What are some limitations of police-reported crime?
police data only provide information on those criminal offenses that have come to the attention of police
Jurisdictions have the same rules for recording crime
not all crimes reported to police are actually recorded by police
data is limited to the particulars of information collected by police and the level and accuracy of detail recorded in respective systems
different recorded crime rates may be a reflection of policing practices and community attitudes
not all crimes committed are reported to the police
changes in recorded crime rates may be a reflection of changes in policing practices and community attitudes
concerns about reliving the event by retelling the storing
What is 'the dark figure of crime' ?
Information of criminal offences that have come to the attention of police
Crime that is not detected or reported
National Crime statistics (measurements of crime) are generally taken from two major sources. Which of the following consist of these?
The Uniform Crime Report- information formally recording crime from a whole population e.g. the International Crime Survey
Administrative data - including records maintained by the police, courts, corrective services and hospitals
National Database- ongoing statistics recorded and accumulated daily on database
Crime victimisation surveys - these survey the general population and seek to obtain information including which crimes are reported to police and those that are not and why
What is crime measured in?
number
sample
ratio
correlational statistics
rate
What is a "victimless" crime?
Rarely reported crime: drug offenses, copyright, white collar crime
When the victim is not at fault: sexual abuse (rape), domestic violence
Why do victims of crimes choose not to report?
the belief that the incident was too trivial or unimportant
fear they may be at fault
that the offence was a personal matter or would take care of it themselves
cultural barriers
worry for their own safety
concerns about reliving the event by retelling the story
fear of police and their reactions
expectations around police reaction
lack of understanding the criminal justice system
Current State of Crime
Fallen since 1900's. 18th year of falling rates. All crimes have gone down.
Fallen since the 1980's. 17th year of falling crime rates. Crime have gone up.
What are some advantages of crime statistics?
Help understand macro crime patterns
Give an indication of where laws should be implemented
For comparison of previous years to discover trends in crime
Basis for where criminologists to explain crime
Help understand micro crime patterns
Show where police should concentrate resources to reduce crime
Give statistics that are accessible to all departments and current affairs
What are the disadvantages of official crime statistics?
1. Not all crime is reported or recorded 2. Police interpretations/bias/activity 3. Laws vary from state to state 4. Changing definitions of crime and the role of government/policy
1. Not all crime is reported or recorded 2. Police position/relationship/bias/activity 3. Laws vary from state to state 4. Changing definitions of crime and the role of government/policy
1. Not all crime is reported or recorded 2. Fear of police reinforcements 3. Laws vary from state to state 4. Changing definitions of crime and the role of government/policy
1. Not all crime is reported or recorded 2. Police interpretations/bias/activity 3. Laws vary from state to state 4. Consequences of government/policy
1. Not all crime is reported or recorded 2. Police interpretations/bias/activity 3. Laws vary from state to state 4. Media attention and reporting
What is a victimisation survey?
A national survey where offenses are recorded and documentation over a period of time.
A sample of the population, either locally or nationally, is asked which offenses have been committed against them over a period of time.
Where victims of crime record their account of offenses over a period of time.
Statistic from a population, either locally or nationally, where offenses are recorded by people who have have been subject to them over a period of time.
What are some advantages of victimisation surveys?
Uncover selected offenses
Overcomes the "dark figure" of crime
Overcomes the "hidden figure" of crime
Allows to measure the extent of crime in community and reasons for not reporting
Gives a picture of the extent and patterns of victimisation
Trends over time
Dependent upon people who are aware of being victims in crime
What are some disadvantages of victimisation surveys?
Recollections are biased or faulty
Does not reveal victim-perpetrator relationships
Fail to capture youth and homeless people
Accounts are incorrect
Not enough people are willing to report and therefore small sample size
Unwillingness to report
Categorise and overlook a range of crimes
Unreliable source
Which of the following issues impact on our ability to compare crime statistics across states and territories in Australia?
Offence definitions
Counting rules
Police recording practices
All of the above
