Measuring Crime: Official Sources of Data

Abstract

This exercise is an active-learning exercise that provides students with the opportunity to have an experience with "real" data. I use this exercise in my Special Topics course on "Street Crime," but have also used a variation in Introduction to Criminology. This activity a) introduces students to the Uniform Crime Report (UCR) and the National Crime...

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Details

Subject Area(s):

Criminology/Delinquency

Resource Type(s):

Assignment, Class Activity, Essay

Class Level(s):

Any Level

Class Size(s):

Any

Usage Notes

Detailed usage notes are provided that include how to customize the assignment, suggestions for various formats to deliver the assignment, and optional additional readings and assessment.

Examples include:
Customizing Activity: Instructors can easily modify the parameters and variables to customize to their state, region, local area and/or...

Learning Goals and Assessments

Learning Goal(s):

1. Goal 1: Students will learn the difference between the Uniform Crime Report (UCR) and the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), the two major sources of "official crime data" in the United Sates.
2. Goal 2: Students will learn to access and manipulate data from both the UCR and the NCVS. They will use this data to challenge their assumptions about crime levels in the local area.

Goal Assessment(s):

1. Assessment 1: Students will be required to to be familiar with each in order to complete in-class work. They will also need to apply knowledge to justify answers.
2. Assessment 2: Students are required to independently produce tables. These are used in group activity to compare estimates with reported levels of crime.