Problems in defining crime and ways of measuring crime Flashcards
Outline
Having a universal definition of crime helps, but is difficult. There are several ways of recording the extent of crime but each of them have their problems.
-Crime can be defined as any act that violates the law and is therefore punished by a court.
Cultural issues
What is a crime in one culture is acceptable in another. for example, bigamy is illegal in UK but accepted in some parts of the world (Mormon cultures in Utah, USA).
Historical issues
Homosexuality was a crime in the UK until 1967 (and is still illegal in some parts of the world), and a more recent example is the outlawing of parents smacking their children (corporal punishment) in 2004.
Official statistics (measurement of crime)
record the number of crimes reported to the police, and are published by the Home Office. They provide a ‘snap shot’ of crime in an area, and allow us to look at the ‘bigger picture’ of crime. Often used to direct police, e.g providing greater resources to police in that area.
Victim surveys (measurement of crime)
ask people about their experiences of crime over a specific time period (the Crime Survey of England and Wales asks about the last 12 months). 50,000 households are randomly selected to take part, and results are used as a sample of the wider population. (also a separate survey targeted towards younger people)
Offender surveys (measurement of crime)
targeted towards ‘likely offenders’ based on age, background, previous convictions etc. They ask them to volunteer details of crimes they have committed over a given time period. They are useful in finding out about the wider details of offending.
Evaluation weakness: Official statistics are not always accurate
they often underestimate the levels of crime as many go unreported and there is inconsistency in how the police record crime. This gap between statistics and fact is called the ‘dark figure’.
Evaluation weakness: extraneous variables/demand characteristics for Offender surveys
They may conceal or over exaggerate the extent of severity of their crimes. Also, ‘targeting likely offenders’ means the sample is often stereotyped and will ignore perpetrators of ‘white collar’ crimes which means its hard to generalise.
Evaluation weakness: a politcal tool
a government will seek to present statistics that show their crime policies are working, whereas the opposite parties will want to show the government is ineffective. (lacks validity).
Evaluation strength: Victim surveys have less issues with statistics
victims may be more likely to report crimes that they would not take to the police (i.e sexual assault). (more valid). But they still may have social desirability issues and inaccurate recall caused by anxiety.
Conclusion
A suitable response would be to use a multidisciplinary approach (using multiple methods).
