NCJ Number
220700
Date Published
2007
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This chapter summarizes the key finding of the most recent findings on the International Crime Victims Survey (ICVS).
Abstract
The chapter contends that although household victimizations surveys such as the ICVS are a proven tool for viewing common crime in global perspective, they can not measure victimization by emerging or global crimes such as grand corruption and organized crime. In the current era of ongoing globalization, crime problems are increasingly transnational with local crime extending to other countries and continents. This challenges the traditional position of governments that crime problems are essentially domestic affairs. The strategy of viewing the impact of crimes upon vulnerable groups can be a promising analysis tool in other areas of crime as well. By integrating data on markers of mafia-related activity, a composite index of organized crime was developed. Country and regional scores on the index can be used for analyses of macro causes of organized crime and its impact on society. The science of criminology must break away from country specific interpretations of crime trends, and increase the scope, validity, and policy impact of its products; criminologists must develop more ways to measure crime occurring beyond national borders. The chapter discussed the need to increase survey research and study proxy indicators to reveal indicators of both volume and complex crimes, and to combine them with improved statistics on manpower and performance of law enforcement and justice. The first part of the chapter summarizes key findings of the ICVS and describes its methodological limitations. The second part of the chapter discusses the need to supplement results of conventional surveys on common crimes with measures of emerging types of crimes such as corruption and organized crime. Table, figure, note, and references