Sources of Statistical Data on Crime & Deviance (AQA A Level Sociology): Flashcards
Exam code: 7192
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Define police-recorded crime.
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Cards in this collection (28)
Define police-recorded crime.
Police-recorded crime is the offences that are reported to and logged by the police.
What type of survey is the Crime Survey for England and Wales?
The CSEW is a large-scale victimisation survey that asks people aged 16 and over in randomly selected households about crimes they experienced in the previous 12 months.
True or False?
The CSEW can capture crimes that were never reported to the police.
True.
Because it asks people directly about their experiences, the CSEW picks up crimes that police figures miss.
What three things do OCS tell us about crime?
OCS tell us about the volume of crime, the main types of crime and the social characteristics of people who are reported, arrested or convicted.
The 7% rise in CSEW crime in the year ending March 2025 was mainly due to a rise in .................
The 7% rise in CSEW crime in the year ending March 2025 was mainly due to a rise in fraud.
Why do group differences in arrest rates not simply reflect offending?
Group differences in arrest rates do not simply reflect offending because, according to the ONS, arrest rates are also shaped by policing practices and priorities, where crime is concentrated, population structures and social and economic inequalities.
How did the National Crime Recording Standard (2002) affect recorded crime?
The National Crime Recording Standard suddenly increased recorded crime rates, making it difficult to compare crime over time.
Why are many corporate crimes missing from OCS?
Many corporate crimes are missing from OCS because they are dealt with by regulatory agencies, such as HMRC and the HSE, rather than the police.
True or False?
Victimless crimes are usually recorded only when the police actively target them.
True.
For example, drug possession is usually recorded only when police carry out stop and search or raids.
Define dark figure of crime.
The dark figure of crime is the crime that goes unreported or unrecorded and so never appears in OCS.
How can crime league tables distort police statistics?
Crime league tables can distort police statistics because they can encourage police to under-record offences to make detection rates look higher.
Officers may use their ...................... to decide not to record minor crimes such as bike theft.
Officers may use their discretion to decide not to record minor crimes such as bike theft.
How do positivists view OCS?
Positivists regard OCS as a valid and realistic picture of crime in the UK.
True or False?
Interpretivists argue that OCS reveal the true level of crime.
False.
Interpretivists argue that OCS reflect what the police and public choose to record and report, revealing police priorities more than actual offending.
Why do left realists still find OCS useful?
Left realists find OCS useful because they highlight real inequalities in victimisation, showing working-class people and ethnic minorities are more likely to be victims as well as offenders.
How do Marxists criticise OCS?
Marxists argue that OCS serve ruling-class interests by focusing attention on working-class street crime rather than white-collar and corporate crime.
Define self-report study.
A self-report study uses confidential or anonymous questionnaires and interviews to ask people whether they have committed offences, even if they were never caught or punished.
How do levels of offending in self-report studies compare with OCS?
Self-report studies often reveal higher levels of offending than OCS.
True or False?
Self-report surveys suggest that only a small minority of people ever offend.
False.
Most people admit to committing minor offences at some point, suggesting OCS may exaggerate differences between social groups.
What did Campbell (1981) find about female offending?
Campbell (1981) found that women were more likely to admit offences than police statistics suggest, giving a male-to-female ratio of 1.33:1 rather than 9:1.
Hales et al. (2009) found that males commit much more ...................... crimes than females.
Hales et al. (2009) found that males commit much more serious crimes than females.
What did Graham and Bowling (1995) find about Black and White offending?
Graham and Bowling (1995) found that Black and White respondents reported similar levels of offending, while Asian respondents reported much lower levels.
True or False?
Self-report findings suggest that OCS may reflect police bias against Black people.
True.
Self-reports contradict the higher arrest rates for Black groups in OCS, suggesting selective enforcement rather than true differences in offending.
How do self-report studies support the chivalry thesis?
Self-report studies support the chivalry thesis because, in self-reports, boys report more police cautions than girls, suggesting young women are treated more leniently by the police.
Why may self-reports from young men lack validity?
Self-reports from young men may lack validity because some overstate their offending to appear tough.
Self-reports rarely capture stigmatised crimes, such as hate crime, because these are more likely to be .......................
Self-reports rarely capture stigmatised crimes, such as hate crime, because these are more likely to be concealed.
Why are self-report samples often unrepresentative?
Self-report samples are often unrepresentative because the most serious or persistent offenders are less likely to take part.
What ethical dilemma may researchers face in self-report studies?
Researchers may face the dilemma of holding 'guilty knowledge' about crimes that participants disclose.
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