Brooding Over the Dark Figure of Crime: The Home Office and the Cambridge Institute of Criminology in the Run-up to the British Crime Survey

• NCJ Number: 248177
• Journal: British Journal of Criminology Volume: 54 Issue: 5 Dated: September 2014 Pages: 928-945
• Author(s): Matthieu de Castelbajac
• Date Published: September 2014
• Length: 18 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom

Annotation

This study discusses how the "dark figure" of crime metaphor (crime not reported to police) was popularized in England and how some of its notable promoters used it as an argument against victim surveys, with a focus on two strategic sites for criminological research in England during the late 1960s and 1970s, the Cambridge Institute of Criminology and the Home Office.

Abstract

The "dark figure" metaphor was not just a new label for an older problem; it redefined that problem by tying it to a pair of common-sense assumptions, i.e., that all types of crime go under-reported and that some types nevertheless have a better chance of being reported. The implication was that criminology should focus on those types of offenses that supposedly are better reported and that rely on sources of data that are closer to the reporting of the incident (i.e., police statistics). Before victim surveys, there were only common-sense assumptions about crimes committed that were not reported to police. Clearly, victim surveys have become the preferred option, along with other exploratory methods. Still, even users of victim surveys rely on learned guesswork; for example, it is assumed that victims of domestic violence will generally under-report their victimization. Further, the wording of questions and uncertainty about what constitutes a particular type of crime will influence survey respondents' responses to questions. This article also discusses how the Cambridge Institute of Criminology and the Home Office collaborated in mounting the first survey of crime victims in England. 44 references