1. How is Delinquency Measured? vs. vs. Men’s Basketball Sat @ 3pm Goooo Cougs! Woohoo!

2. Ways to Measure Delinquency Official Statistics Official Statistics Self-Report Data Self-Report Data Victimization Data Victimization Data

3. Official Statistics FBI Uniform Crime Report (UCR) FBI Uniform Crime Report (UCR) –http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/ucr.htm http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/ucr.htm –Go to “Crime in the United States; 2005; “Offenses known to the police” Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Program (OJJDP) Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Program (OJJDP) –http://ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/ http://ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/ –Go to “Tools for you section”

4. Official Statistics: The UCR Focuses on crimes reported and/or cleared by the police Focuses on crimes reported and/or cleared by the police Divided into 2 parts (pg. 24 of text) Divided into 2 parts (pg. 24 of text) Part I Offenses (Index Crimes) Part I Offenses (Index Crimes) –Crimes of Violence –Crimes of Property Part II Offenses Part II Offenses

5. Strengths of the UCR Standardized definitions Standardized definitions Collected from all over the U.S. Collected from all over the U.S. Provide long-term info. on crime trends Provide long-term info. on crime trends

6. Limitations/Criticisms of the UCR Underreporting Underreporting Dark figure of crime Dark figure of crime Police do not catch or arrest offender Police do not catch or arrest offender Bias in Reporting Bias in Reporting Not all crimes are recorded Not all crimes are recorded This is changing w/ the development of the NIBRS This is changing w/ the development of the NIBRS

7. Self-Report Data Designed to reveal and measure undetected and unreported instances of juvenile delinquency. Designed to reveal and measure undetected and unreported instances of juvenile delinquency. Questionnaires & Interviews Questionnaires & Interviews Example Example –National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY)

8. Self-Report Data: Strengths  Helps w/underrepoting issue  More detailed information can be obtained

9. Self-Report Data: Weaknesses Subject bias Subject bias Money & Time Money & Time

10. Self-Report Data: Weaknesses Continued Underestimate serious delinquency Underestimate serious delinquency Limited Subject Pool/Sample Bias Limited Subject Pool/Sample Bias

11. Victimization Data Asks people about their experiences as victims Asks people about their experiences as victims National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) –Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/ http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/

12. Victimization Data: Strengths Helps w/ the underreporting issue Helps w/ the underreporting issue More detailed information on: More detailed information on: –characteristics of crimes –characteristics of victims –perceived characteristics of the offender –circumstances surrounding the crime –rates of reporting

13. Victimization Data: Weaknesses Limited Scope Limited Scope Interviewer Bias Interviewer Bias Subject Bias Subject Bias