CHAPTER 2

 Breaking down crimes into categories is important for measurement of crime, crime prevention, and victim assistance  There are six basic categories of criminal behavior in American law  Violent Crime  Property Crime  Public Order Crime  White-collar Crime  Organized Crime  High-tech Crime Types of Crime

 Violent Crime  Also referred to as crimes against persons  Classified by degree  Four categories 1Murder – unlawful killing of a human being 2Sexual assault/rape – coerced actions of a sexual nature with unwilling participant 3Assault/battery – two separate acts  Assault is the threat or attempt to do violence  Battery is the act of physically contacting another person with the intent to do harm 4.Robbery  Taking property from another person through force or the threat of force Types of Crime

 Property Crime  Crimes of economic gain or property damage  The most common type of crime  Categories: 1.Larceny/theft – taking property from another person without force, intent to keep property 2.Burglary – breaking and entering into a structure without permission with intent to commit a felony 3.Motor Vehicle Theft – theft or attempted theft of a motor vehicle  Includes any commonly used transport method  Does not include watercraft or farm equipment 4.Arson – willful and malicious burning  Home  Automobile  Commercial building Types of Crime

 Public Order Crime:  Linked to the consensus model  Behaviors considered contrary to public values and morals  Sometimes (incorrectly) referred to as “victim-less” crimes  May create an environment that causes violent and property crimes  Include:  Public drunkenness  Prostitution  Gambling  Illicit drug use Types of Crime

 Are public order crimes really victimless?  Do you think the government continues to spend billions of dollars to apprehend, prosecute, and sentence people who are guilty of public order crimes?  Are there any public order crimes you believe should be decriminalized? Discussion Question #1

 White Collar Crime:  Illegal acts committed by an individual or business entity  Broadly used term  Difficult to determine with any certainty  Estimates that white collar crime costs $3.5 trillion per year worldwide  Organized Crime  Illegal acts carried out by illegal organizations engaged in the market for illegal goods or services  Illicit drugs  Firearms  Prostitution  Gambling Types of Crime

 High-Tech Crime  Newest variation on crime  Crimes directly related to the increased use of computers and technology by society  The Internet is the site of many cyber crimes  Selling pornographic materials  Soliciting minors  Defrauding consumers through bogus financial investments Types of Crime

 The Uniform Crime Report (UCR) is one major data source for criminologists  Produced by the FBI; began in 1930  18,300 policing agencies send annual data on:  Number of persons arrested  Number of crimes reported by victims, witnesses, and the police  Police employee data  The data is presented as a:  Rate per 100,000 people  Percentage change from previous years  Divides criminal offenses into two categories  Part I Index Offenses  Part II Index Offenses Measuring Crime in the United States

 UCR Part I Offenses  Crimes considered to be the most serious Measuring Crime in the United States

 UCR Part II Offenses  All other crimes recorded by the FBI  Outweigh Part I offenses  Generally less serious than part I and carry lighter punishments  Nineteen categories; most common being:  Drug abuse violations  Simple assaults  Driving under the influence  Disorderly conduct  Measured only by “arrest” data  Approximately 10 million arrests for Part II offenses annually Measuring Crime in the United States

 The National Incident-Based Reporting System  The Department of Justice (DOJ) began seeking ways to improve data system  NIBRS was the result  Local agencies collect data on single crime occurrence  22 different offense categories with 46 specific crimes (Group A)  32 states are now NIBRS certified  Benefits compared to UCR are that information is provided on:  Offenses  Victims  Offenders  Arrestees Measuring Crime in the United States

 Differences between NIBRS and UCR Measuring Crime in the United States

 Victim Surveys  Alternate method of data collection  Criminologists or other researchers ask the crime victims directly about their victimization   Phone surveys  First administered in 1966  Results indicate a much higher level of victimization than UCR  Measures reported and unreported crime  Unaffected by police bias and distortions in reporting crime to the FBI  Gives a better indication of the “dark figure of crime”  The actual amount of crime since most crimes are never reported to the police  The government created an ongoing survey known as the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) in 1972 Measuring Crime in the United States

 Questions from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) Measuring Crime in the United States

 Play the role of crime analyst!  Using find the most recent crime rates in your city or the city closest to you.  What are the rates for violent and property crime?  Do a quick anonymous survey in the class about the student’s victimization.  Do the crime rates in UCR compare to the victimization rates reported in the class?  What may be the causes for the differences between the two data collection measures?  Discuss the trends in crime rates for your selected city. Discussion Question #2

 Self-Reported Surveys  Third major data source for criminologists  Participants report their criminal behaviors  Personal interviews  Telephone interviews  Questionnaires  Research suggests they are forthcoming and honest  There is no penalty for admitting to criminal activity  Compared to UCR and NCVS, self-report data offers the best measure for the dark figure of crime Measuring Crime in the United States

 Presently enjoying historically low levels of crime according to UCR and NCVS  Theories to explain declining crime rates:  Improvements in law enforcement  DNA fingerprinting and information based policing techniques  Aging population  The median age in the U.S. is 37  Older people commit fewer crimes than younger people  End of crack cocaine epidemic  Gentrification of former high-crime neighborhoods Crime Trends

 Leveling Off: Crime in the 2010s  In 2012, UCR showed no change in violent and property crime rates  In 2012, NCVS measured a 15% increase in violent crime and 12% increase in property crime Crime Trends

 Crime, Race, and Poverty  Not all societal groups benefited equally from this positive crime trend  Results have been less positive for African Americans  Race  There is a divergence in crime trends between the races  Class  Neighborhoods with higher levels of disadvantage have higher violent crime rates  Ethnicity  Not a lot of research on the relationship between ethnicity and crime  Starting to see more interest Crime Trends

 Women and Crime  Crime is mostly a male dominated activity  13% of jail populations are women  7% of prison populations are women  26% of all arrests involve women  There is an increasing female presence in the criminal justice system  The life circumstances and behavior of women dramatically changed in the past 40 years  The criminal justice system’s attitude toward women has changed over the past 40 years Crime Trends

 What are some local cases that show the increased involvement of women committing criminal acts?  What are some national cases that show the increased involvement of women committing criminal acts?  What are some international cases that show the increased involvement of women committing criminal acts?  What are your thoughts about how the women are handled in the criminal justice system compared to men? Discussion Question #3

 Criminology:  The scientific study of crime and the causes of criminal behavior  There are different reasons why people commit crimes  Mental illness  Video games  Low self-control What Causes Crime?

 Correlation and Causation  There is a difference between the two  Correlation is the relationship between two measurements or behaviors that tend to move together in the same direction  Post partum depression and infanticide  Causation is the relationship in which a change is one measurement or behavior creates a recognizable change in another measurement or behavior  Post partum depression does not cause violent behavior  Correlation does not equal causation  There is a correlation between many factors and criminal behavior  Difficult to prove that factors directly cause criminal behavior What Causes Crime?

 The Role of Theory  Theory:  An explanation of a happening or circumstance that is based on observation, experimentation, and reasoning  Hypothesis:  A possible explanation for an observed occurrence that can be tested by further investigation What Causes Crime?

 The Brain and the Body  Rational Choice Theory  Thrill Offenders  Rational Choice Theory and Public Policy  Trait Theories of Crime  Biological and psychological  Genetics and crime  Hormones and Aggression  Mental Illness and crime  Psychology and Crime  Trait Theories and Public Policy What Causes Crime?

 Should we use brain scans on children to see if there is a possibility for future criminal offending?  Discuss the pros and cons of brain scanning. Discussion Question #4

 Bad Neighborhoods and Other Economic Disadvantages  Social Disorganization Theory  Strain Theory  Social Conflict Theories  Life Lessons and Criminal Behavior  Social Process Theories  Learning Theory  Control Theory  Life Course Theories  Self-control Theory What Causes Crime?

 Criminology has mostly focused on the offender  Only in the past decade has there been a focus of the victim  Emergence of Victimology  Relationships between victims and offenders and the interactions between the victims and the criminal justice system  The Risks of Victimization  Routine Activities Theory believes that criminal acts require:  A likely offender  A suitable target  Absence of capable guardian  Repeat Victimization  The Victim-Offender Connection Victims of Crime

 Women as Crime Victims  Sexual Violence  Other Common Crimes Against Women  Domestic violence  Stalking  Mental Illness and Victimization  Mentally ill people are much more likely to be victims of crime than perpetrators  Recommendations for increasing services such as treatment and temporary housing for the mentally ill Victims of Crime

 The Criminology of Drug Use  Many theories used to explain drug use  Social disorganization theory  Control theory  Drugs and the learning process  First time users  Learn the techniques of drug use  Learn to perceive the pleasurable effects of drug use  Learn to enjoy the social experience of drug use  Drug Addiction and Dependency  Drug Use vs. Drug Abuse  Addiction Basics  The Drug Crime Relationship  Prescription Drug Abuse  Meth and Heroin  Marijuana Legalization The Link Between Drugs and Crime