Statistics of Crime
Official Statistics on crime are often likened to the ¡§tip of an Iceberg¡¨. Critically assess this assertion in light of the ¡§dark figure¡¨ of crime and any new forms of data that can provide a clearer picture of the true extent of crime.
Crime is continuously changing in its definition in people¡¦s perceptions with no complex classification being universally accepted. This forms the basis of the problems faced when attempting to count crime, who determines what crime is; the government of the day, the people, or the law? If crime cannot be defined then placing crimes into categories is even harder, how can statistics wholly represent ¡¥the true extent of crime¡¦ when one can not successfully categorise all crimes. The ¡¥dark figure¡¦ represents many types of crime and criminals, appearing for several reasons, to quantify this figure is impossible, however, an educated impression can be established when looking at various forms of data and information.
Official Statistics contain two parts; court statistics and offences known to the police. Crimes and the nature of punishment imposed on conviction are reported to the home office, by each police force (Jones 2000:14). Used as a starting point for investigating criminal offences, official statistics can be important for formulating policies and proving the effectiveness of them also as a social barometer where our society can be compared to other states or history. Recording the most serious crimes and which result in prison sentences. Official Statistics provide a, ¡§perfectly adequate (means to) judge the size and shape of the ¡¥crime problem¡¦¡¨ (Oxford Handbook1997:150). They are, however, greatly criticised and do not provide a complete picture when looking at crime for many reasons; court and police data are the only sources, providing a limited basis to draw educated conclusions. Many government agencies are not even consulted about their statistics ¡V transport police, environment, Inland
Crime is continuously changing in its definition in people¡¦s perceptions with no complex classification being universally accepted. This forms the basis of the problems faced when attempting to count crime, who determines what crime is; the government of the day, the people, or the law? If crime cannot be defined then placing crimes into categories is even harder, how can statistics wholly represent ¡¥the true extent of crime¡¦ when one can not successfully categorise all crimes. The ¡¥dark figure¡¦ represents many types of crime and criminals, appearing for several reasons, to quantify this figure is impossible, however, an educated impression can be established when looking at various forms of data and information.
Official Statistics contain two parts; court statistics and offences known to the police. Crimes and the nature of punishment imposed on conviction are reported to the home office, by each police force (Jones 2000:14). Used as a starting point for investigating criminal offences, official statistics can be important for formulating policies and proving the effectiveness of them also as a social barometer where our society can be compared to other states or history. Recording the most serious crimes and which result in prison sentences. Official Statistics provide a, ¡§perfectly adequate (means to) judge the size and shape of the ¡¥crime problem¡¦¡¨ (Oxford Handbook1997:150). They are, however, greatly criticised and do not provide a complete picture when looking at crime for many reasons; court and police data are the only sources, providing a limited basis to draw educated conclusions. Many government agencies are not even consulted about their statistics ¡V transport police, environment, Inland
Bibliography: „X Crime and Society in Britain by Hazel Croall Published by Pearson Longman, Essex, 1998 „X Understanding Violent Crime by Stephen Jones Published by Open University Press, Buckingham, 2001 „X The Oxford Handbook of Criminology edited by Mike Maguire, Rod Morgan, Robert Reiner Published by Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1997 and 2002 „X Understanding Crime Data by Clive Coleman and Jenny Moyniham Published by Open University Press, Buckingham, 1999