What is a crime? Some people think it is criminal to put pineapple on a pizza, and in the UK, it is still illegal to knowingly board public transport if you have the plague. All these notions of ‘crime’ seem ridiculous, don’t they? So how do we define crime, and what problems do we encounter in the process of measuring crime?
- We will delve into the world of crime, focusing on measuring crime and problems with defining crime.
- First, we will define measuring crime.
- Then, we will discuss the definition of the problems in measuring crime. Following this, we will also define crime to clarify the concept in our discussions.
- We will highlight the various methods used to measure crime, including victim surveys and offender surveys.
- Finally, we will analyse the pros and cons of measuring crime and discuss offender surveys' advantages and disadvantages.
Fig. 1: Crime can manifest in various forms, and so can the measurement of said crime.
Measuring Crime: Definition
There are many ways to measure crime, including official statistics and reports from the police and governing bodies, victim surveys, and offender self-reports and surveys. Measuring crime focuses on the various methods employed by official bodies to assess crime rates across a country. The data provided can offer valuable insights into the current state of society.
Measuring crime can also indicate issues with mental health across the country.
Forensic psychologists, for instance, can examine the potential reasons behind a rise in a specific crime occurrence in a certain area alongside other professional bodies.
Problems in Defining Crime
When defining crime, one must consider cultural and historical aspects. Think of the plague example. The plague is no longer a problem, but the law is still in place, so when the needs of society change, the laws should change with them.
When it comes to crime, there are also cultural aspects to consider.
For example, bigamy (marrying two people simultaneously) is a crime in the United Kingdom, while it is encouraged in other societies. Thus, crime depends on culture.
So how do we define crime? What are the methods used to measure crime?
Definition of Crime
In general, we can define crime as anything that breaks the law and results in punishment. The action, or lack of action, in some cases, is punishable by law. As we discussed above, there are different ways to measure and record crime: official statistics, victim surveys, and offender surveys.
The definition of breaking the law changes from country to country, and crime is not always punished. Also, crime can change over time. Things that were not illegal in the past may be illegal in the present.
For example, the coronavirus pandemic changed some laws and added procedures to reduce the spread of the disease and protect the most vulnerable. Non-compliance with them can lead to punishment.
Fig. 2: Breaking the law results in sometimes severe punishments for offenders.
As we mentioned above, actions considered crimes in some cultures might not be illegal in others.
For example, homosexuality is illegal in some countries but legal in others because gay marriage is legalised. Attitudes toward homosexuality also change over time.
In Britain, homosexuality was considered a crime until 1967. Now gay marriage is legalised and is no longer outlawed by the majority of the UK.
Therefore, definitions of crimes change drastically over time, which can be a problem in defining crimes. The legislature needs to keep up with the changes in attitude that occur within societies and cultures. Problems often arise and people can clash when the law fails to keep up with the people.
Methods Used to Measure Crime: How Crime is Measured
Given the problems described earlier, how can we measure crime? Typically, we use official statistics, such as those provided by the Home Office in the UK, victim surveys involving those affected by crimes, and offender surveys, examining those who commit crimes, to measure crime.
Official Statistics
Official statistics are official government records of the total number of crimes reported to the police and recorded in official figures. In the UK, the Home Office publishes these statistics annually, which are helpful in understanding crime rates geographically. They help the government develop crime prevention strategies and policing initiatives, such as direct assistance to those in need.
Fig. 3: Official statistics allow professional bodies to understand rates of crime across a country.
Victim surveys
Victim surveys record people’s experiences of crime over some time as part of the Crime Survey for England and Wales. These surveys document the crimes people have fallen victim to in the previous year. They select a random sample of 50,000 households to participate.
The survey has been conducted since 1982, and in 2009, a version for young people aged 10 to 15 was added.
Offender surveys
Offender surveys rely on voluntary information from individuals about the types of crimes they have committed. The survey assesses risk factors such as past convictions, age, social background, and more to identify likely offenders.
The first version of this type of survey in the United Kingdom occurred between 2003 and 2006. The Offender Crime and Justice Survey looked at repeat offending, trends in offenders, drug and alcohol use, co-offending, and the relationship between offenders and victims.
Pros and Cons of Measuring Crime
As with any technique, we must consider the pros and cons of measuring crime.
Disadvantages
Let us deliver the bad news first. Here are some disadvantages of measuring crime.
Official Statistics
Many believe that official statistics are not an accurate measurement of crime. In fact, many states significantly underestimate crime. Some crimes go unreported by victims or unrecorded by police. As a result, some commentators claim the statistics represent only up to 25% of crime.
Criminologists refer to the remaining 75% as the ‘dark figure’ of crime.
Therefore, the official statistics may not show the true extent of crime.
The Politics of Measuring Crime
Politicians can distort crime figures for political reasons. Opposing political parties are likelier to use measures that make the other party look bad.
For example, the ruling party might use figures showing that crime decreases to make itself look good, while the opposition party uses figures showing the opposite to make them look bad.
Some groups might also misuse statistics for political or discriminatory reasons.
A misogynist might highlight the number of women in sex work without realising that women are more vulnerable in this type of work. Although an independent body compiles crime statistics in the UK, the way political parties and organisations use the statistics calls their validity into question.
A Multidisciplinary Approach
There are significant issues with reliability and validity when it comes to using surveys and statistics to measure crime. As a result, all crime statistics should be interpreted with extreme caution. Therefore, researchers advocate for a multidisciplinary approach (combining all methods) for solving crime to give the best insight into the true extent of offending.
Advantages
Every cloud has a silver lining. Let's dig into the advantages of victim and offender surveys.
Victim Surveys
Victim surveys tend to contain details about crimes not reported to the police. Therefore, they are believed to have higher accuracy than other measurement methods.
Official statistics for 2006/2007 showed a 2% decrease in crime, while the British Crime Survey reported a 3% increase.
This finding suggests that the official statistics may have been less accurate due to the under-reporting of crime.
Offender Behaviour
Offender surveys are helpful because they provide information on how and why many people commit crimes. Even though these surveys assure confidentiality, people may feel uncomfortable disclosing their crimes or even brag that they have committed more crimes than they have.
Therefore, the results may not be accurate. The sample of surveys also means that these surveys probably do not cover white-collar crimes, such as financial crimes, but overrepresent other types of crimes, such as theft or burglary.
Comparison
Crime measurement methods that provide quantitative data are beneficial for comparing crime rates and types across different times and cultures. Using this approach, we can fight cultural and historical problems in defining crime.
Measuring Crime - Key takeaways
- There are many ways to measure crime, including official statistics, victim surveys, and offender surveys.
- Cultural bias is when crimes are defined differently in different cultures. Historical bias is when ideas about crime change over time.
- Official statistics are official government records of the total number of crimes reported to the police and recorded in official figures.
- Victim surveys ask the public if they have been a victim of crime in the past year.
- Offender surveys ask offenders about the nature and extent of their crimes.
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