Criminologists may use surveys to explore relationships between different items in order to better understand the causes and patterns of criminal behavior. Surveys can provide valuable information on a large number of individuals and can allow criminologists to identify trends and associations between different factors.

For example, a survey might include items on individual characteristics, such as age, gender, and income, as well as items on criminal behavior, such as involvement in illegal activities or experiences as a victim of crime. Criminologists could use the survey data to explore the relationship between these factors and determine if certain characteristics are associated with higher or lower rates of criminal behavior.

Additionally, criminologists could use survey data to explore the relationship between different types of criminal behavior. For example, they could compare the prevalence of different types of crimes, such as property crimes and violent crimes, and examine the factors that may be associated with the likelihood of committing or being a victim of these crimes.

Thus, surveys can give criminologists useful data to investigate connections between various factors and to better comprehend the reasons behind and patterns of criminal conduct.