POINTS:
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REFERENCES:
The Two Official Sources of Data
48. Based on what you know about the NCVS and the UCR, evaluate the information presented by the Crime Clock.
One can get the perception from the Crime Clock that it is just a matter of time before one
becomes a victim—the sense that it is inevitable. Some argue the statistics developed from
the Crime Clock are actually under-representative of the true number due to the
methodological issues in data collection for the UCR. Many crimes are not reported, and
the clock is based on reported crimes only. Generally, it is true the Crime Clock should be
viewed with caution about its accurate representation. The Clock is an annual ratio of
crime to fixed time intervals. In reality, we know the rate of crime varies by time of day,
time of year, and location. The Clock shows projections over an entire year and is not a
predictor of when or how often a particular crime does occur. It does not take into account
the total number of people in the country but uses seconds, minutes, hours, or days as its
denominator. It has created more social fear of crime than is actually statistically
representative of reality.
The Two Official Sources of Data
CVIV.KARM.20.03.03 – Describe how victimologists estimate how many people
are harmed by criminal activities.
CVIV.KARM.20.03.04 – Describe the kinds of data found in the Federal Bureau of
Investigation’s annual Uniform Crime Report.
CVIV.KARM.20.03.05 – Explain how the FBI’s National Incident-Based
Reporting System is preserving information about victims from police files.
CVIV.KARM.20.03.06 – Describe the kinds of data found in the Bureau of Justice
Statistics’ annual National Crime Victimization Survey.
CVIV.KARM.20.03.07 – List the strengths and weaknesses of victimization
statistics from government sources.
49. Outline and discuss the NIBRS system. Who compiles the NIBRS? How does this system compare to the UCR and
the NCVS? What are the purposes of NIBRS, and how does it contribute to the understanding of victimization?
The NIBRS addresses some of the deficiencies in the collection of data for the UCR. The
hierarchy rule of the UCR is removed. There are 46 crimes covered, as opposed to the 8
index crimes covered in the UCR. Distinctions are made between attempts and successful
completion of crimes, whereas these are tabulated into a single category in the UCR. The
data are still collected by police departments and sent to the FBI. The NIBRS is becoming
more similar to the NCVS in that it is not tracking victimization data never tabulated in the