I was attacked regularly by my parents and i've never served any time. I've been in trouble but never anything serious. My sister, who was only ever witness to it, because she was actually our Dad's child, has been in and out of jail since she was 15-16.
Oh FFS. Crime IS decreasing. It has been falling for years. And it has nothing to do with increased prison sentences (even where prisons have been slashed like Texas, crime is still falling).
People's perception of crime has NEVER been close to the reality (people always think they are at a greater risk of being a victim of crime than they actually are).
And before anyone starts banging on about police not being able to investigate and that is why the crime figures are low; REPORTED CRIME (that is the survey that asks people about whether they have experienced crime rather than relying on police numbers) is also at its lowest ever.
The Economist had a very good article about this a few months ago.
Just because you don't accept the truth, it doesn't mean it is NOT the truth.
And by the way, we are about 3,000 down on prison numbers than a few years ago.
I'll grant you that crimes rates are, apparently, currently falling (if statistics are to b believed) but it's a bit of a stretch to say they're at the lowest rates "since records began" as articles such as THIS demonstrate.
And, let's face it, even though crime rates are currently falling, they're still roughly 5 times higher than they were 50 years ago.
Also, I'm not sure how anybody could try and assert that there are fewer people in prisons these days.
Googling for "UK Prison population" reveals a roughly tenfold increase in the last 100 years.
Again, the number of prison inmates might currently be falling but it's still just a drop in the upward-trending ocean according to articles such as THIS.
Again, you are failing to grasp what 'reported' means. The national crime survey reports on people's EXPERIENCE of crime - not the official police figures. These numbers have also been falling.
Even if we accept the fact that much crime goes unreported/unrecorded, this does not account for the falling numbers unless you are claiming that all crime went reported/recorded BEFORE the numbers started to drop.
Crime is falling. Particularly violent crime. This is not messing about with the figures, this is cast iron fact. And it is not only in this country.
As for 'cyber crime' well as far as I know, that is the only category of crime which is actually increasing by the numbers. While convictions for sex crimes have risen, the general consensus is that the crimes themselves aren't rising but they are being reported more and the conviction rate is improving. Moreover, many historical sex crimes are being investigated.
Am I really! :rolleyes:
Is that why I asked about how the survey is conducted ie areas and demographics?
I'll grant you that crimes rates are, apparently, currently falling (if statistics are to b believed) but it's a bit of a stretch to say they're at the lowest rates "since records began" as articles such as THIS demonstrate.
And, let's face it, even though crime rates are currently falling, they're still roughly 5 times higher than they were 50 years ago.
Also, I'm not sure how anybody could try and assert that there are fewer people in prisons these days.
Googling for "UK Prison population" reveals a roughly tenfold increase in the last 100 years.
Again, the number of prison inmates might currently be falling but it's still just a drop in the upward-trending ocean according to articles such as THIS.
It is certainly the lowest it has been since the national crime survey began in 1981. That is what I meant.
And I was very specific about the drop in prison numbers. I will fully accept that 3,000 is a small drop when the fact that prison numbers doubled under New Labour is taken into account. However, given it is the first meaningful drop in 20 years, I'd say it's significant.
And is your 'five times higher' number actually number of crimes per capita or number of crimes in total? Does it take into account all those things that are crimes now that would not be considered crimes then? Remember the last Labour government introduced the best part of 4,000 new criminal offences.
It is certainly the lowest it has been since the national crime survey began in 1981. That is what I meant.
And I was very specific about the drop in prison numbers. I will fully accept that 3,000 is a small drop when the fact that prison numbers doubled under New Labour is taken into account. However, given it is the first meaningful drop in 20 years, I'd say it's significant.
And is your 'five times higher' number actually number of crimes per capita or number of crimes in total? Does it take into account all those things that are crimes now that would not be considered crimes then? Remember the last Labour government introduced the best part of 4,000 new criminal offences.
Fair do's.
There's nothing there that I disagree with.
I'm sure we're both happy that crime rates are falling from the peaks we saw a few years ago.
Violent crime has actually been falling for a decade. Everywhere - not just here. There could be a variety of reasons for this (from lead being removed from petrol - yes - believe it or not that is a theory); to a lower tolerance for parental smacking; to early intervention in childhood; to CCTV; to the growth in social media giving even the most socially disadvantaged young person something to do; etc.
I can see how all those things (minus the first) could play a part in the reduction of crime.
Another thing is the growth of online porn as an outlet for our pent up energies, which may otherwise be released through other socially destructive means. Although, if sex crimes are going up maybe it isn't such a good trade off?
I was beaten to the point of authorities becoming involved (and fobbed off with the "she fell over" excuse which they believed on more than one occasion) and even hospitalised once. I am the most law abiding person I know.
Sister, never beaten, spoiled, witness to my attacks from our mother, married a criminal and is a law breaker herself although I don't know if she has done time as I am cut off from them.
I certainly think there is a new sex crime - that of online child abuse images.
But you must remember that if I got my bum pinched in the 1980s, I'd have just got pissed off. It woudn't probably have registered that it was a sex crime (which it was - even then - it constitutes sexual assault).
Now these sorts of offences are more likely to be acknowledged as such (by the victim as much as anything else). People often forget that the term 'sex offence' covers a huge range of offences - from the very minor to the worst kind of offence. Also, until very recently, no-one would have bothered reporting historical sex abuse.
Just had this used as an argument against spanking children, which I don't agree with but don't believe the statement as not been able to find any link to it.
So is there any truth in the statement ?
No, it's utter rubbish. Smacking children can in fact help them learn respect in later life. It certainly did me no harm. Of course there is a difference between smacking on the bottom/legs and physical abuse though lilly livered liberals will disagree with me I'm sure.:yawn:
Comments
I'll grant you that crimes rates are, apparently, currently falling (if statistics are to b believed) but it's a bit of a stretch to say they're at the lowest rates "since records began" as articles such as THIS demonstrate.
And, let's face it, even though crime rates are currently falling, they're still roughly 5 times higher than they were 50 years ago.
Also, I'm not sure how anybody could try and assert that there are fewer people in prisons these days.
Googling for "UK Prison population" reveals a roughly tenfold increase in the last 100 years.
Again, the number of prison inmates might currently be falling but it's still just a drop in the upward-trending ocean according to articles such as THIS.
*EDIT*
FFS. :rolleyes:
Am I really! :rolleyes:
Is that why I asked about how the survey is conducted ie areas and demographics?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24566994
It is certainly the lowest it has been since the national crime survey began in 1981. That is what I meant.
And I was very specific about the drop in prison numbers. I will fully accept that 3,000 is a small drop when the fact that prison numbers doubled under New Labour is taken into account. However, given it is the first meaningful drop in 20 years, I'd say it's significant.
And is your 'five times higher' number actually number of crimes per capita or number of crimes in total? Does it take into account all those things that are crimes now that would not be considered crimes then? Remember the last Labour government introduced the best part of 4,000 new criminal offences.
Fair do's.
There's nothing there that I disagree with.
I'm sure we're both happy that crime rates are falling from the peaks we saw a few years ago.
I can see how all those things (minus the first) could play a part in the reduction of crime.
Another thing is the growth of online porn as an outlet for our pent up energies, which may otherwise be released through other socially destructive means. Although, if sex crimes are going up maybe it isn't such a good trade off?
Sister, never beaten, spoiled, witness to my attacks from our mother, married a criminal and is a law breaker herself although I don't know if she has done time as I am cut off from them.
But you must remember that if I got my bum pinched in the 1980s, I'd have just got pissed off. It woudn't probably have registered that it was a sex crime (which it was - even then - it constitutes sexual assault).
Now these sorts of offences are more likely to be acknowledged as such (by the victim as much as anything else). People often forget that the term 'sex offence' covers a huge range of offences - from the very minor to the worst kind of offence. Also, until very recently, no-one would have bothered reporting historical sex abuse.
No, it's utter rubbish. Smacking children can in fact help them learn respect in later life. It certainly did me no harm. Of course there is a difference between smacking on the bottom/legs and physical abuse though lilly livered liberals will disagree with me I'm sure.:yawn: