WEEK 1 understanding crime, deviance, harm and Quantifying crime

Question 1

what is deviance?

Answer 1

refers to the behavior or action that are separate from the norm and values or expected standard

Question 2

what is the sociology of deviance in a discipline

Answer 2

it is the study of behaviors that differs from social norms values and expectation within specific context

Question 3

societal dynamics and concerns

Answer 3

behavior is deemed either culturally accepted or unaccepted by social construction

Question 4

what are the social harm

Answer 4

pollution, fire, drinking and carbon footprint

Question 5

defining crime

Answer 5

crime that is not seeing is also a crime. Crime can also be interpreted differently as in Subjective- influence /personal opinion. it changes over time

Question 6

the social harm

Answer 6

they can be caused by factors beyond crime and law

Question 7

Crime being explained

Answer 7

socially constructed,
changes over time, legal perspective, hard to explain, no universal definition, cultural beliefs influence the definition, often contested, no constant, reacted against by punishment

Question 8

who are the deviants in our society

Answer 8

Social Power: Shapes norms and identifies deviance.
Norms: Guide acceptable behavior, learned socially.
Deviance-making: Labeling behaviors as deviant, often by those in power.
Deviance Unmaking: Challenging norms, sparking societal change.
Religious Beliefs: Influence perceptions of deviance.
Quote: Highlights the necessity of deviating from norms for progress.

Question 9

Historical Evolution of Crime Measurement:

Answer 9

France (1825):

Began systematic collection of national judicial statistics on prosecutions and convictions.
United States:

Early crime statistics based on state judicial data on prosecutions, convictions, and prisoners.
Great Britain (1857):

Introduced systematic collection of police data, including known offenses.
Classical Criminology/Chicago School:

Influenced structured crime measurement, shaping theories and methodologies.

Question 10

South African Context

Answer 10

1913: Formation of South African Police after Union formation.
20th Century: Policing marked by racism.
1980s: Policing focused on political stability.
Resource Allocation: Favored white areas.
Homeland Police: Poorly managed.
Pre-1994: Low crime reporting priority, especially in non-white areas.
Population Estimates: Politically charged and unreliable.
Developing vs. Developed: Unique policing challenges compared to developed nations.

Question 11

Crime Statistics Sources:

Answer 11

Official Records: Law enforcement data.
Victim Surveys: Capture unreported crimes.
Self-Report Studies: Individuals disclose criminal activities.
Academic Research: Analyze crime trends.
Challenges:

Defining Crime: Ambiguity in defining crimes.
Multiple Offenses: Difficulty in counting serial crimes.
Serial Offenses: Debate over counting multiple offenses against the same victim.
Inconsistent Recording: Discrepancies in data collection.
Classification Limitations: Categories may not cover all crimes.
NCSTT: Tasked with improving data accuracy and consistency. (National Crime Statistics Task Force)

Question 12

Crime Statistics Sources:

Answer 12

Data Collection and Organization:
Compile crime data for decision-making.
Analysis Framework:
Systematically analyze and produce crime statistics.
Classification Improvement:
Purify current crime classification in SAPS.
International Standards Alignment:
Align with ICCS for consistency. International Classification of Crime for Statistical Purposes

Question 13

Two types of
Crime Statistics Sources

Answer 13

official and unofficial

Question 14

Official crime stats

Answer 14

Statistics South Africa: National crime data.
Police Statistics: Law enforcement records.
Court Statistics: Data on criminal cases.
Department of Correctional Services: Information on incarcerated individuals.

Question 15

Appearance in Official Crime Statistics Requires

Answer 15

Knowledge of Event Occurrence
Recognition of Event as Potentially Criminal
Motivation to Report to Police
Capacity to Report Accurately to Police
Police Recognition or Verification of Possible Criminality
Police Motivation to Record
Police Capacity to Record Accurately
Correct Data Capture and Management
Proper Publication of Data
These factors vary based on the type of crime, location, and time period.

Question 16

shortcoming of crime stats failure

Answer 16

Reporting Biases: Subject to underreporting or overreporting.
Police Discretion: Influence on reporting and recording practices.
Legislative, Technological, and Resource Changes: Impact on data collection methods.
Social and Economic Changes: Influence on crime reporting and detection.

Question 17

Reasons for Dark Figure of Crime:

Answer 17

Underreporting
you think is small incidents
Fear of retaliation
Shame or embarrassment
Lack of trust in law enforcement (SAPS)
Vigilante justice society taking the matter in their own hands
Lack of legal awareness

Question 18

Unofficial Crime Statistics Sources:

Answer 18

Victim Surveys
Self-Report Studies
Media Reports
Community Surveys
Biographies
Observations

Question 19

Crime Statistics Sources:

Victim Surveys: Explore experiences and perceptions of crime.

Answer 19

Strengths:
Provide understanding of public perceptions and fear of crime.
Offer insight into underreporting of crime.
Help interpret official crime statistics.
Show extent of multiple victimization.
Capture both reported and unreported crimes.
Reduce biases associated with police reporting.
Include details about victims’ experiences and perceptions.
Crucial for crime prevention, policing, and justice policy formulation when used with official crime data.

Question 20

Weaknesses of Victim Surveys (VoCs):

Answer 20

Reliance on victims’ recall accuracy.
Incomplete cover of certain crimes.
Sampling limitations.
poor for capturing personal crimes.
Poor recording of crimes against businesses, children, or involving drugs/firearms.

Question 21

crime vs Harm

Answer 21

International Classification of Crime for Statistical Purposes:

Global standard for classifying crimes.
Makes crime statistics to be able to compare.
Helps analyze crime trends.
Aids in data collection and comparison.
Facilitates sharing of crime data.
Crime Harm Index:

Recognizes differences in crime impact.
Provides better safety measure.
Helps police allocate resources effectively.
Encourages evidence-based policing.
Justifies resource allocation based on community needs.