primary sources of crime data and crime trends.

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Siegel_NatureandExtentofCrime.pptx

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CRIMINOLOGY THE CORE

Seventh Edition

Chapter 2 The Nature and Extent of Crime

Primary Sources of Crime Data, Part 1

Official Records: The Uniform Crime Report (UCR)

Part I Crimes

Part II Crimes

Compiling the UCR

Validity of the UCR

LO 1: Discuss the various forms of crime data.

Primary Sources of Crime Data, Part 2

National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS): The Future of the Uniform Crime Report

Improvement over UCR

46 specific offenses

11 lesser offenses

Incident, victim, and offender information

6,250 law enforcement agencies submit data

LO 1: Discuss the various forms of crime data.

Class Discussion/Activity, Part 1

Read the section of your text on UCR and NIBRS

What are the shortcomings of the UCR?

What advantages does NIBRS have compared to the UCR?

Primary Sources of Crime Data, Part 3

Survey Research

People asked about attitudes, beliefs, values, characteristics, and experiences with crime and victimization

Sampling

Population

LO 1: Discuss the various forms of crime data.

Primary Sources of Crime Data, Part 4

The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS)

An annual survey of victims

Addresses the nonreporting issue

Contains information regarding victims, offenders, and crimes

What is the validity of the NCVS?

LO 1: Discuss the various forms of crime data.

Primary Sources of Crime Data, Part 5

Self-Report Surveys

Given in groups

Anonymous

Asks people to describe recent and lifetime participation in criminal activity

Validity of self-reports

Honesty of self-reporting participants

Monitoring the future

Consistency

Longitudinal

LO 1: Discuss the various forms of crime data.

Primary Sources of Crime Data, Part 6

TABLE 2.1 Monitoring the Future Survey of Criminal Activity of High School Seniors

Type of Delinquency	Committed at Least Once	Committed More than Once
Set fire on purpose	1%	2%
Damaged school property	4%	4%
Damaged work property	1%	2%
Auto theft	2%	2%
Auto part theft	2%	2%
Break and enter	8%	12%
Theft, less than $50	12%	9%
Theft, more than $50	3%	4%
Shoplift	10%	12%
Gang or group fight	7%	7%
Hurt someone badly enough to require medical care	6%	5%
Used force or a weapon to steal	1%	2%
Hit teacher or supervisor	1%	2%
Participated in serious fight	6%	5%

Source: Data provided by Monitoring the Future, 2015 (Ann Arbor. MI: Institute for Social Research. 2017).

LO 1: Discuss the various forms of crime data.

Primary Sources of Crime Data, Part 7

Evaluating Crime Data

Strengths

UCR

Offender data

Particular crimes that surveys cannot measure

NCVS

Unreported crime

Information on personal characteristics of victims

Self-report surveys

Personal characteristics of offenders

LO 1: Discuss the various forms of crime data.

Primary Sources of Crime Data, Part 8

Evaluating Crime Data

Weaknesses

UCR

Does not include unreported crimes

Subject to reporting caprices of police departments

NCVS

Estimates from limited samples of population

Personal recollections

Does not include homicide, drug abuse crimes

Self-report surveys

Relies on honesty of offenders

LO 1: Discuss the various forms of crime data.

Primary Sources of Crime Data, Part 9

Concept Summary 2.1 Data Collection methods

Uniform Crime Report	Data are collected from records from police departments across the nation, crimes reported to police, and arrests. Strengths of the UCR are that it measures homicides and arrests and is a consistent national sample. Weaknesses of the UCR are that it omits crimes not reported to police, omits most drug usage, and contains reporting errors.
National Incident-Based Reporting System	NIBRS data are collected on every incident and arrest in 49 specified offenses. Facts about these crimes, Including offense, victim, offender, property, and arrestee data, are gathered and reported. Strength of NIBRS is that it provides much more detailed information than the UCR. Weakness is that currently not all law enforcement agencies are engaged in the program.
National Crime Victimization Survey	Data are collected from a large national survey. Strengths of the NCVS are that it includes crimes not reported to the police, uses careful sampling techniques, and is a yearly survey. Weaknesses of the NCVS are that it relies on victims' memory and honesty and that it omits substance abuse.
Self-report surveys	Data are collected from local surveys. Strengths of self-report surveys are that they include nonreported crimes, substance abuse, and offenders' personal information. Weaknesses of self-report surveys are that they rely on the honesty of offenders and omit offenders who refuse or are unable, as a consequence of incarceration, to participate (and who therefore may be the most delinquent and/or criminal).

LO 1: Discuss the various forms of crime data.

Class Discussion/Activity, Part 2

Look at Table 2.1 in your text and analyze the information in the table

Which types of delinquency are committed the most often?

Which type of delinquency has the highest probability of having been committed more than once?

Which type of delinquency is committed the least often?

Why do you think some types of delinquency are more likely to be committed repeatedly?

Crime Trends, Part 1

Contemporary Trends

Crime rates are declining from the peak in 1991.

Violent crimes and thefts have declined.

Trends in Victimization

Decrease in victimization across all age groups

Significant decrease in serious violent crime against youth ages 12 to 17

LO 2: Analyze recent trends in the crime rate.

LO 3: List the factors that influence crime rates.

Crime Trends, Part 2

Predicting Future Crime Trends

Increase in numbers of elementary school-aged children may lead to future increase in crime as children reach teenage and young adult age.

Rising number of senior citizens could lead to lower crime rate.

Explaining Trends in Crime Rates (1 of 2)

Age structure

Immigration

Economy/Jobs

Abortion

Gun availability

Gang membership

Drug use

Internet

LO3: List the factors that influence crime rates.

Explaining Trends in Crime Rates (2 of 2)

Media

Medical technology

Aggressive law enforcement

Incarceration

Cultural change

Internet

LO3: List the factors that influence crime rates.

Crime Patterns, Part 1

Ecology of Crime

Day, season, and climate

Most reported crimes occur during summer months.

Temperature

Weather effects may have an impact on violent crime rates.

Regional differences

Large urban areas have higher rates of violence.

LO 3: List the factors that influence crime rates.

Crime Patterns, Part 2

Co-Offending and Crime

Tends to be a group activity

More prevalent in neighborhoods that are less disadvantaged, more stable, and contain more people who can be trusted

LO 4: Identify the gender and racial patterns in crime.

Crime Patterns, Part 3

Gender and Crime

Trait differences

Socialization differences

Cognitive differences

Social/political differences

Liberal feminist theory

LO 4: Identify the gender and racial patterns in crime.

Crime Patterns, Part 4

Race and Crime

Institutional bias

Racial profiling

Racial threat hypothesis

Structural racism

LO 4: Identify the gender and racial patterns in crime.

Crime Patterns, Part 5

Use of Firearms

According to the NCVS, firearms are typically involved in more than 280,000 nonfatal victimizations each year.

About 70% of murders involve a firearm

On-going debate about gun control

LO 2: Analyze recent trends in the crime rate.

LO 3: List the factors that influence crime rates.

Crime Patterns, Part 6

Social Class and Crime

Instrumental crimes

Expressive crimes

Unemployment and Crime

Weak association

Young people earning money are more likely to engage in antisocial behavior such as drinking and drugs.

LO 3: List the factors that influence crime rates.

Crime Patterns, Part 7

Age and Crime

Age is inversely related to crime.

Aging out of crime

Age and biology

Neurotransmitters

Gap between adult and teen official crime rates is starting to even out

LO 5: Clarify what is meant by the term aging-out process.

Class Discussion/Activity, Part 3

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

What is the aging-out effect?

Chronic Offenders/Criminal Careers, Part 1

Persistent offenders are called chronic offenders or career criminals

Delinquency in a Birth Cohort

Wolfgang, Figlio, and Sellin

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

LO 6: Define the concept of chronic offending and know its causes.

Chronic Offenders/Criminal Careers, Part 2

What Causes Chronicity?

Early onset

Implications of the Chronic Offender Concept

Mandatory sentences

Three-strikes policies

Truth-in-sentencing policies

LO 6: Define the concept of chronic offending and know its causes.

primary sources of crime data and crime trends.

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