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The totality of all crime that takes place 1 Official statistics 2 Victimization surveys 3 Self reports The dark figure of crime We don t have a notion as to exactly how much crime takes place there s always an unknown figure in the background Strengths and limitations of both the UCR and NCVS e g hierarchy rule sampling crimes included series victimization etc Uniform Crime Reports strengths weaknesses Strengths able to be compared over time and across a nation it s reliable data FBI compiled it consistent definition of crime minimizes redundancy because it is a collaborative effort between FBI and local county and state law enforcement agencies Weaknesses Can be politically manipulated hierarchy rule some definitions of crime are not uniform in all locations especially rape ecological fallacy measure of police activity rather than all crime doesn t report white collar crime it only measures street crimes crime rates can be misleading only measures crime of pop tourists don t count Las Vegas has a lot of tourists but a small pop so crime rates look higher the manner in which crimes are counted can vary i e two people rob 5 people at a bank but is classified as one whole robbery not 5 individual ones consistent definition of crime is a strength yet some definitions of crime is not uniform is a weakness whats this mean I think this is directed at the index crimes If someone is raped and then killed its fine not looked at as a rape but just a homicide SO it isn t defined as a rape i think its related to the hierarchy rule Well rape can also be defined differently in different states so its also not uniform lol National Crime Victimization Survey strengths weaknesses Strengths Eliminates reporting bias reduces memory decay and telescoping produces figures that doubles the UCR total crime reports due to underreporting uses bounding method can be used geographically and temporally collects a lot of information about relatively few crimes Weaknesses firms and businesses victimless crimes and homicides not reported and series victimizations produce undercounting About 60 of crime is not reported Self report surveys Strengths Tells us a lot about juvenile crimes data can t be manipulated so it can be a good measure of police performance and effectiveness Christmas to Christmas to get a sense of time eliminates the middleman Weaknesses primarily juveniles People might forget about crimes people may place crimes at the wrong time people may not share all the crimes that they committed expensive reporter can influence responses Qualitative data that deals with description or a story can not be measured Quantitative data that deals with statistics or numbers what criminology tries to get at to make arguments 1 The 3 part definition of criminology The definition of criminology 1 2 3 p 2 Chapter 1 discusses criminology as the scientific study of the causes of crime Criminologist One who studies crime criminals and criminal behavior It focuses on The making of laws the breaking of laws and the reaction to the breaking of laws criminology as a scientific endeavor to explain crime the breaking of laws while acknowledging the importance of making law and reacting to law violation p 8 2 Definition The systematic study of the processes of making laws breaking of law reaction to the breaking of law I think it is just the part 2 not the a b and c i agree me too Crime patterns Age gender geographic neighborhoods race class 1 Crimes are more likely to occur in the evenings and at night may be due to decreased visibility ubeing vulnerable sleeping or meeting more strangers going out to drink etc on the weekends will meet more strangers you re not in a routine you might not be home more likely to be crime in the summer and during holiday seasons 2 Southern and western states have more crime culture stick up for yourself honor violence weather causes more people to be out and about economic issues More crime in urban areas higher population more interaction with strangers economic issues 3 Teenagers and young adults cause the most crime and are usually the victims as well This may be because they have freedom with limited responsibilities 4 AAs and Hispanics more likely to be reported didn t they say that according to the NCVS there isn t much difference in crime across race If you control for SES socioeconomic status then yes I m pretty sure even after you control for SES the crime rate is still higher for AA and Hispanics not 100 sure tho AA comprise of 15 of the population but 39 of arrests for violent crimes and approx 50 of homicides 5 Men more likely to be criminals and more likely to be victimized This may be due with the sense of masculinity strength social issues honor media representations etc Women crime is growing This means that either the criminal justice system is cracking down on women more women are gaining more opportunities recently which includes crime or maybe a combination of both Female delinquency specifies mostly in sexual offenses Conflict versus consensus theories a consensus theory Durkheim 1 2 3 1 1 1 1 1 Does the criminal law reflect the interest of members of the society at large Does a consensus underlie our law s definition of what behaviors are criminal the public votes on laws Meant to keep the status quo Morality is central to social order Morality makes laws it s a consensus Murder is morally wrong we all agree that it is wrong and should be punished iii Will of the masses From Wiki is a social theory that holds that a particular political or economic system is a fair system and that social change should take place within the social institutions provided by it Consensus theory contrasts sharply with conflict theory which holds that social change is only achieved through conflict b conflict theory Marx Is our law a reflection of conflict whereby the state serves the interest of some at the expense of others the powerful makes laws in order to maintain power Society is divided into groups and they have different opinions ii The people in power make laws to protect themselves Immigration laws and tax laws seek to benefit those persons in power ii The will of the powerful From Wiki are perspectives in social science that emphasize the social political or material inequality of a social group that critique the broad socio political system or that otherwise detract from structural functionalism and ideological theories draw attention to power differentials such as class


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UMD CCJS 105 - Notes

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