Victim studies

A victim study is when the public is asked if they have had a crime committed against them. They are most effective in large samples because typically, 75% or more will reply. They are asked if the crime committed against them has been reported or recorded.

Victim studies are seen to be more reliable then the Official crime statistics because it shows the dark figure of crime. The crimes that go unreported by the public or unrecorded by the police.

Unreported crimes are largely because the victime may be too afraid of the repercussions, too traumatised by the crime to talk about it or do not trust that the police will take the crime seriously. The police…