Chapter 1 Flashcards
The scientitfic approach to the study of criminal behavior
criminology
What are the three general areas covered within criminology?
- law making
- law enforcement
- law breaking
Is this law making, law enforcement, or law breaking: Why are particular types of harmful behavior considered criminal
acts, but other types of harms are not illegal?
law making
Is this law making, law enforcement, or law breaking: The responses to crime by police, prosecutors, judges, and other
officials within the criminal justice system
law enforcement
Is this law making, law enforcement, or law breaking: The extent, causes, consequences, characteristics, motivations,
justifications for criminal behavior and its social and spatial distribution
law breaking
Why are there differences in definitions of crime?
Differences in definitions of crime across jurisdictions
What is the difference between the etiology and epidemiology of crime?
Etiology of crime refers to the “causes” of crime.
Epidemiology of crime refers to the social, spatial, and temporal distribution of crime
What could classify as the biological causes (etiology) of crime?
Testosterone, Chemical imbalances
What could classify as the psychological causes (etiology) of crime?
Low impulse control, inner conflicts, personality disorders
What could classify as the sociological causes (etiology) of crime?
Environmental/Economic conditions, social bonds, and cultural differences
What are the social aspects of the epidemiology of crime?
differences in distribution of crime based on social attributes like age, sex, race, education and income.
What are the temporal distribution aspects of the epidemiology of crime?
variation over time, seasonality effects, and differences by day of the week and time of the day
Good criminological theories must account for both the _________ of crime and the ___________ of crime.
etiology
epidemiology
Why is it important to study crime?
- personal relevance
- employment opportunities
- naive fascination (who done it?)
About ___% of Americans will fall victim to violent crime and ___% to property crime..
50%
90%
About 50% of Americans will fall victim to ______ crime and 90% to _______ crime..
violent
property
At least ___ million are arrested for crime
20
What are the steps of the scientific method according to criminal justice?
Step 1: Data Collection
Step 2: Data Analysis
What are the various ways crime data is collected?
- Agency reports (i.e. police reports)
- Surveys of Victims and Offenders
___%-___% of Americans make a living directly off of crime.
20
60
Agency reports are also called _________ _____.
correctional data
______ ______ are also called correctional data.
Agency reports
Agency reports provide summaries on _____ _______ reports.
crime incident
______ _______ provide summaries on crime incident reports.
Agency reports
What is an example of a survey of victims?
The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS)
What are the various ways crime data is analyzed?
- Comparative/Historical Analysis
- Model/Descriptive Histories
Comparative/Historical Analysis of crime are based on _____ _______, _____, and ______.
risk factors
rates
trends
__________/_________ Analysis of crime are based on risk factors, rates, and trends.
Comparative
Historical
Model/ Descriptive Arrest Histories Analysis of crime are based on _________, _________, and _________ of criminal behavior/trends.
persistence
escalation
desistance
