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PA 450: Crime Measurement

Criminologists generally use at least three distinct measures of crime: (1) crimes known to the police (Uniform Crime Reports, 911 calls, etc.); (2) victimization surveys (e.g., the National Crime Victimization Survey); and (3) offender self-reports. Each of these three measures has idiosyncratic strengths and weaknesses that recommend its use for some purposes but not for others. In broad outline, the course will investigate research that has used each of these three measurement methods, focusing on similarities and differences in the methods.