1.2

• The Dark Figure


  The unknown number of crimes not reported to or recorded by the police
• Reasons a crime may not be recorded

  • It is not against the law
  • No one knows the event took place
  • It is not reported
  • It is not recorded by the police as a crime
• Reasons people may not report crime

  • Personal reasons
  • Social and cultural reasons
• Personal reasons for not reporting crime

  • Fear, shame, disinterest, not affected by the crime
• Social and cultural reasons for not reporting crime

  • Lack of knowledge, complexity, lack of media interest, lack of current public concern, culture bound crime
• Fear


  Victims may be scared of reprisals or further crimes occurring, fear consequences on their family, fear nothing will happen, fear police will make things worse, fear perpetrator does not get convicted, high frequency of common crimes so police may seem like they are not caring
• Why John wouldn't report the incident

  • All involved were local, so John is fearful and unlikely to report as they are likely to see each other again
  • John was outnumbered and fears they could return with weapons
  • John feels emasculated as his girlfriend witnessed him being injured
  • John thinks witnesses may not take a reciprocal bar fight seriously
• Shame


  May not want to admit the crime has happened due to how it makes them feel or how others may perceive them, may not want their vulnerabilities disclosed, negative attitudes, blame, unsympathetic responses, repeat offence, gender expectations, higher in power, fewer men are victims, fear they won't be believed, taboo, confusion, lack of social and institutional support
• Disinterest


  Victim not that bothered, victimless crime, worried police won't be interested, the crime doesn't really bother the observer, low level crime, 'everybody does it', unsympathetic, victim blaming
• Not affected


  If you are not personally affected, then you may not care enough to report to the police, victim is not always affected directly, victimless crime, people feel as though it has nothing to do with them
• Lack of knowledge


  • Someone may not know an action is against the law or may not know how or to whom to report it, lack of knowledge of perpetrator or victim, some cultures have different definitions of crimes, common acts like downloading music online may be deemed acceptable not criminal
• Complexity


  • Some crimes are very complex and difficult to tell whether a crime has been committed, lack of understanding about the crime itself, HMRC case study - 3 men pocketing their employees' income tax, VAT and National Insurance Contributions
• Lack of media interest

  We gain much of our knowledge of crime through the media, if the media aren't reporting, then we may become desensitised to the crime, not all crimes gain media interest, news values - journalists are socialised as to what is newsworthy, #MeToo - the ability for an issue to 'trend' on twitter can lead to more social awareness
• Lack of public concern

  If crime is not causing a concern, then the public may not report, some crimes just don't attract the attention of society, can be, or potentially be, victimless
• Culture Bound Crime


  Some groups practice acts that break the law, can impact the level of reporting within the community, honour crimes on the rise but go unreported as expected norms in culture, create their own justice system in the community, acceptable in some cultures, victim not reported missing
• Kristy Bamu murder


  • Visiting his sister, his sister and her boyfriend accused him of witchcraft, they drowned Kristy on Christmas Day in a bath as an exorcism, Kristy was 15, Kristy suffered 130 injuries, Kristy was attacked with knives, sticks, metal bars, ceramic floor tiles, bottles and a hammer and chisel, Kristy's sisters were also attacked, the oldest sister that they were visiting actively encouraged the attacks