chapter 2 Flashcards
career criminals
persistent repeat offenders who organize their lifestyle around criminality
chronic offenders
as defined by marvin wolfgang, robert figlio, and thorsten sellin, delinquents arrested five or more times before the age of 18, who commit a disproportionate amount of all criminal offences
cleared
an offense is cleared by arrest or solved when at least one person is arrested or charged with the commission of the offense and is turned over to the court for prosecution
conflict view of crime
the view that criminal law is created and enforced by those who hold political and economic power and is a tool used by the ruling class to control dissatisfied have-not members of society
consensus view of crime
the view that the great majority of citizens agree that a certain behaviors must be outlawed or controlled, and that criminal law is designed to protect citizens from social harm
corporate crime
crime committed by a corporation, or by individuals who control the corporation or other business entity, for such purposes as illegally increasing market share, avoiding taxes, or thwarting competition
crime
a violation of social rules of conduct, interpreted and expressed by a written criminal code, created by people holding social and political power. Its content may be influenced by prevailing public sentiments, historically developed moral beliefs, and the need to protect public safety
early onset
the principle or fact that kids who have been exposed to a variety of personal and social problems at an early age are the most at risk to repeat offending
expressive crimes
criminal acts that serve to vent rage, anger, or frustration
hate crimes (bias crimes)
criminal acts directed toward a particular person or members of a group because they share a discernible racial, ethnic, religious, or gender characteristic
instrumental crimes
criminal acts intended to improve the financial or social position of the criminal
instrumental violence
violent behavior that results from criminal activity designed to improve the financial status of the culprit, such as shooting someone during a bank robbery
interactionist view of crime
the view that criminal law reflects the preferences and opinions of people who hold social power in the society and use their influence to impose their own values and moral code on the rest of the population
liberal feminist theory
an ideology holding that women suffer oppression, discrimination, and disadvantage as a result of their sex and calling for gender equality in pay, opportunity, child care, and education.
mass murder
type of multiple killer who kills many victims in a single violent outburst
moral entrepreneurs
people who wage campaigns to control behaviors they view as immoral or wrong
national crime victimization survey (NCVS)
the nations primary source of information on criminal victimization. each year, data from a national sample measure the frequency, characteristics, and consequences of criminal victimization by such crimes as rape, sexual assault, robbery, assault, theft, household burglary, and motor vehicle theft
national incident=based reporting system (NIBRS)
a form of crime data collection created by the FBI requiring local police agencies to provide at least a brief account of each incident and arrest within 22 crime patterns, including the incident, victim, and offender information
part 1 crimes
those crimes used by the FBI to gauge fluctuations int he overall volume and rate of crime. the offenses included were the violent crimes of murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault and the property crimes of burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft and arson
part 2 crimes
all other crimes reported to the FBI; these are less serious crimes and misdemeanors, excluding traffic violations.
public order crimes
behaviors that are illegal because they run counter to existing moral standards. obscenity and prostitution are considered public order crimes
racial threat hypothesis
the view that young minority males are subject to greater police control- for example, formal arrest- when their numbers increase within the population
self-report survey
a research approach that questions large groups of subjects, such as high school students, about their own participation in delinquent or criminal acts
serial killer
type of multiple killer who kills over a long period of time but typically assumes a “normal” identity between murders
spree killer
type of multiple killer who spreads the murderous outburst over a few days or weeks
three-strikes laws
sentencing codes that require than an offender receive a life sentence after conviction for a third felony. some states allow parole after a lengthy prison stay- for example 25 years
truth-in-sentencing laws
laws requiring convicted felons to spend a significalnt portion oft ehir sentence behind bars
uniform crime report (UCR)
the official crime data collected by the FBI from local police departments
white-collar crime
white-collar crimes involve the violation of rules that control business enterprise. they include employee pilferage, bribery, commodities law violations, mail fraud, computer fraud, environmental law violations, embezzlement, internet scams, extortion, forgery, insurance fraud, price fixing, and environmental pollution.
