Unit 3AC 1.6: Evaluate Methods of Collecting Statistics About Crime

This section discusses the two main sources of crime statistics in the UK and evaluates their effectiveness.

Home Office Statistics: These statistics are based on crimes recorded by the 43 police forces in the UK. Each month, police forces report crimes to the Home Office, which are then recorded by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and made available to the public.

Definition: Police recorded crime statistics are quantitative data collected by law enforcement agencies on reported criminal incidents.

Reliability of Police Recorded Crimes: Police recorded crimes are generally considered reliable due to consistent definitions used across different police forces. However, there can be discrepancies in how different forces classify similar incidents.

Example: An assault resulting in minor scratches might be classified differently by different police forces, either as "assault with injury" or "assault without injury."

Validity of Police Recorded Crimes: The validity of these statistics is questionable because not all crimes are reported to the police. The Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) has shown that approximately 40% of crimes go unreported.

Highlight: In 2016-2017, police recorded 45,000 rapes, but this figure likely underestimates the true number of incidents due to underreporting.

Ethics of Research: Police recorded crime statistics are considered ethical as they protect the identities of both offenders and victims. The quantitative nature of the data helps prevent stereotyping based on personal characteristics.

Vocabulary: Quantitative research in criminal justice refers to the collection and analysis of numerical data to study crime patterns and trends.

The purpose of collecting and publishing these statistics is to inform the public about crime rates and trends, contributing to awareness and policy-making in the criminal justice system.

Unit 1-2.1: Compare Campaigns for Change

This section examines several influential campaigns that led to changes in UK criminal justice policies.

Sarah's Law Campaign: Sarah's Law was initiated in July 2000 following Sarah Payne's murder. The campaign aimed to raise awareness about convicted child sex offenders living in communities without parents' knowledge. It was a national campaign that received significant media attention.

Highlight: The campaign resulted in the introduction of the sex offender disclosure scheme, allowing parents or guardians to request information about an individual's criminal history related to sex offenses against children.

Clare's Law Campaign: Clare's Law was launched in January 2009 after Clare Wood was murdered by her partner. The campaign's goal was to protect people from abusive relationships by allowing them to access their partner's criminal history.

Example: The Clare's Law disclosure scheme was introduced in England and Wales in 2014, later expanding to other parts of the UK, Australia, and Canada.

Anti-Fox Hunting Campaign: This campaign aimed to stop the practice of hunting foxes for sport in the UK. It was a national campaign that addressed concerns about animal cruelty.

Highlight: The campaign led to the introduction of the Hunting Act in 2004, which made fox hunting illegal in England, Scotland, and Wales.

No Knives Better Lives Campaign: This campaign was initiated by the Scottish government to address the knife crime crisis among young people. It aimed to raise awareness about the consequences of carrying knives.

Example: The campaign was successful in reducing the number of people carrying offensive weapons by 71% in Glasgow.