Official crime statistics LT1 Flashcards
Official Crime Statistics
secondary documentary source which are mainly based on figures from the police and are published by the home office
Who are official crime statistics favoured by ?
Positivists
What are the advantages of Official crime statics ?
. Opportunity to identify
. Shows social makeup
. Evaluates polices and laws
. Accessible and up to date
Example of trends in Official crime statics ?
Crime has sharply increased from the 1950s until 1990s
What is the main social makeup of crime ?
Often working class, male, juveniles and black proportion
How do official crime statics help shape polices and laws ?
Persuaded New government to introduce restorative justice programs
How often are Official crime statics published ?
Home office publishes their crime statistics once a year
Who questions official crime statics ?
Interactionalist
What do internationalist argue about Official crime statics ?
Question reliability and validity arguing it vastly underestimates crime while being socially constructed
What are the limitations of Official crime statics ?
. Underreporting of crime
. Invisibility of crime
. Selective law enforcement
. Artificial fluctuation
Why is crime underreported ?
BCS shows public do not always report crime due to being too trivial and believe police will do nothing about it
How are crimes invisible ?
Underestimate white collar and cyber crime which are mainly committed by middle class
What are the two types of white collar crime ?
Corporate
Occupational
Corporate crime
committed on behalf of an organisation
Occupational crime
committed at the expense of an organisation
