There are seven ingredients required for behavior to be defined as crime. If it is determined that the behavior of an individual is criminal, than he or she may be charged with that crime. Each of the seven elements may be refuted by a number of defenses available to a criminal defendant. Researchers may collect data in an attempt to understand, prevent, or prepare for changes in the occurrence of various types of crime and the activities of different types of criminals. The nature of the crime determines the method employed to collect this data. There is a discussion on the reliability and validity of certain types of data, data collection methods, and sources of data.
