‘What methods are used to measure crime in the England and Wales? How far, and in what ways, do these provide us with an accurate picture of the prevalence of crime’?
Crime statistics record began in 1876 (Bennett, 2001, p. 82). The two main methods which are used to measure crime in England and Wales are The Official Statistics and The British Crime Survey. Firstly, The Official Statistics informs us about crimes which have been Boivin and Cordeau (2011) ‘…detected, reported, recorded by the police’ (p.186) within England and Wales. The British Crime Survey also known as the ‘victim and self report survey’ is another method which is used to measure crime in England and Wales, it assembles the experience of crime from populations. Together both of these crime statistics are vulnerable as they record crime which allows you to see if new legislations to reduce crime have reached its standards. In what ways do these crime statistics provide us with an accurate picture of the prevalence of crime? Furthermore, Merton (1957) as cited by Kitsuse and Cicoured (1963) states ‘…to what extent and for which
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Feminist criminology believes in ‘mental health’ and ‘masculinity’. Positivists say everything is caused by ‘scientific reason’ such as ‘born this way’. Methods to measure crime statistics both have figures which tell us about crimes which have been committed. However, positivist criminology argues that not all crimes which have been stated in the crime statistics for England and Wales were committed with the intention to commit the crime. If there was no intention but only a scientific reason, why was the crime recorded? Consequently, the reason for why the crime was committed is hiding in the scientific reasons where a person is unable to control themselves as they are in need of constant