Latent crime, concept and main types

Professionals, criminologists, distinguish various types of crime, classified, for example, by subjects (women, juvenile criminals, etc.), spheres of activity (economic, etc.), degrees of guilt (intentional, reckless), motivation Mercenary, violent, etc.), according to the degree of reflection in the statistical data (actual, identified, latent crime, etc.). I would like to talk more about the latter.

Latent crime is a constituent part of actually committed crimes, but for any reasons not identified, not passed the registration procedure. Obviously, the number of violations that take place to be real, is much more accounted for by law enforcement agencies.

For the most complete understanding of the essence of this category, it is necessary to disassemble the main types of latent crime. Let's select the following:

• Unknown to anyone;
• Declared, but not disclosed;
• Declared, but not registered;
• Known to witnesses, but not declared;
• Known to the victim, but not declared.

Thus, it is obvious that some types of latent crime are related to the fact that violations of the law simply do not go beyond the field of view of witnesses, victims and others. They, for some reason, do not want to bring information to the relevant authorities. This desire is based on several factors, among which:

• People's distrust of law enforcement agencies. Indeed, many citizens doubt that a particular crime will be solved, it is often easier to leave everything as it is, rather than transfer their safety to the hands of people in uniform;
• Rejection of "paper red tape". Many victims voluntarily renounce the assistance of specialized bodies, believing that they will have to spend more physical and moral strength, and the result is unlikely to satisfy;
• Fear of reprisals from criminals;
• Unwillingness to advertise the fact of a crime;
• Settlement of claims through reparation of damages in cash by offenders.

It is interesting that this dependence is established: the more serious the crime, the lower the level of latent crime. However, it is assumed that the connection here is not absolute.

It is obvious that the level of crime affects the political situation in the country, the economic situation as a whole. So, if the criminal controls most of, for example, the financial and credit system, it is very difficult to develop fruitful relations with other countries, to attract foreign investment.

If we consider not only the economy, but also the social processes taking place in society, then latent crime, or rather its level, also affects negatively. In fact, many crimes go unpunished, for example, because an application was not filed or, if available, the authorities did not conduct an investigation, or the case was referred to, but the event and the elements of the crime were never established.

Then, in society, some imitation of criminals is maturing, impunity of deeds is clearly recognized. Gradually the moral foundations become weaker, many actions become permissible, that some citizens create discomfort and a desire to change something for the better, but at the same time they face the apathy of other people. Some, on the contrary, become nervous and intolerant. In any case, a bubble of discontent and a negative to the law enforcement bodies is inflated in society, which can not properly provide security.

Thus, we understood that the types of crime include latent, which, in view of its absence in official data, does not fall within the scope of legal proceedings, but it is of great importance for each individual person and for all spheres of public life in general.