3.1 Chapter Overview and Learning Objectives
In this chapter, we will focus on the importance of studying research methods related to criminal justice and criminology. Then we will discuss some of the different statistics and data that are reported as well as under and misreported. Finally we will investigate possible Crime Prevention Science solutions which could be implemented to improve research and data collection in the criminal justice system.
3.1.1 Learning Objectives
After reading this chapter, students will be able to:
- Develop an understanding of the different data sources used to gather precise and accurate measures of crime.
- Recognize the difference between official or reported statistics, self-report statistics, and victimization statistics.
- Evaluate the reliability of statistics and data heard about the criminal justice system.
- Identify Crime Prevention Science (CPSc) Solutions that rely on crime data.
- Investigate data support for Crime Prevention Science (CPSc) Solutions.
3.1.2 Key Terms
Below are some of the most important key terms and phrases used in this chapter. You should review and become familiar with these terms before reading this chapter:
- dark figure
- official statistics
- respondents
- self-report statistics
- survey research
- victim
- victimization studies
3.1.3 Critical Thinking Questions
Take a few minutes and reflect on these questions before you read the chapter to assess what you already know. Then, after reading the chapter, return to these questions to gauge how much you’ve learned:
- What are the three different types of data sources we often rely on in CJ?
- What are the strengths and limitations of each data source?
- Identify when each type of data source would be appropriate for different crimes and why.
3.1.4 Licenses and Attributions for Chapter Overview and Learning Objectives
“3.1. Chapter Overview” by Megan Gonzalez is adapted from “2: Defining and Measuring Crime and Criminal Justice” by Shanell Sanchez in SOU-CCJ230 Introduction to the American Criminal Justice System by Alison S. Burke, David Carter, Brian Fedorek, Tiffany Morey, Lore Rutz-Burri, and Shanell Sanchez, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. Edited for style, consistency, recency, and brevity.