defining and measuring crime
- Created by: aryan26
- Created on: 02-04-19 17:30
View mindmap
- defining and measuring crime
- problems in defining crime
- "any act that breaks the law and therefore warrants some form of punishment"
- cultural issues: what is considered a crime in one may not be in another
- historical issues: definitions of crime change over time
- measuring crime
- official statistics: government records of the total number of crimes reported and recorded by police
- published by the home office on an annual basis
- allows governments to develop crime prevention strategies as well as direct resources in areas that need it most
- underestimate the extent of crime- many crimes go un-reported and un-recorded
- only 25% of offences are included in the figures
- Farrington and Dowds- police in the borough of Nottingham were more likely to record thefts of under £10 than other regions
- policing priorities may distort figures
- victim surveys: records people's experiences of crime over a specific period
- asks people to document crime they have been a victim of in the past year
- rely on respondents having an accurate recall
- telescoping may occur- misremembers it happening in the last year when it didn't; the trauma is fresh in their minds
- 50,000 houses are randomly selected to take part
- separate survey was introduced to record experiences of those aged 10-15
- thought to have a greater degree of accuracy- more likely to include details of crimes that are not reported
- offender surveys: volunteer the number and types of crime they have committed
- target groups based on risk factors- previous convictions, age range, social background
- looked at indicators of repeat offending- trends, drug and alcohol use
- provide an insight into how many people are responsible for certain offences
- confidentiality is high but it may still lack reliability
- offenders may want to hide some types of crime they have committed or can exaggerate the number
- targeted crimes are over represented where as middle class offences such as fraud may not be included
- politics of measuring crime: the political party in opposition will focus on measures that make it appear like rates are increasing
- multi-disciplinary approach: using a combination of all available methods to give e true insight into the extent of offending
- official statistics: government records of the total number of crimes reported and recorded by police
- problems in defining crime
Comments
No comments have yet been made