The Mismeasure of Crime

281 Pages·2010·2.767 MB·English

by  Clayton Mosher, Terance D. Miethe, Timothy Christopher Hart

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Mosher,ClaytonJames.
Themismeasureofcrime/ClaytonJ.Mosher,TeranceD.Miethe,TimothyC.
Hart.—2nded.
p.cm.
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN978-1-4129-8181-1(pbk.:acid-freepaper)
1. Criminalstatistics. 2. Criminalstatistics—UnitedStates. 3. Victimsofcrimes
surveys. 4. Victimsofcrimessurveys—UnitedStates. I. Miethe,TeranceD.
II.Hart,TimothyC. III. Title.
HV6018.M672011
362.880973—dc22 2010025783
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(cid:1)
BRIEF CONTENTS
Exhibits ix
Acknowledgments xii
Chapter1.Introduction:ThePervasiveness
(andLimitations)ofMeasurement 1
Chapter2.TheHistoryofMeasuringCrime 30
Chapter3.OfficialCrimeData 65
Chapter4.Self-ReportStudies 117
Chapter5.VictimizationSurveys 151
Chapter6.CrimePatterns,EvaluatingCrimePolicies,
andCriminologicalTheories 193
References 223
Index 246
AbouttheAuthors 265
(cid:1)
DETAILED CONTENTS
Exhibits ix
Acknowledgments xii
1. Introduction:ThePervasiveness(andLimitations)
ofMeasurement 1
DataforThought 5
Reliability,Validity,andSourcesofErrorin
theMeasurementofSocialPhenomena 8
ReliabilityandValidityinSurveyResearch 9
ReliabilityandValidityIssuesRelatedto
theQuestionnaireandRespondents 15
MeasuringCrimeandDeviance 19
Conclusion 28
TheDesignofThisBook 28
ReviewQuestions 29
InternetExercises 29
2. TheHistoryofMeasuringCrime 30
TheEarlyHistoryofMeasuring
SocialPhenomenaandCrime 31
TheDevelopmentofUniformCrimeReports
intheUnitedStates 40
TheDarkFigureandAdditionalProblems
WithCrimeStatistics 45
EarlySelf-ReportStudies 49
VictimizationSurveys 61
SummaryandConclusions 63
ReviewQuestions 64
InternetExercise 64
3. OfficialCrimeData 65
UniformCrimeReportsintheUnitedStates 66
DataCollectionProceduresUndertheUniform
CrimeReportsProgram 68
ClassifyingandScoringCriminalOffenses
intheUCRProgram 69
NationalIncident-BasedReportingSystem 75
OfficialCrimeTrendsandPatternsBasedon
UniformCrimeReports 80
ProblemsWithPoliceDataonCrime 93
OfficialCrimeDatainInternationalContext 108
SummaryandConclusions 115
ReviewQuestions 115
InternetExercises 116
4. Self-ReportStudies 117
TheMethodBehindtheMeasure 118
Self-ReportsonCrimeandDelinquency 122
SocialCorrelatesofSelf-ReportedOffending 138
ReliabilityandValidityofSelf-ReportData 141
Self-ReportsFromKnownCriminalsandDelinquents 142
SummaryandConclusions 148
ReviewQuestions 149
InternetExercises 150
5. VictimizationSurveys 151
TheNationalCrimeVictimizationSurvey 152
VictimizationRatesandCharacteristicsoftheVictims,
Offenders,andIncidents 163
OtherVictimizationSurveys 173
InternationalVictimizationSurveys 173
ProblemsWithVictimizationSurveys 175
SummaryandConclusions 189
ReviewQuestions 190
InternetExercises 190
6. CrimePatterns,EvaluatingCrimePolicies,
andCriminologicalTheories 193
CrimeTrends 194
UsingCrimeDatatoEvaluateCrimePolicies 198
TestingCriminologicalTheory 205
RacialProfiling/BiasedPolicing 208
RecentDevelopmentsinOfficialData,Self-Reports,
andVictimizationSurveys 214
SummaryandConclusions 221
ReviewQuestions 222
InternetExercises 222
References 223
Index 246
AbouttheAuthors 265
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EXHIBITS
2.1 1790UnitedStatesCensusForm 33
2.2 Quetelet’sAnalysesofCrimeinFranceandBelgium 34
2.3 MaleandFemaleCrimeComparisons(France1826–1829) 36
2.4 PrisonersandJuvenileDelinquents 39
2.5 ArrestRateComparisons(per100,000Population):
SelectedOffensesandCities,1880and1915 42
2.6 ComparisonofMaleandFemaleSexualBehavior:
SelectedVariables(Percentages) 50
2.7 CollegeStudents’Drinking(1953):FirstDrink
BeforeorAfterEnteringCollege(Percentages) 55
3.1 PartIandPartIIOffensesintheUCRClassification 67
3.2 OffenseCategoriesUndertheNationalIncident-Based
ReportingSystem(NIBRS) 76
3.3 DataElementsUndertheNationalIncident-Based
ReportingSystem(NIBRS) 78
3.4 CrimeRates,UCR,1960–2008 81
3.5 HomicidesandHomicideRatesinSelect
U.S.Cities(Basedon2008FBIData) 82
3.6 CharacteristicsofHomicideVictimsandOffenders
BasedonUCRSupplementaryHomicideReports,2008 83
3.7 OffenseandSituationalCharacteristicsofHomicides
BasedonUCRSupplementaryHomicideReports,2008 84
3.8 CharacteristicsofRobberyBasedon2008UCRData 86
ix