TOPIC 5: Patterns of crime
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- Created by: xemilygraceyx
- Created on: 03-05-16 14:23
Police recorded stats
- Official stats published every 6 months
- Provide info on total number of crimes 'known to police'
- Provides historical overview of changing trends
- Gives accurate picture of how CJS has processed offenders
- Provides info on social characteristics --> e.g. age and gender
- May not be accurate reflection of real crime rates --> labelling theorists: social constructions
- High proportion of crimes may go unreported
British Crime Survey: individual less likely to report crime if -
- too trivial to bother police
- private matter between friends/family --> wish no harm to offender
- too embarrassing
- victim not in position to give info
- fear reprisals
More likely to report crime if:
- see benefit in themselves/faith in police system
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Why do some crimes go unreported?
- Seriousness = may regard offence as too trivial/not a criminal matter
- Social status = may view social status of reporter as not high enough to regard issue as worth pursuing
- Classifying = police officers decide what category of offence crimes go into, opinion determines category/seriousness
- Discretion = chances of being arrested for offence increase depending on 'demeanour' of person being challenged --> Anderson et al: youths who co-operate/polite = less likely to be arrested
- Promotion = police officers have concerns about career/promotion = involves trying to impress senior officers, need to get on with other colleagues --> arrests reflect balance between comradeship and desire for promotion
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The role of courts/the government
The courts:
- Purpose = ensure conviction is achieved
- Murder cases = prosecution agrees to lesser charge of manslaughter --> risk of defendant escaping without conviction, overwhelming majority of pleas of guilty as result
- Official stats give distorted view of prevalence of murder/serious crimes
The government:
- Views about seriousness of crimes change with time
- E.g. drug use viewed as more serious crime --> offenders more likely to be treated harshly in past
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Victim surveys
- Taking samples of population, asking them about experiences of offences
- Not reported to police
- Basing statistics on memories --> faulty/biased
- Categorisation of crimes left to person filling in questionnaire --> leads to considerable inaccuracy in categories
- Omit large range of crimes - any crime where victim is unable/unable to report crime
- People appear to under-report sexual offences
- Suffer from problem of not collecting info from under 16s --> changed recently
The media and sensitisation
- E.g. soap operas highlight issue of domestic violence --> changed society's attitudes, issue taken more seriously, more likely to be reported on victim surveys
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Self report studies
- Questionnaires that ask Ps to identify crimes
- Uncover crimes not picked up on official stats
- Reveal much about kind of offenders who are not caught/possessed by police
- Respondents may lie/exaggerate --> may be mistaken
- Most surveys on young people/students --> no such surveys on professional criminals
- Majority of crimes uncovered = trivial
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The data explosion and the risk society
- Late modernists - e.g. Garland (2001) = obsession with stats stems from changes in attitudes
- Public believed police was capable of solving all crime in past
- Late modernity = people more aware of risks/limitations of living in global society
- People no longer believe possibility of catching all criminals
- Focus shifted to crime prevention
- Data explosion highlights when crime most likely to happen - individuals can take steps to avoid being victims
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Patterns of offending
British Crime Survey:
- 62% of crimes in 2000 involved theft
- 20% involved violent acts
- Young unemployed/low income males = most likely to be victims
- Perpetrator and victim know each other in 88% of violent crimes
- Victims of burglary = low income households
- Repeat burglaries of same property = very common
- Crime does not happen to everyone - targets poorer/less powerful groups
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Perspectives on criminal statistics - 1
Positivist:
- Theories influenced by functionalism based on uncritical acceptance of accuracy of official criminal statistics
Feminist:
- Crime stats do not reflect amount of crime against women
- Occur in 'private' domestic setting --> police reluctant to get involved
Interpretive:
- 'Labelling' view rejects accuracy of crime stats
- Socially constructed
Marxist:
- Law reflects interests of ruling class
- Immoral activities of rich ignored/not defined as criminal
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Perspectives on criminal statistics - 2
Late modern:
- Stats published so government can encourage people to take responsibility for avoiding becoming victims
Left realist:
- Crime stats cannot be rejected as inaccurate
- Favour detailed victim surveys in local areas
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