ABSTRACT
The underreporting of crime is clearly a problem for any analyst who uses official crime statistics to comment on the crime rate. This chapter begins by hypothesising that variations in the under-reporting of property crime might be linked to the economic cycle, and proceeded to explore the factors that influence the 'dark figure' of hidden crime. To explore the under-reporting of crime researcher make use of data provided in the British Crime Survey. The chapter is concerned with the reporting inclination of those individuals who have experienced some form of property crime over the year preceding the survey, in particular, residential burglary. There has been some previous analysis of the under-reporting of crime in the UK, however the methodology applied tends to be subject to some criticism. The chapter identifies sufficient evidence to support hypothesis that the reporting of burglary, and hence the divergence between the recorded crime rate and the true crime rate, is influenced by economic incentives.
