Statistical Applications in Criminal Justice

This textbook is specifically designed to give criminology and law students the elements of social statistics. Using examples entirely from criminology, law and justice research, the authors begin with simple mathematical notation and manipulation and work up through: } definitions of major terms } reading of graphs, charts and tables } theoretical basis of statistics, with discussions of probability, sampling and hypothesis testing. Only when the student has a firm mastery of these basic tools do the authors present some of the basic statistical techniques most commonly used in criminal justice research such as t-tests, correlations, simple regression, ANOVA and measures of association.

Statistical Applications in Criminal Justice introduces basic statistical concepts in a "cookbook" approach to guide math-scared students to an understanding of the utility and value of statistical analysis. Using examples drawn entirely from law and criminal justice research, the authors provide a user-friendly text for undergraduate and statistically naive graduate students of criminal justice. Vito and Latessa begin with an introduction to simple mathematical notation and proceed into a discussion of the theoretical bases of statistics--with particular attention paid to probability, sampling, and hypothesis testing. Once the student has developed a firm mastery of these basic tools, the authors present some basic statistical techniques commonly used in criminal justice research--t-tests, correlations, simple regression, ANOVA, and measures of association. Sample problems are provided to assist the student step-by-step through the application of these techniques. Uniquely written for criminal justice students, this book would be an appropriate supplement to accompany a longer research methods or statistics text. In addition, professionals who wish to brush up on their skills would find its self-teaching features useful.