Exam 1 Flashcards
Large database, compiled by the FBI, of crimes reported and arrests made each year throughout the United States
Uniform Crime Report (UCR)
The 8 most serious offenses included in the UCR: murder, rape, assault, robbery, burglary, arson, larceny, and motor vehicle theft
Part I crimes
the willful killing of one human being by another
murder/nonnegligent manslaughter
Under common law, the carnal knowledge of a female forcibly and against her will
New definition: the penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ without the consent of the victim
forcible rape
the taking or attempting to take anything of value from the care, custody, or control of a person or persons by force or threat of force or violence and/or by putting the victim in fear
robbery
an unlawful attack by one person upon another, accompanied by the use of a weapon, for the purpose of inflicting severe or aggravated bodily injury
aggravated assault
the unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony or a theft
burglary
the unlawful taking, carrying, leading, or riding away of property from the possession or constructive possession of another
larceny
the theft of a motor vehicle
motor vehicle theft
the willful or malicious burning of a dwelling house, public building, motor vehicle, aircraft, personal property of another, or the like
arson
all other crimes, aside from the eight Part I crimes, included in the UCR arrest data. Part II crimes include drug offenses, sex crimes, and vandalism, among others
Part II crimes
Program that requires police agencies to provide a brief account of each incident and arrest within 22 crime patterns, including incident, victim, and offender information
National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS)
selecting a limited number of people for study as representative of a larger group
sampling
all people who share a particular characteristic, such as all high school students or police officers
population
the ongoing victimization study conducted jointly by the Justice Department and the U.S. Census Bureau that surveys victims about their experiences with law violation
National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS)
a research approach that requires subjects to reveal their own participation in delinquent or criminal acts
self-report survey
the view that women who commit crimes have biological and psychological traits similar to those of men
masculinity hypothesis
a view of crime that suggests that the social and economic role of women in society controls their crime rates
liberal feminist theory
as the size of the black population increases, the perceived threat to the white population increases, resulting in a greater amount of social control imposed on blacks
racial threat theory
Police-initiated action directed at a suspect or group of suspects based solely on race
racial profiling
offenses designed to improve the financial or social position of the criminal
instrumental crimes
offenses committed not for profit or gain but to vent rage, anger, or frustration
expressive crimes
phrase used to express the fact that people commit less crime as they mature
aging out
a chemical substance, such as dopamine, that transmits nerve impulses from one neuron to another
neurotransmitter
the small group of persistent offenders who account for a majority of all criminal offenses
chronic offenders/career criminals
the view that repeat offenders begin their criminal careers at a very young age
early onset
laws that require offenders to serve life in prison after they are convicted of a third felony offense
three-strikes policies
the scientific study of the nature, extent, cause, and control of criminal behavior
criminology
actions that depart from the social norm
deviant behavior
system made up of the agencies of social control, such as police departments, courts, and correctional institutions that handle criminal offenders
criminal justice
the various subareas included within the scholarly discipline of criminology, which, taken as a whole, define the field of study
criminological enterprise
a measure that actually measures what it purports to measure
valid measure
a measure that produces consistent results from one measurement to another
reliable measure
refers to those killings in which the victim is a direct, positive precipitator of the incident
victim precipitated homicide
illegal acts that capitalize on a person’s status in the marketplace. ex. theft, embezzlement, fraud, market manipulation, restraint of trade, and false advertising
white-collar crime
subarea of criminology that focuses on the correction and control of criminal offenders
penology
treatment of criminal offenders that is aimed at preventing future criminal behavior
rehabilitation
a statutory requirement that a certain penalty shall be carried out in all cases of conviction for a specified offense or series of offenses
mandatory sentences
the execution of criminal offenders; the death penalty
capital punishment
the study of the victim’s role in criminal events
victimology
theoretical perspective suggesting that people choose to commit crime and that crime can be controlled if potential criminals fear punishment
classical criminology
the branch of social science that uses the scientific method of the natural sciences and suggests that human behavior is a product of social, biological, psychological, or economic forces that can be empirically measured
positivism
the use of verifiable principles
scientific method
approach to criminology, based on the work of Émile Durkheim, that focuses on the relationship between social factors and crime
sociological criminology
a lack of norms or clear social standards
anomie
Group of urban sociologists who studied the relationship between environmental conditions and crime
Chicago School
process of human development and enculturation. socialization is influenced by key social processes and institutions
socialization
the view that human behavior is shaped by interpersonal conflict and that those who maintain social power will use it to further their own ends
conflict theory
the view that crime is a product of the capitalist system
critical criminology
the view that crime is a function of a decision-making process in which the would-be offender weighs the potential costs and benefits of an illegal act
rational choice theory
the view that criminality is a product of abnormal biological or psychological traits
trait theory
the view that disadvantaged economic class position is a primary cause of crime
social structure theory
the view that criminality is a function of people’s interactions with various organizations, institutions, and processes in society
social process theory
examine how those who hold political and economic power shape the law to uphold their self-intersts
critical criminologists
an act deemed socially harmful or dangerous that is specifically defined, prohibited, and punished under criminal law
crime
having criminal penalties reduced rather than eliminated
decriminalized
the belief that the majority of citizens in a society share common values and agree on what behaviors should be defined
consensus view
the written code that defines crimes and their punishments
criminal law
the belief that criminal behavior is defined by those in power in such a way as to protect and advance their own self-interest
conflict view