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A Second Look at the Big Picture: Watching the FBIs Crime Clock Consider another set of statistics intended to sum- marize the big picture that are issued yearly by the FBI in its authoritative UCR. This set is called the Crime Clock, and it dramatizes the fact that as time passes—each and every second, minute, […]

A First Glance at the Big Picture: Estimates of the Number of New Crime Victims Each Year To start to bring the big picture in focus, a first step would be to look up how many Americans reveal that they were victims of street crimes each year. The absolute numbers are staggering: Police forces across

Comparing the UCR and the NCVS For victimologists, the greater variety of statistics published in the NCVS offer many more possibili- ties for analysis and interpretation than the much more limited data in the UCR. But both official sources have their advantages, and the two can be considered to complement each other. The UCR, not

Facts and Figures in the Bureau of Justice Statistics National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) Victimologists and criminologists have reservations about the accuracy of the official records kept by police departments that form the basis of the FBI’s UCR as well as its NIBRS. Tallies maintained by local law enforcement agencies surely are incom- plete due

THE TWO OFFICIAL SOURCES OF DATA As early as the 1800s, public officials began keeping records about lawbreaking to gauge the “moral health” of society. Then, as now, high rates of inter- personal violence and theft were taken as signs of social pathology—indications that something was V I C T IM I Z AT ION

Making Sense of Statistics Statistics are meaningful numbers that reveal impor- tant information. Statistics are of crucial importance to social scientists, policy analysts, and decision makers because they replace vague adjectives such as “many,” “most,” and “few” with precise numbers. Both victimologists and criminologists gather their own data to make their own calculations, or they

VICTIMIZATION ACROSS THE NATION: THE BIG PICTURE Victimologists gather and interpret data to answer crucial questions such as: How many people are harmed by criminals each year? Is victimization becoming more of a problem or is it subsiding as time goes by? And which groups are targeted the most and the least often? Researchers want

Research Findings Temporarily Resolve Disputes The true intensity of the problem remains unknown since trafficking often goes undetected and unreported due to its covert nature, the reluctance of victims who feel vulnerable and fear reprisals to turn to the authorities for help, mis- conceptions about its definition, and a lack of awareness about it in

Challenges Arise and Opposition Emerges No one approves of or defends involuntary servitude and sexual violence, but the crusade against human trafficking has provoked some opposition among thoughtful people and concerned groups for a number of reasons. First of all, some activists share the moral outrage of the crusaders but feel that the widespread use

Passing Legislation and Setting Up Assistance Programs Raids against transnational trafficking rings, statements by world leaders, international conferences, and articles as well as popular movies depicting sexual slavery heightened pressures to “do something.” In response, the Clinton administration drafted a comprehensive approach that embodied the prosecution of profiteers, protections for trafficked persons, and prevention measures.