Crime Patterns MACRO LEVEL Scope of the Crime Problem UCR data 11 250 000 index crimes 2007 3 370 100 000 murder rate of 6 100 000 is 5x the average rate for other 15 industrialized nations Scope of the Crime problem NCVS 22 9 million victimizations violent crime rate nearly 5x that of the UCR property rate more than 4x that of the UCR Crime Clock UCR violent crime every 22 seconds murder every 30 minutes violent rape every 6 minutes robbery every minute burglary every 15 seconds non violent theft every 5 seconds More Accurate Crime Clock evening and nighttime hours have more crime weekends also have higher rates Summer months and December times as great as they are today Crime rose markedly in 60s and 70s Crime fell dramatically beginning in 1991 Development of police force Technological improvements Crime Types Much more property crime than violent White collar crime is overlooked Regional Disparities Southern states 37 of population 41 of rapes 45 of assaults UCR property crime UCR Northeastern states 18 of population 15 of violent 12 of Historical Trends Comparisons to 13th century England reveal rates that were 10 to 20 NCVS indicates that the west has the most crime Urban Phenomenon Metropolitan areas have significantly higher crime rates than rural Gangs different ethnic groups together more poverty Most violent crime with the exception of rape occur in public places areas NCVS Sex Gender Crime is a male driven phenomenon Arrests of women have increased from 1973 2007 Psychology element older think more about consequences Age Crime Curve Peaks 16 24 Drinking increases Race and Crime African Americans comprise 15 of the population 39 of arrests for violent crime and approx 50 of homicides Criminology is beginning to look beyond black white differences and look at Hispanics Social Class and Crime Self report data undermine confidence in arrest reports Early link well established using official records Self report data challenges some of this evidence Enduring connection between poverty and crime Victimization Poor more likely than affluent to be victims Urban centers have higher rates African Americans Hispanic White greatest to least in personal victimization Males more victimized than females Teens have highest rates Patterns Questions Why is the US so violent Why are there regional differences What accounts for the rural city differences Why are there gender differences What of the age differential Can any theory account for all of these differences 11 12 2012 21 25 00 11 12 2012 21 25 00 11 12 2012 21 25 00
View Full Document
Unlocking...