Correlates of Crime

race correlates

• most crime is intraracial

  • interracial crime has higher report rates

• offending and victimization trends often mirror

• african americans = overrepresented

• native americans = accurately represented

• asian americans = underrepresented

poverty correlates

• social inequality → income, wealth, “well-being”, power

• SES

  • very low SES = more likely to be involved in crime (victim or perpetrator)

• overrides race correlate

• black and hispanic more likely to be in poverty → more likely to be in crime

place correlates

• south = most populous = greatest proportion of crime

• urban areas = higher victimization rates

great crime decline

crime rates have consistently declined over the years

• both property and violent crimes, with property crimes happening at a higher magnitude

  • violent crimes get higher report rates

homicide trends

more fluctuation over time with no clear decline or incline

• correlates with behavior and social changes

  • ex. gun laws, social protests, prohibition, great depression

correlate

variable that is statistically associated with crime

age crime curve

criminal behavior increases during adolescence, peaks in early adulthood, and declines in adulthood

gender gap

men are significantly more likley to commit crime and be the victim of crime