The hedgehog and the fox; the history of victimisation surveys from a Trans-Atlantic perspective

In his PhD thesis defended at the University of Versailles on November 12, 2014, Matthieu de Castelbajac traces back the early history of victimisation surveys in the USA and Europe with a focus on the National Crime Victims Surveys in the USA (starting in 1973), the Dutch Victimisation Survey (1973), the British Crime Survey (1982) and The International Crime Victims Survey (1988) (Castelbajac 2014). The present chapter is largely based on this study, supplemented by additions considerations regarding the Dutch survey and the ICVS. Firstly, we will try to understand why the American studies in the early 1970s developed into the first ever full-fledged survey, whereas earlier, similar attempts in Scandinavia did not get off the ground. What explains this change of fortune of crime surveys? Next we will analyse in some detail the original ideas behind the American survey and how these have shaped the National Crime Victim Survey (NCVS) ever since. In the third paragraph we will discuss the different trajectory of the first victimisation surveys in Europe and how these have meandered into many different directions over the years. Finally, we will reflect on the foiled plans of the European Commission for an EU wide comparative survey.