Self Report Studies and Victim Surveys

Confidential surveys requiring respondants to admit to offences they have committed. They take the form of a self completion questionaire.

• SRS call into question the accuracy of OCS. OCS show a working class to middle class crime ratio 1:5:1. SRS therefore help reveal the extent of the 'dark figure of crime' and provide a more valid picture of crime.
• SRS give insight into the motivations and causes of crimes. this is because SRS allow researchers to ask questions about motives and and attitudes to offending as well as about the offenced themselves.