Criminology 1

Question 1

Explain the four criteria used to evaluate theories.

Answer 1

1. Associations: A good theory will tell us the correlation and how it does it.
2. Temporal order: what comes first in the theory? What is the actual cause?
3. Nonspuriousness: we are looking for the true, meaningful correlations.
4. Parsimony: we are looking for theories with few concepts to explain crime.

Question 2

How can evaluation research contribute to our understanding of criminological theory?

Answer 2

researchers can look at the effectiveness of a program or policy. We want to understand if the criminological theory actually works.

Question 3

What are three recommendations made as part of the presidents commission on crime control?

Answer 3

1. more education
2. better training of law-enforcement
3. increase research on crime

Question 4

Distinguish between the different sources of crime measurement, specifically the strengths and weaknesses of each: UCR, NCVS, self-report studies.

Answer 4

1. UCR - any account of crime produced by government agency over a course of time. strengths: collects from broad range, old trend analysis. weaknesses: limits info about crime, only the highest crime reported
2. NCVS- intended to measure victimization. Strengths: high response rate, wide range of victimization. Weaknesses: limited on age, population, and crime.
3. Self-report survey: we ask people if they have been involved in crime. Strengths: high degree of honesty, best way to study legal and illegal activities. Weaknesses: captures more info about low level crimes

Question 5

Explain The inconsistency between self report data, official statistics, and victimization data.

Answer 5

1. Self-Reporting data- people may not want to share their experience and so this with holds valuable data that could be used.
2. Victimization data: The dark figure of crime is present; this is where people do not report crime to the police.
3. Official stats: Half of all crime goes unreported income therefore skew the data.

Question 6

Explain what is meant by “victim-precipitated” homicide?

Answer 6

How a victim’s interaction with an offender may contribute to their demise. Usually associated with Robbery, murder, etc.

Question 7

What explains the desistance from burglary for offenses?

Answer 7

RCT explains desistance as “quitting crimes” although unusual, one might be deterred from burglary if motivates do not match the reward. Others might be home security.

Question 8

Briefly distinguish between the classical and positive school of criminology.

Answer 8

1. Classical - represents a school of thought of how a legal system should work. Rational choice theory was born out of the school.
2. Positivist - first attempts to explain crime using scientific method means. Focuses on looking at people specific characteristics and genes that determine how they behave criminally.

Question 9

Explain three ideas advocated by Beccaria

Answer 9

1. let the laws be feared, and the laws only. (if people know the law, people will fear consequences)
2. to prevent crime, reward virtue (reward people from conformity)
3. The goal of punishment should be general deterrence. The individual is a lost cause.

Question 10

How would rational choice theorist explain criminal behavior?

Answer 10

individuals evaluate their choice of actions in accordance with each options ability to produce advantage, pleasure, and happiness. As human beings we want to seek pleasure and avoid pain at all cost. When making decisions, we measure the right and wrong of the action by looking at the greatest good to the greatest number of people.

Question 11

What are three crime prevention strategies that have been shown to be ineffective?

Answer 11

1. Deterrence
2. Capital punishment
3. Neighborhood watch

Question 12

What are two criticisms of rational choice theory?

Answer 12

1. punishments can have a negative consequence

2. individual differences in experiences

Question 13

According to routine activities theory, discuss the three elements necessary to explain victimization.

Answer 13

1. motivated offender
2. Suitable target
3. absence of capable guardians

Question 14

What are the assumptions underlying the positivist school of criminology?

Answer 14

1. Determinism
2. Individual differences
3. Diagnose + Treat

Question 15

What are two criticisms of the psychological/biological theories of crime?

Answer 15

1. labeling effect

2. crime rates change, genes do not

Question 16

What are two policy implications derived from the psychological/biological theories of crime?

Answer 16

1. treatment and prevention

2. psychiatric defense

Question 17

What did Lombroso believe to be the causes of criminality?

Answer 17

1. Pathological

2. Sociological

Question 18

What two categories did Enrico Ferri add to Lombroso’s typology of criminal behavior?

Answer 18

1. Habitual: someone who has acquired the treat/behavior from their environment.
2. Involuntary: ones who’s crime was a product of modern life and technology.

Question 19

What did Raffaele Garofalo mean by his doctrine of natural crimes?

Answer 19

inability to inflict harm on another person and the respect the property. They violate either one or both contacts a pity and or probity.

Question 20

What did Goddard believe to be the cause of criminal behavior?

Answer 20

he believe that the cause of criminal behavior is due to inheritable feeble mindedness.

Question 21

What do we know about the relationship between IQ and crime today?

Answer 21

there is a weak relationship between IQ and crime

Question 22

What is a better predictor than IQ?

Answer 22

School performance and school attitudes

Question 23

Describe The three body types according to Sheldon.

Answer 23

1. ectomorphs- tall/skinny
2. endomorphs- fat, soft
3. Mesomorphs- sporty

Question 24

Which body type is more likely to become delinquent?

Answer 24

mesomorphs