Exam 1 terms Flashcards
crime
a wrong against society proclaimed by law
if committed under certain circumstances punishable by society
census model
majority of citizens in a society share the same values &beliefs
conflict model
determined by the groups that hold economic, political, &social power in a community
public order crime
outlawed activities that are considered contrary to public values &morals
public drunkness, prostitution, gambling
white collar crime
business-related crimes committed by an individual / business to obtain a personal / business advantage
organized crime
illegal acts by illegal organizations usually for economic gain
mobs
cyber crime
crime directly related to computers
criminology
study of the causes &control of crime
contains many different theories as to why people commit crime
theory
an explanation of a happening that is based on observation, experimentation, &reasoning
choice theory
people commit crimes because they choose to
biological theory
physical features are related to criminal behavior
-sloping foreheads, extra fingers, toes, &nipples, excessive body hair
psychological theory
focuses on abnormalities such as personality disorders
xyy chromosome theory
idea that violent behavior in males can be attributed to the presence of an extra y chromosome
sociological theory
based on social determinism
- relations, social interactions, social expectations, &pressure exerted by peers
strain theory
extraordinary pressures make people more likely to commit crime
social disorganization theory
explains crime rates by examining city neighborhood characteristics
victimology
scientific study of victims
- behaviors
- injuries
- assistance
- legal rights
- recovery
choice theory response
harsher penalties &punishments
biological theory response
treatment (medicine)
psychological theory response
treatment (counseling)
sociological theory response
improve environmental conditions
ucr
database of info about reported / known crimes collected by the fbi
ucr limitations
not all crimes are reported
when several crimes take place in one event, only the most serious offenses are included
departments may manipulate data
crime data may be bias in certain neighborhoods
ncvs
directly survey participants to determine their experiences as victims of crime
asked about being the victim of rape, robbery, assault, larceny, burglary, &auto theft