2.7 Conclusion
No one single source of data on crime is complete or able to give us an entirely accurate picture of crime in the United States. Understanding what each database does and does not include, as well as their benefits and drawbacks, helps us use the data appropriately. Knowing the pros and cons of crime data sources will help you keep a sharp eye as we discuss theories and the data they rely on for development.
Chapter Summary
Knowing the facts about crime that is happening, including how much, what type, where, by whom, and to whom, is all important data that needs to be tracked if we are to be able to determine what is or is not working. The two official go-to data sources for crime in the United States are the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Uniform Crime Report (UCR) and the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ (BJS) National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). While the UCR consists of multiple database collections, the information all comes from law enforcement agencies. In contrast, the NCVS data is all self-reported directly by victims of crime. Although these are the gold and silver standards on crime stats, we know they do not capture everything. Crime goes unreported for a multitude of reasons that may be personal, logistical, or due to error or manipulation. We call this the dark figure of crime. Prime examples in the chapter about the misuse of statistics emphasize the importance of being critical in how we evaluate and use crime stats. It is important to be aware of and to consider the possible motives of the source that is sharing crime statistics when determining the validity or accuracy and trustworthiness of the data.
Discussion Questions and Supplemental Resources
Discussion Questions
- Explore the statistics [Website] provided by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (n.d.). What are some of the motives behind the data they present? How would you judge the validity of these statistics?
- Watch an example of how the media [Streaming Video] discusses the FBI’s crime statistics. What do you think of the manner in which the reporter shares these data?
- Watch this TED Talk [Streaming Video] by an attorney general who used crime data to change the manner in which law enforcement strategized how best to reduce crime. What did they learn from improving their use of data? Why did this matter?
- What are some examples (beyond those shared in this chapter) of why someone may want to know crime statistics for a particular area or timeframe?
- What are some ways to improve crime tracking data?
- In what instances would someone want to show that crime rates are improving (getting lower), and in what instances might someone want to show the opposite? In either case, are they lying? What are the ethics involved?
Supplemental Resources
If you want to dig deeper into the topics covered in this chapter, check out the following resources:
- Read the original article that launched the super-predator myth, “The Coming of the Super-Predators” in The Washington Examiner (your library may provide access to this article).
- The New York Times reports on the lasting impact of the super-predator myth in this Retro Report on YouTube called “The Superpredator Scare [Streaming Video].”
- Read this article from Prison Legal News about misleading crime stats, “FBI’s National Crime Data Found to be Flawed, Manipulated” (2013) [Website].
Licenses and Attributions for Conclusion
Open Content, Original
“Conclusion” by Jessica René Peterson is licensed under CC BY 4.0.
legal term describing the violation of a criminal law
violence that is physical, sexual, emotional, or financial in nature and often patterned that takes place between people in a family setting; often used interchangeably with the term intimate partner violence, although domestic violence is not limited to intimate partners