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'Understanding what crime statistics actually mean is crucial' (Abercrombie and Warde) - Elucidate.
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'Understanding what crime statistics actually mean is crucial' (Abercrombie and Warde). Elucidate. As Coleman and Moynihan argue 'the data we have discussed should never be accepted as given, but are products, socially constructed, often reflecting the dimension of power' (1996:142.) It is crucial to understand exactly what crime statistics mean as different data varies in its reliability and validity. Validity of the statistics refers to the issue of whether the agents measure exactly what they say they are supposed to measure. Reliability equates to whether or not this measuring is done in a fair, unbiased, accurate and consistent way. It is necessary to value crime statistics like this, as there are three main types of data, which have varying degrees of reliability and validity. These are firstly Official Statistics most prominently the police Criminal Statistics England and Wales used not only by people within the criminal justice system and those...
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