Crime Stats Flashcards
What are the three methods of measuring and recording crime?
- Police recorded crime
- Victim surveys
- Self reporting surveys
What do Official Crime Statistics (OCS) seek to identify?
- Patterns and trends
- Volume of crime
- Main types of crime
- Typical social characteristics of involved individuals
How are OCS useful?
- Assess effectiveness of criminal justice initiatives
- Published every 6 months by home office
- Been collected since 1857 and can compare trends overtime
What is a major weakness of Official Crime Statistics?
Crimes cannot be reduced if they are not reported
What are some reasons why crimes may not be recorded according to the British Crime Survey?
- Belief that it’s too trivial
- It’s a private matter
- Embarrassment
- No victim
What percentage of crimes reported to police fail to show up in Official Crime Statistics?
57%
What factors can influence police ‘filtering’ of crime reports?
- Severity of the crime
- Social status of the victim
- Classification of the crime
- Officer’s discretion
- Officer’s desire for promotion
What is the dark figure of crime?
Crimes that are not reported or recorded
How do OCS reflect the role of the courts?
They reflect the decisions and sentences of the courts
What is a common assumption made by British courts regarding criminals?
The majority will plead guilty (plea-bargaining)
What influences the perception of what is considered a criminal act over time?
Cultural changes and the influence of powerful groups
Effects OCS
What are some examples of crimes that are not visible and thus not included in OCS?
- Tax fraud
- VAT fraud
What impact does the army have on crime reporting?
They police and punish individuals outside of the legal system
What does Pilkington argue about the utility of OCS?
They reflect increased reporting of certain crimes rather than actual increases in crime
How do public attitudes towards property crime affect OCS?
Public intolerance of property crime has increased
as society has become more prosperous and materialistic
How does journalist created moral panics affect OCS?
Increased reporting of juvenile crimes may reflect public intolerance
May also occur more due to youth as folk devils = deviancy amplification
What does criminologists’ estimate indicate about crime reporting?
For every 100 crimes committed, 47 are reported, 27 recorded, and 5 cleared up thru conviction/caution
What is the best-known victim survey in the UK?
British Crime Survey
Acts as a sample of population (localy or nationally) questioning victimisation over a certain period of time
What is a key strength of victim surveys?
They overcome the non-recording problem
Portrays an idea of the extent of victimisation
What are some weaknesses of victim surveys?
- Validity of victims’ memories assumed
- Categorization of crime is subjective
- Omit certain crimes (murder, fraud)
- Under 16s not accounted for
What’s another limitation of victim survey?
Relies on victims knowing they’re a victim
Media plays a key role in this and sometimes heightens sensitivity thru certain forms of behaviour
What are self report studies?
Surveys that ask a group of people what crimes theyve committed
What do self-report studies reveal about offenders?
Information about the kind of offenders not caught by the police and victimless crimes
Makes self report studies useful
What is a limitation of self-report studies?
People may lie or exaggerate
Also not representative since it uncovers trivial crimes
