Crime Surveys (AQA GCSE Sociology)
Revision Note
Written by: Raj Bonsor
Reviewed by: Cara Head
Victim surveys
The two main ways to measure the extent of crime is through
official statistics of crimes recorded by the police
public surveys such as victim surveys and self-report studies
Victim surveys ask people about their experiences of crime
One example is the annual Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW), which is a large-scale survey run by the Office for National Statistics (ONS)
Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW)
In 2024/25, around 75,000 households in England and Wales will be randomly selected from Royal Mail's list of addresses and asked to take part in the survey
One adult (aged 16 or over) will be asked
if they have experienced particular crimes over the last 12 months
whether crimes experienced by the household were reported to the police
for their views on the police and courts
A household member aged 10-15 will also be asked to complete a shorter survey, as statistics show they are more likely to be a victim of violent crime than adults
Trained interviewers will visit each household and use a laptop to deliver the questionnaire
Evaluation of the CSEW
Advantages of the CSEW | Disadvantages of the CSEW |
|---|---|
The CSEW is an important data source as it includes crimes that haven't been reported to the police and are not included in police-recorded crime statistics. | It doesn't cover all police-recorded crimes, e.g. it excludes murder (the victim is dead), 'victimless' crimes (possession of drugs), and crimes where the victim is a business (e.g. shoplifting). |
It allows trends in particular crimes to be identified (e.g. burglary). | Respondents may forget trivial crimes or lie about reporting a crime to the police, so the data collected lacks validity. |
The results allow the government to make important decisions about policies related to reducing crime. | It doesn't question those who are homeless or living in care homes or prisons, so the data collected isn't representative of the target population. |
Self-report studies
Self-report studies ask people about the crimes they have committed in the last 12 months
One example is the Offending, Crime and Justice Survey (OCJS)
The OCJS was the first national longitudinal, self-report offending survey for England and Wales
The OCJS was commissioned by the Home Office and carried out annually between 2003 and 2006
It measured the extent of self-reported offending, drug use and anti-social behaviour, particularly among those aged 10-15 years
Analysis of the data identified
the most common ages for starting to offend and use illegal drugs
young people who are most at risk of offending and using drugs
Evaluation of the OCJS
Advantages of the OCJS | Disadvantages of the OCJS |
|---|---|
The OCJS provided information on offenders and offences that were not dealt with by the police or courts and were not included in police-recorded crime statistics. | Respondents may forget crimes they committed or lie about their crimes out of fear of potential consequences, so the data collected lacks validity. |
The results allow the government to make important decisions about policy interventions related to reducing youth crime. | The OCJS didn't question those who were homeless or living in care homes, prisons or student halls, so the data collected isn't representative of the target population. |
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Ensure you know some strengths and weaknesses of surveys and be ready to apply them to the context of measuring crime rates.
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