Determining Trends in Global Crime and Justice: An Overview of Results From the United Nations Surveys of Crime Trends and Operations of Criminal Justice Systems

• NCJ Number: 207372
• Journal: Forum on Crime and Society Volume: 3 Issue: 1 & 2 Dated: December 2003 Pages: 35-63
• Author(s): Mark Shaw; Jan van Dijk; Wolfgang Rhomberg
• Date Published: December 2003
• Length: 29 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This article summarizes the findings from United Nations surveys of crime trends and operations of criminal justice systems in countries throughout the world.

Abstract

The United Nations Survey of Crime Trends and Operations of Criminal Justice Systems, one of the few sources of data on government-reported crime levels worldwide, has been conducted seven times, beginning with the period 1970-1975. For the 7th survey, covering the period 1998-2000, data were collected from 82 countries. The survey's 518 variables provide data on such factors as reported crime; the number of police officers, prosecutors, magistrates, judges, and correctional officials in each country; and the interrelationships of various components of the criminal justice system. After discussing the impediments to cross-country data comparisons, global crime trends and comparisons are presented for three survey datasets: a comparison of overall reported crime rates across countries since 1980, a comparison of homicide levels across countries, and a comparison of robbery data. The surveys indicate that overall crime rates have declined in North America but have remained stable in European Union countries since the mid-1980's. Although crime data from middle-income, transitional, and developing countries are less reliable, there are indications that the proportion of violent crimes are much higher in these countries than in developed countries, as Latin-America and sub-Saharan Africa had comparatively high levels of homicide; and the robbery rates in certain countries with economies in transition is disturbing. Survey data on criminal justice performance address attrition rates for criminal cases and the status of personnel and resources. There are indications of under-investment in prosecution services and courts in some developing countries, which has resulted in low conviction rates and high rates of serious crime. 11 figures and 14 references