1.3.3 Victim Surveys

• What are victim surveys used to measure in crime research?

  The types and frequency of unreported crimes
• Victim surveys rely on the accurate recall of victims, which can affect their reliability.


  True
• What is the primary purpose of victim surveys in criminal psychology?

  To measure crime
• What are the two primary survey methodologies used in victim surveys?

  Structured questionnaires or interviews
• Victim surveys provide a more comprehensive understanding of crime by capturing unreported incidents
• The main advantage of victim surveys is that they can uncover the dark figure of crime.
• The target population for victim surveys is usually a randomly selected sample of residents within a specific geographic area.
• Victim surveys can capture crimes that were not reported to the police, which is referred to as the "dark figure of crime".
• Match the disadvantage of victim surveys with its explanation:

  Reliance on Victim Recall ↔️ May lead to inaccurate reporting

  Expense ↔️ Costly to conduct surveys
• Victim surveys collect information on crimes that are not reported to the police.
• What is the primary goal of victim surveys?

  Measure unreported crime
• What type of information do victim surveys collect about crimes?

  Types, reporting, victim data
• What is one primary advantage of victim surveys compared to police records?

  Capture unreported crimes
• What is the "dark figure of crime" that victim surveys help uncover?

  Unreported crimes
• Conducting victim surveys can be more expensive
• Victim surveys enhance validity by capturing the "dark figure of crime
• Police records are generally more reliable because they are based on direct reporting.


  True
• Victim surveys provide a more comprehensive understanding of the true extent of crime because they capture unreported incidents
• The target population for victim surveys typically consists of randomly selected residents in a specific area
• Victim surveys uncover the "dark figure of crime
• One of the key methods used in victim surveys is to gather information on the victim's reporting behavior
• Why do police records miss a significant portion of crimes that victim surveys capture?

  Crimes are not reported
• Police records capture all crimes, including unreported ones.

  False
• What reduces the reliability of victim surveys?

  Telescoping
• Steps in conducting victim surveys:

  1️⃣ Develop survey methodology

  2️⃣ Identify target population

  3️⃣ Collect information
• Victim surveys typically use structured questionnaires or interviews
• Victim surveys uncover the "dark figure of crime
• Victim surveys provide a broader and more accurate picture of the true extent of crime
• Match the method with its strength:

  Victim Surveys ↔️ Capture unreported crimes

  Police Records ↔️ Provide official crime rates
• Police records rely on victim recall, making them less reliable than victim surveys.

  False
• Police records are more valid than victim surveys in measuring the true prevalence of crime.

  False
• Match the victim survey with its focus:

  National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) ↔️ Crimes experienced by U.S. households

  British Crime Survey (BCS) ↔️ Experiences of residents in England and Wales

  International Crime Victims Survey (ICVS) ↔️ Prevalence of common crimes in multiple countries
• What is a key disadvantage of police records as a method of measuring crime?

  They miss unreported crimes
• Why are victim surveys considered more comprehensive than police records in measuring crime?

  They capture unreported crimes
• Police records provide a complete and accurate picture of all crimes committed in a specific area.

  False
• What is the term used to describe crimes that are not reported to the police but are captured by victim surveys?

  Dark figure of crime
• Victim surveys rely solely on structured interviews to collect data.

  False
• What type of data collection method is used in victim surveys?

  Structured questionnaires
• Match the method of measuring crime with its advantage or disadvantage:

  Police Records ↔️ Provides official crime rates

  Victim Surveys ↔️ Relies on victim recall
• What is a key disadvantage of victim surveys compared to police records?

  Reliance on victim recall