Measuring Crime

Question 1

What were crime trends between 1930–1950?

Answer 1

Gradual rise in crime – post-war frustration, returning soldiers, rise in standard of living → relative deprivation.

Question 2

What were crime trends between 1950–1980?

Answer 2

Steeper rise in crime – economic growth, social anomie, changes in gender roles and society.

Question 3

What were crime trends between 1980–mid 1990s?

Answer 3

Rapid increase – economic recession, unemployment, higher relative deprivation.

Question 4

What were crime trends between mid 1990s–2016?

Answer 4

Gradual annual decline – may reflect reporting changes and new crimes (e.g. cybercrime) not included.

Question 5

What are Official Statistics?

Answer 5

Collected by government agencies, usually published by ONS. Based on police, court, and prison records.

Question 6

What is the British Crime Survey?

Answer 6

Victim and self-report survey of around 50,000 people aged 16+, conducted annually.

Question 7

What is the Official Crime rate method of measuring crime?

Answer 7

The Official Crime Rate is the statistics that are complied using police, court and prison records.

Question 8

What are the 5 sources of crime statistics?

Answer 8

• Police Recorded Crime
• Victim Surveys
• Court Records
• Prison records
• Self Report Survey

Question 9

What are Police Recorded Crime statistics?

Answer 9

Statistics compiled from reports filed and investigated by the police (may not end in conviction).

Question 10

What are the strengths/limitations of Police Recorded Crime?

Answer 10

Not all crimes reported are recorded by the police.

Question 11

What are Victim Surveys?

Answer 11

Surveys asking 50,000 people if they were victims of crime in the past 12 months.

Question 12

What are the strengths/limitations of Victim Surveys?

Answer 12

Victims may not realise a crime occurred, may record differently to police, relies on memory.

Question 13

What are Court Records?

Answer 13

Based on prosecutions; include info on defendants, victims, types of crime, and verdicts.

Question 14

What are the strengths/limitations of Court Records?

Answer 14

Only record crimes taken to court; some cases don’t reach trial (e.g. lack of evidence, pre-trial deals).

Question 15

What are Prison Records?

Answer 15

Data on prison population: ethnicity, gender, age, class, sentence length, recidivism.

Question 16

What are the strengths/limitations of Prison Records?

Answer 16

Not all crimes get custodial sentences; middle class more likely to get fines/suspended sentences → WC bias.

Question 17

What are Self-Report Surveys?

Answer 17

Ask 50,000+ people over 16 annually if they have committed a crime in past 12 months.

Done alongside victim surveys annually

Question 18

What are the strengths/limitations of Self-Report Surveys?

Answer 18

People may not view acts (e.g. speeding) as crime, relies on memory and truthfulness.

Question 19

What are the reasons for unreported crime?

Answer 19

Embarrassment, fear, don’t realise victimisation, deal with it privately, distrust police.

Question 20

What are the reasons for unrecorded crime?

Answer 20

Police priorities/targeting, victim status, work relations, not all crimes entered into figures.

Question 21

How do Functionalists/New Right/Right Realists view crime stats?

Answer 21

See them as reliable and valid sources of data.

Question 22

How do Interactionists/Labelling Theorists view crime stats?

Answer 22

Socially constructed; reflect stereotypes and assumptions.

Question 23

How do Marxists/Neo-Marxists view crime stats?

Answer 23

Biased; created by ruling class, ignore corporate/white-collar crime → WC appear more criminal.

Question 24

How do Feminists view crime stats?

Answer 24

Under-represent female crime and crimes against women (e.g. DV, rape).

Question 25

How do Left Realists view crime stats?

Answer 25

Broadly accurate but understate white-collar crime and exaggerate WC/ethnic minority crime.