Theme C: Crime rates Flashcards
(23 cards)
What should be considered when assessing crime trends in society?
Factors affecting crime rates, including crime recording issues and reasons for reoffending.
What are key crime types in society?
Key crime types include violence, homicide (murder and manslaughter), firearms offences, robbery, theft (including mugging), cybercrimes (including identity theft and fraud), fraud, sexual offences, public order offences, and criminal damage.
What factors affect crime rates in society?
Factors include rises in unemployment, poverty, social and family breakdown, abuse, misuse of drugs and alcohol, new kinds of crimes (like cyber crimes), changing morals and freedoms, age of the population, police policies for reporting and recording crime, and rate of reoffending.
What factors affect crime statistics?
Many factors affect crime statistics, including the level of accuracy in police recording and the number of people reporting crimes.
How does the Home Office influence crime reporting?
The Home Office sets rules on what counts as crime, which the police follow to improve accuracy.
What is the effect of more people reporting crimes?
More people reporting crimes results in an increase in crime rates, rather than more crimes actually taking place.
What happens when fewer people report crimes?
Fewer people reporting crimes means more crimes may take place than are reported.
What is a conflict regarding crime rates?
There can be a conflict between the perception and reality of crime rates.
How can media influence crime perception?
The perception of an increase in crime rates can be influenced by media.
What do statistics show about overall crime rates?
Statistics show overall crime rates falling for two decades.
What are some reasons for not reporting crimes?
Reasons for not reporting crimes include not detecting the crime, embarrassment, fear of revenge, and lack of trust in the police.
What is one reason people may not report online financial fraud?
One reason is not detecting the crime.
Why might a victim feel embarrassed about reporting a crime?
They may be embarrassed about being a crime victim and not wanting others to know.
What fear might prevent someone from reporting a crime?
They may be afraid the criminal will take revenge or carry out the offence on the victim again.
Why might someone not want to report a crime to avoid getting the offender in trouble?
They may not want to get the offender into trouble.
What lack of trust might affect crime reporting?
A lack of trust and confidence in the police or the justice system to deal with the offender.
What fear might prevent a victim from coming forward?
Fear they will be treated as a suspect rather than a victim.
What additional stress might deter someone from reporting a crime?
Not wanting the additional stress and inconvenience of getting involved in an investigation.
How do reoffending rates affect crime statistics?
Crime rates are affected by the number of people who reoffend.
What is one reason people may reoffend related to housing?
They may have no home and no job; prison provides shelter, food, and healthcare.
What does it mean to be ‘institutionalised’ by prison?
They may have become ‘institutionalised’ by prison, unable to survive outside the system.
What might drive someone to commit crimes to fund?
They may need to fund a drug addiction.
What can offenders learn in prison that might lead to reoffending?
They may learn ‘tricks of the trade’ from offenders in prison and carry out more crime.
