Counting Crime and Analyzing Risks: The British Crime Survey (From Geography of Crime, P 16-37, 1989, David J Evans and David T Herbert, eds. -- See NCJ-124763)

• NCJ Number: 124765
• Author(s): M Hough; H Lewis
• Date Published: 1989
• Length: 22 pages
• Sale Source: Routledge
• Publication Type: Report (Technical)
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom

Annotation

The British Crime Survey and other crime surveys are intended to provide an estimate of rates of victimization to supplement police statistics.

Abstract

By asking victims directly about the crimes they have experienced it is possible to gain information about both reported and unreported crimes and to examine the factors that prompt victims to report incidents. Analysis of the British Crime Survey shows, as expected, that the severity of the offense is usually the crucial factor in decisions to report. In addition, both police statistics and the crime survey show similar rates of crime increases between 1981 and 1983, although crime reporting also appeared to increase. Moreover, combining crime survey data with findings from the General Household Survey shows clearly that the increase in burglary between 1972 and 1983 reflects in part increased reporting to the police and increased recording by the police. Data from the crime survey also permit an examination of the risks of crime and indicate that proximity, accessibility, and potential yield seem to affect offenders' choices of targets. Tables, notes, and 22 references.