Crime and Victimization Data



Measuring Crime & Victimization: Lecture Outline

Group Discussion Questions / Issues I posted

Barkan Ch. 3 —Crime Measurement & Data

1. Discuss 3 main sources for crime data (what & how data gathered) & flaw of each

1. Uniform Crime Report (UCR) 2. National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) –

3. Self-Report Surveys --Also, What are explanations for crime rate drop in 1990s?

2. Patterns in Criminal Behavior

By Gender, Race / Ethnicity, Class, Age – What are the differences for groups in each category & explanations for those differences, esp. social structural and socialization?

Racial Bias in Criminal Justice system a possible factor?

What effect do Immigrants have on crime rates, and why?

3. What are main explanations for the patterns in the data— i.e., differences by Racial/Ethnic group, Gender, Class, Age?

4. What examples do you see of these patterns and explanations in Los Angeles (Leap, Chs. 5, 8, & 9)?

5. Why do police use profiling? What type is most effective & least effective? How did NYC stop & frisk policy work? How might it affect police-community relations? (Zetter web rdg

Barkan Ch 4 –Crime Victimization

6. Crime Victimization -- How common (rate per year)? Who are most likely victims of crime --race/ethnicity, age, gender, & income/class, & college students?

7. What is Race/Ethnicity, Gender & Age of offenders, according to victims? How does this compare with UCR crime stats from Chapter 3 Barkan? Intra-racial or inter-racial crime more common?

8. What is the Victim-Offender Relationship typically (stranger / non-stranger) for violent crimes? Any gender differences? What is Intimate Violence … Any gender differences?

9. Explanations of Victimization A. Lifestyle & Routine Activities Theory & Victim Responsibility? B. Deviant Lifestyles C. “Hot Spots” – How does Social & Econ. Disadvantage fit?

10. Where does Los Angeles case (Leap Chs. 5, 8, & 9)) fit with Barkan’s patterns in data & explanations or not – e.g., Do the Housing Projects seem like a community, have informal social control & social integration? Who is trying to save kids fmo gang life and violence? What are successes and failures –esp. for “Big Mike” and Mario?

11. What Individual Traits are associated with victimization?

12. Costs of Victimization – Economic & Medical, Psychological & medical costs

13. Victims & Criminal Justice System – Problems & programs to assist victims? “Second victimization”?

Lecture (& Main Group Discussion Points)

3 main sources for Crime Data (what & how data gathered) & flaw of each (Barkan, ch. 3)

1. Uniform Crime Report (UCR)

Part 1 offenses

2. National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) –

3. Self-Report Surveys

Data from each source, and trends over recent years / decades. (Barkan, Ch 3)

Main Explanations for trend /change in crime rate last 20 years (Barkan Ch. 3)

National UCR data compared to Salisbury and Baltimore

Racial Inequality in crime-- URC arrest data VS. NCVS survey data on race of offender. What Barkan (ch. 3) says on this topic VS. NCVS data in Barkan Ch. 4 says on same topic.

➢ Implications (Re: possible police bias or not) of the data.

Social Patterns of Crime – Who is most likely to commit crime (Age, Race/Ethnicity, Gender, Class)? [There are lots of statistics – know general patterns not exact %’s & 3’s] (Barkan ch. 3)

Explanations for Patterns in Crime (Barkan Ch. 3)

Gender Differences Explanations for…

(diffs. in socialization, attachment, opportunities, etc.)… (Barkan ch. 3)

For Social Class differences …(Barkan ch. 3)

For Racial & Ethnic differences (African American, Latino, and Native America, especially) social structural factors / criminogenic conditions, & how they vary for each group.

Effect of Immigration on Crime

How Leap info. (chs. 5, 8, 9) fits with any of these explanations for various social patterns in crime (age, gender, class, race/ethnicity, etc.…Experience of Big Mike, Ronnie, and Mario…

Also Definition of a “gang” by US govt. – very broad…

Overall, explanations for patterns in crime focus on 3 broad areas -- Social Structural Conditions & Social Process

Racial profiling vs. Behavior profiling What are they and which type is more effective? How does R&E profiling affect police relations with communities? What racial group had highest “hit rate” of searches in NYC? What does that say about profiling? (Zetter Web rdg.)

More on NYC data &recent court decision on racial profiling there

Victimization (Barkan Ch. 4)

Victimization-- Victim –Offender Relationship – how common., esp. in violent crime, and gender differences in this relationship (Barkan Ch. 4)

Leap Chs. 5 & 8—Examples of Victims of violent crime knowing their offenders

Social Patterns of Victimization (Age, Race/Ethnicity, Gender, Class) lots of statistics – know general patterns…Lots of examples fit this in Leap, Chs. 5, 8, 9—Big Mike, Ronnie, and Mario ,etc.

Explanations for Victimization (Barkan Ch. 4)

Lifestyle & Routine Activities Theory (2 theories but very similar) as explanation for victimization. [But be careful re: of “blaming the victim” for crime (esp. for rape).]

Deviant Lifestyles as explanation for victimization

“Hot Spots”-- Geographic place & proximity –

Example of Gangs’ contradictory role in community crime and maintaining order, and then role of “gang intervention program in “hot spots” trying to reduce crime… (Leap, Chs. 5, 8, 9)

Ex—Salisbury city PD crime data by neighborhood, shows “hot spots”

Not discussed in class (or not enough) but should also know:

Explanations for Patterns in Crime (Barkan Ch. 3)

for Age Differences (esp. key factors as people get older)

All from Barkan Ch. 4

Individual Traits are associated with victimization?

College Students & Homeless people -- similarities re: victimization

Repeat Victimization

Victims & Criminal Justice System – Problems & programs to assist victims

Costs of Victimization – Economic & Medical, Psychological & medical costs

White-Collar Crime & victimization—Costs of W-C Crime

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