Chapter 7 Flashcards
crimes that are most likely to be committed by strangers, are generally perpetrated where? What three types of crimes does this include?
> In public
> Includes:
1) robbery,
2) workplace violence (including bank robbery),
3) and street gang violence.
In his classic study of homicide in Philadelphia, Marvin Wolfgang divided homicide into what two categories? What perpetrators belonged in each category?
> into primary homicides, which involved intimates, friends, and acquaintances,
> and secondary homicides, which involved strangers.
What phrase did Marvin Wolfgang assign to secondary homicide?
> stranger crime
Before reading into “stranger crime” what is important to note about all crime?
> it is important to remember that the majority of all violent crimes, except for robberies, are committed by offenders known to their victims.
1) Robbery can occur in a number of different contexts, including what?
2) What are the offenders like and what can they be like sometimes?
3) Do the dynamics of a robbery vary ?
> including homes, public locations, and commercial establishments.
> Sometimes it involves offenders known to their victims, but it more often involves strangers,
> and the dynamics of each robbery event can vary dramatically.
What do robberies sometimes escalate to and how is it prosecuted (in the US)
> Unfortunately, robberies sometimes escalate to murder
> this can be prosecuted as a kind of felony murder
In general, about 24% of homicides in which a felony circumstance was identified were the result of another type of felony— what felony?
> robbery
Although most robberies don’t result in death, they all involve the use of:
> the use of force or the threat of force
John Conklin described over three decades ago, the crime of robbery incorporates two threatening elements:
> “the use of force against the victim and the theft of [the victim’s] property.”
How does the NCVS define robbery?
> Completed or attempted theft, directly from a person, of property or cash by force or threat of force, with or without a weapon, and with or without injury
What is the element that establishes why a robbery is considered a violent crime?
> The element of force or attempted force is the reason robberies
Why is a burglary considered a property crime?
> A burglary, in which an offender(s) breaks into a residence and steals a homeowner’s belongings, is a property crime because there is no force or threat of force to a person.
When can a burglary escalate to become a robbery?
> a burglary can become a robbery if an offender finds someone in the house and uses or threatens to use force against that person during the commission of the crime.
According to the NCVS, the rates of robbery have declined from the highs witnessed in the early 1990s, since 2002, have they increased or remained stable since?
1. What was the rate per 1000 individuals in 2002?
2. “ in 2014?
3. “ in 2015?
4. “ in 2018?
> they have remained relatively stable.
> 2002: was 2.7
2.5 in 2014,
2.1 in 2015,
2.1 in 2018.
How many robbery victimizations occurred in 2018?
> 573,100 robbery victimizations in 2018
What age demographic is most likely to experience robbery?
> young adults are more likely to experience a robbery compared to their older counterparts.
According to the NCVS, those between the ages of what have the highest rates of robbery?
> 18 and 24 have the highest rates of robbery.
Does race affect the chances of you being robbed? What about SES?
1. Regardless of race/ethnicity, what makes someone more likely to be robbed in comparison to what group?
2. When race is considered, what two groups living in poverty are more vulnerable?
3. What should be noted about the race factor (they perpetrate violence in…)
4. The poor cannot afford what to prevent robbery?
5. They are more likely to live in what kind of building that makes them vulnerable for attack
6. Are more likely to shop / eat in places that are considered what?
> those living in poverty, regardless of race and ethnicity, are more likely to become robbery victims compared to those with higher incomes,
> African American and Hispanic individuals living in poverty conditions are especially vulnerable to this particular crime of violence
*(robbers—similar to other types of violent offenders—usually perpetrate their violence in the same communities and neighborhoods in which they live.)
> The poor are also less likely to be able to afford security systems for their homes and businesses,
> are more likely to live in apartment buildings with stairwells and hallways that make residents vulnerable to attack,
> and are more likely to shop in stores and eat in restaurants that are considered good locales for robberies because of a lack of adequate lighting or security personnel.
How does gender affect the risk of experiencing a robbery? Is the same true for the elderly?
> younger males are at a higher risk of experiencing a robbery compared with their younger female counterparts; however, this is not the case for the elderly. In fact, elderly males and females are equally vulnerable to robbery.
Marital status and geographic location are also related to robbery victimization. How so and why?
> those living in urban locations are more likely to experience a robbery compared with their suburban and rural counterparts. Being single, either through never marrying or being divorced or separated, also increases the risk of robbery
- This is probably related to the increased number of leisure activities that single people engage in outside of the home, particularly evening activities that place people in locations and situations that heighten the risk of victimization.
Do robberies happen at day or night?
> robberies are about equally likely to occur in the daytime as at night.
- over 4 in 10 robberies occur at or near what?
- Half of all robberies are commited in what kind of space?
- How many of those are reported to the police despite the fact that they involve both theft and violence?
> over 4 in 10 robberies occur at or near a personal residence,
while just over half of all robberies occur in public spaces.
> And finally, despite the fact that robberies involve both theft and violence, only about 50% of robbery victims reported their victimization to police
- According to the NCVS, about two in three robbery victims engaged in some type of action that is not restricted to just what?
- What does it include?
- And what did the majority of these victims report that this action did?
> engaged in some type of self-protective action
This is not restricted to just fighting back - it also includes such things as appealing to or reasoning with the offender.
> The majority of those who did take some action told interviewers that the action helped the situation in some way, including avoiding injury and protecting their property.
- Out of three, how many robberies cause injury?
- Translate this rate to be broken down by gender.
- Was the same rate true for those with known offenders / unknown offenders?
- About one in three robbery victims sustained an injury as the result of their victimization.
- This was true for both males and females. (equal rate)
- Interestingly, victims robbed by strangers were equally likely to be injured as the result of their victimization compared with those robbed by known offenders
With respect to robberies, what is a downfall of the NCVS?
(it only reports what kind of injury and does not include what?
> NCVS obtains information on nonfatal injuries only
and does not include the percentage of robberies that resulted in a victim’s death.
What are robberies sometimes referred to as?
> referred to as muggings or stickups
What are two generic types of robberies?
> individual and commercial robberies
Do robbers commit different types of robberies?
> no they specialize.
Roger Matthews found that those who primarily targeted commercial establishments, such as stores and shops, perceived themselves as what and what kind of robber do they have disdain for?
> more elite than the typical street mugger.
> have disdain for street robbers
Those who victimize primarily commercial establishments are very different in their level of what compared to a typical street robber?
> sophistication and MO
Some of the best information on the thought processes of robbers comes from what study? Who conducted it?
RW + SD.
> a study by Richard Wright and Scott Decker, who interviewed over 80 active robbers in St. Louis, Missouri.
What did the study by Richard Wright and Scott Decker reveal?
1. The decision to commit robbery was based on what desire?
2. The desire was not usually for meeting what kind of goals?
3. Instead, the needs were used for what?
> was based on the desire to get cash and other valuables.
> was not usually about meeting long-term goals, such as paying for an education or buying a home.
> Instead, the needs were typically to satisfy immediate and often illicit gratification needs, i..e gambelling or drug use.
The majority of the offenders in Wright and Decker’s sample spent most of their time doing what prior? Who coined this term?
> spent most of their time on the street abiding by the code of the streets, a term coined by Elijah Anderson
What other street code did Wright and Decker mention?
> “an open-ended quest for excitement and sensory stimulation,” which tends to include things such as gambling, drug use, and heavy drinking.
Similar to Anderson, Wright and Decker interpreted this street culture as an attempt toa chieve what? What did the code of the streets replace for them?
> s an attempt by many of the offenders to achieve a form of success in their lives that they could not attain through the legitimate routes to material success
> the “code of the streets” had replaced the conventional moral order (because those means weren’t available to them).
- What theory can explain the interpretation of street culture in robberies?
- Who coined this theory
- What does it argue?
> strain theory
(Thomas Merton)
argued that the pathways to success are not distributed equally throughout society.
- Because of the differential opportunities to achieve success in legitimate ways, some may innovate and commit crime to get the things they want.
What is one important thing to note about the offenders in Wright and Deckers sample?
were under what conditions?
> Most of the offenders in Wright and Decker’s study were under constant pressure to find money, which often led them to commit robberies
What is one important part of street culture? This component was evidenced by Wright and Decker who found that a small portion of their sample reported that they commited robbery to do what?
> outward appearances, such as dress and accessories, are also an important part of street culture.
> WRIGHT&DECKER: buy status items (such as the correct brand-named clothes) and accessories (such as jewelry).
Jack Katz interpreted an armed robbery as merely what?
( an act for the offender )
> another form of excitement
Roy Baumeister and W. Keith Campbell, who pointed out that violence can be intrinsically appealing because it offers excitement - how does robbery relate to the excitment of violence?
1. The risk provides what?
2. It provides a sense of what?
3. The sense of _ and _ endgenered by violence can be considered what?
> the risk of engaging in a robbery—may provide them with an adrenaline rush.
> empowering when they confront someone and get away with it
> The sense of mastery and dominance engendered by such violence can also be part of their motivation.
Emmeline Taylor interviewed individuals who had been convicted of robbery - while some of the respondents said their motivation was based on a desperate need to buy drugs, several noted what factor?
> the adrenaline rush
What did Emmeline Taylor suggest about an adrenaline rush? (What is it a response to and what does this characterize in her sample)
> may be a response to the mundane and boring lifestyle that comes from unemployment and a lack of any prospects for work,
> which characterized the lives of virtually all of the individuals in her sample.
What is another reason that someone may rob (more personal and unfourtante)
> some individuals do engage in this violence because they have no other way to provide for their survival needs.
How do robbers choose their targets? Wright and Decker discovered that for most offenders, the decision to rob was:
> usually quick and involved little deliberation.
Routine activities theory contends that there are three elements that are generally necessary for the commission of a crime to occur:
> a motivated offender,
a suitable target,
and lack of capable guardianship.
In selecting a law-abiding citizen, robbers did what?
1. Chose what first? Then second?
2. The area selected was generally believed to be a location where:
3. Some preferred what locations that had what while others chose neighbourhoods that were considered what and as a result they were more likely to carry:
> first chose an area for the robbery and then a suitable victim
> believed to be locations where people were more likely to carry large quantities of cash.
> Some preferred downtown locations, where businesses and banks were located, while others preferred to stick to the marginalized and low-income neighborhoods, because the people in those areas were more likely to carry cash than credit cards.
What are two prime targets for robbery?
1. What business?
2. What machine?
> check-cashing businesses and automatic teller machines
What external signs promote robbery?
About the victim
> external signs to identify who was most likely to be carrying cash; clothing, jewelry, and demeanor were indicators of this
Two demographics—gender and age—also affected the vulnerability attached to potential victims.
1. What gender is percieved as defenseless
2. What age was percieved as weaker?
3. Of those two demographics - what were the offenders attracted to?
> Women were generally thought to be more defenseless than males, and elderly people were perceived as weaker than their younger counterparts.
> Of these two characteristics, age was probably the more important, as many offenders noted the attraction to elderly victims.
When an appropriate victim has been selected, the next issue for potential robbers is? Then, to make sure victims comply, robbers must use what?
> determining the best way to pull off the crime without getting caught.
> must use violence or the threat of violence.
Lindegaard, Bernasco, and Jacques describe a robbery event as what? When can physical force or injury take place during the robbery?
> the subsequent flow of events until the offender leaves the scene
> physical force or injury can occur at any stage in the robbery.
The robbers interviewed by Wright and Decker generally used two methods to approach their victims and take control of the situation. What were they?
- The first was to sneak up on their victims, usually from the rear to avoid being detected. (vics had no warning and could not evade the attacker)
- trying to fit into the social setting and looking normal and nonthreatening, sometimes asking the intended victims a question, such as directions or the time.
David Luckenbill has studied robbers and their behaviour. Has their MOs’ changed overtime?
> The modus operandi of robbers has not changed much since these tactics were uncovered over three decades ago by David Luckenbill