chapter 1 Flashcards
deviance
the study of behavior and how it relates to social norms; behavior that differs from accepted social norms
Criminology
the study of crime and criminal behavior, which are defined by reference to the criminal law.
demographics
statistical data relating to the characteristics of a population
correlates (criminal)
factors that do not cause crime but are strongly linked to criminal behavior
forensic entomology
the study of insects to assist in legal investigations; insects on a corpse can help identify facts about the time and place of the victim’s death.
criminality
the state of being criminal; criminal acts or practices
criminalization
to define an act as a crime and thereby subject that act to formal punishment
criminal justice
the criminal justice system is made up of the institutions and related processes that enforce society’s law.
empirical
understood or verified through experiment, measurement, or direct observation; as opposed to theoretical. based on observation or experience
stigmatize
to strongly disapprove of a person or behavior
geographic profiling
focuses an investigation of serial crimes into a relatively small geographic area; through looking at the spatial patterns of such crimes and the specific hunting behaviors of the offenders.
net widening
imposing a form of control on individuals who might otherwise not be subject to such control.
electronic monitoring/tagging
involves an offender wearing an electronic device that allows their location to be monitored
qualitative criminal study
phenomena based not on measurement but on an exploration of the reasons for human behavior and the qualities of the subjective experience.
quantitive
relating to the measurement of something
(its quantity) rather than its qualities
