self-report study

A self-report study is a research method where individuals are asked to report on their own behavior, often concerning criminal activity. This approach is used in criminology to gather data that official statistics might miss.12

Official crime statistics, collected by law enforcement and the justice system, can be unreliable because they depend on factors like victims reporting crimes and police recording them. Self-report studies, typically conducted by individual researchers, ask participants to disclose offenses they have committed, often under assurances of confidentiality. These studies are particularly useful for understanding "victimless crimes" or minor offenses that might not be officially recorded. While self-report studies have limitations, such as relying on honest recall, they generally provide a more comprehensive picture of crime prevalence than official data alone.23