Abstract
Victimisation surveys have the potential to deepen our understanding of crime in South Africa. Using the example of a survey conducted in Galeshewe, this article considers the challenges facing analysts in analysing victimisation surveys and suggests ways to increase the information that can be mined from local and national victimisation surveys.
Highlights
Victimisation surveys have the potential to deepen our understanding of crime in South Africa
The British Crime Survey (BCS) is a national survey conducted on a regular basis, providing an independent measure of crime rates in England and Wales against which to gauge the impact of state policies on crime rates.[1]
What is apparent is the large gap between recorded crime and BCS trends – the BCS counts more than double the crimes counted in reported crime data
Summary
Victimisation surveys have the potential to deepen our understanding of crime in South Africa. Because national and local victimisation surveys can provide accurate information about crime in the population as a whole, they are important tools for measuring changes in crime trends. The British Crime Survey (BCS) is a national survey conducted on a regular basis, providing an independent measure of crime rates in England and Wales against which to gauge the impact of state policies on crime rates.[1] The figure on the page shows crimes reported to the police in England and Wales as compared to crimes measured using the BCS, over the period 1981 to date. The number of crimes reported to the police showed little change over the entire period; by contrast the BCS showed an increase in early 1990 followed by a decline (which the Blair government naturally attributed to the impact of its policies).
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