NCJ Number
51431
Journal
Annales Internationales de Criminologie Volume: 16 Issue: 1-2 Dated: (SEPTEMBER 1977) Pages: 109-139
Date Published
1977
Length
31 pages
Annotation
THE METHODOLOGY USED TO DEVELOP A COMPARATIVE CRIME DATA FILE (CCDF) FOR 110 COUNTRIES FOR THE YEARS 1900 TO 1970 IS DESCRIBED. THIS DATA BASE THEN IS USED TO DISPROVE A FEW COMMON THEORIES ABOUT HOMICIDE.
Abstract
ALTHOUGH INCOMPLETE RECORDKEEPING AND PERIODS OF NATIONAL CRISIS HAVE CAUSED INTERRUPTIONS IN THE DATA FOR MANY OF THE COUNTRIES INCLUDED IN THE DATA BASE, THE CCDF IS BY FAR THE MOST COMPLETE CROSS-CULTURAL COLLECTION OF CRIME DATA AVAILABLE TO RESEARCHERS. IT WAS DEVELOPED UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE CENTER FOR STUDIES OF CRIME AND DELINQUENCY. AFTER URGING RESEARCHERS TO MAKE USE OF THIS DATA BASE, THIS PAPER EXPLAINS HOW THE INTERNATIONAL CRIME STATISTICS DISPROVE COMMONLY HELD NOTIONS ABOUT HOMICIDE RATES; NOTIONS DEVELOPED ON THE BASIS OF UNITED STATES DATA. RESEARCHERS HAVE ACCEPTED THAT MURDER RATES FOR CITIES ARE HIGHER THAN THOSE FOR THE COUNTRY AS A WHOLE, THAT MURDER RATES INCREASE AS A CITY'S POPULATION INCREASES, AND THAT MURDER RATES ARE CORRELATED STRONGLY WITH URBAN POPULATION. EVEN IN THE UNITED STATES HOWEVER, RATES DISPLAY A 'J' CURVE, INDICATING HIGHER RATES FOR RURAL AREAS THAN FOR SMALLER CITIES. FOR 17 COUNTRIES THE CCDF MURDER RATES ACTUALLY DECREASED AS CITY SIZE INCREASED, 17 INCREASED ALONG WITH CITY SIZE, AND OTHERS FLUCTUATED. TABLES PRESENT BASIC FIGURES AND SHOW TRENDS. OTHER TABLES SHOW CORRELATIONS BETWEEN GOOD AND IMPERFECT INDICATORS OF THE SAME OFFENSE FOR 16 CASES FROM THE 110-NATION CCDF AND PRESENT SAMPLE RATES FROM THE DATA BASE. DATA HAVE BEEN COLLECTED FOR FIVE CRIME CATEGORIES: HOMICIDE, RAPE, ASSAULT, ROBBERY, AND THEFT. FOOTNOTES AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (GLR)