Crime victimisation survey

Abstract

The most pressing operational requirement in Malta refers to that issue which concentrates on the need to have realistic figures of crime and victimisation, as conducted by youth and older offenders. Such a study could be carried out through a research based on the Crime Victimisation Survey or the Dark Figure of Crime survey, which survey would enable policy makers and decision-makers to have a base on which to draft policies, enact changes to legislation and instigate change. A large proportion of crime is not reported to the Police resulting in the realisation that absolute figures of crime will never be known. Hyatt and Holzman (1999, p.7) indicate that less than 50% of violent crimes are reported, a figure that has stayed fairly constant over the years enabling the generation of realistic estimates of the actual incidence of serious offences. Figures have remained constant in victimisation studies conducted since 1970 in the FBI’s UCR9 Part I Crime US. Crimes go unreported mainly for 3 reasons (Mayhew, Maung and Mirrlees-Black, 1993, p.viii-ix): i) they are seen as too trivial by the victim even if serious; ii) questionable police response together with the intricacies of the victimoffender relationship, and; iii) the feeling that the police could not or would not want to deal with the offences. The dark figure of crime can be cause for concern considering that these types of crime are the ones victims would be expected to report, especially where repeat victimisation is concerned.