SOCI-225 Chapter 4: crime data textbook notes
Document Summary
Depending on the area and crime type, the dark figure of crime can range from only a slight number to vast percentages. Researchers use methods such as victimization surveys to mitigate these percentages: seriousness rule. The seriousness rule comes into play when looking at crime statistics that have been submitted to the canadian centre for justice statistics through the uniform crime. The seriousness rule states that if several crimes are committed in one incident, only the most serious crime is recorded. The local police service will still record all of the offences that took place, but what is recorded with statistics canada is only the most serious within that series of offences: police interpretation. There are several ways in which the police themselves may influence crime statistics. First, when the police respond to a call, they have to decide if a crime has actually occurred.