Crime Statistics and Surveys

Question 1

Crime Statistics and Surveys

Reliability

Answer 1

• Data that is collected in a scientific and balanced way.
• Someone else doing the same research would get the same result.
• This ability to produce crime data is an important factor if data is to be accepted as reliable.
• A survey conducted the day after a serious terrorist attack may not be reliable.

Question 2

Crime Statistics and Surveys

Validity

Answer 2

• Valid data must truly be measuring what it sets out to measure.
• It should include balanced representation of all geographical areas.
• The correct research question should be asked.
• Surveys conducted on social media may mean the survey was not evenly distributed to different types of people.

Question 3

Crime Statistics and Surveys

British Crime Survey

Answer 3

• Anonymous survey that asks 50,000 people if they have been a victim of crime in the past year.
• The survey also allows participants to talk about crimes they have not reported.
• Means it gives a better indictation of crime statistics than the police can produce.
• Advantages: quantative data, shows the dark figure of crime.
• Disadvantages: not qualitiative data, people may lie or choose to not say if they were a victim or not.

Question 4

Crime Statistics and Surveys

Self-Report Offender Surveys

Answer 4

• Offender surveys collect informtation fro offenders to develop an uderstanding of their behaviour and attitudes.
• Self-report offender surveys get closer to the real value of crime than sources based on the criminal justice system.
• Enable the identification of factors associated with heightened levels of offending.
• Adds to the knowledge base and contributes to evidence on the offender population.