exam 2 content Flashcards
choice theory has its roots in what school
classical school
two branches of choice theory:
deterrence doctrine
rational choice theory
determinism
behavior being caused by something outside of your control
deterrence doctrine tends to lean
right / far right
assumptions of the deterrence doctrine
humans are rational creatures who posses free will
human behavior is based on hedonism
types of deterrence
specific: so powerful individual should never repeat criminal acts
general: fear of penalties convinces potential law violators to not break the law
for deterrence to work, the punishment needs to be what:
certain, swift, and severe
main critiques of deterrence
rationality: they assume offenders are rational when this is not the case (ex. emotionally charged crimes or drug and alcohol influence)
effectiveness of system: deterrence is a threat system but our system is not effective in carrying out punishments.
what is the basic assumptions of choice theory?
humans are rational creatures who posses free will
identify the assumptions of the deterrence doctorine?
humans are rational creatures who posses free will
human behavior is based on hedonism
a painful punishment prevents crime
what are the criteria for an effective punishment according to the deterrence doctrine?
certain
swift
severe
what are the major critiques of deterrence?
assumes offenders are rational, when that is not the case
deterrence uses a threat system, when out system doe snot effectively carry out this threat
who is the founder of the rational choice theory?
beccaria
components of the decision making process according to rational choice theory?
rewards/costs. weighing the magnitude and probability of rewards and magnitude and probability of costs
what did jack katz say was the cause of crime?
that some people are attracted to the immediate emotional rewards of the crime
discuss the idea and the rationale behind situational crime prevention?
seeks to eliminate or reduce specific crimes in specific settings
criminal acts will be avoided if potential targets are guarded, the means to commit crime are controlled, potential offenders are carefully monitored
what are the three ways displacement occurs?
one target to another
one area to another
one offense to another
discuss deterrence and capital punishment?
the deterrent effect of punishment is influenced by race and gender
does not work well with conventional criminals
research indicates that the death penalty is not an effective general deterrent to murder
death penalty lacks certainty and swiftness
discuss the impact of social variables on deterrence as well as deterrence an offender type.
influenced by race and gender
doesn’t work with conventional criminals
more effective with white collar crime
what are the problems with “biological” conditions and crime?
most research has been on a small and non representative sample such as correctional or clinical populations
casual links are problematic
discuss genetics and crime with: twins, adoption, and takeaway
twins: identical twins have concordance rates 2-3 times higher than fraternal twins
adoption: there is a slight tendency for adopted children to have criminal behavior more similar to biological parents
takeaway: genetics take a limited role in crime
what is sociobiology? how do these traits link to criminal behavior?
biological and genetic conditions affect how social behaviors are learned and perceived
ADD/ADHD, learning disorders, and child abuse can trigger antisocial responses
how common are mental disorders among youth in the juvenile justice system?
70% have symptoms of one or more mental disorder. most have never been evaluated prior to court appearance
what is the relationship between self control and criminal behavior? where does it come from? what are the characteristics?
low self control results in criminal behavior. result of ineffective child rearing practices
characteristics: impulsivity, preference for simple tasks, risk seeking, physical activities, self centered, quick to anger
what is the link with IQ and crime and what are the criticisms?
criminals tend to have lower IQ then general population
review finds a 9 point different
cannot account for white collar crime
some say it has racial bias, but 9pt difference is consistent between all races compared with one another
what is the psychopathic personality and crime? what are the controversies?
psychopath is a person who is antisocial, aggressive, impulsive, unable to form lasting bonds, feels little or no guilt for their actions. about 10-25% of criminals
use of this is based on circular reasoning
no agreement on precise definition of this
what are the basic assumptions of perspectives that examine socioeconomic sources of crime?
assumes crime is causes by structural conditions
criminal behavior is an adaptive response to those conditions
what are the basic assumptions made me Merton? identify the five types of anomie.
american society defines its goals and means to attain these goals for all its members conformity-accepts goals and means innovation-accepts goals declines means ritualism-declines goals accepts means retreatism-declines goals and means rebellion-declines both to replace them
discuss shaw and mckay’s work. where? patterns in deliquency? what did they say causes it?
Universit of Chicago
rates of delinquency are the highest in inner city and decrease systematically as you move out
causes it???
group people and their main work: shaw and mckay merton agnew goffredson and hirschi
social disorganization
anomie
general strain theory
general theory of crime
accoring to agnew, what are three possible sources of strain? how do they result in deliquency?
failure to achieve positively valued goals
removal of positive valued stimuli
presentation of negative stimuli
results in deliquency because of negative affective states, anger, depression, disapointment, fear, and other adverse emotions that derive from strain
Gary Becker
applied economists model of choice to human behavior
people weigh rewards and costs differently
explained bounded rationality and that heroine addiction is rational
bounded rationality
social, psychological, physical, and situational contexts impact decision making and how potential offenders consider rewards and costs
displacement effect
a change in the pattern of crime without a reduction in the total amount of crime that results for criminals efforts to avoid punishment
general deterrence
fear of potential penalties convinces potential law violators not to break the law
specific deterrence
criminal sanctions should be so powerful that an individual never repeats their criminal acts
conduct disorder
a repetitive pattern of behavior in youth in which the rights of others or social norms are violated
linked to long term offending
kids frequently lie cheat bully and lack guilt for their actions
self medication hypothesis
the individuals choice of a particular drug is a result of the individuals psychological condition as the drug of choice provides relief to the user specific to his or her condition
trait theory
the view that criminal behavior is a product of abnormal biological or psychological traits
shattered child hypothesis
horrific childhood maltreatment results in trauma that leads to self destructive behavior
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
ADD/ADHD
concentric zone model
a model of metropolitan areas that identifies circular rings that have distinctive characteristics
gradient hypothesis
all rates of crime and delinquency are the highest in the inner city and decrease systematically as you move outward
natural areas
places of extreme poverty where crucial social control mechanisms have broken down
anomie
a sense of moral confusion
negative affective states
anger, depression, disappointment, fear, and other adverse emotions that derive from strain
