CRJS 1001 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS LATEST
UPDATE (GRADED A+).
What is the crime rate?
Crime # divided by population x 100,000
Police-Reported Crime
Three main categories: Violent crime, Property crime, Other Criminal Code violations. Published
annually, Uniform Crime Statistics
Gathered from Uniform Crime Reporting (USR) system
Self-Reported Crime
Victimization data through General Social Survey (GSS)
Based on sample of 10,000 Canadians. Important compliment to official crime statistics, information on
crimes that individuals fail to report, or police fail to discover
Victimization survey: estimate unrecorded crime, explain why victims did not report, impact of crime on
victims, identify population at risk
What is the Uniform Crime Reporting (USR)?
Measures the incidence of crime and its characteristics. Info used by fed. and prov. policy makers and
public and private researchers. Comes from police-reported crime
Crime funnel
A model indicating that the actual total quantity of crime is much higher than the decreasing proportion
that is detected, reported, prosecuted, and punished
Dark Figure of Crime
Variation between the number of crimes that occur and the number of crimes that are actually reported
to the police
Above the water = reported crimes
Below the water = unreported crimes
What are some factors that impact police-reported crime rates?
Demographics (Age structure of population), Public reporting rates to police (Changes in public
tolerance for certain crimes), Local police policies and procedures, Legislative changes, Social and
economic factors, Technological change
Hierarchy Rule
Only most serious offense reported -> Counting bias favors reporting of violent crimes. Different
recording method for violent vs. nonviolent crimes: For crimes of violence, count number of victims, For
crimes of property, count number of events, For mixed or multiple offenses, only most serious offense is
recorded
, What are some reasons people do not report a crime?
Crime was minor and not worth taking the time to report, Police wouldn't considered incident
important, Lack of evidence, Police wouldn't find property or offender, no one was harmed/no financial
loss, private Incident or personal matter and was handled informally, Offender would not be convicted
or adequately punished, Did not want the hassle of dealing with police, Unsatisfactory service from
police in the past, Did not want to get offender in trouble, Insurance wouldn't cover it, Reported to
another official
Why is understanding the research process important to understand crime?
Causes, Victims, General social impacts, What should be done about it. Research provides up-to-date
relevant insight for challenges. For example, research can lead to new policies and case laws to guide
daily enforcement.
Qualitative Research
Study of phenomena based not on measurement but an exploration of the reasons for human behaviour
and the qualities of subjective experience
Quantitative Research
Relating to the measurements of something - quantity rather than quality
Deductive Reasoning
Information → pattern → tentative hypothesis → theory
Inductive Reasoning
Theory → hypothesis → observation → confirmation
9-Step Research Process
Planning
Conceptualization
Choice of method
Operationalization
Sampling
Data collection
Data processing
Analysis
Application
Why do we need theory?
provide frameworks for understanding and explaining criminal behaviour, help understand the root
causes of criminal behaviour, inform effective crime prevention strategies and policy development,
guide criminal justice practices
What factors make a good theory?
UPDATE (GRADED A+).
What is the crime rate?
Crime # divided by population x 100,000
Police-Reported Crime
Three main categories: Violent crime, Property crime, Other Criminal Code violations. Published
annually, Uniform Crime Statistics
Gathered from Uniform Crime Reporting (USR) system
Self-Reported Crime
Victimization data through General Social Survey (GSS)
Based on sample of 10,000 Canadians. Important compliment to official crime statistics, information on
crimes that individuals fail to report, or police fail to discover
Victimization survey: estimate unrecorded crime, explain why victims did not report, impact of crime on
victims, identify population at risk
What is the Uniform Crime Reporting (USR)?
Measures the incidence of crime and its characteristics. Info used by fed. and prov. policy makers and
public and private researchers. Comes from police-reported crime
Crime funnel
A model indicating that the actual total quantity of crime is much higher than the decreasing proportion
that is detected, reported, prosecuted, and punished
Dark Figure of Crime
Variation between the number of crimes that occur and the number of crimes that are actually reported
to the police
Above the water = reported crimes
Below the water = unreported crimes
What are some factors that impact police-reported crime rates?
Demographics (Age structure of population), Public reporting rates to police (Changes in public
tolerance for certain crimes), Local police policies and procedures, Legislative changes, Social and
economic factors, Technological change
Hierarchy Rule
Only most serious offense reported -> Counting bias favors reporting of violent crimes. Different
recording method for violent vs. nonviolent crimes: For crimes of violence, count number of victims, For
crimes of property, count number of events, For mixed or multiple offenses, only most serious offense is
recorded
, What are some reasons people do not report a crime?
Crime was minor and not worth taking the time to report, Police wouldn't considered incident
important, Lack of evidence, Police wouldn't find property or offender, no one was harmed/no financial
loss, private Incident or personal matter and was handled informally, Offender would not be convicted
or adequately punished, Did not want the hassle of dealing with police, Unsatisfactory service from
police in the past, Did not want to get offender in trouble, Insurance wouldn't cover it, Reported to
another official
Why is understanding the research process important to understand crime?
Causes, Victims, General social impacts, What should be done about it. Research provides up-to-date
relevant insight for challenges. For example, research can lead to new policies and case laws to guide
daily enforcement.
Qualitative Research
Study of phenomena based not on measurement but an exploration of the reasons for human behaviour
and the qualities of subjective experience
Quantitative Research
Relating to the measurements of something - quantity rather than quality
Deductive Reasoning
Information → pattern → tentative hypothesis → theory
Inductive Reasoning
Theory → hypothesis → observation → confirmation
9-Step Research Process
Planning
Conceptualization
Choice of method
Operationalization
Sampling
Data collection
Data processing
Analysis
Application
Why do we need theory?
provide frameworks for understanding and explaining criminal behaviour, help understand the root
causes of criminal behaviour, inform effective crime prevention strategies and policy development,
guide criminal justice practices
What factors make a good theory?
