Crime is a topic of great interest. Broad statements about crime, such as that it is increasing or decreasing, can have a strong influence on the public’s perception of risk and their behaviour. How crimes are measured and reported is therefore of great significance. In this article, we consider the nature of the concept of a crime and explore how different definitions can affect our understanding of crime.
Generally speaking, a crime is an act that violates a law, a code of conduct or a moral standard. For most crimes, the element of intent is required (mens rea). Crimes are generally classified into two broad categories: felonies and misdemeanors. Most jurisdictions have a criminal code that outlines the definitions of specific offences. The laws may change over time in response to social changes.
A key problem in defining crime is the tension between legalist and normative approaches. Legalists argue that the definition of a crime is based on a legal code, while normative approaches emphasise that it is linked to how society views certain acts.
How we define crime is important because it influences how much a crime is actually reported and how those crimes are recorded in official statistics. For example, if we only look at the number of crimes that are reported to police and ignore the rate at which those crimes are committed, we may end up with misleading crime figures. Similarly, it is important to look at crime rates in different age groups to get an accurate picture of the extent to which crime is concentrated among particular demographics.