![](/olcweb/styles/shared/spacer.gif) | ![Lauer: Social Problems and the Quality of Life](/sites/dl/free/0072355220/title/Lauer_sm.jpg) Social Problems and the Quality of Life, 8/e Robert H. Lauer,
U.S. International University Jeanette C. Lauer,
U.S. International University
Crime and Delinquency
Internet Exercise- Visit the Bureau of Justice Statistics Web site. (http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs)
There is a storehouse of data on crime rates available at this site. Click on
"Crimes and Victims." Under "Summary Findings," click on
the two graphs and examine the data for both violent and property crimes over
the last few years. These data are based on the National Crime Victimization
Survey. Examine the way the NCVS is constructed. Next, return to the home page
and explore the data under "Homicide trends." Notice that they are
considered an index of violent crime in general.
- Given that major index crimes like homicide are declining, why do you suppose
our prison population is growing at a rapid rate?
Again from the home page, select "Crime and Justice data from other sources."
Under "Crime and justice data," select "The Federal Bureau of
Investigation." From this location, under "National Incident-Based
Reporting System" (NIBRS), select "Victims and Offenders: a New UCR
Supplement..." to access an article through Acrobat Reader entitled "Victims
and Offenders: New UCR Supplement to Present Incident-Based Data from Participating
Agencies." The article is by Roland Chitton and others. - What factors complicate the gathering of NIBRS data?
- Why is the Victims and Offenders supplement considered a useful adjunct
to the present NIBRS data-gathering system?
- A new form of criminal behavior has accompanied our increasing reliance
on credit cards and automated teller machines. Go to the Study Web: Criminology
Website. (http://www.studyweb.com/criminal/toc.htm)
Under "Social Science," select "Criminal Justice" and then
"Crime Prevention and Enforcement." From the resulting screen, select
"Identity Theft & Fraud." On this new page, select "Better
Business Bureau: Practical Pointers: Consumer Identity Fraud." Study the
short presentation carefully. It applies to you.
- In protecting yourself against identity fraud, what is the importance of
guarding your Social Security number?
- What are some wise precautions to take when using an ATM?
- Beyond direct theft, how might criminals gain access to your credit card
account numbers and other vital personal data?
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