Dark figure of crime
 | The examples and perspective in this article deal primarily with the United States and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. (October 2021) |
| Criminology and penology |
|---|
 |
| Part of a series on |
| Sociology |
|---|
.svg) |
In criminology and sociology, the dark figure of crime, or hidden figure of crime, is the amount of unreported or undiscovered crime.[1]
Methodology
This gap between reported and unreported crimes calls the reliability of official crime statistics into question, but all measures of crime have a dark figure to some degree. The gap in official statistics is largest for less serious crimes.[1]
Comparisons between official statistics, such as the Uniform Crime Reports and the National Incident-Based Reporting System, and victim studies, such as the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), attempt to provide an insight into the amount of unreported crime.[2][3]
Self-report studies are also used in comparison with official statistics to assess the dark figure of crime.[1]
A crime that implicates the victim in the crime or a crime in which the victim is left unaware of the crime like in a fraud is most common. To give a hint. On the other hand, stealing a painting and selling it back to the insurance company is a way to not involve the police in the recovery and payment of the heist and the item. So the crime is never reported. [4]
See also
References
- ^ a b c Walsh, Anthony; Hemmens, Craig (2014). Introduction to Criminology: A Text/Reader (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. ISBN 978-1-4522-5820-1.
- ^ Maxfield, Michael G.; Weiler, Barbara Luntz; Widom, Cathy Spatz (2000). "Comparing Self-Reports and Official Records of Arrests". Journal of Quantitative Criminology. 16 (1): 87–110. doi:10.1023/a:1007577512038. S2CID 140785017.
- ^ Biderman, Albert D.; Lynch, James P.; Peterson, James L. (1991). Understanding Crime Incidence Statistics: Why the UCR Diverges from the NCS. New York, NY: Springer.
- ^ the perfect crime handbook
Further reading
- Moore, S. (1996). Investigating Crime and Deviance. Harpers Collins. ISBN 0-00-322439-2, pages 211–220.
- Coleman, C., & Moynihan, J. (1996). Understanding crime data: haunted by the dark figure. Open University Press. ISBN 0-335-19519-9.
 | This law enforcement–related article is a stub. You can help Justapedia by expanding it. |