CRM 1300 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Social Disorganization Theory, Retributive Justice, Tsotsi

• School: University of Ottawa
• Department: Criminology
• Course: CRM 1300
• Professor: Michael Kempa

Document Summary

A relationship/association between two variables the relationship should not be assumed to be causal. A correlation is a good first starting point as the basis to develop and test theory. For the testing of theory, there is a need to triangulate data sources, and discount plausible alternative explanations (i. e. , control for competing independent variables) Correlation is not causation: the two things move in relation to one another, mo(cid:448)e(cid:373)e(cid:374)t i(cid:374) o(cid:374)e does(cid:374)"t (cid:373)ea(cid:374) there (cid:449)ill (cid:271)e (cid:373)o(cid:448)e(cid:373)e(cid:374)t i(cid:374) the other (cid:894)spurious correlation) If you see 2 variables moving with each other (positive or negative), you say it is worthy of investigation. Testing theory plausible explanations for the variables. Property crime is especially prevalent amongst the young. The age range of persons accused of violent crime is much wider. The official data indicate that in 2001, the peak age of offending among all offenders for both violent and property crimes was 16.