Citation

Eisner MP, Killias M. Eur. J. Criminol. 2004; 1(2): 257-293.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2004, European Society of Criminology, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1477370804041671

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Over many years, crime in Switzerland has been a subject of controversy. For some observers, Switzerland was almost a ‘crime-free’ society, others saw it as a society with the usual crime rates but with better ways of concealing them, and many more saw it as a safe haven for economic and financial crime. Research conducted over the past 20 years has clarified many issues. Switzerland’s crime levels are probably below the European average, although not unusually low, but have seen the usual increase over recent decades. Available indicators of economic crime show a rather low rate of untaxed incomes and corruption. Swiss criminology has been associated with several European innovations, such as the international crime surveys, the European Sourcebook of Crime and Criminal Justice Statistics, and generally violence research, particularly in connection with urban violence, school violence and a large cohort study of 21,000 young men. Of particular interest are several evaluations, including a few randomized experiments and large-scale trials with heroin prescription to drug addicts.