Social Reality Of Crime Essay
CH. 2 – Crime Waves, Fears and Social Reality (Kappeler)
I. Facts About Crime and Criminals
A. There is no crime wave in US
1. victimization declining
B. Most crimes are minor incidents
1. not serious, violent or dangerous
C. Most crimes committed by those we trust most
D. Most do not involve use of weapon
E. Most interracial
F. Government hides corporate crime, political crime and corruption
II. Uniform Crime Report (UCR)
• Most commonly recognized measures of crime in US
A. Exaggerates serious crime
1. reported by local police depts
2. no 2 agencies classify crime in exactly the same way
3. gives false impression that street crime is more dangerous and common than it actually is
B. Statistics can be manipulated
1. subject to …show more content…
Steady decrease in violent and property crimes
1. violent crime down 55.4% and property crime down 48.8%
2. decreases are not small or marginal and they are consistent
3. between 1993 & 2003 no crime category showed victimization increase
IV. Reality of Crime
A. Strangers and crime
1. NCVS data states that 55.5% of all violent crime victimizations were by “nonstrangers”
B. Weapons, injury and crime
1. weapons used in 24% of all violent crime
2. use of weapons declining
3. most violent victimizations do not involve weapons
C. Race and crime
1. media and politicians play on ingrained racism in US
2. interracial crime is very rare
a. 73% white crimes victimized by whites
b. 75% black crimes victimized by blacks
V. Crime Images
A. The media
1. grossly distorts our view of crime
2. news media make violent crime seem normal and commonplace
3. primary and most consistent source of info on crime, criminals, crime control policies and criminal justice system for most Americans
4. seek most sensational and unusual crimes
5. distorted coverage leads to misinformed public
B. Crime-industrial Complex
1. criminal justice establishment has a pecuniary interest in crime portrayed as serious and
I. Facts About Crime and Criminals
A. There is no crime wave in US
1. victimization declining
B. Most crimes are minor incidents
1. not serious, violent or dangerous
C. Most crimes committed by those we trust most
D. Most do not involve use of weapon
E. Most interracial
F. Government hides corporate crime, political crime and corruption
II. Uniform Crime Report (UCR)
• Most commonly recognized measures of crime in US
A. Exaggerates serious crime
1. reported by local police depts
2. no 2 agencies classify crime in exactly the same way
3. gives false impression that street crime is more dangerous and common than it actually is
B. Statistics can be manipulated
1. subject to …show more content…
Steady decrease in violent and property crimes
1. violent crime down 55.4% and property crime down 48.8%
2. decreases are not small or marginal and they are consistent
3. between 1993 & 2003 no crime category showed victimization increase
IV. Reality of Crime
A. Strangers and crime
1. NCVS data states that 55.5% of all violent crime victimizations were by “nonstrangers”
B. Weapons, injury and crime
1. weapons used in 24% of all violent crime
2. use of weapons declining
3. most violent victimizations do not involve weapons
C. Race and crime
1. media and politicians play on ingrained racism in US
2. interracial crime is very rare
a. 73% white crimes victimized by whites
b. 75% black crimes victimized by blacks
V. Crime Images
A. The media
1. grossly distorts our view of crime
2. news media make violent crime seem normal and commonplace
3. primary and most consistent source of info on crime, criminals, crime control policies and criminal justice system for most Americans
4. seek most sensational and unusual crimes
5. distorted coverage leads to misinformed public
B. Crime-industrial Complex
1. criminal justice establishment has a pecuniary interest in crime portrayed as serious and