Crime Statistics

Question 1

Reasons for unreported crime

Answer 1

• Embarrassment
• Fear
• Don’t know they are a victim of crime
• Deal with it themselves
• Distrust the police

Question 2

Reasons for unrecorded crime

Answer 2

• Not all crimes are entered into official statistics/ figures
• Police priorities / targeting
• Status of the victim
• Work relations

Question 3

Official statistics

Answer 3

Collected by government agencies, usually published by the Office of National Statistics (ONS)

Question 4

Official crime rate

Answer 4

The statistics compiled using police, court and prison records

Question 5

British Crime Survey

Answer 5

Statistics compiled through victim surveys & self report surveys - 50,000 people over the age of 16 are asked annually if they have been a victim of crime.

Question 6

Trends in crime

Answer 6

1930-1950 = Gradual rise in crime (end of the war, returning soldiers feeling frustrated. Rise in standards of living leading to relative depravation)

1950-1980 = Steeper rise in crime (time of economic growth and social anomie with changes to the role of women and wider society)

1980 - mid 1990 = rapid increase in crime (time of economic recession which lead to higher relative deprivation and unemployment)

mid 1990 - 2016 = Gradual annual decline in crime (could be due to changes in reporting crime. the development of new crimes which are not included such as cyber crimes)

Question 7

Sources of crime statistics

Answer 7

• Police recorded crime
• Victim Surveys
• Court records
• Prison records
• Self report surveys

Question 8

Sources of crime statistics - Police recorded crime

Answer 8

Statistics compiled based on the reports filed by the police.

These are crimes that are investigated by the police but may not end in a conviction or court case.

Question 9

Sources of crime statistics - police recorded crime (Evaluation)

Answer 9

• Not all crimes that are reported to the police are recorded by the police
• Moore, Aiken & Chapman - police as filters - the police filter through and choose which crimes to file or investigate

Question 10

Sources of crime statistics - Victim surveys

Answer 10

Part of the British crime survey

50,000 people (over 16) are asked annually if they were a victim of crime in the last 12 months

Question 11

Sources of crime statistics - Victim Surveys (Evaluation)

Answer 11

• People don’t always know they are a victim of crime
• Victims may record their crime as something different to what the police would
• Relies on memory

Question 12

Sources of crime statistics - Court records

Answer 12

Statistics compiled using the court records of which cases are taken to prosecution.
they include info about the defendants, victims as well as the results of the case (guilty or not)

Question 13

sources of crime statistics - court records (Evaluation)

Answer 13

• Only records crimes that are taken to court
• crimes can be reported and not taken to court for a variety of reasons - EG lack of evidence
• subject to injustice and inequality of the justice system - structural approach

Question 14

Sources of crime statistics - Self report surveys

Answer 14

Ask people if they have committed a crime in the last 12 months.
these are conducted alongside victim surveys annually.
Around 50,000 people over the age of 16 are asked.

Question 15

Sources of crime statistics - Self report surveys (Evaluation)

Answer 15

• People may not know if they have committed a crime as some crimes are not seen as crimes in society EG speeding
• relies on memory and truthfulness

Question 16

Functionalist / New Right / Right realist views of crime statistics

Answer 16

Accept official statistics at face value.
View them ass reliable and valid sources of data.

Question 17

Interactionist / Labelling theorist views on crime statistics

Answer 17

See statistics as a social construction and only useful for identifying stereotypes and assumptions

Question 18

Marxist / neo-Marxist views on crime statistics

Answer 18

Statistics show a biased view of crime as they are constructed by the ruling class.

statistics ignore white collar and corporate crime which therefore suggests that criminals are w/c

Question 19

Feminist views on crime statistics

Answer 19

Statistics under-represent the extent of female crime and crimes against women (especially DV and rape)

Question 20

Left realist views on crime statistics

Answer 20

Statistics are broadly correct but they under represent white collar and corporate crime and exaggerate w/c crime, particularly those by ethnic minorities.