GCSE Sociology: Measuring Crime Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering the key sociological terms, concepts, and measurement methods for studying crime in society.

Dark Figure of Crime

Also referred to as the hidden figure of crime, this describes any crime that occurs which is unknown to the police or sociologists, estimated to represent about 40% of all crime.

Official Statistics on Crime

Government-published quantitative data generated by agencies in the criminal justice system, including the police, courts, and penal system.

Police Recorded Crime Statistics

A primary form of official statistics detailing incidents that have been reported to the police and formally noted down by officers.

Reported Crime

Any crime that a member of the public or witness informs the police about, such as via an emergency phone call.

Recorded Crime

Crimes reported to the police that officers formally write down and document in official crime data records.

Victim Studies

Surveys conducted by independent sociologists where members of the public are interviewed regarding their experiences as victims of crime during the previous year.

Crime Survey of England and Wales (CSEW)

The main national victim study in England and Wales (formerly the British Crime Survey) that interviews an annual representative sample of about 50,000 people.

Self-report Studies

Sociological research using anonymous questionnaires where respondents are asked to admit truthfully to crimes they have personally committed.

Victimless Crime

Any criminal act where there is no clear or direct victim, such as personal drug possession or taking cannabis.

Patterns and Trends

The direction, changes, and recurring movements in crime rates over time, discovered by comparing regularly published quantitative data sets.

Validity

The degree of truthfulness and accuracy provided by sociological data regarding the actual reality of crime.

Reliability

The extent to which a research method can be easily repeated in the exact same standard format to produce consistent results.