exam 1 key terms

Question 1

delinquency

Answer 1

crimes committed by minors (17 and under in most states)

Question 2

chronic delinquent

Answer 2

youths involved in multiple serious criminal acts, who start with a small number of violations beginning in early childhood and persist into adulthood

Question 3

status offense

Answer 3

acts that are considered illegal for minors to perform that are not illegal for adults, such as smoking, drinking, disobeying parents, skipping school, curfew violations, and running away

Question 4

status offender

Answer 4

a child who commits a status offense, aka an act forbidden to youth

Question 5

parens patriae

Answer 5

translates to supreme parent, the state has a responsibility to act in the best interest of the child and provide the necessary care/ treatment

Question 6

CHINS/MINS

Answer 6

children in need of supervision/ minors in need of supervision

Question 7

voluntary apprenticeship movement

Answer 7

bound by parents/guardians in exchange for a fee, authority is transferred to the master

Question 8

involuntary apprenticeship movement

Answer 8

authorities can force it until the age of 21, masters have complete authority over the apprentice

Question 9

English poor laws

Answer 9

1535; made poor kids the servants in the homes of the affluent where they were trained in agriculture, trade, and domestic services

Question 10

chancery courts

Answer 10

established to protect property rights and seek solutions to disputes/ conflicts along with orphan welfare/ guardianship (protect their inheritance). Oversees lives of minors who were orphaned or could not take care of themselves.

Question 11

stubborn child laws

Answer 11

required children to obey their parents and be morally disciplined through attending public whippings and executions

Question 12

urbanization

Answer 12

a time of rapid population growth through immigration and increased birth rate where manufacturing jobs were in high demand. This increased the number of at-risk youths, so they created poorhouses/workhouses for them and other misfortune groups. Youth were considered to be “savable” through state and community intervention.

Question 13

child-savers

Answer 13

community programs in Boston, New York, and Chicago in the 19th century that assisted needy children. Reformers developed programs for troubled youth and influenced legislation, and advocated for children to be admitted to specialized institutions. They also found parents of offenders to be just as guilty as the kids and wanted reform schools to establish control.

Question 14

child saving movement

Answer 14

people became concerned that the moral training of children from lower classes was inadequate. They focused instead on extending governmental control over youthful activities that were previously dealt with by parents.

Question 15

New York House of Refuge

Answer 15

in 1825, became the first private-funded juvenile reformatory in the US. It’s aim was to protect criminal youth by taking them off the streets and enforcing strict rules.

Question 16

Children’s Aid Society

Answer 16

1853, a child-saving organization that rescued children from the streets of large cities and placed them with farm families using “placing out plans”

Question 17

orphan trains

Answer 17

ran from 1854-1929, part of the children’s aid society’s efforts where they would send kids west to be put up for adoption to farm couples

Question 18

Society for the prevention of cruelty to children (SPCC)

Answer 18

1874 in New York, tried to change the belief that boys are criminals and girls are promiscuous by not allowing kids in houses with little food/clothing or excessive alcohol. Arrests were made for abusive parents.

Question 19

first juvenile court

Answer 19

created in Illinois in 1899, the first court where children cannot be held accountable as adults. It’s objectives were:

1. rehabilitation instead of punishment
2. individualized treatment based on analysis of needs
3. family-oriented

Question 20

dark figures

Answer 20

unrecorded delinquent acts

Question 21

age of onset

Answer 21

the age at which youths begin their delinquent careers, it is believed to be linked with chronic offending patterns (start offending early -> continue into adulthood)

Question 22

age-out

Answer 22

the tendency of youths to reduce the frequency of offenses as they get older. People age out for 4 reasons:

1. increased responsibility
2. ability to resist impulses
3. decreased peer influence
4. physical change

Question 23

persistence

Answer 23

adolescents who begin to violate the law early in their life that continue at a high rate and into adulthood

Question 24

desistance

Answer 24

same as aging out/ spontaneous remission. Delinquents stop committing crimes as they get older

Question 25

chronic recidivist

Answer 25

someone who is arrested 5 times or more before the age of 18

Question 26

at-risk youths

Answer 26

kids who are extremely vulnerable to delinquency due to school failure/ poor education, substance abuse, sexual abuse, poverty, poor health care, divorce, foster care, and abuse/ neglect

Question 27

risk factors

Answer 27

four types: individual (antisocial, poor cognitive skills), school and community (bad grades, underprivileged neighborhood, access to weapons), family (maltreatment, divorce), and peer (peer rejection or pressure)

Question 28

due process rights

Answer 28

no person can be deprived of life, liberty, and property without protections such as legal counsel, an impartial and fair jury, an open hearing, and an opportunity to confront those making accusations against them

Question 29

waiver

Answer 29

transferring legal jurisdiction over the most serious and experienced juvenile offenders to the adult court for criminal prosecution

Question 30

target-hardening techniques

Answer 30

making potential targets more difficult to access and less attractive

Question 31

situational crime prevention

Answer 31

recognize the characteristics of sites and situations at risk. Delinquency will be reduced if:

1. potential offenders are better monitored
2. potential targets/victims are better guarded
3. means to commit crime are controlled

Question 32

specific strategies for crime prevention (6 kinds)

Answer 32

1. increase perceived effort (target hardening)
2. reduce rewards (identify property)
3. reduce provocations (disperse crowd)
4. increase perceived risks (surveillance cameras)
5. induce shame/ guilt (strengthen morality)
6. remove excuses (free rides to avoid DUIs)