Problems With Defining Crime

Problems Defining Crime

Culture: socially acceptable behaviour varies between different cultures, therefore, something that is illegal in one culture might be perfectly acceptable in another.

Age: to be able to commit a crime you nee =d to understand what is acceptable it is very difficult to establish an age where children know right from wrong. criminal responsibility varies across countries UK age is 10 but in Sweden, it is 15.

Context: Historical context is influential influencing crime as law changes over time. For example, homosexuality wasn't legal before 1967 making it a crime but afterwards it was legal therefore is not a crime. 

Circumstances: To be a prosecuted for a crime your action must be voluntary and intent, therefore, someone may be prosecuted for vandalism if it was intentional but if it was an accident they wouldn't.

Ways of Measuring Crime

Police records are taken from a computer system from all reported crimes

A problem with this is it does not separate the guilty from innocent and it also doesn't represent the "Dark Figure". The dark figure is the crime that is not reported but is committed to the crime rate is definitely higher than what police records state.

Victim Surveys are face to face interviews about criminal experiences it asked 35000 adults and 3000 10-15-year-olds.

a problem with this way of measuring crime is that it is retrospective and not specific to that year…