Creative Research Practice Assignment 2

Perceived vs. Actual Crime Rates

WEE, Jieun BAE, Byoungyoon LEE, Jueun KOH, Kyle

Data Selection Why Crime Data ?

- Americans still perceive crime

as on the rise

2/3 say crime increasing in U.S.

as of 2010.

Perceived Crime (more or less crime than the previous year?)

* Source: Gallup. http://www.gallup.com/poll/144827/americans-perceive-crime-rise.aspx

Data Selection Why Crime Data ? (cont’d)

- Americans still perceive crime

as on the rise

Americans are much less

concerned about the crime

problem in their local area, as

13% say the crime problem is

extremely or very serious

where they live.

Perceived Crime (those who described crime as extremely/very serious)

* Source: Gallup. http://www.gallup.com/poll/144827/americans-perceive-crime-rise.aspx

Data Selection Why Crime Data ? (cont’d)

- Decreasing since the early 90s.

Constant increase until the early

90s, and ever since, constant

decrease in total violent crime

rate per 100,000 population.

Actual Violent Crime (per 100,000 population)

* Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics.

Data Selection Why Crime Data ? (cont’d)

Actual Property Crime (per 100,000 population)

* Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics.

- Decreasing since the early 90s.

Constant increase until the 1980,

and constant decrease in total

property crime rate per 100,000

population since the early 90s.

Sudden decrease in the mid 80s.

Questioning Why the Discrepancy ?

A Possible Explanation for the Decrease in Actual Crime Rate

* Source: Galluo. http://www.gallup.com/poll/1669/General-Mood-Country.aspx

- Many other somewhat

“seemingly” reasonable

explanations

Ex)“CSI Effect”

Heavy TV-crime viewers

estimated two and a half times

more real-world deaths due to

murder than non-viewers.

People’s perceptions also were

distorted in regards to a

number of other serious

crimes. Heavy TV-crime

viewers consistently

overestimated the frequency

of crime in the real world.

During the 1980s and 1990s, RICO laws were used to convict numerous

high-level mobsters. By the start of the 21st century, the American Mafia

was a shadow of its former self. (RICO: Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations)

Americans' perceptions of crime may also be influenced by their general

assessments of how things are going in the country. Americans generally

believe the crime situation to be better when their satisfaction with

national conditions is high, as in the late 1990s, when the economy was

strong, and in the wake of the 9/11 terror attacks, when patriotism and

support for political leaders surged.

A Possible Explanation for the Increase in Perceived Crime Rate

Questioning Why less concerned about the crime problem in their local area ?

- To get some insights for this

question, looking into the crime

data of the States over time

seems necessary.

Demo

Thank You