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sociology > Topic 1: Measurement of Crime and Deviance > Flashcards

Topic 1: Measurement of Crime and Deviance Flashcards

1
Q

What are some examples of surveys that measure crime? (3)

A

BCS
Victim Survey
Self-report studies

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2
Q

What does the release of crime figures spread concern about?

A

That the country is experiencing a crime wave

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3
Q

What are the strengths of official statistics? (6)

A 
Cheap
Readily available
Covers large part of the population
Collected by the state - high validity
Comparable with previous statistics - trends and patterns - ability to go back and check findings - reliable 
Few ethical problems
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4
Q

When were official statistics collected since? And what does this provide?

A

1857

A historical overview of changing trends

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5
Q

Official statistics are a social construction, they can not be taken at face value. What are the only crimes that they show?

A

Crimes reported to and recorded by the police.

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6
Q

Official stats are purely quantitative data. What do they not show?

A

Don’t show hidden issues and causes for the offence

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7
Q

Interactionists critique on quantitative official stats

A

Need qualitative data to gain ‘verstehen’

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8
Q

BCS - we know individuals are less likely to report a crime to the police if the regard it as (5)

A 
Too trivial
Private matter
Embarrassing 
The victim may not be in a position to give info
They may fear retaliation
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9
Q

People are more likely to report a crime if…

2

A

They see some benefit to themselves e.g. claim benefits (inflates claims - invalid)
Have faith in the police ability to achieve a positive result

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10
Q

Some reported crimes are still unrecorded by police and therefore fail to appear in the official stats. What statistic supports this?

A

57% of all crimes committed that are reported to the police don’t appear in the official stats

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11
Q

Define Cuffing

A

When police do not record crimes they think they would be unable to solve

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12
Q

Statistic that represents the ‘criminal iceberg’

A

Approx. 10% of crime are actually uncovered by the police

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13
Q

Maguire

A

Official crime figures don’t include all crimes, such as, tax evasions and benefits fraud

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14
Q

Plea-bargaining

A

Where the defence in court bargains for the lightest possible prosecution

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15
Q

Weaknesses of official statistics (6)

A

Data on deviance may not be available
Many crimes are not recognised by the victim (e.g. they think their wallet is lost)
Depends on the individuals definition of crime - may not consider it to be a crime so doesn’t report the action
Some who are convicted are innocent, some who aren’t convicted are guilty
This means there us a huge lack of validity within the data collected
Statistics are affected by the changes in recording policies e.g. damage to property worth

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16
Q

Coughing is a form of plea-bargaining, define the term

A

The police encourage people to own up to crimes they haven’t committed in return for leniency in sentencing

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17
Q

Functionalist view on official statistics (Include sociologist) (3)

A

Used them to develop patterns
Merton - assumed stats were valid and reliable and used them to develop theories about the working class and crime
Useful because it covers a large population

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18
Q

Marxist view on official statistics (3)

A 
Working class are criminalised by statistics as the ruling class engage in manipulation as stats are used to maintain ruling class ideology
STATS ARE IDEOLOGICAL WEAPONRY OF BOURGEOISIE 
Prosecuting crime is a subjective process - white collar crime is rarely measured and prosecuted - the law doesn't define crimes of the rich as criminal
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19
Q

Feminist view on official statistics (4)

A

Criticise patriarchal nature of stats
Gender stereotypes are transmitted through the use of selective laws and punishments
Stats do not reflect amount of crime committed against women (e.g. sexual attacks and domestic violence)
Women feel they cannot report these offences due to it being a private matter

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20
Q

Left realist view of official stats (2)

A

Stats are flawed

However there is a reality to crime

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21
Q

Interactionist view of stats (4)

A

Regards official stats as of little worth
Numerical data tells us little about the mind of the criminal or deviant person
We need qualitative data to gain verstehen
Stats are a social construction

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22
Q

What are official statistics?

A

Crimes recorded by the police and statistics about people who have been convicted of offences

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23
Q

What are victim surveys?

A

A sample of the population (locally or nationally) is asked which offences have been committed against them over a certain period of time

24
Q

How often are victim surveys carried out?

A

Annually and 48,000 interviews are conducted in homes

25
Q

How has the home office used data from victim surveys?

A

The home office now includes this data in its statistics

26
Q

What are the strengths of victim surveys? (2)

A

Covers large target population

Overcomes how a lot of crimes go unrecorded by the police, makes it more reliable

27
Q

What are the weaknesses of victim surveys? (3)

A

A number of crimes are not covered by the survey e.g. crimes against business
Interview effects
Up to 40% of all incidents reported to the police were not recorded as crimes
Reporting varied enormously according to the crime

28
Q

How should the findings of BCS be treated?

A

With caution

29
Q

What were the statistics that showed how reporting varied enormously according the the crime (Victim surveys)? (3)

A

93% - vehicle thefts
36% - assaults without injury
32% - vandalism

30
Q

Croall - 4 main problems with victim surveys

A

Crimes can only be reported if victims are aware of them
Results are limited by respondents memory and definitions of events
Survey only covers households so doesn’t cover crimes committed against businesses or organisations
Sample doesn’t include people under 16

31
Q

Left realist view of victim surveys

A

Some groups are more likely to be victimised than others

Can reveal peoples genuine fear of crimes

32
Q

What viewpoint does Cicourel take?

A

Interactionist

33
Q

What does Cicourel believe about stats being a social construction?

A

The police are prone to judging people and labels applied will affect offending rates

34
Q

Becker (interactionist) supports Cicourel saying…

A

Deviance is a product of labels applied to individuals

35
Q

Explain how the media sensitises perceptions of crimes for victims

A

The media plays a key role in portrayal of crimes, meaning some can have heightened sensitivity causing the public to report more of that crime

36
Q

Provide an example of how the media has sensitised the public towards certain crimes

A

Change in portrayal of domestic violence from a family matter to being a criminal activity

37
Q

What are self-report studies?

A

Surveys where people admit to crimes they have committed

38
Q

What do self-report studies aim to do?

A

To build up a picture of the deviant and their social characteristics

39
Q

What weakness does self-report studies respond to?

A

The fact that most criminals are not part of the CJS

40
Q

How do SRS contradict official stats?

A

Shows that stats exaggerate the extent of working class and some male crime

41
Q

How does SRS show the criminal iceberg

A

Only a small number of offenders are convicted of crimes

42
Q

Box (SRS)

A

Data from 40 SRS from diff countries rejected impression created by official stats that w/c youths are more likely to engage in delinquency than m/c youths - these can be compared with official stats to discover which type of offender is most likely to be convicted and show that only a small portion of offenders are convicted of crimes

43
Q

Strengths of SRS? (3)

A

Discover characteristics of criminals
The data can be compared with official conviction rates to discover which types of offender are most likely to be convicted
Strong form of survey - estimated through lie detector tests that around 80% of those who respond do tell the truth

44
Q

Graham and Bowling (SRS)

A

Social class had no influence on whether young British males and females would admit to having committed offences, although lower social classes were more likely to, to more serious offences

45
Q

Weaknesses of SRS (4)

A

They may exaggerate/forgotten the offence - less validity
Limited number of offences may covered
Samples are often distorted - therefore ignores crimes committed by other less accessible groups - low representativeness
Individuals may wish to conceal their acts

46
Q

What types of crime may be ignored on SRS?

A

White-collar/corporate crime

47
Q

What term has Garland introduced?

A

Responsibilisation

48
Q

Explain Garlands notion of responsibilisation (3 stages)

A

The gov. engages in risk management - pushes responsibility for avoiding being victims of crime back onto individuals - The stats are part of this process of informing individuals how best to avoid being victims of crime

49
Q

What percentage of violent crime was recorded in BCS?

A

20%

50
Q

Who are most likely to be victims of violence?

A

Young unemployed/low-waged males

51
Q

What % cases of violence do the victim and perpetrator know each other?

A

88%

52
Q

Who are most likely to be victims of property crime?

A

Low income households living in poorer areas

53
Q

Define repeat victimisation

A

Where the victim is targeted more than once

54
Q

What is the peak age for offending in males

A

18

55
Q

What is the peak age for offending in females

A

14

sociology (3 decks)

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