Methods of Uncovering the Dark Figure of Crime

The first 200 words of this essay...

The dark figure of crime describes undiscovered crimes committed in society, which have failed to be included within official statistics. The main methods utilized to uncover the 'dark figure of crime' include self-reporting surveys, victimization surveys, geospatial analysis and the Enforcement Pyramid (Coleman and Moynihan 1996). There are examples of the effectiveness of these methodologies. However, these methodologies have several practical issues. This essay will discuss the effectiveness of the ways in which hidden crimes can be discovered.

Self-Reporting Surveys

Since the 1940s, self reported studies have been a method utilized to uncover the 'dark figure' of crime. These studies involve asking individuals about their involvement in criminal and other forms of law breaking activity through a self completed questionnaire or interview (Coleman and Moynihan 1996). The survey works by attempting to create a safe and free environment in order to gain an accurate result (Coleman and Moynihan 1996).

Advantages

Throughout history, there have been examples of the effectiveness of self surveys to uncover the dark figure of crime. Murphy's 5 year study of American adolescent males illustrates this. From the 6416 infringements reported in the study, half of the infractions ended up in