Measuring crime

Question 1

Police recorded crime

Answer 1

Statistics based on reports filed by police.

Question 2

Problem with police recorded crime

Answer 2

Not all crimes that are reported to police are recorded

Question 3

Victim surveys

Answer 3

50,000 people were asked if they were a victim of a crime in the last 12 months

Question 4

Problem with victim surveys

Answer 4

People don’t always know they are a victim of a crime

Question 5

Court records

Answer 5

Records of cases that are taken to prosecution, as well as the result of the trial

Question 6

Problem with court records

Answer 6

Only includes cases that are going to court

Question 7

Prison records

Answer 7

Looks at the composition of the prison system e.g ethnicity, age, gender

Question 8

Problem with prison records

Answer 8

Not all crimes are punished with a custodial sentence.

Question 9

Self report study

Answer 9

Ask people if they have committed a crime in the last 12 months

Question 10

Problem with self report studies

Answer 10

Relies on truthfulness of respondents

Question 11

Functionalist perspective

Answer 11

See crime statistics as face value and trust them. See them as reliable and valid.

Question 12

Interactionist perspective

Answer 12

See statistics as a social construction and only useful to identify stereotypes

Question 13

Marxist perspective

Answer 13

Statistics are biassed as they are constructed by the ruling class.

Question 14

Feminist perspective

Answer 14

Statistics under represent the extent of female crime and crimes against women e.g domestic abuse