Analysis: a criminologist poses some quiz questions about the Irish criminal justice process, crime rates and other topics
References to crime and criminal justice are everywhere in our culture. Many people watch, read or listen to true crime. Others might read or hear about crime every day in the news or on social media, not to mention the crime content we ingest that is expressly fictious, like films and TV shows.
But do these sources of information make us more or less informed about key issues to do with crime? People often harbour deep convictions (excuse the pun) about crime and justice. Ask anyone if they think that crime is rising or falling, whether young people today commit more crime than in the past, or if more people should go to prison. Chances are, many of the people you know will have strongly held views about the state of the world and what we should do to make society safer.
Is there a gap between public attitudes and the realities of crime and criminal justice? This quiz is part of a project called Truer Than True Crime, which aims to inform public discussions with reference to the best available evidence from official sources and decades of criminology research. Some questions ask about prevalence and trends in crime in Ireland or around the world. Others ask about the Irish criminal justice process, or about how to reduce crime and reoffending.
Have a go – the answers may surprise you!
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1 to 4 right out of 10?
Not great – straight to jail for you!
5 to 7 right out of 10?
Not bad – we'll consider you for early release!
8 to 10 right out of 10?
You know your stuff – a PhD in criminology awaits!
The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ
