Measuring CrimeG673: “Power & Control” 2014/15

Week Two

Describe three key ways in which crime is measured:

Official stats Victims surveys Self-report studies

Identify the key strengths and weaknesses of each method

Describe how the five key sociological perspectives regard ‘official’ statistics

Learning Objectives: Week 2

Have you had any crime committed against you in the past 5 years? Did you report it? Why/why not?

Discuss

In pairs, mind-map a minimum of five ways in which you think sociologists might be able to find out about the levels of crime – and types of crimes committed – in their local area.

Ext: - Can you think of any potential issues with the methods selected?

5 mins: Then Feedback

Activity: Pairs

Official Statistics

Victimisation Surveys (local, national or international)

Self-report Studies

The Three Main Types

Official StatisticsPolice stats; conviction stats.

2 types: Statistics recorded by police Statistics about people who have been

convicted.

Both types are highly criticised, and people increasingly turn to other methods of recording

crime.

Discuss: What are potential problems with using statistics of people who have been convicted to measure crime?

Official Statistics

Cheap, easily available Published annually (and quick/easy to

download) Cover most of the population Easy to compare, contrast etc. High in reliability No ethical problems or safety problems in

using them to research crime...

Advantages of Official Statistics

Official statistics only measure crime.

They do not and cannot measure deviance.

Note:

Home Office Stats (1998): What’s Wrong?OFFENCE NUMBER (rounded up)

Theft/handling goods 2,165,000

Burglary 1,015,000

Criminal Damage 877,000

Violence (inc. robbery) 314,000

Fraud & Forgery 134,000

Sexual Offences 33,000

Other 60,000

Discuss: Small Groups – 5 mins What types of crime are most and least

likely to be reported to the police? Why is car crime more likely to be

reported than sexual offences? Why might fraud & forgery be under-

represented in the official statistics? What types of crime might come under

‘other’?

When the crime rate increases, is it because there is more crime, or is more crime being reported?

Finding valid patterns in crime data is almost impossible because the law, law-enforcement and categories of crime keep changing.

Overall crime is shown to be continually falling – does this mean we’re more safe?

Analysing Trends in Crime Data: Issues

Based on records kept of police responses to crime.

Can show us the crimes responded to and the crimes solved.

The police detect very few crimes. Over 80% of police action relies on public

reporting crimes after the crime has occurred.

What potential problems can you identify with this?

Police Statistics

1. A person does not know they have been a victim of a crime

2. There is no clear victim3. The offence may be considered trivial4. The victim is powerless5. The victim distrusts the police6. The victim doesn’t think the police will

take them seriously

Muncie (1996): Why crimes don’t get reported

For each of Muncie’s points, identify at least three situations that might lead to a crime not being reported.

For example, for #2, someone might not report a case of graffiti if they don’t think there is any real ‘victim’.

Ext: - Try to think of another reason – with examples – of why a crime might

not be reported

Pair work: 5 mins – then feedback

Different police forces – or officers - record different amounts of crime

Different police forces – or officers – might categorise crimes differently (e.g. was it ‘theft’ or ‘burglary’?)

“Coughing” – the police encourage people to own up to crimes they have not committed, in exchange for leniency (‘plea bargaining’)

“Cuffing” – the police do not record crimes they don’t think they can solve.

Further Problems

Police statistics can be considered to be a way in which crime is socially constructed by the police...

...In other words, our understanding of what crime is and the extent to which we should be concerned about it is largely based on what the police force tell us...

...If their statistics are not 100% accurate, then neither is most people’s understanding of crime.

Social Construction

In small groups, draw a picture of an iceberg.

At the top (above sea level), label crimes that can be seen (reported)

Underneath (below sea level), label the crimes that are hidden (not reported)

5 mins: Then Feedback

The Criminal Iceberg

The majority of crimes are probably hidden – not known about by the police, and therefore by the rest of society.

Sociologists sometimes refer to this as the dark figure of crime.

The Criminal Iceberg

Victimisation SurveysLocal, national and international

These quantitative studies aim to uncover the dark figure of crime.

They ask people to reveal crimes they have been a victim of – regardless of whether or not they reported the crime.

They can be national, local or international.

Victimisation Surveys

The Crime Survey for England & Wales is a national example and is now considered part of the ‘official statistics’ as it is done on behalf of the Home Office.

It consists of structured interviews, asked to respondents in their own homes (approx. 50,000 interviews per year).

The Crime Survey for England & Wales (Formerly BCS)

Read through the description of the BCS and answer the questions provided.

Feedback to the class.

Activity (Pairs)

The results of the survey are published by the Home Office and considered an ‘official’ form of data.

From 2009, 4000 interviews with children 10-15 are also conducted, but the results of these are considered experimental.

The Crime Survey for England & Wales (Formerly BCS)

It has been accused of capping the amount of crimes a person can be a victim of in one year to five.

It has also been accused of ignoring people who don’t live in a ‘household’ (e.g. Those in hostels, nursing homes, halls of residence...)

It omits murder, crimes against business, so-called ‘victimless’ crimes, most sexual offences etc.

Criticisms of the CSEW

These offer much more detail about crime in particular places and specific local problems.

The most famous of these were the Islington Crime Surveys (in 1986 and 1995).

These showed that the BCS underreported crimes against ethnic minorities and domestic violence.

Local Victim Surveys

Note: There is a link to

the details of the

Islington Survey on the

website

Coleman & Moynihan (1996) The sample may not be representative. Reliant on people remembering accurately. Reliant on people telling the truth. Assumes that everyone in society is equally likely

to report being a victim. Assumes that everyone in society views the same

act in the same way – and defines crime the same way.

Based on your knowledge of research methods, how valid and reliable are these surveys?

Problems with Victimisation Surveys

Locate the Crime Survey for England & Wales (link is on the NC Sociology website) and find the most recent statistics you can.

Homework

Self Report Studies

Another quantitative method designed to uncover the dark figure of crime.

Uses similar methods to victimisation surveys, but requests respondents to report on their own criminal activities.

Not considered ‘official’ statistics – usually small scale*.

Self-Report Studies

*Between 2003-2006, a national

self-report study was attempted:

The Offender, Crime & Justice

Survey (OCJS).

Considered one of the best examples of a local, British self-report study.

Individually: Read through the details of the study on the worksheet.

Pairs: Answer the questions provided.

(5 – 10 mins)

Activity: The Farrington Study

Make it possible to find out more about the age, gender, class and location of ‘hidden offenders’.

Most findings suggest that official crime rates over-exaggerate the working-class, male crime-rate.

Can find out more about ‘victimless crime’ (e.g. drug abuse).

Advantages of Self-Report Studies

Similar issues to those of victimisation surveys – again reliant on memory and honesty.

Usually focus on trivial misdemeanours rather than serious acts.

Many self-report studies focus on limited range of groups (e.g. students, adolescents).

Problems with self-reporting

Design your own self-report study... Who would your study target?

Ext: - Explain how you will ensure that your survey is as valid

and reliable as possible...

Activity – Pairs (10 mins)

Select one of the methods of measuring crime and design a poster which describes the method and outlines its advantages and disadvantages.

Present to the class.

Activity (Small Groups)

Theoretical ViewsSociological perspectives on statistics...

Functionalism Marxism Feminism Interactionism

Recap on these perspectives: How do you think each one might view official statistics?

Theoretical Views on Official Statistics

Uncritical of statistical data.

Assumes that statistical data is valid and reliable and uses the data as the basis for all studies.

Functionalism

Assumes that everyone reacts unconsciously to the structure of society (we are society’s puppets!) – therefore, statistics are useful ways of identifying patterns and trends in criminal/deviant behaviour.

Functionalism and Right Realism are the only perspectives that basically take the statistics at face value.

Functionalism

Do not trust official statistics! They are ideological weapons of the bourgeoisie!

Official statistics criminalise the working-class by concealing white-collar crime.

Defining crime and deviance is subjective: These processes are controlled by the ruling classes.

Marxism

Very critical of official statistics.

We are all individuals and we all act and react in different ways – therefore it is impossible to predict large-scale patterns of behaviour.

Only qualitative data can give us any insight into what people are thinking and feeling and enable us to gain verstehen.

Interactionism

Very critical of official statistics.

Crime and deviance are defined and dealt with by men and statistics are used to conceal male criminality (e.g. Female victims are usually ‘hidden’).

The CJS uses gender stereotypes: Women who conform to these stereotypes are protected.

Feminism

Police statistics show that the murder rate in the UK is slightly increasing, whilst the amount of

rapes and sexual assaults are in continual decline. The rate of burglary remains stable. 90%

of burglaries are being committed by black, working-class young men. Government analysts predict that all of the above crimes will decrease

over the next few years.

500 words: Using what you have learned, evaluate the above statistical findings.

Written Exercise (20 mins)

RELIANT ON ACCURATE MEMORY COVERS THE WHOLE POPULATION

REVEALS THE DARK FIGURE QUANTITATIVE

RELIES ON PUBLIC REPORTING PEOPLE MIGHT NOT KNOW THEYHAVE BEEN VICTIMS

CARRIED OUT ON LIMITED GROUPSCATEGORIES OF CRIME CAN BE

RELIES ON TRUST OF THE POLICE DEFINED DIFFERENTLY

CUFFING AND COUGHING FOCUS ON TRIVIAL INCIDENTS

RELIES ON HONESTY TRIVIAL OFFENCES NOT REPORTED

POWERLESS VICTIMS CAN’T REPORT NOT VERY VALID

SHOWS WORKING-CLASS CRIME RATE IS EXAGGERATED

Match the following evaluative points to the type of measure (police, victim surveys, self-reports):

You need to be able to describe and thoroughly evaluate official statistics, victimisation surveys and self-report studies.

You also need to be able to explain that the production of these kinds of statistics are a way in which crime can be said to be a social construction.

Exam Tip

1. What do you think is the most common type of crime in the UK?

2. How much crime do you think is violent?

3. Which group in the UK are most likely to be victims of violence?

4. Which group in the UK is most worried about crime?

5. Which group in the UK are most likely to be offenders?

Some of the Findings...

1. Over 60% of crime is some kind of property crime (mainly burglary and vehicle theft)...

2. Around 20% of crime includes violence (although only 5% of these include serious harm done to a person)...

3. Young males are most likely to be victims of violent crime (although in nearly 90% of cases, victim and perpetrator know each other)...

4. Young females are most worried about crime...5. Young males (peak age 18) are most likely to

commit criminal offences.

Some of the Findings