"The Dimensions of the Dark Figure of Unreported Crime," Crime and Delinquency,
23 (January, 1977), 41-50.
A great deal of criminal activity in America goes unrecorded, largely because it is not reported to the police.
This pool of unrecorded crime has several consequences: it limits the deterrent capability of the criminal
justice system, it contributes to the mis-allocation of police resources, it renders victims ineligible for public
and private benefits, it affects insurance costs, and it helps shape the police role in society. This report
examines these problems in light of new crime-victim data gathered in a national sample of the general
population. The data suggest that, compared with those incidents which were reported to the police, the
reservoir of unreported crime contains a disproportionate number of less serious incidents involving small
financial loss, little serious injury, and less use of weapons. Race, in particular, was unrelated to the
reporting of crime in the United States in 1973.
23 (January, 1977), 41-50.
A great deal of criminal activity in America goes unrecorded, largely because it is not reported to the police.
This pool of unrecorded crime has several consequences: it limits the deterrent capability of the criminal
justice system, it contributes to the mis-allocation of police resources, it renders victims ineligible for public
and private benefits, it affects insurance costs, and it helps shape the police role in society. This report
examines these problems in light of new crime-victim data gathered in a national sample of the general
population. The data suggest that, compared with those incidents which were reported to the police, the
reservoir of unreported crime contains a disproportionate number of less serious incidents involving small
financial loss, little serious injury, and less use of weapons. Race, in particular, was unrelated to the
reporting of crime in the United States in 1973.
"Citizen Reporting of Crime: Some National Panel Data," Criminology, 13 (February,
1976), 535-549.
The decision to report criminal victimizations to the police is an important determinant of the capacity of the
criminal justice system to fulfill its mandate. This report analyzes the individual-level determinants of crime
reporting, using data generated by the 1973 National Crime Survey conducted by the Bureau of the Census. It
examines the impact of three characteristics of victimizations upon their reporting probability: the attributes of
their victims, the nature of victim-offender relationships, and the seriousness of the offense. Only the latter
appears to be of major significance, although youthful victims are substantially less likely than their elders to
report their experiences to the police. The reasons that non-reporters give for their inaction appear to be quite
rational, reflecting the probability that anything will come of their cooperation.
1976), 535-549.
The decision to report criminal victimizations to the police is an important determinant of the capacity of the
criminal justice system to fulfill its mandate. This report analyzes the individual-level determinants of crime
reporting, using data generated by the 1973 National Crime Survey conducted by the Bureau of the Census. It
examines the impact of three characteristics of victimizations upon their reporting probability: the attributes of
their victims, the nature of victim-offender relationships, and the seriousness of the offense. Only the latter
appears to be of major significance, although youthful victims are substantially less likely than their elders to
report their experiences to the police. The reasons that non-reporters give for their inaction appear to be quite
rational, reflecting the probability that anything will come of their cooperation.
Crime Reporting
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