1. CHAPTER
2
The Crime
Picture
1

2. The Value of Data
•policy
• programs
 laws
 funding
2

3. Sources of Data
1. Uniform Crime Reports (UCR/NIBRS)
2. National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS)
 Professional organizations
 Offender self-reports
 Other regular publications
3

4. NIBRS: The New UCR
National Incident Based Reporting System
 FBI: 1988
 Law enforcement:
-crime/arrest
4

5. NIBRS
-location
-weapon
-type/value of property
-characteristics vic/perp
-vic/perp relationship
-disposition

6. UCR/NIBRS
DO NOT WRITE DOWN
Also collects data on:
 bad checks  liquor law violations
 vagrancy  “peeping Tom”
 disorderly conduct activities
 driving under the  runaways
influence  trespassing
 drunkenness  general category of all
 non-violent family “other” criminal law
offenses violations
6

7. UCR/NIBRS: Crime Rates
# of crimes
Crime Rate =
100,000
population
7

8. UCR/NIBRS: Clearance
Rates
Clearance Rate = number of crimes solved
number of crimes committed
8

9. Murder
unlawful killing of a human being by
another
Includes:
 Willful/unlawful homicides
 Non-negligent manslaughter
9

10. Murder: Multiple Killings
Spree: two/more
-more than one occasion
Mass: three/more
-single event
Serial: three/more
-time/cooling off
10

11. Forcible Rape
carnal knowledge forcibly/against will
Includes:
 Assault/attempt
11

12. Rape: underreported: 60%
-Police unsympathetic
-Embarrassment/publicity
-Reprisals
-Additional “victimization”
12

13. Robbery
taking/attempted taking
property of another
Force fear of force
13

14. Aggravated Assault
serious injury upon another
Includes:
 Attempted-deadly weapon
14

15. Burglary
unlawful entry –structure
to commit a felony/theft
15

16. Larceny–theft
unlawful
taking/carrying/leading/riding away
from possession of another
16

17. Motor Vehicle Theft
Theft/attempted of motor vehicle
-self-propelled-land/not rails
17

18. Motor Vehicle Theft
Includes Excludes
automobiles trains
motorcycles airplanes
motor scooters bulldozers
trucks most farm equipment
buses ships
snowmobiles boats
spacecraft
18

19. Arson
burning/attempted burning of property
with/without intent to defraud
Structures & vehicles
19

20. Part II Offenses
-social order offenses:
 Simple assault
 DUI
 Prostitution
 Vandalism
 Receiving stolen property
 Fraud
 Embezzlement
20

21. NCVS
National Crime Victimization Survey
 self-reports
 “dark figure” of crime
> 50,000 households surveyed twice per year
21

22. Dark Figure of Crime
crimes
known
all to the police
crime
dark figure
22

23. NCVS Statistics Reveal
 1/2 of violent crime reported
 1/3 of all property crime reported
23

24. Women and Crime
 Women:
likely to be injured during crime
Lifestyle modifications due to threat
24

25. Findings of the National Violence Against
Women Survey (NVAWS)
DO NOT WRITE DOWN
 52% have been physically assaulted as child/adult
 1.9 million women physically assaulted in U.S. each year
 25% (8% of men) experienced partner violence
 18% experienced a completed/attempted rape (> half under
18 when first raped)
 More likely to be injured during assault
 Violence against women primarily partner violence
 8% of women have been stalked.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE TODAY, 10E © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc
by Dr. Frank Schmalleger Pearson Prentice Hall
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
25

26. Violence Against Women
Act (VAWA)
• Rape Shield Law to civil/criminal cases
 Federal funding
26

27. Anti-Stalking Laws
 All states
-protection to women (80%)
 Cyberstalking:
-internet/email/electronic
communication to stalk
27

28. Elderly Crime Victims
•Lowest rate of victimization
-high fear rate
-targets of scams
28

29. Hate Crimes
Hate crimes:
-hatred/bias/prejudice
-actual/perceived
- race/color/religion/national origin/ethnicity
gender/sexual orientation
29

30. Organized Crime
-highly organized/disciplined association
-illegal goods/services
-RICO Act
30

31. Drug Crime
 > x 2 since 1975
 Federal prosecutions:
-11,854 in 1984
-40,000 in 2001
•Drugs=other crimes
31

32. Cybercrime
Cybercrime:
-computer
-federal/state computer statute
-victims?
32

33. Causes of Crime
 causes?
 Basically good?
 Why some violent/aggressive?
 Self-interest?
33

34. Criminology
Criminology: causes
Crime—violation of criminal law w/o legal
justification
Deviance—
-violation of social norms
-appropriate behavior
-particular set of circumstances
34

35. Criminological Theory
 Theory-interrelated propositions
-describe/explain/predict
35

36. Characteristics of
Biological Theories
Basic Assumptions
-genetic
-hereditary
-primitive developmental/evolutionary process
36

37. Social Policy and Biological
Theories
“Extreme.”
Eugenics (1920s)
37

38. Psychobiological
Theories
38

39. Characteristics of
Psychobiological Theories
Basic Assumptions
-DNA
-nutrition
-hormones
-physical trauma
-body chemistry
39

40. Chromosome Theory
-Supermales:(XYY)
-Later studies disputed findings
40

41. Biochemical Factors and
Imbalances
Biocriminology:
-eating habits
-vitamin deficiencies
-genetics
41

42. Social Policy and Biological
Theories
Policies: modify body chemistry-change behavior
Example: Medication
42

43. Psychological
Theories
43

44. Characteristics of
Psychological Theories
Basic Assumptions
-individual-unit of analysis
-personality-motivational element
-abnormal mental processes
44

45. Behavioral Conditioning
-behavior-increased/decreased by reward/punishment/other
stimuli
-Pavlov’s dogs
45

46. Psychopathology and
Crime
Psychopathology: mental illness
Psychopath:
-personality disorder/antisocial
-likely to become criminal
46

47. The Psychotic Offender
Psychosis:
-mental disorder
-out of touch with reality
-can lead to crime
47

48. Social Policy and
Psychological Theories
-individualistic/treatment and therapy plans
-reduce dangerousness
48

49. Sociological
Theories
49

50. Characteristics of
Sociological Theories
Basic Assumptions
-Group dynamics-causal basis
-Social disorganization-criminal behavior
50

51. Social Policy and
Sociological Theories
-change cultural conditions that lead people into crime
51

52. Social Process
Theories
52

53. Characteristics of Social
Process Theories
Basic Assumptions
-Low self-esteem/no meaningful social roles
-crime-socialization
-crime-observation
53

54. Social Policy and Social
Process Theories
-Improve self esteem
-mentor programs
54

55. Conflict
Theories
55

56. Characteristics of Conflict
Theory
-crime-economic/social inequities
-conflict among groups-unavoidable
-laws-interests of powerful
56

57. Social Policy and
Conflict Theories
Focus on injustices and inequality-Revolution!
-job opportunities
-prison overcrowding
57