Criminology and penology |
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Sociology |
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In criminology and sociology, the dark figure of crime, hidden figure of crime, or latent criminality[1][2] is the amount of unreported or undiscovered crime.[3]
This gap between reported and unreported crimes calls the reliability of official crime statistics into question, but all measures of crime have a dark figure to some degree. The gap in official statistics is largest for less serious crimes.[3]
Comparisons between official statistics, such as the Uniform Crime Reports and the National Incident-Based Reporting System, and victim studies, such as the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), attempt to provide an insight into the amount of unreported crime.[4][5]
Self-report studies are also used in comparison with official statistics and organized datasets to assess the dark of crime.[3]