SOC212H1 Chapter Notes - Chapter 3: Inverse Relation, Feminist Theory, Social Class
Document Summary
Chapter three the nature and extent of crime. Crime rates are affected by 5 factors: 1. Some crimes are report-sensitive: willingness of public to report crime determines whether we know about it, 2. Policing-sensitive crimes: reflection of the level of police enforcement, 3. Definition-sensitive: a change in the law changes the rate of the crime, 4. Media-sensitive: crimes cause feedback loop when the are publicized, changing perceptions of public and willingness to report, 5. Real trends in number of crimes in society. Crime severity index (csi: each offence is assigned a weight, based on sentences handed down by criminal courts. Police agencies also report total number of crimes that were cleared, meaning that: 1. At least on person is arrested, charged, and turned over to the court for prosecution, or: 2. Some element beyond police control precludes the physical arrest of an offender (exceptional means), such as when a suspect dies or leaves the country.
