AC1.6 - Evaluate methods of collecting statistics about crime
6 marks , 30 mins, advantages and disadvantages
Reliability - How consistent are the statistics? - Can’t get an accurate picture of crime because of unreported crime ( PRC), depending on
who completes the Crime Survey, larger sample = more representative, smaller sample = inaccurate, only targeting certain areas/ crimes which
could lead to skewed statistics.Questions may be interpreted differently
Validity - How accurate are the results? Are they truly showing the number of crimes occurring? - Dark figure of crime, people might not
complete the survey (unreported crime), lack of detail in responses, people having their own version of events which leads to exaggeration/ not
remembering correctly/dishonesty, The survey allows more crimes to be included in statistics that don’t get included in PRC giving a better
picture of what is going on as they are more comfortable with completing the survey than talking to a police officer.
Ethics of research - Is this a moral way to gather statistics? Are the methods traumatising? - PRC - Questions asked by police can be
upsetting, meaning that people might not go through the process of reporting and therefore won’t be recorded as a crime. Ethics are high as
people choose to report the crime. CSEW has low ethical considerations as the questions asked can resurface trauma for individuals.
CSEW - Crime Survey for England and Police Recorded Crime (Home Office)
Wales (Victim Survey)
What is it? What is it?
A victim survey that asks a part of the population in England and Police recorded crime that contains crime figures divided by
Wales about the experiences they had of crime. These include offence type. They are based on all the crimes that are reported
crimes against the households, adults, children, businesses and and recorded by the Police.
society.
Use the link above to type in your postcode and note down the
, 4 times a year common crimes that are occuring in your area:
Allows people to give their opinions on the police - Violence and sexual offences 5
47000 are estimated adults and 4000 are children aged 10-15 - Anti social behaviour 4
Response rate it 76% - Vehicle crime 3
- Public order 2
August 2023 Bevendean
Go on to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) for the CSEW
ending March 2020 and record some of the statistics. Such data
can be used in your controlled assessment to show the types of
crimes that are taking place.
- Theft decreased by 20% from March 2020 to September
2022
- Homicides decreased by 8% (663) from March 2020 (719
offences)
- 22% increase of recorded sexual offences compared to
March 2020
- Theft decreased by 20% from March 2020 to September
2022
Reliability (Consistency) Reliability refers to whether this Reliability (Consistency) Police recorded crime would be recorded
questionnaire used to gather statistics is consistent. from many different officers / stations. How consistent is the way that
it is collected / recorded?
Strengths: This is a reliable way to collect statistics because the
larger the sample size that is collected is more representative. In
2009 the 10-15 yrs section was added making the sample size larger. Strengths This is a reliable way to collect statistics because it only
shows crimes that are illegal under law and not those that the public
Hint - what is the sample size like? 2022-23 34,000 households. may consider an offence. Can be used to compare statistics to learn
crime trends as the information is gathered using the same
Limitations: This is not a reliable way to collect statistics because it procedure every year.
only targets certain areas,crimes and who gets asked which leads to
skewed statistics meaning that it can’t apply to the whole of the UK. 43 police forces in England who view crimes the same and follow the
6 marks , 30 mins, advantages and disadvantages
Reliability - How consistent are the statistics? - Can’t get an accurate picture of crime because of unreported crime ( PRC), depending on
who completes the Crime Survey, larger sample = more representative, smaller sample = inaccurate, only targeting certain areas/ crimes which
could lead to skewed statistics.Questions may be interpreted differently
Validity - How accurate are the results? Are they truly showing the number of crimes occurring? - Dark figure of crime, people might not
complete the survey (unreported crime), lack of detail in responses, people having their own version of events which leads to exaggeration/ not
remembering correctly/dishonesty, The survey allows more crimes to be included in statistics that don’t get included in PRC giving a better
picture of what is going on as they are more comfortable with completing the survey than talking to a police officer.
Ethics of research - Is this a moral way to gather statistics? Are the methods traumatising? - PRC - Questions asked by police can be
upsetting, meaning that people might not go through the process of reporting and therefore won’t be recorded as a crime. Ethics are high as
people choose to report the crime. CSEW has low ethical considerations as the questions asked can resurface trauma for individuals.
CSEW - Crime Survey for England and Police Recorded Crime (Home Office)
Wales (Victim Survey)
What is it? What is it?
A victim survey that asks a part of the population in England and Police recorded crime that contains crime figures divided by
Wales about the experiences they had of crime. These include offence type. They are based on all the crimes that are reported
crimes against the households, adults, children, businesses and and recorded by the Police.
society.
Use the link above to type in your postcode and note down the
, 4 times a year common crimes that are occuring in your area:
Allows people to give their opinions on the police - Violence and sexual offences 5
47000 are estimated adults and 4000 are children aged 10-15 - Anti social behaviour 4
Response rate it 76% - Vehicle crime 3
- Public order 2
August 2023 Bevendean
Go on to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) for the CSEW
ending March 2020 and record some of the statistics. Such data
can be used in your controlled assessment to show the types of
crimes that are taking place.
- Theft decreased by 20% from March 2020 to September
2022
- Homicides decreased by 8% (663) from March 2020 (719
offences)
- 22% increase of recorded sexual offences compared to
March 2020
- Theft decreased by 20% from March 2020 to September
2022
Reliability (Consistency) Reliability refers to whether this Reliability (Consistency) Police recorded crime would be recorded
questionnaire used to gather statistics is consistent. from many different officers / stations. How consistent is the way that
it is collected / recorded?
Strengths: This is a reliable way to collect statistics because the
larger the sample size that is collected is more representative. In
2009 the 10-15 yrs section was added making the sample size larger. Strengths This is a reliable way to collect statistics because it only
shows crimes that are illegal under law and not those that the public
Hint - what is the sample size like? 2022-23 34,000 households. may consider an offence. Can be used to compare statistics to learn
crime trends as the information is gathered using the same
Limitations: This is not a reliable way to collect statistics because it procedure every year.
only targets certain areas,crimes and who gets asked which leads to
skewed statistics meaning that it can’t apply to the whole of the UK. 43 police forces in England who view crimes the same and follow the
