystal meth than about
cocaine.
Women, People in Lower-Income Households More Concerned
About Child Molestation
The ongoing and highly publicized Michael Jackson child
molestation case has propelled the issue to the forefront of the
news over the past several months.
Gallup's data show that women are much more likely than men to
be concerned about child molestation, although majorities of both
groups are worried about it. Slightly more than 7 in 10 women say
they are very concerned, compared with 60% of men.
Americans living in lower-income households are also more likely
to express concern about sexual abuse of children than are those in
higher-income households. More than three in four adults earning
less than $30,000 per year say they are very concerned about child
molestation, while 64% of those earning between $30,000 and $75,000
per year, and just 54% of those earning $75,000 per year or more
express this level of concern.
Interestingly, the poll finds no difference in the levels of
concern about child molestation between parents of children aged 18
and younger and those who do not have young children.
*These results are based on telephone
interviews with a randomly selected national sample of 1,008
adults, aged 18 and older, conducted Feb. 25-27, 2005. For results
based on this sample, one can say with 95% confidence that the
maximum error attributable to sampling and other random effects is
±3 percentage points. In addition to sampling error,
question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys
can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion
polls.
