Official Crime Statistics: Their use and Interpretation
Year: 2002
Type: article
Abstract: In this paper we consider the data used by economists to estimate economic models of crime. We discuss the main sources of Official Crime Statistics in the United Kingdom, Europe and the United States, and raise questions about the reliability of these data for estimation and forecasting purposes. In particular, we focus on the disparity between crime rates suggested by victimisation surveys and the rates suggested by Official Statistics, and show that this is primarily a consequence of under‐reporting by victims and under‐recording by the police. We conclude our analysis by considering the factors that influence the under‐reporting of crime.
Source: The Economic Journal
Author: Ziggy MacDonald
Institution: University of Leicester
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1983292609