Critically Discuss Some of the Problems Associated With the Measurement of Crime.

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John Heath

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Introduction To The Study Of Crime With Dawn.

Critically Discuss Some of the Problems Associated With the Measurement of Crime.

There are several factors that need to be considered when looking at and using official crime statistics. One of the main things to consider is who is producing the statistics? Who ever it is they have a purpose for the production and the results will almost inevitably show a bias towards their ideals. The most realistic form of crime statistic is derived from victim surveys. This is individuals are contacted either by phone or post and their experiences of crime recorded. The Home Office produces the most extensive victim survey. It is called the British Crime Report  (BCS) and is produced approximately every two years. The report indicates one of the faults with crime figures released by the police service. A prime example is that between 1981 and 1987 the police figures indicated that crime had increased by 30% but the BCS survey shows an actual increase of 41%. There are a vast number of crimes that remain unreported. I will discuss this in more detail later in the essay.

As mentioned above one of the reasons that any crime figure may be inaccurate is that many crimes are simply not reported. It is impossible for the police to record a crime if they have not been notified the figures would therefor not indicate these crimes. There are several reasons for crimes remaining unreported. . The crime may be considered by the victim to be too petty to report to the police. A case of vandalism may not be reported but if a car was stolen there is a high possibility that it would be reported for insurance purposes.

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It may be that the crime was of a personal nature such as domestic abuse, sexual assault or rape. There are other reasons that these types of crime may not be reported. Often the victim feels that they would be made to feel that they were in the wrong. A women who was raped may be accused by either the police or society of being dressed provocatively and therefor deserved or asked for it. It is not right but it does happen.

Many crimes are not reported because the victims feel that the police would not be ...

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