Criminology

1. Criminology What is Criminology? What do Criminologists do? Why is it important?

2. What is Criminology? Criminology Defined: The scientific and multidisciplinary study of the nature, extent, and cause of crime and society�s reaction to those who are labeled criminal.

3. CRIMMYTHOLOGY Crimmythology Defined: Explanations for the nature, extent, and cause of crime and society�s reaction to those who are labeled criminal, which are rooted in misunderstandings, mistakes, falsehoods, lies and distortions.

4. Criminology Scientific Multidisciplinary Nature of crime Extent of criminal behavior Causes of criminal behavior Societal reaction to criminal behavior

5. Subareas of Criminology Criminal Statistics Sociology of Law Theory Construction Criminal Behavior Systems Penology Victimology

6. Criminology vs. Criminal Justice Criminology- explains the extent, nature and cause of crime... Criminal Justice- refers to the agencies of social control that handle criminal offenders Criminal Justice Scholars- describe, analyze, and explain the behavior of the agencies of justice.

7. Professions in Criminology and Criminal Justice Research Teaching Front line work (police, courts, corrections etc) Advocacy programs

8. Quantitative vs. Qualitative Methods Quantitative Research Methods- Refers to an amount of something. Involves numbers, counts and measures that can be derived using a variety or research techniques. Qualitative Research Methods- Refers to the what, how, when and where of something Involves the description of things

9. Quantitative Methods Survey Research NCVS, Self-Report Studies Secondary Data Analysis UCR, poverty rates, unemployment rates, etc.

10. Benefits of Quantitative Research Can work with large aggregates of data Generalizability Statistical testing Relatively cheap Safe

11. Negative Aspects of Quantitative Methods Rigid Methodology Outsider Perspective

12. Qualitative Research Techniques Ethnography (Field Research) Complete participant Participant as observer Observer as participant Complete observer Interviewing Standardized Unstandardized Semistandardized

13. Qualitative Research Techniques Research of private and public archives Case Studies Content Analysis

14. Benefits of Qualitative Research Insider perspective Flexible methodology Greater depth of understanding

15. Negative Aspects of Qualitative Methods Small aggregates of data Non-generalizable Unsafe Time consuming and expensive

16. Ethical Issues in Criminology What is to be studied Who is to be studied How studies are to be conducted

17. Deviance versus Crime Deviant Behavior- refers to any action that departs from social norms Norm- generally agreed upon codes that guide people�s behavior Folkways Mores Laws

18. Defining Crime Legal Definitions of Crime- acts prohibited, prosecuted and punished by criminal law includes: intentional acts or omission in violation of criminal law committed without defense or justification, and sanctioned by the state as a felony or misdemeanor

19. 2 Conceptions of Crime Used by Criminologists Consensus View of Crime Conflict View of Crime

20. Consensus View Associated with Emil Durkheim Society is unified whole General agreement concerning what is right and wrong Substantive criminal law reflects the values, beliefs and opinions of society Most commonly accepted view by criminologists

21. Limitations to Consensus View There are relatively few acts that are universally considered wrong Ignores the issues of ability and power

22. Conflict View of Crime Associated with Karl Marx Society as a collection of diverse groups Law reflects the interests of those who have political and economic power Crime is a political concept Crime should include all harmful acts

23. Ranking Seriousness of Crime Burglary Dumping toxic waste in a river Insurance fraud Date Rape Sexual abuse of a child Murder of a child Being a prostitute Speeding Paying for sex Kidnapping Police brutality Robbery at gun point Performing an illegal abortion Murder of 12 adults by planting a bomb Denying a job because of race

24. Consensus or Conflict? U.S. Senate (100)- 0 African American 0 Hispanics 1 Native American Indian 14 Women U.S. House (435)- - 36 African Americans - 19 Hispanic -1 Native American Indian - 61 Women

25. Crimes of the Powerless Crimes of the powerless- refers to crimes for which those in relatively weak economic and political positions in society are predominantly arrested Power determines: types of crimes one is able to commit and the ability to resist arrest, prosecution and conviction

26. Crimes of the Powerful Crimes of the powerful refers to those crimes committed by people who are in relatively strong legitimate economic and political positions in society Includes: Individual criminal acts Corporate crime Government agency crime State crimes resulting from government policy

27. Why little attention is paid to the crimes of the powerful Who do you prosecute? Can resist arrest, prosecution and conviction Can obscure their harms Harm victims indirectly Victims do not realize who the offender is Victims do not know they are victims

28. Degrees or Categories of Crime Severity of the act Felonies Misdemeanors Nature of the act Mala in se Mala prohibita Statistical purposes Crimes against persons (violent crime) Crimes against property (property crime) Public order crimes

29. 3 Goals of Measuring Crime To test theories To increase our knowledge about characteristics of crime or criminals To provide information so CJ agencies can respond to crime

30. 3 Sources of Criminal Statistics Official Crime Statistics Uniform Crime Report (UCR) Victimization Surveys National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) Self-Report Surveys

31. Uniform Crime Report Compiled by the FBI Offenses known to police Reported or discovered Index Crimes (Part I offenses) Statistics about people who are arrested Part I, Part II and status offenses

32. Index Crimes (part I offenses) Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter Forcible rape Robbery Aggravated assault Burglary Larceny-theft Motor vehicle theft Arson

33. 5 Methods for Presenting Data Actual number of crimes known to police The % change for each crime from the previous year The crime rate per 100,000 people Number of arrests for different offenses The characteristics of offenders arrested

34. Limitations of the UCR �Dark Figure of Crime� Misreporting Differences in defining and recording criminal events Police discretion Hierarchy rule Reports only street crime

35. National Crime Victimization Survey Conducted by the Department of Justice�s Bureau of Justice Statistics Surveys crime victims about their experiences Surveys individuals about fear of crime, perceptions of neighborhood crime, steps used to protect themselves from crime, etc.

36. Limitations to the NCVS Relies on victim�s memory Relies on victim�s interpretation Lying or exaggerating Respondents may not understand the question Interviewer bias Does not capture all crime Underestimates crime

37. 4 categories that are omitted from NCVS Victimless Crime Underage Victims Abstract Victims Unknowing Victims

38. Self-Report Surveys Surveys people concerning criminal violations Juveniles�The National Youth Survey Inmates Two applications Frequency- How many crimes of various types are committed Prevalence- How many people commit crimes

39. Strengths of Self-Report Gets at the �dark figure of crime� Obtains offender information Provides a broader picture of the distribution of criminality Compare arrest data with offender self-reports

40. Weaknesses of Self-Reports Minor offenses Schools Misreporting Interviewer problems

41. Agreement Between Sources Personal characteristics Where crime occurs When crime occurs

42. Crime Trends (UCR) Total Crime increased through the 60s and 70s and peaked in 1980 (and 1991) between 1993 - 2002, the overall crime rate declined substantially (more than 30%) Property Crime increased through the 60s and 70s and peaked in 1980 (and 1991) between 1993 and 2003 declined substantially (more than 30%)

43. Crime Trends (UCR) Violent Crime increased through the 60s, 70s and 80s, leveled off in the early 1990s between 1993 - 2002, the violent crime rate dropped substantially (more than 35%)

44. Crime Trends (NCVS) Property crime rates and violent crime rates are stable or slightly decreasing in the 1970s and 1980s Property crime rates and violent crime rates have declined substantially since 1993, 47% and 50% respectively This trend was experienced equally for all sex, race and income groups

45. Crime Patterns The ecology of crime Day, Season and Climate July,August & December 1st of the month Temperature Population Density Region

46. Crime Patterns Social class and crime Instrumental crimes Expressive crimes UCR versus self-report Differential law enforcement Age and crime An inverse relationship Aging out

47. Crime Patterns Gender and crime Gender is the best predictor of criminality Masculinity hypothesis Socialization differences Social and economic role differences Emancipation hypothesis

48. Crime Patterns Race and crime UCR versus self-report Causes of Racial Disparity Actual differences in criminal involvement Economic disparity Family Dissolution Differential law enforcement racism

49. Criminal Careers Delinquency in a Birth Cohort (1972) Wolfgang, Filio and Sellin Studied 9,945 Philadelphia boys born in 1945 and followed until they reached 18 Used official police records

50. Findings 2/3 (6,470) had no police contact 1/3 (3,475) has some police contact 46% (1,613) were one time offenders 54% (1,862) were repeat offenders 35.6% (1,235) were nonchronic recidivists 18% (627) were chronic recidivists 6% of the total cohort were responsible for 52% of the offenses committed by the cohort

51. Findings Chronic offenders committed: 71% of murders 73% of the rapes 82% of the robberies 69% of the aggravated assaults Findings have been replicated with other research

52. Victimology The scientific study of criminal victimization NCVS shows about 37 million criminal victimizations a year

53. Costs of Criminal Victimization Monetary loss Pain and suffering Fear Antisocial behavior Cycle of violence

54. Victimization Patterns Social ecology Daytime and early evening Public areas Urban areas Gender Males more likely than females Females more likely victimized by a relative or acquaintance

55. Victimization Patterns Age Younger people People over 65 account for 1% of violent victimizations Teens 12-19 account for 32% of violent victimizations Teens 12-19 victimized by acquaintances Adults over 20 have the highest level of stranger attacks

56. Victimization Patterns Social status Least affluent are more likely to be victims of violent crimes Wealthy are more likely to be victims of personal theft Marital Status Divorced and never-married males and females Married are more likely to be victims of domestic violence

57. Victimization Patterns Race and ethnicity Blacks are more likely to be victims of violent crimes than are whites Hispanics are twice as likely to be a victim of robbery and personal theft

58. Characteristics that may increase chances of victimization Target vulnerability Target gratifiability Target antagonism

59. Relationship between criminals and victims Single offender Known offender Intraracial Substance abuse