Statistical Approaches to Crime Flashcards
What was Quellets view on Moral Statistics?
- Drew conclusions about the social causes of crime
- Environment affects crime
- Stressed the idea that if we change social factors through legislation = solve crimes
What does the introduction of moral statistics incorporate?
Enlightenment optimism
What do crime stats reveal?
The set of conditions that cause crime
What did the level of crime do despite efforts at reform and social improvement?
Remained static or increased
What did criminal statistics develop out of?
Administrative and record-keeping needs
In Europe from the 17th century, what was there an attempt to control?
A judicial apparatus
When were statistics officially published?
19th century
In France, when were the national statistics tables on crime by the MOJ developed?
1825
When was the first publication of the compete which measured the annual number of known and prosecuted crimes against persons and property?
1827
What did the MOJ and social statisticians believed?
That data could be used to perfect legislation in civil and moral matters
Where were criminal stats in the 19th century limited to internal use by the police?
Germany
When were national stats only possible after?
Unification
When did Britain begin publishing annual stats?
1810
What happened to statistics in Britain in the 1830s?
They had been divided into 6 main categories of offences
what was one way moral statistics were used in terms of public debate?
Used in several countries about the debate over the death penalty
What were Howard leagues views on moral statistics?
- Advocated for the abolishment of the death penalty through moral statistics.
- Hard to prove that when you remove the death penalty for a crime there will be no spike.
- Arguing the death penalty did not act as a deterrent.
What were Quellets other views about moral Statistics?
- Statistics on crime were used to support social reform (for example, education)
- Criminal Statistics were used by temperance campaigners (linked alcohol to crime)
- Statistics were used by the justice system to point to the good job they were doing or used to argue for more resources.
What were contemporaries concerned about in terms of moral statistics?
In England, they were aware that statistics could be distorted by different reporting practices & could be manipulated for political purposes.
What were Germany’s concerns about in terms of moral statistics?
- Also believed statistics could be manipulated
- Expressed that you must be cautious when drawing conclusions from long term trends.
What were some of the consequences associated with moral statistics?
- Enforced the concept of criminal classes
- Enforced the public view that crime was due to environmental factors
- Help lay the groundwork for biological models of criminality
From the 1830s to the 1840s what was there an optimistic faith in?
Statistical analyses
What did moral statisticians conclude?
- Crime more likely to be committed between ages 21 and 25
- Crimes more common in winter
- Alcohol consumption affected violent crime
Racial and ethnic prejudice more clear in attempts at moral geography
