Defining and Measuring Crime : Lesson 2

Lesson 2 deals with crime trends and data including: the way that the FBI reports crime data and the two ways they are reported, learning about the Uniform Crime Report (UCR) and the differences between Part I and Part II offenses, the shortcomings of the UCR for crime measurement, why issues of race and ethnicity tend to be overstated, the factors criminologists use to explain trends in the crime rate, and the differences between National Crime Victimization Survey and self-reported surveys. This lesson also deals with the differences between mala in se and mala prohibita along with the main goals of criminal and civil law. Finally, the lesson will discuss why there is a peak in the number of incarcerated women.