Exam 1 Flashcards
What is globalization?
is the process of international integration arising from the interchange of world views, products, ideas and other aspects of culture
What are the reasons to study criminal justice systems in other countries?
1) To broaden our understanding of the world
2) To benefit from others’ experience
3) To deal with international crime problems
What is ethnocentrism?
the belief that one’s own country or culture does things “right” and all other ways are “wrong” or “foreign”
What are the positive effects of ethnocentrism?
encourages pride, confidence, and group identification
What are the negative effects of ethnocentrism?
- makes people unwilling to understand and appreciate differences between themselves and people from other groups (prejudice and discrimination
- crime within and across borders
What do people think about the US criminal justice system?
- in the ABA study, 80% of Americans “agreed” or “strongly agreed” that the US justice system is the best in the world
- findings suggested that people have confidence in the system, but they do not believe its perfect
- they noted problems with the system
What are the possible approaches toward the study of different criminal justice systems?
1) historical approach
2) political approach
3) descriptive approach
What is the difference between the topical approach and the country-by-country approach?
A topical approach focuses on specific components of the criminal justice system and describes how different countries implement those segments. A country-by-country approach focuses on specific countries and describes the legal system’s operation in each country
What is the functions approach?
The functions approach clarifies duties and highlights the similarities among countries but may mask important differences
What is the institutions approach?
to compare countries on the basis of specific institutions and positions charged with accomplishing particular duties
Why measure crime across the world?
- to identify similarities and differences in crime types and occurrence (“crime as a social phenomenon”)
- to extend our understanding of criminal behavior (“crime as a social behavior”)
What is the difference between crime as a social phenomenon and crime as a social behavior?
crime as a social phenomenon: studying the issue
crime as a social behavior: studying the offender
What sources can be used to measure crime at different stages of the criminal justice system?
data can be found in: correctional systems, courts, police records, and prosecutors
What is the history of the attempts to measure crime in a comparative way?
- 1st attempt was in 1853 at the General Statistical Congress in Brussels
- 1970 the UN had a breakthrough survey
- Multiple intergovernmental organizations and private researchers have attempted to collect crime data since
What kinds of crime-related data are collected by Interpol and how long has Interpol been collecting them?
- Collected from the 1950s until 2007
- Provided statistics on: murder, sex offenses, serious assault, theft, fraud, counterfeit currency, and drug offenses
What are the problems with measuring crime data?
1) legal definition of a crime varies
2) crime statistics are viewed as political statements
3) many crimes are not reported to the police
4) somes crimes reported are not actually crimes, and some crimes reported are never officially recorded
5) the police make errors, are inefficient, or impose barriers
6) the police may opt to not record a crime
What kinds of data are collected in the UN World Crime Surveys?
murder, rape, robbery, assault, and theft
How frequently is the data collected for the UN World Crime Surveys?
every 5 years
Which types of data are more likely to reported on the UN World Crime Survey?
- number of judges least likely to be sent for data collection
- number of prisoners most likely to be sent for data collection
- countries are more likely to provide information about a rape rather than a homicide
What possible problems are there with the data for the UN World Crime Survey?
comparisons between or among countries is challenging
What crime-related data does the World Health Organization collect?
- provides valuable information about homicide rates based on death certificates issued by medical examiners
What is ICVS?
International Crime Victimization Survey
How is the data collected for the ICVS and where?
asks representatives samples of individuals about selected offense they have experienced over a certain period of time, usually 5 years.
- collected in approximately 55 countries
What types of offenses are covered by the ICVS?
property crimes (burglary), theft of and from cars, vandalism, violent crimes (robbery, assault), and sexual crimes (rape and sexual assault)
What is the Self-Reported Delinquency Study and how is it conducted?
- the first self reported survey among young people (14-21)
- mostly in Europe, focuses on prevalence and frequency of delinquent behavior
What is the corruption perceptions index and who constructs it?
- ranks countries based on how corrupt they are perceived to be
- conducted every year by Transparency International
Does the corruption perceptions index measure the actual extent of corruption?
No, it measures how corrupt they are perceived to be
What is the Police Integrity study?
surveys more than 15,000 officers in 18 countries
What questions are asked in the Police Integrity study?
- asks police officers how serious they perceive cases of police misconduct to be, what the appropriate punishment is, and whether they would report such behavior to the administration
According to the Self-reported Delinquency Study, what percentage of juveniles has engaged in delinquent behavior?
58% and up depending on the country/city
What is international crime?
a crime that harms the world community as a whole; it threatens the international order
What are war crimes?
grave breaches of treaty and customary rules applicable in armed conflict situations, regardless of whether these are international or non-international
Can wars be just?
1) Realists: “in times of war, the law is silent”
2) Pacifists: advocate complete nonviolence
3) Just-war theorists: constraints on the conduct of war with just cause and just means
What are the primary treaties codifying the conduct of war?
1) Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907
2) Geneva Conventions and Protocols of 1949 and 1977
What are the key rules of the Hague Conventions and the Geneva Conventions and Protocols and what do they regulate?
- provide various categories of lawful combatants
- limiting the conduct of combatants on the battlefield toward each other and toward civilians
- protecting those who do not take part in hostilities
What would be examples of crimes set out in the Geneva Conventions?
crimes against humanity
What are crimes against humanity?
a number of different criminal acts when they are perpetrated as part of a widespread and systematic attack on civilians
How does Cassesse define crimes against humanity?
a) “particularly odious offenses” that violate fundamental tenets of human dignity (murder, extermination, enslavement, and deportation)
b) part of a widespread or systematic attack against primarily civilians, which is condoned by government or another authority
c) can be committed during peace or war
What is the definition of crimes against humanity according to the Rome Statute of the ICC?
Any of the following acts when committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population, with knowledge of the attack:
- murder
- extermination
- enslavement
- deportation by force
- imprisonment or other severe deprivation of physical liberty
- torture
- sexual violence
- persecution against any identifiable group for that reason
- enforced disappearance of persons
- the crime of apartheid
- other inhumane acts of similar character
Do crimes against humanity require armed conflicts?
No