How Is Crime Measured In The uk? Flashcards
How do we get our information?
Police recorded stats, newspapers, radio, social media, tv, witnesses, victims
Three different methods to build picture of crime patterns:
Police recorded statistics
Victim surveys
Self- report studies
What are police recorded statistics?
Data from records kept by the police and other official agencies
- published every 6 months by home office
- give accurate view of how the CJS processes offenders through arrests and trials
What does cjs stand for?
Criminal justice system
How can police recorded statistics be considered a social construct?
Lower classes may not report as much as middle classes - not all crime are reported
- what is considered a crime differs in societies - there are no objective facts because they are made by us
Why might crimes not be reported to the police? (10 ways)
- Too trivial
- fear retaliation
- too embarrassing
- fear of disbelief
- don’t know you have been a victim
- not in a position to report a crime
- fear for the perpetrator
- fear implication - being associated with a crime
- police won’t solve
- no evidence
Moore, Aiken and Chapmen
See police as filters, only recording some crimes reported to them
Who see the police as filters?
Moore, Aiken and Chapman
Why might the police only record some crimes reported to them? (3 ways) Moore, Aiken and Chapmen
- Seriousness: offence too trivial
- Social status of victim: mc get a more favoured response than Wc and homeless
- Discretion: less likely to be arrested if you are smart, respectful and co-operative
Police priorities (what is a priority)
Focused on tackling a particular type of crime
- 7% increase in number of police recorded offences involving knives or sharp instruments
What does a rise or fall in police recorded crime not mean?
Actual level of crime in society has changed
- dates can be affected by changes in recording practises
- policing activities and victims willingness to report crimes
- some crimes over represented
What percentage of crimes reported don’t appear on official statistics?
40%
Why is it impossible to be precise about the proportion of crime?
Not all crimes are reported or recorded
- large proportion of crime that the police do not know about
Trends in crime 1950-1980
1950-1980 - time of economic growth and social anomie with changes in the role of women and wider society
1980-1990
Rapid increase economic recession led to higher relative deprivation and unemployment