NCJ Number
153823
Date Published
1994
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This report presents the methodology and results of a study of "latent crime" in six regions of Russia.
Abstract
The concept of "latent crime" adopted for this project consists of criminal victimizations that were either not reported to the police (unknown) or reported but not processed by the police (concealed). The project covered six regions located in the center and northwest of the European part of Russia: Pskov, Novgorod, Kaluga, Vladimir, Ryazan, and Tver. These regions are similar in terms of their socioeconomic, demographic, and criminological parameters. Three research methodologies were used: victimization surveys, self-report studies, and a survey of law enforcement officials. The victimization survey showed that approximately 24 percent of the sample was victimized at least once during the last 5 years. Approximately 40 percent of the crimes experienced by victims were not reported. Almost the same rate (37.5 percent) of unreported crime was obtained through the self-report study of the convicted persons, and the law enforcement officials estimated this rate at 15.3 percent. Victims usually reported thefts of cars. Two-thirds of unreported crimes were related to other property crimes. Victims did not report 36 percent of bodily injuries; and sexual offenses, including rape, were not reported in 40 percent of the cases. The reasons given for not reporting the incidents to the police fell primarily into three categories: lack of confidence in the effectiveness of law enforcement agencies, victim perception that the crime was not serious, and the desire of victims to retain their privacy. This report also presents the agenda and recommendations of the International Seminar on Latent Crime: Research, Policy and Strategy, held in Vienna in April 1992.