Chapter 2: Measuring and Explaining Crime

Learning Objective 1 Identify the six different main categories of crime

Types of Crime Violent Crime: Property Crime: Crimes against persons Four categories Murder Sexual assault/rape Assault/battery Robbery Property Crime: Crimes of economic gain or property damage Four categories Burglary Larceny/theft Motor vehicle theft Arson

Types of Crime Public Order Crime: White Collar Crime: Behaviors considered contrary to public values and morals Sometimes (incorrectly) referred to as “victim- less” crimes White Collar Crime: Illegal acts committed by an individual or business entity Difficult to measure

Types of Crime High-Tech Crime Organized Crime Crimes directly related to the increased use of computers and technology by society Organized Crime Illegal crimes by illegal organizations, geared towards satisfying the public’s need for illegal goods and services

Focus Question: What is the difference between the National Crime Victimization Survey and Self Reporting Surveys? Read pages 38 and 39.

Learning Objective 2 Distinguish between Part I and Part II offenses as defined in the Uniform Crime Report (UCR)

The Uniform Crime Report One major data source for criminologists 17,500 policing agencies participate - send annual data on Arrests Crimes reported Officers and support specialists The data is the reported as a Rate per 100,000 persons Percent change from previous years Divides criminal offenses into two categories Part I Index Offenses Part II Index Offenses

Part I Offenses Crimes considered to be the most serious Information collected on “known” offenses:

Part II Offenses All other crimes recorded by the FBI Measured only by “arrest” data:

Focus Question Read: The Great Crime Decline, Page 41: What reasons were given for the steady decline in the crime rate? Answer: The economy was robust. The prison population was increasing, the percentage of the population in the high risk bracket in 1995 was lower than in 1980.

Learning Objective 3 Distinguish between the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) and self- reported surveys

Victim Surveys Second major data source for criminologists Annual survey of households that collects information about victimization experiences Advantages over UCR data: Measures reported and unreported crime Unaffected by police bias and distortions in reporting crime to the FBI Does not rely on victims reporting crime to police

Self-Reported Surveys Third major data source for criminologists Participants report their criminal behaviors Research suggests they are forthcoming and honest Compared to UCR and NCVS, self-report data offers the best measure for the dark figure of crime There is a third type of survey: The International Crime Victim Survey (ICVS) is a program of standardized sample surveys to look at householders’ experience with crime, policing, crime prevention and feelings of unsafety in a large number of countries. International comparison is the main aim for this project.

Crime Trends in the United States Crime in the 1990s and 2000s Dropped steadily throughout mid 1990s Leveled off for a few years Has begun to decrease again Not all societal groups benefited equally from this positive crime trend Race Class Ethnicity Gender

Thinking Point Bill Quigley, the Legal Director for the Center for Constitutional Rights, recently made the argument that “the biggest crime in the CJS is that it is a race-based institution…” He cites thirteen examples to support his opinion, including; (1) the police stop and frisk blacks and Latinos at a much higher rate than whites; (2) blacks are arrested for drug offenses at rates 2 to 11 times higher than for whites; (3) once arrests, blacks are more likely than whites to remain in jail pending trials; (4) blacks are frequently excluded from criminal jury service (especially on death penalty cases); (5) black men are 5 times and Latino men are 3 times as likely as white men to go to jail. Are Quigley’s examples illustrative of racism in the CJS? What other factors might account for these statistics? Assuming these examples are illustrative of racism, what are the implications for the CJS? Is it that these are mistakes of an otherwise “good” system, or is it that the system is working exactly how it should – as a system to marginalize and control minorities? Note: Can get the other examples online, at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bill-quigley/fourteen-examples-of-raci_b_658947.html?

Learning Objective 4 Discuss the prevailing explanation for the rising number of women incarcerated in the United States

Women and Crime Over the past few decades, the rate of arrests for women increased more rapidly compared to men Explanations: The life circumstances and behavior of women dramatically changed in the past 40 years The criminal justice system’s attitude toward women has changed over the past 40 years

Learning Objective 5 Discuss the difference between a hypothesis and a theory in the context of criminology

Classwork Questions: 1. The UCR is comprised of agency data which represents___of the American population.. A. 95% B. 88% C. 76% D. 65% Supporters report that ___ gives victims a voice in the Criminal Justice system. A. NIBRS B. NCVS C. Self-Reporting Survey D. UCR Define: Dopamine

Questions Continued A. 6% B. 10% C. 14% D. 80% What percentage of juvenile offenders have been shown to be responsible for a disproportionate amount of violent crime? A. 6% B. 10% C. 14% D. 80%

The Role of Theory Criminology: Hypothesis: Theory: The scientific study of crime and the causes of criminal behavior Hypothesis: A possible explanation for an observed occurrence that can be tested by further investigation Theory: An explanation of a happening or circumstance that is based on observation, experimentation, and reasoning

Types of Theories Choice Theories Trait Theories Behavior is the result of free will Criminals find crime more attractive than law abiding behavior Threat of punishment is the only deterrent to crime Trait Theories Behavior is the result of biological, social, and psychological forces Criminals are driven to crime by external factors Rehabilitation is the only deterrent to crime

Sociological Theories Social Disorganization Theory: Crime is more likely in communities where social institutions fail to exert control over the population Strain Theory: Crime is the result of frustration felt by those who can’t reach their goals through legitimate means Conflict Theory: Crime is the result of the unequal structure of society and the resulting class conflict

Social Process Theories The “Abandoned Car Experiment” Potential for criminal behavior exists in everyone Considers criminal behavior to be the predictable result of a person’s interaction with his or her environment

Focus Questions A theory of crime in which offenders weigh the possible benefits of criminal activity against the costs of being apprehended is: A. Rational Choice Theory Social Disorganization Theory Social Process Theory Trait Theory A theory that believes criminals must be taught both the practical and emotional skills necessary to participate in illegal activity A. labeling theory B. Learning Theory C. Social Process Theory Trait Theory.

Learning Objective 6 List and briefly explain two important branches of social process theory

Social Process Theories Learning Theory Criminals must be taught both the practical and emotional skills necessary to participate in illegal activity Positive/negative reinforcement from family, peers, and media Control Theory All individuals have potential for criminality, but are restrained because it would damage their bonds to society Attachment to, commitment to, involvement with and belief in societal values

Focus Questions: Assault and Battery are the same crime: True or False Robbery is considered a violent crime. Victim surveys are used to collect data from criminals and victims of crime. True or False UCR crime rates are expressed per 10,000 people.

Case Study Tina’s mother bought Tina a new pair of jeans when she received all A’s on her report card. Jane was jealous that Tina got new jeans because she wanted the same pair of jeans. But, Jane’s parents were not able to afford them. One day, Jane skipped school and broke into Tina’s house when she knew no one would be home. Jane took the jeans from Tina’s bedroom and left the house. What category of crime did Jane commit? a. Violent crime b. Property crime c. Public Order crime d. White-collar crime  

Learning Objective 7 Explain the theory of the chronic offender and its importance for the criminal justice system

Criminology and the Chronic Offender Individual who commits multiple offenses Responsible for a disproportionately large percentage of all crimes The notion of a “chronic 6%” Have strategies and laws to identify and convict chronic offenders Goal is to reduce overall crime rates

Thinking Point One of the most controversial laws passed geared toward chronic offenders is the “three-strikes law,” which mandates life in prison for offenders convicted of their third felony. Critics point to high profile cases (such as the man sentenced to life for stealing a slice of pizza) to illustrate the flaws in the application of the law. A group of Stanford University Professors garnered enough signatures to have a measure on the November 2012 ballot in California to scale back the law’s scope. In particular, the “third-strike” must be a violent crime and those already convicted under the current law for a minor crime can seek re-sentencing If endorsed by the voters, what are the benefits and consequences of modifying the three-strikes law in California? Should citizens have a role in changing laws? What are some of the implications of this role?

Learning Objective 8 Discuss the connection between learning theory and the start of an individual’s drug use

The Criminology of Drug Use Why do first-time drug users become habitual users? They learn: The techniques of drug use To perceive the pleasurable effects of drug use To enjoy the social experience of drug use Pop culture and media have been heavily criticized for glamorizing various forms of drug use

Criminology and the CJS Debate continues as to whether or not criminology has done enough for the criminal justice system Research must be accessible to practitioners and policymakers

Thinking Point Five basic measures of criminality were employed: crime-day theft, crime-day violence, crime-day dealing, crime-day con games and crime-day other offences. A sixth measure — composite crime day — incorporated all five crime-day measures. Crime rates per year were derived from these six measures. It was found that the start of addiction was associated with a high level of criminality (255 composite crime-days per year), and that this high rate continued over numerous subsequent periods of addiction. Theft of property was the most common type of crime, followed by drug sales, other offences, con games, and violent offences. In contrast to the addiction periods, criminality decreased over successive non-addiction periods. Thus, the composite crime rate (82 composite crime-days per year) for the first non-addiction period was only 32% of the rate of the first addiction period and this lower rate of criminality decreased markedly thereafter.