Crime reporting in Russia: testing theoretical perspectives with national survey data
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: This study examines the factors influencing victims’ decisions to report crime to the police, representing the first analysis of its kind using comprehensive national victimisation data in Russia. Using data from two waves of the Russian Crime Victimisation Survey (RCVS, N = 6,003 victims and 25,246 non-victims) it introduces a novel dataset and offers insights into the application of victimisation surveys in large, non-Western developing contexts. We evaluate four theoretical frameworks explaining crime reporting behaviour: rational choice theory, relational distance factors, socio-economic and demographic background and situational context of crime. The analysis of data from Russia, a large jurisdiction with Western legal influence but a distinct socio-political context, contributes to the understanding of reporting behaviour patterns. Using logistic regression analysis, we demonstrate that crime type and damage level have the strongest correlation with the probability of reporting, providing robust support for the rational behaviour theory. Relational factors significantly add to the basic model of rational choice, while situational context shows limited influence. Demographics like age and gender were significant predictors (older individuals and women reported more often), but socioeconomic status was not, challenging some theoretical expectations. Thus, this study contributes to the understanding of crime reporting patterns and advances the discussion on the applicability of victimisation surveys by providing empirical evidence from a large, understudied national context.
Authors: Aryna Dzmitryieva, Kirill Titaev
Institutions: FernUniversität in Hagen, Yale University
Language: English
Subfield: Law
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4411978308