NCJ Number
53553
Date Published
1978
Length
13 pages
Annotation
FOLLOWING A CONCEPTUALIZATION OF THE BASIC TERMS, CRIME, CRIMINAL, AND CRIMINAL STATISTICS, A DESCRIPTION AND EVALUATION ARE UNDERTAKEN OF THE MAJOR SOURCES OF CRIME STATISTICS IN THE U.S.
Abstract
CRIMINAL STATISTICS ARE PRODUCED ON A STATE, LOCAL, AND FEDERAL LEVEL AND MAY BE DEFINED AS THE REGULAR AND SYSTEMATIC COLLECTION, COLLATION, AND PUBLICATION OF A BODY OF DATA DEALING WITH SOME SPECIFIC ASPECT OR PHASE OF THE CRIMINAL OR JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM. THE TERM 'CRIMINAL' IS LESS EASILY DEFINED, FOR IT IS OFTEN USED TO EMBRACE FOUR DISTINCT CONCEPTS: CRIME, CRIMINALS, DELINQUENCY, AND DELINQUENTS. CRIME IS DEFINED AS LEGALLY PROHIBITED AND JUDICIALLY PUNISHABLE FORMS OF SPECIFIED BEHAVIOR WITHIN A CRIMINAL CODE. CRIMINALS, DELINQUENCY, AND DELINQUENTS, HOWEVER, ARE MORE DIFFICULT TO DEFINE. SOME WOULD LABEL ALL THOSE ARRESTED AS CRIMINALS, ALTHOUGH ONLY A FRACTION ARE EVER CONVICTED. SOME WOULD ARGUE THAT DELINQUENTS ARE MERELY UNDERAGED CRIMINALS AND THAT DELINQUENCY IS A CONCEPT ENCOMPASSING ALL PROHIBITED ADULT BEHAVIOR, PLUS A SERIES OF STATUS OFFENSES PROHIBITED TO JUVENILES SO LONG AS THEY REMAIN BELOW A SPECIFIED AGE. THESE DIFFERENCES, OFTEN REGIONAL, MAY BE IMPORTANT WHEN INTERPRETING LOCALLY COLLECTED CRIME STATISTICS. THE MOST IMPORTANT SOURCE OF OFFICIAL CRIMINAL STATISTICS IS THE UNIFORM CRIME REPORTS (UCR). THE PRIMARY FOCUS OF THE UCR IS ON CRIMES KNOWN TO THE POLICE AND FOR VARIOUS REASONS ANALYSES OF THE UCR CONCENTRATE ON THE FOLLOWING SEVEN OFFENSES: (1) MURDER AND MANSLAUGHTER; (2) RAPE; (3) ROBBERY; (4) AGGRAVATED ASSAULT; (5) BURGLARY; (6) LARCENY-THEFT; AND (7) MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT. BECAUSE THE UCR IS BASED ON POLICE PROVIDED DATA, THE GENERAL LIMITATIONS OF OFFICIAL POLICE STATISTICS ARE IN TURN PASSED ON. THESE INCLUDE DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGES, CHANGES IN POLICE PRACTICES, CHANGES IN PUBLIC ACCEPTANCE OF CRIME, CHANGES IN THE LEGAL CODE, CHANGING CRIMINAL OPPORTUNITIES, AND CHANGES IN LOCAL DATA NEEDS. THERE ARE ADDITIONALLY A NUMBER OF METHODOLOGICAL PROBLEMS THAT LIMIT THE UCR. THESE TEND TO RELATE TO THE EXCLUSION OF FEDERAL CASES AND PROBLEMS INVOLVING CRIME CLASSIFICATION AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF CRIME RATES BASED ON DICENNIAL CENSUS INFORMATION. A BIBLIOGRAPHY IS INCLUDED. (KBL)