1. Chapter 2: Measuring and Explaining Crime

2. Learning Objective 1
Identify the six different main categories of crime

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

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

7. 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

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

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

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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

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

16. 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

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

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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

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

23. 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

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

25. 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

26. 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?

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

28. 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

29. 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

30. Thinking Point
Even when research findings are accessible to policymakers, they are sometimes ignored. For example, for the last three decades criminologists have argued that massive incarceration is not a sensible response to crime – yet policymakers proceeded to increase the prison populations seven-fold anyway. Another example is the War on Drugs. Research consistently finds it has not significantly reduced drug crimes, but has plenty of collateral consequences – yet the war on drugs remains popular with policymakers.
Why do you think this is the case?
What factors might contribute to policymakers enacting policies that are inconsistent with research?
What are some potential solutions to ensuring criminological research influences policy?
What are some of the impediments to implementing such solutions?