Self-report data plays a critical role in revealing information vital information, especially when dealing with crime. The primary advantages of self-report data include ease to collect, cost-effectiveness, and allow gathering of social, situational, and behavioral factors, thus revealing patterns of criminal activities in the society. However, self-report data have limitations since they are subject to reliability and validity. When collecting information from individuals, they can become biased when reporting their experiences, compromising the accuracy and validity of the data. Therefore, using self-report data to make authoritative statements or formulate theories of criminal behavior and sensitive issues is not wise because the information might not be accurate, valid, and reliable.
Self-report statistics can be a great way of discovering problems that people or authorities are not aware of, for instance, victimless crimes such as drug abuse in society. The problem with the method is that the respondents might exaggerate or under-report the situation because of bias when providing information. Since such information lack accuracy and reliability, it is essential not to use them to make sensitive decisions or formulate statements or theories concerning criminal behaviors. However, using self-report survey data can be crucial because it can examine the etiology of crime and criminality by gathering comprehensive information about the individual and society. In most cases, there is always a discrepancy between the official statistics and self-report data because of underestimation or overestimation. Concerning the volume of crime, it is true that some criminal activities detected by the police do not lead to arrest, and some of the arrests are not counted in the official statistics.
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Using official statistics to inform decisions is essential because it lacks gaps in the recording of criminal events. The information is also reliable and accurate, and one can use it to formulate theories or make authoritative statements concerning criminal behavior. Authorities usually rely on official reports to inform their decisions concerning criminal behaviors and activities. Since organizations and individuals recognize official data, it is essential to make statements or formulate theories using official information because people can verify the validity and accuracy of the allegations.
Due to differences in how people interpret information, using self-report data to inform decision-making can lead to errors and irreversible damage in society. For example, in chapter 2 on "Measuring Crime and Criminal Behavior," there is an incident wherein in 2012, a TV presenter in Cincinnati reported that the United Kingdom had 2,034 violent crimes per 100,000 people while the United States had 466 violent crimes per 100,000 persons. The presenter concluded that the rate of violent crimes in the United Kingdom is five times that of the United States. The number of criminal events in the official data depends on how the country records the incidences of crime. In the United Kingdom, each criminal activity, from spitting or slapping to killing someone, is recorded. In contrast, in the United States, the authorities record only the injurious crimes and not petty incidences such as spitting or slapping. Using self-report information to make a judgment or formulate theories can lead to errors because the data can be inaccurate depending on how the individual interprets it from a reliable source.
In the chapter, there is also another scenario where a person can say Sweden has the highest rape cases compared to America, but in the real sense, the method of recording incidences is responsible for making the figure of Sweden rise compare to that of America. In Sweden, rape incidences of sexual violence are recorded independently; for instance, if a woman reports that she was raped at least once a month over the last year, the police will record 12 separate incidences for that particular person. In contrast to America, when an individual reports the same rape incident, it will be recorded as a single case of rape. Self-report information can be misleading because it depends on how one interprets the data from a reliable source. Utilizing information reported by an individual to formulate theories and make a sensitive statement can cause errors. One needs to understand how data is captured and analyzed before using it to inform decision-making.
In most cases, people obtain information from Uniform Crime Reports (UCR), official crime statistics in the United States, compiled by the FBI. Every year, UCR significantly underrepresent the actual number of criminal events in the country. Victim survey indicates that 44% of violent crime and 34% of property crime are reported to the police. The victims of crime are likely to report the incidence when the injuries are severe and when it involves high losses on the property. Females are more likely to report violent crimes than males, and the two genders equally report property victimization. People depend on sources such as UCR to obtain information concerning the criminal activities and rates in the country even though it underrepresents the actual number of incidences. Sometimes people use such underrepresented information to formulate theories or make sensitive statements without knowing their accuracy or reliability. Being wise is to avoid using unproven data to inform the decision, for instance, to formulate theories concerning criminal behavior and make authoritative statements. The relevant authorities should provide accurate information to the public to reduce misinformation and wrong data interpretation by the public.
Reference
Chapter 2. Measuring Crime and Criminal Behavior , pp. 22-41.
