exam 2 Flashcards
Choice Theory
Youths will engage in delinquent & criminal behavior after outweighing the consequences. The gain outweighs possible punishment/loss.
Trait Theory
Traits people have mental/physical makeup that makes them more prone to crime,
What are the 3 variables that influence crime?
Lack of capable guardian
Suitable targets
Motivated offenders
Specific Deterrence
A method of punishment in the criminal justice system intended to discourage criminal behavior in the specific individual charged with the crime.
General Deterrence
Refers to inducing others tempted to commit this offence not to do so. It is especially important with crimes involving premeditation or planning and persistence, and with crimes which are fairly common.
Bio social Theory
View that both thought and behavior have biological and social bases.
Social Control Theory
Exploiting the process of socialization and social learning builds self-control and reduces the inclination to indulge in behavior recognized as antisocial.
Arousal Theory
We seek an optimum level of excitement or arousal. People with high optimum levels of arousal will be drawn to high excitement behaviors.
Covert Pathway
Pathway to delinquent career that begins with minor underhanded behavior, leads to property damage and eventually escalates to more serious forms of theft and fraud.
Overt Pathway
Pathway to delinquent career that begins with minor aggression, leads to physical fighting and eventually escalating to violent delinquency.
Latent Trait Theory
Stable feature, characteristics, propensity, or condition such as defective intelligence or impulsive personality that makes some people delinquency prone.
Life Course Theory
Ability to learn on and off delinquent behaviors because of changes in your life.
General Theory of Crime
Developmental theory that modifies social control theory by integrating concepts from bio-social, psychological, routine activities and rational choice theory.
What does the research show with fathers & their children?
8 percent of sons with non-criminal fathers eventually vacant chronic offenders, about 37 percent with criminal fathers were multiple offenders.
What do the twin studies show?
60 percent of MZ twins share criminal behavior patterns, if one committed a crime so was the other. 30 percent of DZ twins are similarly related.
How many killings do children see before elementary school ?
8,000 tv murders
Self-fulfilling prophecy
Deviant behavior patterns that are a response to an earlier labeling experience; youths act out these social roles even if they were falsely bestowed.
Problem Behavior Syndrome
Antisocial behaviors that may include family dysfunction, substance abuse, smoking, sexuality & early pregnancy, suicide attempts
Restorative Justice
Nonpunitive strategies for dealing with juvenile offenders that make the justice system a healing process rather than a punishment process.
Social disorganization
Neighborhood or area marked by culture conflict, lack of cohesiveness, a transient population, and insufficient social organizations. These problems are reflected in the problems at schools in these areas.
Social Structure theory
Theories that suggest that social and economic forces operating in deteriorated lower-class areas, including disorganization, stress, and cultural deviance, push residence into criminal behavior patterns.
Social Learning Theory
View that behavior is modeled through observation either directly through intimate contact with others or indirectly through media.
Relative Depreivation
Condition that exists when people of wealth and poverty live in close proximity to one another.
Collective Efficacy
Process in which mutual trust and a willingness to intervene in the supervision of children and help maintain public order create a sense of well being in a neighborhood and help control antisocial activities.
Cultural Deviance Theory
Links delinquent acts to the formation of independent subcultures with a unique set of values that clash with the mainstream culture.
Disproportionate Minority Contact
Refers to disproportionate number of minority youth who come into contact with juvenile justice system.
