Outline and briefly evaluate one way of measuring crime (5 marks)
Outline and briefly evaluate one way of measuring crime (5 marks)
One way that can be used to measure crime is self-report offender surveys - these require people to voluntarily record whether or not they have committed any offences within a specified period of time. One example is the Offending, Crime and Justice Survey which interviews young people in England and Wales to assess the extent of offending and drug use (of 10-25 year olds).
However, as with all self-report measures, individuals may lie, exaggerate or give an answer they perceive to be 'socially desirable' - this means that such methods may lack reliability - and due to the potential legal implications, it makes it even more liable to inaccuracy.
Despite this, it can give a good picture of the reasons behind offending behaviour, which can lead to the development of resources to prevent further crime - eg. an alcohol dependance programme - this is a strength as it potentially means that recidivism rates can be reduced.
One way that can be used to measure crime is self-report offender surveys - these require people to voluntarily record whether or not they have committed any offences within a specified period of time. One example is the Offending, Crime and Justice Survey which interviews young people in England and Wales to assess the extent of offending and drug use (of 10-25 year olds).
However, as with all self-report measures, individuals may lie, exaggerate or give an answer they perceive to be 'socially desirable' - this means that such methods may lack reliability - and due to the potential legal implications, it makes it even more liable to inaccuracy.
Despite this, it can give a good picture of the reasons behind offending behaviour, which can lead to the development of resources to prevent further crime - eg. an alcohol dependance programme - this is a strength as it potentially means that recidivism rates can be reduced.
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