Crime rates in a society

Crime rates in a society

Introduction

Many probable factors go into the analysis of crime rates in a society. The probability of arriving at a conclusive result dims when the scope of comparison is expanded to cover international ground. Different nations demonstrate different levels of crime, driven by varying reasons. Demographically, crime rates per country are highly dynamic, making it challenging to get an accurate picture of the prevailing situation at any given time. Available international data on crime only provides a snapshot in time of the rates of crime, which may also not be accurate due to fears of damaged national image. Furthermore, personal and societal determinants come into play to determine a person’s susceptibility to crime. However, international crime rate comparisons may give one an accurate picture of what they may consider safe regions..

Factors Affecting Viable Comparisons

There are cardinal rules that govern the reporting of crime in every law enforcement department around the world. Other regulations that guide crime reporting and recording exist, which differ from country to country. Also, some states take to serious detail in their way of reporting crimes, while others are not so keen. Given that international bodies like the United Nations are tasked with periodically compiling and releasing such reports, it is possible that they do not always get the real picture of crime rates in every country they report on. Even when they do, the time taken between reports may have allowed many changes to occur in a country’s crime demography. In all, the available international reports on crime only offer ballpark comparisons that may very well be unreliable for someone who seeks detailed comparison.

Factors influencing crime rate reporting vary between countries according to age distribution, economic and political stability, how sound the criminal justice systems are, etc. Comparisons made between countries whose crime-determining factors are more or less similar might give a more accurate view of their crime rates. However, international crime reports do not put these factors into consideration. Also, the reports might be affected by the number of cases that get reported, and those whose autopsies conclude them as murders. It is an accepted fact that murder investigations are expensive in terms of time and resources. The easy conclusion of death may lead to neglecting to report a murder or the wrongful determination of other causes of death. Such variations may not be captured in international crime reports.

A country’s murder rate is highly determined by the propoortin of the population comprised of young males, who are considered the high-risk group. However, dynamics in demography in different countries might bring variations in using this parameter as a measure of the crime rate. Education, employment, and legal income-generating activities may see countries with a high percentage of the high-risk group in their population experiencing comparably low crime rates. All these factors point to the challenge one would experience trying to use international crime data to compare the risk in visiting certain countries over others.

Conclusion

It is difficult to get an accurate picture of crime rates in the international crime reports available. The inconsistencies are mostly beyond what the organizations compiling these reports may be able to control. Also, the dynamic nature of political, economic, social, and cultural factors affecting crime rates in a country can hardly be ignored. The international reports are periodical, with the highest frequency of release being annual. Many changes in international scenes occur in a year, which makes the crime reports only suitable for giving ballpark ideas on the prevalence of crime in a given country.