OFFICIAL STATISTICS - what the government collect (main way to measure crime)
Victim surveys - a big questionnaire
Self-report studies - what you have done (it is anonymous)
Only see the tip of the iceberg of crime
The only crime we know of and record is from official statistics
The dark figure of crime is any crime that doesn't appear in official statistics as it is either unreported or unrecorded.
Official statistics have a low validity, are very reliable and are representative.
Victim surveys are more valid than statistics, they are reliable because they are a survey, they are not representative at all.
Self-report studies are don't have any validity, they are not reliable and they are not representative.
What does Marxism say about official statistics?
Argue that they fail to show the amount of corporate crimes, believe that they focus more on the working class.
What does functionalism say about official statistics?
See them as an accurate reflection on acts of crime, don't think that crime statistics are socially constructed.
What does feminism say about official statistics?
Doesn't represent the 'dark figure of unreported and unrecorded crime where women are victims, crimes such as rape and domestic violence are underrepresented in crime statistics, women are less likely to appear in official statistics.
What does interactionism say about official statistics?
Criticise it because of labelling, the police operate on stereotypes and they mainly target the working class. It generates a picture of crime. Think it is socially constructed.
