chapter 2 – the nature and extent of crime. crime patterns and trends want to know how much crime...
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Chapter 2 – The Nature and Extent of Crime
Crime Patterns and Trends Want to know How much crime is there? Is it increasing or decreasing? Who commits crime? Answers are used to formulate
theories and develop policies to control crime
Methods of Measuring CrimeMethods of Measuring Crime
Uniform Crime ReportsUniform Crime Reports
Victim SurveysVictim Surveys
Self-Report SurveysSelf-Report Surveys
Uniform Crime Reports Best known source of aggregate
criminal statistics 98% of the police departments in
the US voluntarily participate in UCR
Yearly FBI publication Started 1930
Uniform Crime Reports 2 types of data collected: 1) Offenses reported to the police Collect information on index
crimes reported to the police Known as Index or Part I crimes
Uniform Crime Reports
Index Crimes Criminal Homicide Forcible Rape Robbery Aggravated
assault Burglary Larceny/theft Motor vehicle theft Arson
ViolentViolent Crime Crime
Non-violentNon-violentCrimeCrime
Uniform Crime Reports 2) Number and characteristics (age,
gender, and race/ethnicity) of those arrested for all other crimes
Known as non-index or Part II crimes
On average, 20% of all reported index crimes are cleared by arrest, lower for many non-index crimes.
69%
50%
28%19%14% 14%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Percent of Crimes Cleared by Arrest
murderraperobberylarcenyburglaryMVT
Uniform Crime Reports Problems with the UCR 1) On average approximately 50%
of all index crimes are reported to the police 26% of thefts 50% of burglaries 45% of rapes 57% of robberies
Uniform Crime Reports 2) On average, 20% of all reported
index crimes are cleared by arrest 3) State law definitions may be
different than UCR definitions 4) Systematic errors in reporting 5) Deliberate alteration
Uniform Crime Reports• 6) Only the most serious crime is an
“episode”
• 7) Weak on “white collar” crime
The Future of the Uniform Crime Reports
National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS)
Maintained by the F.B.I. Twenty-two crime categories More information on each crime in
each category Data compiled based on incidents,
not arrests.
Victimization surveys
National Crime Victimization Survey-NCVS
US Census Started in 1972 60,000 households 120,000 people over 12 years old Interviewed 2 times a year for 3 years
NCVS Ask about theft, burglary, robbery,
assault, rape, and auto theft Used to estimate the national
frequency of index crimes
Data provided by NCVS Victimizations Victims, offenders, crime event Reported loss & injury Whether crimes were reported
NCVS
Source: National Crime Victimization Survey. Criminal Victimization, 1997. Adapted from U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, December 1998), p. 3.
*Includes 357,000 “personal crimes” of purse snatching & pocket picking.
Number of Offenses20,106,000
7,359,000
4,635,000
1,433,000 944,000 311,000
Theft* Assault Burglary Motor vehicle theft
Robbery Rape/ Sexual assault
Total = 35,145,000
Advantages & Limitations of NCVS
ADVANTAGES1) Best victimization data
2) “larger picture of crime”
DISADVANTAGES1) Victim misinterpretation2) Memories fade 3) Lying to interviewer4) Telescoping – problems with recall5) Expensive
Self-Report SurveysSelf-Report Surveys
Participants reveal information about Participants reveal information about their violations of the lawtheir violations of the law
Helps to get at “Dark Figure of Crime”Helps to get at “Dark Figure of Crime” Supplement and expand official dataSupplement and expand official data Can find out about the personality, Can find out about the personality,
attitudes, and behavior of criminalsattitudes, and behavior of criminals Accuracy for chronic offenders and drug Accuracy for chronic offenders and drug
abusers may be limitedabusers may be limited
Participants reveal information about Participants reveal information about their violations of the lawtheir violations of the law
Helps to get at “Dark Figure of Crime”Helps to get at “Dark Figure of Crime” Supplement and expand official dataSupplement and expand official data Can find out about the personality, Can find out about the personality,
attitudes, and behavior of criminalsattitudes, and behavior of criminals Accuracy for chronic offenders and drug Accuracy for chronic offenders and drug
abusers may be limitedabusers may be limited
Self Report Studies
Interviews mainly with juveniles Most youth engaged in delinquency
(crime is universal Higher crime patterns than UCR and
NCVS
Self-Report Surveys Strength of self-reports surveys is
get more detailed information Weaknesses include
Inaccuracy – are they telling the truth?
Focus on trivial acts frequently
Current Crime TrendsCurrent Crime Trends
Current data from the UniformCurrent data from the UniformCrime Reports and the NationalCrime Reports and the NationalCrime Victim Surveys reveal aCrime Victim Surveys reveal asteady decrease in crime. Self-steady decrease in crime. Self-reported data reveals no reported data reveals no discernable change in the rate.discernable change in the rate.
Current Crime Trends Caution in interpreting UCR and
other data Time frame is important Overall rate hides increases and
decreases within crime categories Want disaggregated data
By offense, state/region, etc.
Explaining Crime TrendsExplaining Crime Trends
Age The economy Guns
Gangs Drugs Justice Policy
Some of the importantSome of the importantcritical factors that havecritical factors that havebeen used to explain the been used to explain the
puzzle of crime rate trends.puzzle of crime rate trends.
Correlates of CrimeCorrelates of Crime
• AgeAge• GenderGender
• RaceRace• Social classSocial class
Correlates of Crime – Social Class Higher crime rates in lower class
areas Rely on official statistics Concern over whether function of police
practices or actual behavior patterns Crime is not just street crime
Self-report studies indicate class-crime relationship doesn’t exist Focus on trivial offenses
Correlates of Crime – Social Class Why important? 1) If class-crime relationship then
poverty and neighborhood deterioration related to crime
2) If not then factors experienced by all classes (poor family environment, peer pressure, school failure, free will) related to crime
Correlates of Crime – Age Some argue that age structure of
society is the single most powerful influence on the crime rate
13-17 year olds make up 6% of the population but 30% of index crime arrests
Correlates of Crime – Age Property crime arrests peak at age
16 Violent crime arrests peak at age
18
Correlates of Crime – Age Why does aging out occur? Cognitive changes in late teens
No longer need for immediate gratification
Fear of punishment Adulthood brings powerful ties to
conventional society
Correlates of Crime – Gender Male crime rate higher than female Males commit more serious crimes
Recent view of female criminality Socialization of females (supervised
closely) Changing social and economic role of
women
Correlates of Crime – Gender Crime more a function of economic
inequality instead of female rights End of “chivalry hypothesis”
Correlates of Crime – Race/Ethnicity Minorities involved in
disproportionate % of crimes Blacks 12% of population, 44% of
index violent crime arrests Reflection of police practices or
true criminal participation?
Correlates of Crime –Race/Ethnicity Causes of racial disparity in crime Differential treatment by police Subculture of violence Racism and discrimination affect
personality and behavior Poverty/Urban problems Etc.
Knowledge drawn from UCR, NCVS, and Self Report Studies
Crime Trends
Characteristics of Crimes
Characteristics of offenders & victims
Correlates of Crime
After following a birth cohort of 9,945 boysAfter following a birth cohort of 9,945 boysborn in Philadelphia in 1945, Wolfgang and born in Philadelphia in 1945, Wolfgang and his associates found that 6% of the total samplehis associates found that 6% of the total samplewere responsible for 51.9% of all offenses.were responsible for 51.9% of all offenses.
The “Chronic 6%”The “Chronic 6%”
The “Chronic 6%” Wolfgang findings 1) Small number of offenders
commit a disproportionate amount of crime
2) Chronic offenders continue into adulthood
3) More violent as generations progress
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