Describe the scope and breadth of victimization in the United States.
Watching the news, one would think there was a murderer in every bush waiting to jump out and kill you. This is because crime, especially violent crime, makes a great news story. The problem is that the media creates a false understanding of how often crime occurs, where it occurs, and how likely you are to be a victim of crime. This module will explain how we define the most common types of crime and victimization, determine crime rates, the realities of crime, and the different ways crime is measured in the United States. While looking at crime and victimization across countries is very important, it is difficult because of cultural differences in definitions and measurement of crime, so for the purpose of this module, we will just look at crime and victimization in the United States.
Understanding Crime Statistics
A crime is defined as an action that violates the criminal law and is punishable by criminal sanctions. Not everything that violates social norms, even things most people would consider reprehensible, is a crime. If there is not a law prohibiting a behavior, then it is not a crime. Most laws, and especially criminal law, are created around the consensus model. This is where the majority of people think something is wrong because it conflicts with their values and beliefs. It also means that as society changes, so does the law.
In the United States, we tend to differentiate crimes as either property or violent crimes, especially in regard to statistics around crime. Violent crime is crime against a person whereas property crime is crime against property. The following definitions are based on the U.S. legal code.