How Is Crime Measured In The uk?

Question 1

How do we get our information?

Answer 1

Police recorded stats, newspapers, radio, social media, tv, witnesses, victims

Question 2

Three different methods to build picture of crime patterns:

Answer 2

Police recorded statistics
Victim surveys
Self- report studies

Question 3

What are police recorded statistics?

Answer 3

Data from records kept by the police and other official agencies

• published every 6 months by home office
• give accurate view of how the CJS processes offenders through arrests and trials

Question 4

What does cjs stand for?

Answer 4

Criminal justice system

Question 5

How can police recorded statistics be considered a social construct?

Answer 5

Lower classes may not report as much as middle classes - not all crime are reported
- what is considered a crime differs in societies - there are no objective facts because they are made by us

Question 6

Why might crimes not be reported to the police? (10 ways)

Answer 6

• Too trivial
• fear retaliation
• too embarrassing
• fear of disbelief
• don’t know you have been a victim
• not in a position to report a crime
• fear for the perpetrator
• fear implication - being associated with a crime
• police won’t solve
• no evidence

Question 7

Moore, Aiken and Chapmen

Answer 7

See police as filters, only recording some crimes reported to them

Question 8

Who see the police as filters?

Answer 8

Moore, Aiken and Chapman

Question 9

Why might the police only record some crimes reported to them? (3 ways) Moore, Aiken and Chapmen

Answer 9

1. Seriousness: offence too trivial
2. Social status of victim: mc get a more favoured response than Wc and homeless
3. Discretion: less likely to be arrested if you are smart, respectful and co-operative

Question 10

Police priorities (what is a priority)

Answer 10

Focused on tackling a particular type of crime

- 7% increase in number of police recorded offences involving knives or sharp instruments

Question 11

What does a rise or fall in police recorded crime not mean?

Answer 11

Actual level of crime in society has changed

• dates can be affected by changes in recording practises
• policing activities and victims willingness to report crimes
• some crimes over represented

Question 12

What percentage of crimes reported don’t appear on official statistics?

Answer 12

40%

Question 13

Why is it impossible to be precise about the proportion of crime?

Answer 13

Not all crimes are reported or recorded

- large proportion of crime that the police do not know about

Question 14

Trends in crime 1950-1980

Answer 14

1950-1980 - time of economic growth and social anomie with changes in the role of women and wider society

Question 15

1980-1990

Answer 15

Rapid increase economic recession led to higher relative deprivation and unemployment

Question 16

1990-2016

Answer 16

Gradual annual decline: changes in reporting, new types of crime not included i.e. cyber bullying

Question 17

Relative deprivation

Answer 17

Lack of recourses to sustain lifestyles, activities and amenities than an individual or group are accustomed to