Crime Demographics, Risk Factors, and Crime Measurement

Vocabulary flashcards covering demographic correlates of crime, risk and protective factors, socio-ecological intervention levels, and official crime measurement surveys.

Crime Severity Index (CSI)

A Canadian statistical measure that monitors the severity level of police-reported crime.

Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program

A nationwide data-collecting system run by the FBI in the United States that tracks police-reported crime statistics.

General Social Survey - Canadian's Safety (GSS)

A national survey in Canada (formerly known as the GSS on Victimization) used in criminology to measure self-reported experiences of crime and the criminal justice system.

Aging Out Phenomenon

The observed decline in criminal activities and offending behaviour as individuals grow older.

Life Course Perspective

A criminological framework acknowledging that chronic offenders may continue to commit the same amounts of crime into and throughout adulthood.

Criminal Careers

A criminological concept that examines the onset of criminal activity, the types and amounts of crime committed, and its termination.

Longitudinal Studies

Research studies that follow individual development and behaviour over long periods of time to identify factors that distinguish criminals from non-criminals.

Socioeconomic Status (SES)

A composite measure incorporating income level, education, and occupation or occupational prestige, distinguishing it from class alone.

Class

A demographic classification defined solely by an individual's income level.

Economic Marginalization

An area of social and economic disadvantage associated with criminal offending and systemic discrimination, including over-policing and limited access to legal counsel.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

Early life traumatic events categorized into abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction that significantly increase the risk of both victimization and offending.

Recidivism

Habitual reversion to criminal behaviour by an individual who has already been convicted, sentenced, and subjected to correctional intervention. Essentially, it measures the rate of reoffending

Early Onset

The commission of a first offense at an early age, which is correlated with increased frequency and persistence of offending over time.

Risk Factors

Negative personal, familial, or environmental conditions—such as poverty, family violence, substance abuse, and low literacy—whose accumulation correlates with a higher likelihood of offending.

Protective Factors

Internal or external resources—such as conflict resolution skills, strong social support, steady employment, and stable housing—that reduce the likelihood of offending and reoffending.

Individual Level Interventions

The tier of crime prevention geared towards personal differences and competencies between individuals, such as de-escalation skills.

Family / Peer Level Interventions

The tier of crime prevention geared towards specific age groups, families, and peer networks, such as parenting skills classes.

Community / School / Workplace Level Interventions

The tier of crime prevention focused on increasing service availability and community engagement, such as drop-in recreation and after-school programs.

Societal Level Interventions

The overarching tier of crime prevention designed to promote positive laws and cultural norms that broadly benefit everyone, such as reducing racism, sexism, and violence.

Rural Crime Disparity

The geographic phenomenon wherein rural areas experience disproportionately higher rates of traffic offenses, property crimes, violent crimes, and nearly double the rate of intimate partner violence compared to urban areas.