Chapter Two
Counting Crime and Measuring
Criminal Behavior
Media and Crime

How accurate is the media’s depiction of crime?
Crime Waves
 News media suddenly devote much attention to
a small number of crimes
 Murder stories on TV network’s evening
newscasts jumped by 721 percent from 1993
through 1996
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
Sometimes the media may devote much
attention to very uncommon crimes or even
report stories of crimes that never happened
 Halloween
candy
 the serial killer panic of 1983-85
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
Overreporting of Violent Crime
 A recent study of thousands of local TV news
stories in 13 U.S. cities found that crime was the
most common topic outpacing weather,
accidents and disasters, and human interest
stories
 The media’s overreporting tends to focus on
violent crime, especially homicide. As the old
saying goes, “if it bleeds, it leads”.
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Seven Basic Requirements
for an Act to be a Crime
1.
The act requirement
- Act Versus Status not a crime to be tall or related
to a felon
- Failure to Act not acting on an expected obligation
2.
The legality requirement
- The law is interested only in an act that is
guilty, evil, and prohibited
3.
The harm requirement
- harm has to be proven
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Seven Basic Requirements
for an Act to be a Crime - continued
4.
5.
6.
The causation requirement
-Crime is not complete unless the actor’s
conduct caused the harm.
The mens rea requirement
-Guilty mind
The concurrence requirement
-The criminal act must be accompanied
by an equally criminal mind.
7.
The punishment requirement
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 Felonies
are severe crimes subject to punishments of a year or
more in prison or capital punishment
 Misdemeanors
are less-severe crimes, subject to a maximum of 1 year
in jail.
 Violations
are minor offences, normally subject only to fines.
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Criminal Law and Civil Law
Criminal Law

When criminal wrong has been committed, the
state (or federal government) initiates action
against the person accused of the crime.
 The state becomes involved because a crime is
considered a serious threat to the welfare of an
entire society as well as to the alleged victim.
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Civil Law

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
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
A civil wrong is considered a wrong against a
particular individual.
The person wronged may initiate legal action
against the accused.
Usually tried in different courts
In a civil case, the party at fault may be required
to pay financial damages to the injured party.
In the criminal case the state may impose
penalties that restrict the liberty of an individual.
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Reasons for Measuring Crime
1.
2.
3.
Researchers need to collect and analyze
information in order to test theories about why
people commit crime.
Researchers and criminal justice agencies
need to enhance their knowledge of the
characteristics of various types of offenses.
Criminal justice agencies depend on certain
kinds of information to facilitate daily
operations and to anticipate future needs.
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Methods of Collecting
Crime Data
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Survey Research
Experiments
Observation
Participant Observation
Case Studies
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Surveys
The systematic collection of respondents’
answers to questions asked in questionnaires or
interviews; interviews may be conducted face-toface or by telephone.
 Population
 Sample
 Random Sample

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Experiments

An investigator introduces a change into a
process and makes measurements or
observations in order to evaluate the effects of
the change.
 Variables: Independent Variable A causes
Dependent Variable B
 Control Groups
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Participant and
Non-Participant Observation

In participant observation the researcher may
join and participate in the activities of the
group being studied.
 In observational research the researcher
observes the group being studied but is not a
participant in the activities.
 This process may be used to study criminals,
prisoners, prosecutors, or police officers.
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Case Studies

A case study is an analysis of all pertinent
aspects of one unit of study, such as an
individual, an institution, a group, or a
community.
 Sources of information may be life histories,
biographies, diaries, journals, letters, and other
records.
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Ethics and Research in
Criminology

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Should the results of the interviews be
published?
If the research does not disclose names could
the participant be obstructing justice?
Is there confidentiality for a criminal suspect?
Does a researcher have to turn over his files if
requested by the police or court?
Should criminologist be immune from
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Typologies of Crime

Violent Crimes
 Crimes against Property
 White Collar and Corporate Crime
 Drug, Alcohol, and Sex-Related Crimes
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Major Sources of
Crime Information

Uniform Crime Report published by the Federal
Bureau of Investigation
 National Crime Victimization Survey
 Self-Report Studies
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FBI Index Offenses
Crimes against the
person
 Murder
 Rape
 Assault
 Robbery
Crimes against property
 Burglary
 Larceny
 Motor Vehicle Theft
 Arson
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Victimization Surveys
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National Crime Victimization Survey
Measures the extent of crime by interviewing
individuals about their experiences as victims
Published by the Bureau of Justice Statistics
43,000 households; about 80,000 people
Covers time, place, offenders, weapons, etc.
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Self-report Surveys

A self-report study ask people to report their own
criminal acts in a confidential interview or, more
commonly, on an anonymous questionnaire.
 These reports have demonstrated very high
rates of law-violating behavior by seemingly lawabiding people.
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
Only one-quarter of all serious, chronic juvenile
offenders are apprehended by the police
 An estimated 90 percent of all youths commit
delinquent or criminal acts.
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National Crime Victimization Survey vs. Uniform Crime Reports
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Crime Patterns

Most crimes are committed in large urban areas
rather than small cities, suburbs or rural areas
 Nearly sixty percent of all violent crime involving
strangers are committed at night.
 About twenty percent of violent crimes involving
juveniles occur in the four hours immediately
after school classes.
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Age and Crime

Half of all arrests are of individuals under 25
 Juveniles account for 1/3 of all Index crimes
 Arrest rates decline after age 30
 Aging-out phenomenon: too old for crime
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Sex and Crime

Males commit more crimes than females at all
ages
 Arrest ratio: 4 males for every 1 female
 1960 females accounted for 11% of total arrests,
today they account for 23%
 The new female criminal
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Race and Crime

Blacks constitute 12% of the population and
31.3% of all arrests for index crimes.
 50% of black urban males are arrested for an
index offense once in their lifetime compared to
14% of white males.
 18% of blacks serve some time in prison while
only 3% of whites serve some time.
 The leading cause of death for young black men
is murder.
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Crime Trends
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