Defining and measuring crime

Question 1

Why has the definition of crime changed

Answer 1

alterations in cultural norms, social norms and moral norms

Question 2

What is the definition of what constitutes to a crime

Answer 2

dependant on time culture and age

Question 3

Why can crime be difficult to define

Answer 3

dependant on the social norms of the current period of time

Question 4

Were crimes always legal

Answer 4

Some were illegal and made legal

Question 5

What’s an example of a crime that’s now legal

Answer 5

Same sex marriage

Question 6

What’s an example of a crime that used to be legal and now made illegal

Answer 6

smoking in public places

Question 7

Why is smoking no longer permitted in public places

Answer 7

harmful effects of 2nd hand smoking

Question 8

How does culture affect crime

Answer 8

Crime is culturally relative

Question 9

What is cultural relativism

Answer 9

Some crimes are legal in certain countries but illegal in others

Question 10

What’s an example of cultural relativism

Answer 10

marriage age in uk is 16 saudi arabia there is no age

Question 11

Can age effect the definition of crime

Answer 11

yeah crime is dependent on the age of the offender

Question 12

Why would a toddler not be a criminal if they stole an apple

Answer 12

they didn’t know they’re committing a crime so won’t be accused of doing so

Question 13

What age do you become legally responsible for your actions in the UK

Answer 13

under the age of 10

Question 14

Where are crime statistics published in the UK

Answer 14

• uk government
• police
• justice system

Question 15

When were crime statistics first published

Answer 15

1805

Question 16

Why is it useful that crime statistics are published

Answer 16

public can look at how crime has trended over time

Question 17

What’s a disadvantage of statistics

Answer 17

not always accurate

Question 18

Why are crime statistics not always accurate

Answer 18

rely on crime that’s actually reported and recorded by these official bodies

Question 19

Do all crimes get reported

Answer 19

Not always

Question 20

What’s it called when crimes aren’t reported

Answer 20

dark figure of crime

Question 21

What did Farrington and Dowds 1995 compare

Answer 21

statistics between Nottingham and 2 nearby countries

Question 22

What did Farrington and Dowds find

Answer 22

crime rates are higher in Nottingham

Question 23

Why were the crimes higher in nottingham

Answer 23

police recorded all crimes including petty theft

Question 24

What do offender surveys look at

Answer 24

the offender of the crime

Question 25

What do police gain from doing these surveys

Answer 25

better understanding of victimless crime

Question 26

What is victimless crime

Answer 26

When there are no victims involved

Question 27

What’s an example of a victimless crime

Answer 27

underage drinking

illegal drug consumption

Question 28

What’s an example of a measuring crime survey

Answer 28

offender survey

Question 29

What age group does the offender survey ask

Answer 29

10-25 yrs

Question 30

What did the offender survey ask

Answer 30

• shoplifting
• underage drinking
• theft
• bullying
• domestic violence

Question 31

What’s a limitation of an offender survey

Answer 31

self reported leading to exaggeration or minimalisation of crimes

Question 32

What’s a limitation that offender survey asks about

Answer 32

• Can be biased only look at certain types of crime

- people may only disclose certain types of crime they’ve committed

Question 33

What do victim survey’s ask

Answer 33

questions of the victims crimes

Question 34

Do all victims crimes get reported

Answer 34

Not always

Question 35

Why don’t police report crime

Answer 35

They don’t deem it worthy

Question 36

Why are victim surveys better

Answer 36

give a better representation of why crimes are committed

Question 37

How many weaknesses are there of victim surveys

Answer 37

2

Question 38

What are the limitations of victim surveys

Answer 38

biased exaggerated or minimised as they’re self reported

memory isn’t perfect lead to faulty or biased reporting

Question 39

What doesn’t the victim survey look at

Answer 39

impersonal crimes which affect more than 1 individual (fraud or white-collar crimes)