perspective on crime statistics

• Functionalists

  • official statistics are an accurate reflection on act of crime
  • Play down accusation that crime statistics are socially constructed
• Marxism

  • concentration on working-class offences
  • fail to reflect the considerable amount of White collar and corporate crime
  • reflecting the class-based capitalist society
• Interactionism

  • crime statistics are a social construct, the statistics come from decisions made by people.
  • Ignores labelling process where some people are more prone to be viewed as deviant or criminals
  • Police operate to stereotypes and target deprived urban areas and working-class offenders
  • Image reinforced of a typical criminal as working-class, male, disproportionately black and under 25
• Feminism

  • underrepresenting the huge "Dark figure" of unreported crimes where women are victims
  • crimes e.g rape and domestic violence are underrepresented in crime statistics
  • Women are under estimated in official statistics
  • they are more likely to be cautioned than charged
  • The agents of control are influenced by chivalry factor which results in women being less likely to appear in official statistics
• Chivalry factor

  • a male dominated society/police force and criminal justice system will treat women offenders more leninetly because of their gender