An evaluation of crime statistics

An evaluation of crime statistics Crime Statistics Evaluated. Crime statistics ought to be evaluated in light of a number of factors that can mislead social constructions of offending. Conclusions drawn from individual data sets are to be evaluated against the dark figure of crime and commonly held myths. Statistical data are mostly gathered and interpreted to suit political and corporate agendas (Chambliss, 2001; Croall, 1998; Rampton Stauber, 2001; Slapper Tombs, 1999). The criminalization/decriminalization of specific activities/behaviours, for instance, can considerably transform crime trends (Croall, 1998). Male homosexuality, for instance, wasnt decriminalized in Britain until the 1960s (Croall, 1998; Downes Morgan, 1997). Other issues stem from how the data is collected. Surveys conducted by household, for instance, dont include the victimization of homeless people (Kershaw et al., 2000). Furthermore, crimes in which offenders and victims are consenting parties (for example drug dealing) are largely unreported (Kershaw et al., 2000; M aguire, 1997). A lot has been done to refine the collection of crime data. The introduction of victims surveys in the British Crime Survey, for instance, has improved the quality of data collection on crimes that are not recorded by the police (Kershaw et al., 2000; Zedner, 1997). Nevertheless, the reliability of statistics on offending remains questionable. Public myths over the crime problem, combined with corporate interests, drive political activities, which in turn work to mould public perceptions. These are perpetuated by the media who tend to sensationalize street crime, for instance, in order to attract the readership (Chambliss, 2001; Reiner, 1997; Slapper Tombs, 1999). The proceeding lines will provide an account of current statistics and trends, following this line of reasoning. Looking at the shape of crime as it appears from the 2004 BCS summary of trends, it appears that rates of offending have consistently dropped in the past decade (Dodd et al., 2004). More in detail, since 1995 violent crimes have decreased by 36%. Acts of vandalism have decreased by 27%. Vehicle theft, theft from the person, other types of theft and burglary rates appear to have declined, respectively, by 51%, 9%, 36% and 47% (Dodd et al., 2004). Though the validity of these figures, to an extent, cannot be totally dismissed, particularly in sight of their statistical significance, they should be further investigated. Many of these crimes, including vandalism and theft, for instance, are assessed by household (Dodd et al., 2004). Therefore theft offences from homeless people may not appear in these figures. Crimes of violence, on the other hand, are statistically assessed against the overall number of adults in England and Wales (Dodd et al., 2004). In this case, illegal immigrants who do not appear in official registers are not included. The table published by the Home Office also contains a definitional bias. As it was acknowledged by the authors themselves: The BCS common assault definition includes minor injuries. From 2002/03 the recorded crime definition does not include minor injuries  (Dodd et al., 2004). This means that figures related to common assault included a larger variety of violent episodes in the years prior to 2002. This can account for the 43% drop in common assault since 1995 (Dodd et al., 2004).The monitoring of other types of offending, such as cybercrime, has been introduced by external agencies (Power, 2000), though the Home Office themselves have addressed the problem in current publications (Morris, 2004). Cybercrime refers to a variety of offensive activities, to include theft of proprietary information [ ¦], financial fraud [ ¦] [and the] creation and distribution of computer viruses  (Power, 2000: 4). According to the Computer Emergency Response Team (2000), there was a considerable increase in the reporting of internet alerts between 1988 and 1999. It should be noted that this could be largely due to the limited access and technological tools available in the 1980s, compared to the 1990s. Internet alerts, however, fell by the year 2000 (Power, 2000), maybe due to more advanced preventative measures. Financial fraud can currently be denounced as a type of cybercrime, in that it often employs a network of internet transactions, involving large amounts of money and large scale victimization, internationally and over long periods of time (Levi, 1987; Rampton Stauber, 2001; Slapper Tombs, 1999). Corporate and internet offending tend to be largely undetected due to their complex nature (Levi, 1987; Rampton Stauber, 2001; Slapper Tombs, 1999). Because of this, corresponding data tends to be scattered between a variety of agencies (Power, 2000; Slapper Tombs, 1999). A strategic and more advanced model, therefore, should be developed to effectively address the emerging new trends of offending. References Chambliss, W. J. (2001) Power, politics and crime, Oxford, Westview Press.Croall, H. (1998) Crime and society in Britain, London, Longman.Dodd, T., Nicholas, S., Povey, D. Walker, A. (2004) Crime in England and Wales 2003/2004, http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs04/hosb1004.pdf Downes, D. Morgan, R. (1997) Dumping the Hostages to Fortune? The politics of Law and Order in Post-War Britain, in: Maguire, M., Morgan, R. Reiner, R. (eds.) 1997, The Oxford Handbook of Criminology, Oxford, Oxford University Press.Kershaw, C., Budd, T., Kinshott, G., Mattinson, J., Mayhew, P. Myhill, A. (2000) Home Office Statistical Bulletin: the 2000 British Crime Survey, London, Home Office.Levi, M. (1987) Regulating Fraud, London, Tavistock.Maguire, M. (1997) Crime statistics, patterns, and trends: changing perceptions, in: Maguire, M., Morgan, R. Reiner, R. (eds.) 1997, The Oxford Handbook of Criminology, Oxford, Oxford University Press.Morris, S. (2004) The future of netcrime now: Part 2 -respon ses, http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs04/rdsolr6304.pdfPower, R. (2000) Tangled Web: tales of digital crime from the shadows of cyberspace, Indianapolis, Que.Rampton, S. Stauber, J. (2001) Trust us, were experts, New York, Penguin/Putnam.Reiner, R. (1997) Media made criminality: the representation of crime in the mass media, in: Maguire, M., Morgan, R. Reiner, R. (eds.) 1997, The Oxford Handbook of Criminology, Oxford, Oxford University Press.Slapper, G. Tombs, S. (1999) Corporate Crime, London, Longman.Zedner, L. (1997) Victims, in: Maguire, M., Morgan, R. Reiner, R. (eds.) 1997, The Oxford Handbook of Criminology, Oxford, Oxford University Press.

Wilfred Owen and his Pity of War :: Wilfred Owen Poems Poetry War Literature Essays

Through His Poetry Wilfred Owen Wished to Convey, to the General Public, the Pity of War. In a Detailed Examination of these Poems, With Reference to Others, Show the Different ways in which He achieved this. Wilfred Owen fought in the war as an officer in the Battle of the Somme. He entered the war in January of 1917. However he was hospitalised for war neurosis and was sent for rehabilitation at Craiglockhart War Hospital in Edinburgh that May. At Craiglockhart he met Siegfried Sassoon, a poet and novelist whose grim antiwar works were in harmony with Wilfred Owen's concerns. It was at Craiglockhart where Wilfred Owen produced the best work of his short career under the tutelage of Siegfried Sassoon. Siegfried Sassoon had recently made a public declaration against the continuation of the war by throwing his Military Cross medal for bravery into the River Mersey in Liverpool. Wilfred Owen's earlier work ignored the subject of war but Siegfried Sassoon urged him to write on the war. Wilfred Owen wrote his poems while at Craiglockhart as a cathartic experience to help him to forget his experiences in France. He also wrote his poems as an attempt to stop the war and to make people realise how horrific it was. In a thorough examination of the poems "Anthem for Doomed Youth", "Dulce et Decorum Est" and "Disabled" and also with some reference to other works by Owen, it can be seen that he uses different poetical features, styles and methods. Wilfred Owen addresses his readers from different stances right up to him addressing the reader personally. This method is very effective in evoking feelings from great anger and bitterness to terrible sadness and even sarcasm, making the reader sometimes even feel guilty. Whichever way he chooses to portray the pity of the war the end result is always the same. "Dulce Et Decorum Est" is a direct attack at the people in Britain who had been taken in by the propaganda drive by telling them the truth of what life is really like at the front and in what conditions their sons, fathers, brothers etc. are in. "Dulce Et Decorum Est" consists of four unequal stanzas, the first two in sonnet form, and the last two in a looser structure. The first stanza sets the scene of soldiers limping back from the front. The authorial stance is of Owen telling us of his own personal experiences. The second stanza focuses on one man who could not get his gas mask on in time. This is a recurring nightmare that Owen has, where he sees one man "drown" in the gas and

Malicious Vengeance: The Ghastly Acts of Murder Essay examples -- essa

Malicious Vengeance: The Ghastly Acts of Murder   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Both Edgar Allen Poe’s short story, â€Å"The Cast of Amontillado,† and Louise Erdrich’s essay, â€Å"Fleur,† have prominent themes about revenge, Poe focused on the act of Revenge, whereas Erdrich focused more on the events leading up to the horrific act.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Poe’s short story of revenge discusses how the main character, Montresor, abuses the victim’s trust to ultimately kill him. The story starts out with the victim, Fortunato, and the avenger, Montresor, joking and drinking merrily while walking through a carnival together. Then, Montresor lies to Fortunato about having a rare wine, in a hidden location, that he would love to share with him. Fortunato, an avid wine connoisseur, is pleased to follow him due to his drunkenness, and also for the chance to taste such an exquisite wine.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  By this time, Fortunato is so drunk and trusting of Montresor that he blindly follows Montresor deep into the back of a catacomb. During their journey Montresor gives Fortunato plenty of chances to turn around; Montresor tells his victim at one point â€Å"we will go back; your health is precious. You are rich, respected, admired, beloved; you are happy, as once I was. You are a man to be missed.† (Poe 1316) Upon reaching the end of the cavern, Montresor does not explain himself, and does not gift his enemy with a bottle of wine, but instead sentences him to a slow and horrific death. In his short story, Poe describes the act of revenge almost as a dark insanity that plagues the main character. Montresor’s madness is shown when he goes from friend to foe. He gives the impression that he is worried about Fortunato’s health at first, but towards the end takes satisfaction in hearing the cries of his helpless victim. Montresor even told the listeners of his story â€Å"I ceased my labors and sat down upon the bones. When at last the clanking subsided, I resumed the trowel, and finished without interruption.† (Poe 1318) Poe views the act of vengeance as a solemn, sinister, and deranged work of hatred. I hold this to be true because he portrays an image where the murderous avenger can look into the victim’s eyes while burying him alive behind a wall of brick and mortar. Montresor can also continuously hear â€Å"the furious vibrations of the chain.† (Poe 1318) After finally... ...ble by any means. I believe that nature will act upon the â€Å"eye for an eye† belief by its self without me interfering. I also think that if I take my revenge on a person, or group of people, I will also suffer bad karma from nature. I believe that revenge comes from hatred, and living with an excess of hatred throws off one’s balance in life, like the ying-yang idea. Even though I disagree with acts of revenge, I still battle with those undesirable thought. Just today, November 2, 2004, my car was stolen while in Reading class, and I would love to meet the people that stole it. I have thoughts racing through my head about how much I would enjoy making that person, or group of people suffer. I am so angry; I even have thoughts of inflicting pain to anyone that just looks at me wrong. Even though I am very angry about what this person has done to me, I would not do anything outside of my moral and ethical point-of-view to that particular person. Poe’s and Erdrich’s story styles were very different, even though both stories accomplished the same goal of showing the act of murderous revenge. I enjoyed Poe’s story of horror much more then the tame story of revenge that Erdrich showed.

What Is Accounting Ethics

What is Accounting Ethics? The term accounting ethics are formed by the combination of two different words, namely accounting and ethics. Fortes, (2011) believes that ‘accounting is the collection, measurement, analysis and reporting of events in financial terms. ’ While Karthik, (2010) believes that ‘ethics in its broader sense, deals with human conduct in relation to what is morally good and bad, right and wrong. It is the application of values to decision-making. These values include honesty, fairness, responsibility, respect and compassion. Therefore, merging the two together will definitely assist in arriving at a proper definition of the term. Hence, accounting ethics can simply be defined as the general rules governing the accounting profession and setting a standard for the practitioners in making the right professional decisions at all times in order to abide by the rules. Dyson, (2010) believes that â€Å"accounting ethics relate to the moral code or pri nciples expected to be adopted in the preparation of accounts†.It should be noted that the importance of accounting ethics cannot be underestimated as it plays a vital role in the daily professional activities of an accountant. It is obvious that in the process of carrying out duties as a professional accountant, their will be various challenges as to whose interest is to be protected. In such a situation, if there are no ethics in place, it is possible for the accountant to act unprofessional. Origin and background of accounting ethics The history of accounting ethics can be traced to the 15th century when the first known accounting book was published.Luca Pacioli, an Italian mathematician who is also regarded as the â€Å"Father of Accounting† wrote on accounting ethics in his first book. The book titled Summa de Arithmetica, Geometria, Proportioni, et Proportionalita, which included two chapters – de Computis et Scripturis – describing double-entry book keeping was published in 1494. Dyson, (2010) states that ‘the first known book on the subject accounting was published in 1494 by an Italian mathematician called Pacioli’. It should be noted however that the publication of this book only brought about the beginning and introduction of accounting ethics and not of accounting itself.Belkaoui, (2004) stated that ‘Luca Pacioli did not invent double-entry book keeping, but described what was being at the time’. He further stated that ‘were we to trace this important science (accounting) back to its origin, we would be naturally led to ascribe the first invention to the first considerable merchants ’. The theories and principles of Pacioli on accounting ethics have been in used from the fifteenth century and the modern book-keeping systems are still based on the principles, although they have had to be adapted to suit modern conditions.Importance of accounting ethics in 2012 The only way by which th e importance of accounting ethics can be visible is by the proper enforcement of the ethics on the accounting profession. Several bodies in different countries have been setup to maintain such enforcement. An example is the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board in America. This body in the course of its oversight function this year has discovered so many frauds that had gone undetected for many years.Norris, (2012) stated that ‘in 13 of the 23 audits carried out, the board reported that the auditors did not perform sufficient procedures to identify, assess and respond to the risks of material misstatement of the financial statement due to fraud’. This literally means that this year more than fifty percent of firms will have one form of fraud or the other going on in their firms and the only way by which such fraud can be tackled and revealed is by proper enforcement of accounting ethics. References Belkaoui, R. A. , (2004). Account theory. 5th ed. Hampshire: South-W estern Cengage LearningDyson, J. R. , (2010). Accounting for non-accounting students. 8th ed. Essex: FT Prentice Hall. Fortes, H. , (2011). Accounting simplified. Essex: FT Prentice Hall Karthik, N. , (2010). Accounting ethics. Buzzle, (online). Available at: http://www. buzzle. com/articles/accounting-ethics. html. (Accessed 29 October 2012). Norris, F. , (2012). Business day. The New York Times, (online). Available at: http://www. nytimes. com/2012/08/21/business/accounting-board-faults-audits-of-brokerage-firms. html? ref=accountingandaccountants&_r=0. (Accessed 26 Oct. 2012)

Business Gross and Net Profit

Gross and Net profit Gross profit A company’s revenue, minus the business’ costs of goods For example: If I sold 5000 cheese sandwiches for ? 1 each my total revenue would be 50 x ? 1 = ? 5000 It costs 25p per sandwich to purchase bread, butter and cheese. My gross profit = Revenue – Costs of sales (25p x 5000= ? 1250. 00) = ? 3750. 00 Net profit The business’ gross profit minus expenses For example: My gross profit from my sandwiches is ? 3750. 00 to calculate my Net profit I need to minus the rest of my expenses †¢ ? 385 on rent †¢ ? 80 on advertising †¢ ? 950 on staff salaries My total expenses are ? 1,415 My net profit= Gross profit (? ,750) – Expenses (1,415) = ? 2,335 The difference between gross and net profit The difference between gross and net profit is that gross profit is merely a stepping stone to work out the net profit. Say at the end of a month a business has ? 5000 in the bank, we need to work out the gross profit to know exactly how much we have to pay to the manufacturer and to cover the costs of materials. The same goes for net profit. Say after the business had worked out the gross profit and we had ? 4250 left in the bank, we still wouldn’t know exactly how much money we had made that month until we had worked out the net profit. Cost of salesCost of sales is the cost of the materials used to produce a product. This includes any costs included in making the product, this includes: †¢ Shipping costs †¢ Cost of containers †¢ Overhead costs linked directly to the manufacture, like rent for the manufacturing facilities Costs vary dependant on the industry. For example a retail business buys products to resell them at a higher price, but a manufacturer either buys raw materials and turn them into finished products, or buy parts and just assemble them, ready for sale. Expenses Expenses are all the costs that a business or organization has to pay out, this includes †¢ Fi xed costs Variable cost †¢ Taxes †¢ All other operating costs How to maximise profits There are several different ways a business or organization can maximise profits, these include: †¢ Lowering the costs of sales by using cheaper materials †¢ Lowering the costs of sales by minimizing manufacturing costs Nike Sports wear and Primark got a lot of bad press by moving their manufacturing factories abroad. They did this to lower their manufacturing costs as the workers have no minimum wage, or even minimum age so they can have their goods made at a very low price. †¢ Increasing the price of sales, (making your product more expensive)

Manufacturing proposals for gearbox and square Screw Research Proposal

Manufacturing proposals for gearbox and square Screw - Research Proposal Example In every research work there is a motivation behind it. The major motivation towards undertaking any research work is to find a solution to some unique and unanswered question. Addressing such question requires both explicit and implicit engagement into the field of study in order to elicit information that would in the end lead to the answer of that subject in question. Therefore the question this project is intended to answer is to develop a design of gearbox and square screw that can be used in the manufacture of pneumatic cowl actuator. The significance of this project is that it helps in developing a gearbox and a screw at a little cheaper and economically viable cost. This project will act as a partial fulfillment of my degree course requirements and also help towards improvements in the engineering industry and technology as a whole. The project is also meant to help in improving the aviation industry by helping produce cheaper and affordable aircraft parts. Several goals and set objectives are the driving force behind this research work. This is because there cannot be a journey without destination. The goals and objectives of this project is therefore, to the development of a square screw and gearbox, manufacture a cost-effective square screw and gearbox, to make a device that will make, to explore the field of engineering and aviation especially in the line of engine manufacturing, to assess the economic implications of developing an aircraft engine, to investigate the composition of an aircraft engine and to explore and understand the composition and components of a gearbox and square screw. Engineering and aviation industries have undergone several evolutionary developments since the invention of an aircraft several years ago. Operating the pneumatic cowl doors had been an uphill task due to lack of proper modernized ways of cowl actuation. This prompted the discovery of a control system that is electronic. The actuator is an embodiment that

Political parties Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Political parties - Essay Example Furthermore, essay identifies how the contrasting positions are related to the political ideologies. Analysing Differences and Similarities. Political system of the US government is predominately associated with the concept of two party system .The Democrats and the Republicans are the two major political parties dominating the US political system over the last few decades. On the other hand, the minor party such as the Libertarian have limited scope and role in the political system of the US. The Democrats in the US expresses a strong belief towards the importance of the environment which could lead to a strong economy. The Democrats claim that a reliable energy which is derived from the environment is an important reason for the growth of a strong economy. The Democrats are of the view a healthy environment can lead to a healthy economy. The Democrats are dedicated to the welfare of next generation and thus are committed towards providing renewable sources of energy. The Democrats considers climate change as threat to national security and thus justifies the funding of the government in the technologies for clean environment. Moreover, the issue regarding the greenhouse gas emission is being considered by the Democrats as one of the pivotal issue for achieving the goal of clean environment (Klevans 1-12; Dunlap, â€Å"Climate-Change Views: Republican-Democratic Gaps Expand†). The Republicans is the another major political party of the US, The Republicans places less attention on the aspect of climate change. The Republicans believe that the environment safety is related to the moral obligation of the people. It is worth mentioning that the Democrats places greater importance on environment issue than the Republicans. Moreover, both the parties namely the Democrats and the Republicans used â€Å"all-of-the -above† environmental policy with few key