Perception vs Reality of Crime Assessment

Assignment Overview 

Questions

1. Examine two reasons why crime statistics may not provide the full picture of criminal activity.

2. Examine two factors why a person’s perception of crime may differ from the actual prevalence of crime.

3. Why are there so many possible explanations for crime? What do you consider to be the main cause of crime and why?

Your responses must be written in a formal tone and should integrate at least two academic sources (i.e., textbooks and journal articles) per response, with in-text citations and the reference list conforming to APA 7 style. Refer to the Academic Skills Resources site for more referencing information.

Also ensure you include a title page at the beginning of your assessment, including your name, unit information and assessment topic. This should follow APA 7 formatting, as per the example here

Question 1:

Australia's crime statistics have a dark side that shows police do not record all crimes that happen, and so many of them are never brought to their attention for investigation and tracking. In other words, it can be referred to as the "dark figure of crime" (Australian Institute of Criminology [AIC], 2020).  According to survey data from 2023, about 25% of burglaries and 50% of robberies go unreported, for assaults, the number reaches as high as 67 % (AIC, 2020). The Australian Bureau of Statistics confirms that police-recorded data takes into account only those incidents that come to their attention leaving out undetected and unreported crimes (ABS, 2025). How people report crime and how much they tell the police about what they know depends on many things including, police effectiveness, victim-offender relationships and individual's fear of speaking up and taking stand will cause them harm (ABS, 2025). Domestic and family violence is a classic case in point, as women are much less likely than men to report any type of physical or sexual assault (ABS, 2025). Thus, in 2023–24, only 48% of victims of physical assault and 43% of victims of threatened assault told the police which means that 56% of these serious offenses are never officially recorded (ABS, 2025).

Australian crime statistics face methodological limitations due to, underreporting, inconsistent data collection and recording practices as well as jurisdictional variations across states and territories beyond the control (ABS, 2025). The National crime compilations depend on unverified police data sets, each of them ruled by its own laws and administrative procedures that results in inconsistencies that challenges comparability (ABS, 2025). A parliamentary inquiry found that changes in police electronic recording systems, for example, lead to fluctuations in police-recorded crime rather than actual trends in criminal ferocity (PJCLE, 2022). A New South Wales Ombudsman investigation found that incorrect training and system errors led to an overcounting of knife searches, raising questions about the accuracy of other types data (NSW Ombudsman, 2021). Different methods used in victimisation surveys yield widely differing prevalence estimates. For example, the percentage of survey respondents who have been the victim of assault ranges from 0.8 per cent in police records to 9 per percent on estimates derived from interviews (ABS, 2025). In addition, crimes reported to non-police agencies are ignored in all the official figures, even though such add another line under- count to our total.

Question 2

Australians perceptions of crime are often at odds with the statistical data, since media emphasis is very much upon headlines concerning violence and blanket crime waves, these visuals are scapegoated for any diminishing facts showed in numbers According to the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR, 2024), and the states which have been most anxious about crime also know least about it (Boc Contract: R. Management, 2023). Roy Morgan (2025) reported that 66% of Australians believe "crime is increasing" the highest level of concern in ten years yet many categories are static or falling. Television still carries most weight (again, the influence of the strongest predator): as reliance on TV news increases so does overestimation of criminal activity. Of the "most concerned" 77% are Queenslanders, who reflect above average national crime rates but perceive still more crimes (Morgan and Roy, 2025). Data analysis shows that the mass media applies quite apparent bias in coverage of criminal activity. Daily news carries around thirty-five percent crime solicitude, but the distribution is highly unbalanced. For example, while murder accounts for less than 1% of all types of criminal behaviour, it takes up over 26% newsprint crime coverage. Alos, stealing the flipside conversely, nonviolent crimes which account for more than 47%. Once in a lifetime of all crimes, cresting these seemingly vestigial statistics of a few extremely rare events themselves gives people a very misleading sense both about how widespread violent crime actually is and the court's process and its seriousness (Indermaur & Roberts, 2019).  

Factors Demographic Leading to Fear

In Australia, the fear of crime is not exclusively the product of the mass media and among the risks that exist for becoming a victim, demographics and mode of thinking can still exert a great deal of influence. A parliamentary report concludes that among different age and sex groups that between certain ones, the dislocation in dangerous reality and subjective fright is great. In particular, women and older persons display greatly elevated levels of being afraid being a victim of crime, although the statistics show their victimization rates are lower than those for young males (Australian Parliament, 2023). This is typical of the fear-and-crime paradox. There are indeed links between fear and real-life criminal activities, but they often appear obscure. Local opinion frequently does not match official statistics. Thus, locations tagged as 'high-crime' areas may contain residents who still feel secure, while other places with demonstrably lower crime rates complain about levels of community fear which are wildly inappropriate (Australian Parliament, 2023). The structures of perceived vulnerability seem to be more important in determining fear than the statistical data, that is rooted in the psychological models (Victimisation Research, 2025). Factors such as darkness, isolation and insufficient escape routes heighten one's fear reactions (Victimisation Research, 2025). Fear breeds a kind of self–perpetuating feedback in that one becomes more afraid as time goes on and at the same time one's precautions or avoidance behaviours can also serve to make that fear develop further (Victimisation Research, 2025). Environmental disorder cues like graffiti, vandalism, inebriated persons, also contribute to an atmosphere of fear, thereby proving that visible signs of dereliction that further dictates public apprehension on the one side and crime rates on the other (Victimisation Research, 2025).

Question 3:

Multiple Theoretical Frameworks and the Complexity of Crime Causation
In order to explain why people commit crime, we must use several theoretical frameworks as crime is an interaction of biological, psychological, economic, social and environmental factors cutting across layers from individual all the way up to structural levels (Australian Institute of Criminology [AIC], 2020). "The explanations put forward by economic theories view crime as rational choice, individuals are influenced by unemployment rates, wage differentials and structural opportunities, and they weigh expected benefit against cost of doing it" (AIC, 2020). Insights come from personality disorders, learned aggression, psychological perspectives, developmental deficits and interactions between serious mental illness and crime (Forensic Fundamentals, 2019). Sociological approaches such as social disorganization theory that explains how neighbourhood poverty, population turnover and ethnic heterogeneity dissolve informal social controls that keep crime from happening (AIC, 2020). Social learning theory presumes that juveniles pick up criminal behaviour by observing, imitating, and getting reinforced for it within delinquent peer groups (AIC, 2020). General strain theory holds this action to be an adaptive response to the pressures of goal failure, removal of positive stimuli, and exposure to negative ones" (Agnew, 1992).

According to a number of criminological explanations, social and economic disadvantage operates as the principal causative force behind crime in Australia through a variety of interconnected mechanisms like poverty, unemployment, family dysfunction, limited education and community disorganisation (Australian Bureau of Statistics [ABS], 2025). ABS data shows a strong positive correlation between higher crime rates and low-income areas. An increasing frequency of crime occurs in places with high unemployment and where students do not finish senior secondary school or receive equivalently qualified vocational training (ABS, 2025). Ipsos (2025) discovered that 59 % of Australians believe that poverty and unemployment are the main causes for crime, followed by substance abuse (57%) or a lack of education (52%). AIC research shows that the stresses of economic hardship make parenting a difficult task-hence neglect, intermittent punishment and youth delinquency (AIC,2020). In Central Australia, property offenders mostly come from communities marked by poor-family violence and alcohol abuse (ABC News, 2021). The Children's Commissioner of Western Australia reported that almost all 92 young detainees blamed family fragmentation, substance abuse and a lack of opportunity as factors behind their crimes (AIFS, 2010). Longitudinal studies have consistently shown that criminal behaviour is inherited within socio-economically deprived families, and that disadvantage becomes the most powerful and long-lasting criminogenic force (AIC, 2020).

Brief of Assessment Requirements — key points

Purpose: Respond to three structured questions about crime data, perceptions, and causes using formal academic writing.
Format & presentation: Include an APA 7 title page (student name, unit, assessment topic). Use formal tone throughout.
Evidence requirement: Each question response must integrate at least two academic sources (textbooks or peer-reviewed journal articles) with in-text citations and a full APA 7 reference list.
Content requirements (explicit):

• Q1 — Examine two reasons why crime statistics may not provide the full picture of criminal activity.

• Q2 — Examine two factors why a person’s perception of crime may differ from the actual prevalence of crime.

• Q3 — Explain why multiple explanations exist for crime and state the main cause you consider, with justification.
  Assessment mechanics: Formal language; evidence-based arguments; compare official data (e.g., ABS, police-recorded statistics) with survey/victimisation findings; discuss media, demographic and methodological influences; use scholarly theory to justify causal conclusions.

How the Academic Mentor Guided the Student — step-by-step

1. Clarify scope & deliverables (Planning)

• Action: Mentor reviewed the assessment brief with the student, clarified the three question foci, and confirmed the APA 7 formatting and citation expectations.

• Outcome: A clear task list and project timeline (title page → research → draft each question → referencing → proofreading).

2. Create an evidence plan (Research strategy)

• Action: Mentor showed how to identify and select at least two high-quality academic sources per question (e.g., AIC reports, ABS, peer-reviewed criminology articles, foundational texts like Agnew on strain theory).

• Outcome: A source list organised by question (primary empirical sources for Q1/Q2; theoretical literature for Q3).

3. Extract and organise key evidence (Note-taking)

• Action: Mentor taught efficient note-taking: capture the claim, the supporting data/quote, and the APA 7 bibliographic entry for each source. Emphasise extracting exact statistics (e.g., underreporting rates) and methodological caveats.

• Outcome: A research matrix mapping each claim to two supporting sources and page/paragraph references for accurate in-text citations.

4. Structure each response (Outline & argument flow)

• Action: For each question the mentor recommended a simple academic structure: short introduction (1–2 sentences), two substantive paragraphs (one per reason/factor), an analytical paragraph integrating sources, and a one-sentence conclusion linking back to the question. For Q3, add a paragraph that compares theoretical frameworks then justifies the student’s position.

• Outcome: Three detailed outlines so drafting becomes focused and evidence-driven.

5. Drafting with academic tone (Writing support)

• Action: Mentor modelled formal phrasing, signposting (e.g., “Firstly…”, “Conversely…”), and integration of citations (claim + evidence + interpretation). Mentor suggested balancing descriptive statistics (ABS/AIC figures) with critical analysis (methodological limits, media effects).

• Outcome: First drafts for Q1–Q3 that combine empirical data and theory, each with at least two citations.

6. Referencing & APA 7 compliance (Technical checking)

• Action: Mentor reviewed in-text citations and the reference list for APA 7 accuracy (authors, year, italics, DOIs where available) and checked the title page format.

• Outcome: Correctly formatted APA 7 references and title page.

7. Revision, editing & plagiarism check (Quality assurance)

• Action: Mentor performed line-edits for clarity, flagged any overreliance on a single source, recommended paraphrasing where necessary, and advised running a plagiarism check to ensure originality.

• Outcome: Polished, academically honest responses.

8. Final assembly & submission checklist

• Action: Mentor ensured the document contained: title page, three question responses, reference list, consistent formatting, and adherence to word/length expectations (if any).

• Outcome: A submission-ready file.

How the Outcome Was Achieved & Learning Objectives Covered

How outcome was achieved:
Systematic planning + targeted research + structured drafting + rigorous referencing produced concise, evidence-based answers that met the rubric: each question contained at least two academic sources, used formal academic tone, and included an APA 7 title page and reference list. Mentor oversight at each step ensured methodological accuracy (e.g., distinguishing police-recorded vs victimisation data), theoretical breadth (multiple criminological frameworks), and critical analysis (limitations and policy implications).

Key learning objectives addressed:

1. Critical evaluation of crime data — understanding the “dark figure” and methodological limitations of official statistics.

2. Linking perception to evidence — recognising media effects, cognitive biases, and demographic influences on fear of crime.

3. Application of criminological theory — comparing and justifying causal explanations (economic, social, psychological theories).

4. Academic research skills — locating, integrating, and citing peer-reviewed sources in APA 7 format.

5. Academic writing & presentation — producing formal, structured responses with accurate referencing and ethical scholarship.

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