Definition, Measurement of Crime and Media Representation Internationally and in Australia
The United Nations survey of Crime Trends and Operations of Criminal Justice System indicates different crime measurement and trends internationally (Shaw et al., 2003). This information has been vital for different scholars and government organs in various nations in understanding crime activities within and across the globe. The survey information spreads over a large period of time thus being important in several international policy makers, especially the law enforcing and criminal justice systems. This paper presents a discussion on the measurement of international crime trends and in Australia as well as the media representation of these activities.
Generally, crime is defined as a commission of an act that is socially harmful and dangerous causing public injury. Crime therefore involves violation of a criminal law (Friedrichs, 2013). There are numerous forms of criminal activities that are based on the context that they are committed. In measuring crime trends, the time period is as an essential factor and should be long enough to enable enough analysis. The timeframe covered in this discussion spreads from 1970-to date. Internationally, the Latin America region has the highest cases of criminal activities, followed by Caribbean society globally. Other regions like Eastern Europe, Commonwealth Independent States Asia, Arab and Africa do also have crime trends though at declining levels.
In Australia, there have been varying number of crimes in the stated period. According to Walker (1991), between 1980 to 1981, for instance, Australia reported highest increase of crime levels by approximately two thirds. The increase in the levels of criminal activities in Australia has triggered reactions from different members of the society. This is exhibited by individuals fear and safety of their security. For instance, people feel unsafe to walk alone in their neighborhoods and streets. Furthermore, the citizens resort to self defence mechanisms like women taking self defence classes.
According to Carcach (2000), crime rates and trends in Australia are high in non-metropolitan areas as compared to metropolitan areas. This is prompted by the population size in the area that breeds crime acts. Non metropolitan cities are the regions that are located outside major urban cities. They comprise of urban centers and rural localities with varying number of populations, social and economic dimensions. Nevertheless, there is a disparity between the number of crime cases reported to law enforcing officers in Australia and that within the public. According to a report by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the total number of criminal activities reported to law enforcing officers, for instance, declined in 2007 as compared to 1998 (Davis & Dossetor, 2010). These cases were in the categories of robbery, thefts and illegal entries. In abductions and extortion cases, more cases were reported to the police in between 1998 and 2007. On average, the trends changes with time. The public perception of crime and police are different because most of the population in Australia inappropriately believe that criminal activities are always on the rise when in real sense that is not the case always (Weatherburn & Indemaur, 2004). This is because part of the societies population, particularly women, the elderly and the less educated hold a very negative and wrong perception about crime rates in the nation as compared to the male and literate. This perception has also been created as result of media creation.
Media Representations
Generally, it is supposed that the main stream media like television, newspapers and the internet proved source of information to the society on current happenings. Nevertheless, there is also a prevalent alarm in the manner in which these media forms report information about the rates of crime in Australian communities. For instance, television is most used form of information gathering by many people but the way it applies the degree of selectivity in reporting crime new is alarming. The main issues arise because reporting of such news leads to a public opinion about how crimes have become dangerous to the society and the perpetrators. In this reports, the public is influenced that the rates of crime are getting out of hand in the nation, thus leading to unwanted stereotypes about crime. Moreover, the citizens are influenced to believe that they live in a society that is full of criminal activities, hence they start acting in fear and isolation, which affects their normal wellbeing and influence to the society. Media representation of crime also has an effect on the criminal activities. When the media focuses too much on providing exaggerated crime information, it enhances the rates of criminal activities. One of the main aim of media is to sell their stories to the audiences. In this effect, the media will want to report criminal acts not only to inform the audiences, but also to sell the story. In order to attain this facet, exaggerations are key, which triggers the criminals to continue carrying out with their acts since they perceive it as a normal happening. Therefore, media representation of criminal activity needs to be controlled, since it has no positive contribution to the society other than instilling fear and enhancing criminal activities.
References
Carcach, C. (2000). Size, accessibility and crime in regional Australia. Australian Institute of Criminology.
Davis, B., & Dossetor, K. (2010). (Mis) perceptions of crime in Australia.Trends and issues in crime and criminal justice, (396), 1.
Shaw, M., Van Dijk, J., & Rhomberg, W. (2003, December). Determining trends in global crime and justice: an overview of results from the United Nations surveys of crime trends and operations of criminal justice systems. In Forum on crime and society (Vol. 3, No. 1-2, pp. 35-63).
Shaw, M., Van Dijk, J., & Rhomberg, W. (2003, December). Determining trends in global crime and justice: an overview of results from the United Nations surveys of crime trends and operations of criminal justice systems. In Forum on crime and society (Vol. 3, No. 1-2, pp. 35-63).
Walker, J. R., & Henderson, M. (1991). Understanding crime trends in Australia. Australian Institute of Criminology.
Weatherburn, D., & Indermaur, D. (2004). Public perceptions of crime trends in New South Wales and Western Australia. BOCSAR NSW Crime and Justice Bulletins, 8.