Crime Myths

Paper Summary:

Crime myths are a social phenomenon that act as the consensus' view on crime and the criminal justice system. These are prominently based on fiction however many variables combine to form the resulting myth. This paper discusses crime myths and myth makers, as well as the variables which form a crime myth. It looks at definitions of crime, current global trends, crime measurement and specific crime myths contrasted with crime facts. The paper makes use of a graph.

From the Paper:

"Crime is a word not easily defined. It is an incredibly broad term that holds a variety of different meanings by a diversity of demographics (Israel 2003). Criminologists argue that no definition of crime can ever remain constant, as acts viewed as crime by a society differ over time (Israel 2003). Crime is becoming increasingly hard to measure, as opportunities to commit victimless crimes that are not as easily detected, increase with advancing technology and globalization (Graycar and Grabosky 2002: 23). However, the way crime is measured is dependant on the particular definition of crime held (Israel 2003). Different religions, ethnicities and ages hold different ideals on what crime actually involves (Israel 2003), and victims and police often have varying reactions to crime (Morgan 2003) For these and many other reasons, crime measurement is far from accurate."

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