Final answer:
True, a significant proportion of crimes go unreported as victimization surveys like the NCVS reveal insights into crime not captured by official statistics, bringing forth several reasons why victims might not report crimes to the police.
Step-by-step explanation:
A comparison of official crime statistics with victimization surveys does indeed reveal that a significant proportion of crimes are not reported to the police. The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) conducts self-report surveys that provide a different perspective on crime statistics compared to the numbers collected through police reports.
From this survey, a variety of reasons have emerged explaining why victims fail to report crimes, including perceptions that the abuse is a private matter, fear of retaliation, a desire to protect the abuser, and a belief that police will not take effective action.
The NCVS is beneficial because it can include a more detailed examination of crimes in its survey format, reaching deeper insight into the consequences of crime, the relationship between victim and criminal, and any substance abuse involved.
However, one disadvantage of the NCVS, according to Cantor and Lynch (2000), is that it may miss important groups such as those without telephones and those who move frequently, and its accuracy is also dependent on the victims' recollection of the events.