81-220-1 - Chapter 2

Michelle PalaroCriminology 81-220-1

Fall 2014© Copyright Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Chapter 2 - The Nature and Extent of

Crime

© Copyright Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

• Official Records: Uniform Crime Reports (UCR)–Part I Crimes–Part II Crimes–Cleared Crimes–Validity of the UCR

Primary Sources of Crime Data


• National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS)– Improvement over UCR –46 specific offenses–22 crime patterns– Incident, victim, and offender

information –20 states have implemented –12 states finalizing data collection



Class Discussion/Activity

• What are the shortcomings of the UCR?

• Which advantages does NIBRS have compared to the UCR?


• National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS)–Annual survey of victims–Addresses “non-reporting” issue– Information regarding victims,

offenders, and crimes–Validity of the NCVS–Future of the NCVS



• Self-Report Surveys• Given in groups• Anonymous• Additional questions about attitudes,

values, and behaviors –Validity of Self-Reports

• Honesty of self-reporting participants–“Monitoring the Future” Survey

• Consistent• Longitudinal




Evaluating Crime DataStrengths

• UCR– Offender data– Crimes that surveys

cannot measure

• NCVS– Unreported crimes– Victimization data

• Self-report surveys – Information on offenders

Weaknesses• UCR

– Does not include unreported crimes

• NCVS– Limited samples – Personal recollections– Does not include

homicide, drug abuse crimes

• Self-report surveys– Rely on honesty of

offenders




Crime Trends• Contemporary Trends

– Crime rates are declining from peak in 1991– Violent crimes and thefts have declined

• Trends in Victimization – Decrease in victimization across all age groups– Significant decrease among teenagers

• What the Future Holds– Increase in numbers of elementary school aged

children – Could indicate a future increase in crime as

children reach teenage and young adult age


Crime Trends• Explaining Trends in Crime Rates

– Age structure– Immigration– Economy/Jobs– Abortion– Gun availability– Gang membership– Drug use– Media– Aggressive law enforcement– Incarceration – Cultural change


Crime Patterns

• Gender and Crime–Trait differences

• Masculinity hypothesis–Socialization differences–Cognitive differences–Political/Social differences

• Liberal feminist theory


Crime Patterns

• Race and Crime– Institutional racism

• Racial threat theory• Racial profiling

–Structural racism


Crime Patterns

• Ecology of Crime–Day, season and climate

• More crimes are reported during summer months

–Temperature• Weather effects may have an impact

on violent crime rates–Regional differences

• Large urban areas have higher rates of violence


Crime Patterns


Crime Patterns

• Use of Firearms–According to the NCVS firearms are

typically involved in • 20% of robberies• 10% of assaults• 5% of rapes

–Two-thirds of murders• On-going debate about gun control


Crime Patterns

• Social Class, Socioeconomic Conditions, and Crime– Instrumental crimes–Expressive crimes


Crime Patterns

• Age and Crime–Aging out of crime–Age and biology

• Neurotransmitters


Class Discussion/Activity

From your perspective, why are teenagers more likely to commit crimes?

What is the aging-out effect?


Chronic Offenders/Criminal Careers

• Delinquency in a Birth Cohort–Wolfgang, Figlio, and Sellin

• Classic longitudinal study that tracked a cohort of boys over an 18 year period


Chronic Offenders/Criminal Careers• What Causes Chronicity?

–Early onset

• Implications of the Chronic Offender Concept–“Three-strikes”–“Truth-in-sentencing”

Education

81-220-1 - Chapter 2