measuring crime

• trends of crime

  • 1930-50: gradual rise in crime - end of war returning soldiers feel frustrated and a rise in standard of living leads to relative deprivation
  • 1950-80: steeper rise in crime - time of economic growth and social anomie with changes in role of women and wider society
  • 1980-90: rapid increase - time of economic recession which leads to higher relative deprivation and unemployment
  • 1990-2016: gradual annual decline - due to changes in the reporting, new types of crime which are not included
• Sources of crime statistics

  • police recorded crime
  • victim surveys
  • court records
  • prison records
  • self report survey
• Sources of crime statistics

  Police recorded crime

  • statistics compiled based on the reports filed by the police
  • these are crimes which are investigated by the police
  • may not end in conviction or court case
• Sources of crime statistics

  police recorder crime AO3

  • not all crimes that are reported to the police are recorded by the police
• Sources of crime statistics

  victim surveys

  • part of the British crime survey
  • 50,000 people are asked if they were a victim of crime in the past 12 months
• Sources of crime statistics

  victim surveys AO3

  • people don't always know they are victims of crime
  • may record crimes as something different to the police
  • relies on memory
• Sources of crime statistics

  court records

  • complied using the court records of which cases are taken to prosecution
  • include information about the defendants, victims and type of crime as well as the results of the case
• Sources of crime statistics

  court records AO3

  • only records crimes that are taken to court
  • crimes can be reported and not taken to court for various reasons such as lack of evidence or a pre-trial deal
• Sources of crime statistics

  Prison records

  • looks at the composition of the prison system
  • ethnic makeup, gender, age and class
  • length of sentence and recidivism rates
• Sources of crime statistics

  prison records AO3

  • not all crimes are punished with custodial sentences
  • middle class criminals are more likely to get a fine or suspended sentence - court records biased towards working class
• Sources of crime statistics

  Self-report survey

  • ask people if they have committed a crime in the last 12 months
  • conducted alongside victim surveys annually
  • 50,000 people asked
• Sources of crime statistics

  Self-report survey AO3

  • people may not know if they have committed a crime as some crimes are not seen as real crime - speeding
  • relies on memory and truthfulness
• CRIME ICEBERG

  A) embarrassment

  B) fear

  C) victim

  D) themselves

  E) distrust

  F) official

  G) priorities/targeting

  H) status

  I) relations

  
• Perspectives views of crime statistics

  Functionalism/New right/ Right realism

  • functionalist accept official statistics at face value as they see them as reliable and valid sources of data
• Perspectives views of crime statistics

  Interactionism / labelling theory

  • see statistics as a social construction and only useful for identifying stereotypes and assumptions
• Perspectives views of crime statistics

  Marxism / Neo-marxism

  • statistics shows a biased view of crime - constructed by the ruling class
  • ignore white collar and corporate crime - shows criminals as working class
• Perspectives views of crime statistics

  Feminism

  • statistics under-represent the extent of female crime and crimes against women such as domestic violence and rape
• Perspectives views of crime statistics

  Left realism

  • statistics are broadly correct but they under-represent white-collar and corporate crime
  • exaggerate working class crime