Crime Rates Flashcards
What are Crime Rates?
The amount of crime that happens within the population per 100,000 people.
How are Crime Rates calculated?
Divide the amount of crime by the population size and multiply it by 100,000.
What are some doubts about the reliability of Crime Rates?
They underestimate the actual amount of crime due to only considering reported crimes.
Disproportionate reporting based on race, ethnicity, and socio-economic status.
What are Records vs Statistics in Criminology?
Records: Concerned with individual cases and help practitioners make decisions.
Statistics: Aggregation of records, used by policymakers and theorists.
What are the ways to count crime in Criminology?
Unified Crime Reports (UCR) Aggregate and Incident-Based Surveys.
What is the problem with the UCR method?
Only the most serious crimes are counted, leading to a disproportionate focus on serious crimes.
What is the Crime Funnel concept?
Unreported crimes are not reflected in police reports, leading to an incomplete picture of crime.
What are Victimization Surveys?
Surveys of people asked if they’ve been victims of crimes, providing insights into unreported crimes and victim demographics.
What are the limitations of Victimization Surveys?
Not all crimes are captured, some victims are unaware or unwilling to report, and there are reliability concerns.
What are Self-report Studies in Criminology?
Surveys asking individuals about their criminal behavior, often administered among specific populations.
What are the problems with Self-report Studies?
Some groups underreport criminal behavior, and there are concerns about honesty and reliability of survey data.
