Due 01/16/12 500-750 words.
Measuring the extent of crime in America is not an exact science. When one looks at the multitude of acts and omissions that are considered to be illegal, both from a federal, state, and local jurisdiction perspective, researchers often use a crime typology format. These formats are designed to identify specific attributes of criminal activity. The typology used looks at the type of crime, unique factors or characteristics of the persons involved (offender or victim), specific aspects surrounding the crime itself, or a combination of these factors.
Crime typologies come from legal definitions of what society deems to be behavior that is criminal and at odds with community expectations. They are classified as either misdemeanors or felonies, labels that relate to the seriousness of the criminal act. This is further broken down into classifications of the status of the victim: person, property, or the public order. From a crime classification system standpoint, the severity and intensity of the criminal behavior is taken into consideration. They are classified as either index or nonindex crimes, with the former being the more severe crimes.
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), index crimes include select violent crimes (e.g., murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault), as well as property crimes that include the greatest potential risk or cost (e.g., burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson).