Positivist Flashcards
Free will/Rational Choice Theories
People do a cost befit analysis before acting
general deterrence
intended to deter the public from committing crimes
specific deterrence
Specific punishment is meant to deter criminals from committing more crime.
Routine Activities Theory
that criminal behavior will take place when and where there is a conjunction of three elements or factors:
- The motivated offender
- A suitable target (VIVA)
- The absence of a capable guardian.
suitable target: VIVA
Value - $$$
Inertia - Easy to move?
Visibility - Can be seen?
Access - Can get to it?
Social Disorganization Theory
social disorganization indirectly contributes to crime rates through its effect on a neighborhood’s social ties and level of informal social control
Socially organized neighborhood characteristics
solidarity, cohesion, integration
Solidarity
internal consensus on important norms and values such as a crime free community
Cohesion
strong bonds among neighbors
Integration
social interaction among residents
Socially Disorganization neighborhood characteristics
Poverty
Residential mobility
Racial/ethnic heterogeneity
Other ecological factors (e.g. divorce rates, unemployment)
Socially organized neighborhood have high levels of informal social control, which help to lower crime
Informal surveillance
Movement-governing rules – avoidance of areas in or near neighborhoods viewed as unsafe
Direct intervention, or the questioning of strangers and residents about suspicious activities
Merton’s Strain/Anomie Theory
a disjunction between culturally defined goals and structurally available opportunities = deviance
Conformity
accepting both society-approved goals and means
Innovation
Use of illegitimate (or deviant) means to achieve socially accepted/promoted high success goals
Ritualism
abandoning high success goals but pursuing legitimate work
Retreatism
withdrawal from goals and means of society
Rebellion
Rejection of prevailing social expectations and support for overthrowing the system (i.e. social institutions, bureaucracy)
Differential Opportunity Theory
that the type of delinquency that strained youth pursue depends on the criminal opportunities available to them
Learning structures
opportunities to learn values and skills to achieve culturally defined goals (lower classes have more opportunity to learn criminal means)
Performance structures
opportunities to learn and be rewarded for certain behaviors (lower classes have more opportunity to be rewarded for delinquent behaviors)
Criminal subcultures
occur when commitment to conventional goals but lack legitimate opportunity
Conflict subcultures
lack of learning structures to commit crimes above; more socially disorganized; violent gangs give high status to good fighters (performance structures conducive to violence/aggressive behavior)
Retreatist subcultures
lack of both learning and performance structures – drug use is common
General Strain Theory
individuals who experience strains or stressors often experience negative emotions and sometimes cope with crime
Institutional Anomie Theory
Economic values penetrate and weaken non-economic institutions leading to lower levels of social control over self-serving behaviors, including deviance & crime
Differential Association Theory
People learn through interactions
Positive definitions of deviance increase the likelihood of deviant behavior
4 modalities: Priority, Intensity, Frequency, Duration
Priority
the earlier in one’s life one is exposed to favorable definitions (attitudes and values) of crime, the greater the likelihood one will commit a crime
Intensity
the closer more intimate the friends, relatives, and acquaintances that endorse criminal behavior (express favorable definitions of crime), the more likely one will commit a crime
Frequency
the more frequently one associates with those who express favorable definitions of crime, the more likely one will commit a crime
Duration
the longer one associates with those who express favorable definitions of crime, the more likely one will commit crime
Social Learning Theory
Differential Association
Definitions
Differential Reinforcement
Imitation
Differential Association
argues that crime is a behavior that is learned from others who feel that criminal behavior is acceptable
Definitions
justifications from offender/deviant to rationalize certain inappropriate behaviors, which allow them to square their self-images with the obvious harm of their actions
Differential Reinforcement
a concept which explains how certain types of rewards and punishments have a different effect on certain types of people – operant conditioning
Imitation
Individuals learn how to make the decision to engage in crime by modeling other criminals’ behavior
Social Control Theory (Bonding Theory)
A juvenile is more likely to engage in delinquent acts when he or she’s bond to society is weak or broken.
- Attachment
- Commitment
- Involvement
- Belief
Attachment
positive bonds with individuals and legitimate institutions in society
Commitment
dedication to legitimate, conventional goals
Involvement
spending time doing conventional activities
Belief
worldview that crime is unacceptable
Self-Control Theory (The General Theory of Crime)
Lack of self-control leads to more deviant behavior.
Low Self-Control traits
such as impulsivity, insensitivity, self-centeredness, and lower-than-average intelligence.
Life-course perspective
Use socio-structural factors and social processes to explain delinquency and crime in terms of patterns of change and the continuity between childhood behavior and later adulthood outcomes
Age Increases -> Criminal behavior decreases
Positive reinforcement
add something good to encourage behavior
Negative reinforcement
take away something bad to encourage behavior
Positive Punishment
add something bad to discourage behavior
Negative punishment
take away something good to discourage behavior
VIVA
Value
Inertia- easy to move?
Visible
Access
