The “Dark Figure of Crime” is the amount of underreported as well as unreported criminal crimes that society does not report to authority. In this case, unreported crimes do not make it to the statistics of official crime. One believes that some people in society are hesitant to report a crime to police for numerous reasons. These reasons can be because of the act of negative criminal behavior from one individual to another. A few common unreported crimes that deal with negative sexual related criminal behavior toward another individual are visible.
Different sociologists have presented different theories and concepts to explain what drives a person to commit a crime, and research and statistics give us an idea of the type of crimes committed and the places that they’re most likely to occur. However, these statistics can prove to be misleading as not all crime is reported to or recorded by the police. This can be referred to as the ‘hidden figure’, and it differentiates between the official crime rate and the real rate. Despite this, they do prove to be worthwhile in the fact that they display trends and patterns of crime. Sociologists use three different methods to measure crime; each method provides us with particular information and as in all systems of data collecting, there are strengths and weaknesses to the method.
Theories attempt to provide us with explanatory power and help us understand the phenomenon under study. The more applicable a theory is found to be, the more generalizable it is from one specific instance to others—in other words, the more it can be applied to other situations. The perspective that we choose to employ when viewing crime determines the kinds of questions we ask, the nature of the research we conduct, and the type of answers that we expect to receive. Those answers, in turn, influence our conclusions about the kinds of crime control policies that might be effective. Hence, when we study crime, it is vital to keep in mind that there are differing viewpoints within the field of criminology as to the fundamental nature of the subject matter itself.
Personal Perception of Organized Crime The term “crime” is a basic term that explains the act that a person is commit that goes against law enforcement and what is deemed to be legal. Illegal actions do not necessarily have to injure an individual, and it does not necessarily mean that violence has to take place for it to be considered a crime. A criminal act can be as simple as stealing a small item from a local department store. Organized crime is much more serious than a minor criminal act. Organized crime contains of a collection of individuals who have a structured plan or an agenda of corruption.
The disadvantage of the National Crime Victimization Survey is that it is only based on reported crimes and to take into account personal interpretations of victimizations without validation. (Groves, R.M and Cork, D.L. 2008) NCVS does not include the crime murder (since its victim can't report it) nor crimes for which there is no reporting victim, like most drug-related crimes. Also not included are all white collar crimes, like the savings and loan frauds, and much more. (Measure of
Due to the alarming rate of individuals behind bars for being under the influence, drugs or alcohol, there would be no systematic way to gauge its success. One of the biggest arguments surrounding capital punishment is that it can be a deterrent to crime. By definition it is “a goal of criminal sentencing which seeks to prevent others from committing crimes similar to the one for which an offender is being sentenced” (Schamalleger 355). There has been little evidence produced to show that intimidating a potential murderer with the chance to be executed will dissuade the senseless act of homicide. In fact, most murders comprise of people who know one another.
Format your presentation consistent with APA guidelines. Option 2: Personal Crimes Analysis Matrix Create a matrix to complete your personal crimes analysis. Include the following: • Differentiate between assault, battery, and mayhem. • Identify and explain kidnapping and false imprisonment. • Compare and contrast between rape and statutory rape.
Which empirical and speculative theories are most applicable to this perspective as it applies to organized crime and overall criminal behavior? Properly cite your references or resources according to APA guidelines. Discussion Questions What is social disorganization? How does social disorganization contribute to organized crime? What is an example of social disorganization that created opportunistic atmospheres for organized crime?
Conclusion Prosecutors, defense attorneys, criminals, and victims are placed together to deal with a given crime. Victimization concerns each position in different ways and must be individually considered. The goals of sentencing differ somewhat between each position. Alternative sanctions are often recognized when a criminal offender is sentenced. Ongoing assessments of victims' rights and the continousl improvement of such are imperative.
Victims and Crime Evaluation Victims and Crime Evaluation From the dawn of human civilization aggression, violence, and mayhem have supported two positions pertaining to confrontation. The first position is the aggressors position. The second is the victims position. Within this writing the concept of the victim will be identified along with the history and significance of victims assistance programs. The purposes of victims assistance programs and the programs functions as applied to the criminal justice system will also be examined, dissected, and highlighted.