Notes on evaluating methods of collecting crime statistics (AC 1.6)
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Course
Changing Awareness of Crime
Institution
WJEC
These are notes on different ways of collecting statistics of crime, such as the home office and the crime survey. Useful for controlled assessment in December for 1st year students.
AC 1.6 – Evaluate Methods of Collecting Statistics about Crime
Evaluate methods of collecting statistics about crime
Measuring and Tracking Trends in Crime
Traditionally there were two main methods of measuring and tracking trend in crimes:
The Home Office - statistics collected by the police
The British Crime Survey – information collected in the crime survey for England and
Wales.
Police Recorded Crime
These are crimes that are reported to the police and that are recorded. The methods of
recording crime has changed, this suggests that police officers could exaggerate the falls in
certain trends in crime.
Crime Survey for England and Wales
Also known as the victim survey, it asks people about their experiences with crime. This
includes crime against households and adults, domestics etc. Also includes crimes that are
not reported to the police, information on the location, timing and the relationship between
the victim and offender. The survey fails to capture victimless crimes, but it does capture
unreported crime. The results are anonymous.
Reliability of Methods of Collecting Statistics about Crime
This is the consistency of results when the experiment is replicated under the same
conditions. Any statistic has is limitations and no source can tell us with complete accuracy
about what is happening with crime. However, the Crime Survey for England and Wales
considers crime not reported to the police s it may be more reliable. The methods of
recording crimes by the police have changed over the years and are acknowledged to have
affected data.
Validity of methods of collecting statistics about crime
This is described as the degree to which a research study measures what it intends to
measure. If the results of a study are not deemed to be valid then they are meaningless. If a
crime survey is meant to record the amount of crime that has taken place it may not be truly
valid. For example, the victim may be unaware of the offence or crime may be victimless.
Not all crime is reported and reporting a crime to the police does not always mean it will be
recorded by them.
Ethics of methods for collecting statistics about crime
This concerns moral rules and codes of conduct to the collection, analysis, reporting and
publication of information from the research. Active acceptance of the right to privacy,
confidentiality and informed consent. The Crime Survey for England and Wales is entirely
confidential, and the details are only used for research purposes.
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