Chapter 4 / Measuring Crime

Question 1

quantitative

Answer 1

Relating to the measurement of something - its quantity - rather than its qualities.

Question 2

qualitative

Answer 2

The study of phenomena based not on measurement but an exploration of the reasons for human behaviour and the qualities of subjective experience.

Question 3

conflict theories

Answer 3

Theories, originating primarily with Marx, that focus on the unequal distribution of power in society - for example, due to class, race, or gender. Conflicts between classes or groups are driven to a large extent by this unequal power and unequal access to resources.

Question 4

consensus theories

Answer 4

In opposition to conflicts theories, consensus theories, which originate with Durkheim, hold that society functions through social bonds and collective beliefs, and is characterized by widespread acceptance of values, norms, and laws.

Question 5

dark figure of crime

Answer 5

Refers to the variation between the number of crimes that occur and the number of crimes that are actually reported to the police. This figure highlights the large number of unreported crimes.

Question 6

constructionist

Answer 6

Constructionist perspectives emphasize the idea that life does not come with categories and labels, and that we understand and define the world on the basis of our socialization and interactions with others.

Question 7

integrationist

Answer 7

A combination of structuralist, positivist, and constructionist approaches approaches in criminology facilitating the inclusion of philosophy and sociology of law, the empirical study of crime, and its interpretation by those who control and implement the law.

Question 8

crime funnel

Answer 8

A model indicating that the actual total quantity of crime is much higher than the decreasing proportion that is detected, reported, prosecuted, and punished.

Question 9

CompStat

Answer 9

COMPuter STATistics; the name given to New York City Police Department’s accountability process that was introduced in the 1990s to facilitate a reduction in crime.

Question 10

clearance rates

Answer 10

The proportion of criminal incidents solved by the police. A crime is cleared when the police believe they have found its perpetrator.

Question 11

victimless crime

Answer 11

Actions (often perpetuated consensually) that are ruled illegal but do not directly violate or threaten the rights of other individuals.

Question 12

sampling

Answer 12

In statistics, the selection of a subset of the population in such a way that will allow the results of one’s research to be generalizable to the population as a whole.

Question 13

memory fade

Answer 13

The phenomenon whereby a survey participant forgets about a victimization that has taken place.

Question 14

telescoping

Answer 14

The phenomenon whereby a survey participant recalls events as having occurred more recently than is actually the case.

Question 15

cybercrime

Answer 15

Crime committed over the Internet or a computer network.