The British crime survey (BCS) has its origins in two seminal studies carried out in America in the mid-sixties (Ennis 1967; Bidermann & Reiss 1967). They asked randomly sampled households if any person in the home had been a victim of crime within the previous year, and if the matter had been reported to the police. A similar study was carried out in London in the 1970s (Sparks, Genn & Dodd 1977). In both studies, despite the many methodological problems identified by the researchers, both governments were sufficiently persuaded as to invest in national large-scale surveys.

The BCS is one of the largest social surveys carried out in England. It is primarily a ‘victimisation’ survey, in which respondents are asked about their experiences of crime. These are mainly property crimes of the household (burglary) and personal crime (theft from the person). The reference period for the survey is from January 1st in the calendar year preceding the BCS, up to the date of the interview. The reference period and the wording and structure of the survey have remained constant since it’s introduction in 1982. The BCS has been an annual survey since 2000/2001, before tha

Perhaps the most limiting aspect of a questionnaire-based survey is the inability to prompt, probe and clarify certain areas of enquiry. The survey deals in absolutes, and doesn’t allow for human emotion and conjecture. The survey also relies upon the self-motivation of the respondents in participating in the survey. In this respect, the sample may not be adequately represented in certain sections of the community. Elliot and Ellingworth (1992) have suggested that in areas of high crime, the population become apathetic to crime, and therefore are less likely to complete a victim survey. The conditions under which the survey is completed may also offer cause for concern. Has the right person answered the right questions? Also have the questions been answered in the correct order? These questions may have a bearing upon the legitimacy of the collated data.

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