SOCIAL-INDICATORS FOR CRIMINOLOGY

Social indicators are measures of social change. Not only does social change often impinge on crime but it may undermine crime theories. By paying more attention to social indicators, criminology can keep in be tter touch with today's realities and adjust itself to an emerging fut ure. A social indicators program for criminology can focus crime indic ators and sharpen other social indicators to make them more relevant t o crime. In sum, social indicators can help drive criminology, while c riminology can help drive the collection and organization of social in dicators.