The Nature and Extent of Crime

1. The Nature and Extent of Crime

2. Crime Data • Surveys and official records are the primary source of crime date • Different techniques are used by criminologist to measure the nature and extent of criminal behavior in addition to personality, attitudes, and background of offenders

3. Primary Sources of Crime Data • Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) • National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) • Survey research • National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) • Self-report surveys

4. Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) • A large database compiled by the FBI of crimes reported and arrests made each year throughout the U.S. • Accuracy is somewhat suspect as research indicates less than half of all crime victims report incidents to police • FBI publishes reported offenses by city, county, metropolitan area, and geographical divisions of the U.S. for the most serious crimes (Part I crimes) see page 25 • The UCR also includes data characteristics of the arrested indivduals (age, race, gender)

5. Compiling the UCR • Complex methods • Agencies report number of Part I (Index) crimes • Reported by victims • Officer discovery • Other sources • If further investigation finds false claims, data is eliminated from count • Still reported to the FBI if no one is arrested • Cleared crimes reported • Arrest, charge, or turned over to courts for prosecution • Exceptional means (beyond police control – leaves country)

6. UCR Validity • Less than half of crime victims report crimes • What are some reasons a victim might not report a crime? • Private matter • Not important • Their own fault • Don’t trust the police • Retaliation • Insurance • Agency error • Define crime loosely • Assault, but reported attempted rape • Methodology • If there are multiple crimes in one incident the most serious is the one recorded

7. National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) • A program that began in 1982 that requires local police agencies to provide a brief account of each incident and arrest, including incident, victim, and offender information • Has expanded crime categories • Includes federal crimes • Includes hate crimes • Once it is adopted across the nation it should improve the accuracy of official crime data

8. Survey Research • A survey that asks people about their attitudes, beliefs, values, characteristics, and experiences with crime and victimization • Includes sampling the population

9. National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) • The UCR cannot measure ALL crimes since many victims don’t report the crimes – as a result the fed. gov. sponsored NCVS • The federal government sponsors this comprehensive, nationwide survey of victims about their experiences with law violation • Victims seem to report only crimes that have considerable loss or injury • NCVS may also have methodology problems • Overreporting – lost wallet reported stolen • Underreporting – fear of embarrassment or trouble – or forgetting • Inability to record – inability to record personal criminal activity • Sampling errors – not a good representation • Inadequate question format – produce responses

10. Self-Report Surveys • A research approach that asks subjects to describe, in detail, their recent and lifetime participation in criminal activity • Most focus on juvenile delinquency and youth crimes • Critics say that people are not likely to openly admit illegal acts • Some people might exaggerate their activities

11. Evaluating Crime Data • Each source of crime data has strengths and weaknesses • All sources record similar trends regarding personal characteristics of serious offenders, and when and where the crime occurs • Sources are reliable indicators of changes and fluctuations in yearly crime rates

12. Trends in Violent Crime • Violent crimes include murder, rape, assault, and robbery • Between 1995 and 2005, violence in the U.S. decreased more than 20% • Between 2004 and 2005, murder, assault, and robbery increased, though are still much lower than in the past

13. Crime Rate Trends – Violent Crimes

14. Trends in Property Crime • Property crimes include larceny, motor vehicle theft, and arson • Between 1995 and 2005, the total number of property crimes declined about 15%, and the property crime rate declined almost 25%

16. Trends in Victimization Data • Reported victimizations have declined significantly during the past 30 years • Between 1993 and 2004, both the violent crime victimization rate and the property crime victimization rate decreased approximately 50%

19. Explaining Crime Trends Crime experts have identified a number of social, economic, personal, and demographic factors that influence crime rate trends: • age • economy/job • social malaise • abortion • guns • gangs • drug use • media • justice policy

20. Crime Patterns • Most reported crimes occur during July and August • Large urban areas have the highest violence rates • Western and Southern states have higher crime rates than the Midwest and Northeast • Age is inversely related to criminality (one increases the other decreases) • Male crime rates are much higher than those of females

21. Regional Crime Rates

22. Chronic Offenders • Data shows that most offenders commit a single criminal act, and on arrest, discontinue their criminal involvement • A small group of offenders, called chronic offenders or career criminals, are responsible for a majority of all criminal offenses • Punishment is inversely related to chronic offending

23. In Class Activities • Would you answer honestly if you were involved in a national crime survey about your own behavior? Why or why not? Based on the class responses what do you think about the survey accuracy? • Explain gender differences in crime rates? • What social and environmental factors influence crime rates in your opinion? • Do you think a national emergency would increase or decrease crime rates? • Campus crime rates map. • Create a crime survey and go interview a sample population