Situational Factors of Crime

Question 1

Frustration Theory of Aggression

Answer 1

Berkowitz: When people become angry they commit violence as a means of relieving frustration. Consists of socialized offender and individual offender.

Question 2

Socialized Offender

Answer 2

Behaviour that is reinforced within an antisocial peer group

Question 3

Individual Offender

Answer 3

Committing crime because of the product of an intense series of frustration from unmet needs. Offender has a goal that is viewed as attainable, believe in control, something impacts offender that is not in their control, and is then met with strong feelings of anger and a violent response.

Question 4

Issues of the Frustration Theory of Aggression

Answer 4

Not every frustration results in violence, serves as a contributing factor

Question 5

Deindividuation

Answer 5

Occurs in a group and often lose a sense of individuality, when deindividuation occurs we remove those self-imposed controls that come as a result of our individual sense of self.
Will lower the threshold for violence and looting

Question 6

4 steps of deindividuation

Answer 6

1. Presence of others that encourage feelings of anonymity
2. Shed our self identity and become part of the group
3. Cannot be singled out for actions and held responsible for behaviour
4. Generates a loss of self-awareness, reduced concern over evaluations from others, a narrower focus of attention.

Question 7

Moral disengagement

Answer 7

Our internalized moral principles act in ways that go against morals that decrease our self-worth. Explains why people do things they know are wrong; finding a way to make antisocial behaviours acceptable.
-For the greater good
-Capital punishment
-War
-Killing for capital punishment
-Victim blaming
-Dehumanizing victims

Question 8

Social Disorganization Theory - Shaw and McKay

Answer 8

The way societies and communities are structured matters. Social disorganization occurs when there is an inability for a community to be structured and realize common values of people.
-Socioeconomic status
-Ethnic heterogeneity
-Residential mobility

Question 9

Socioeconomic status

Answer 9

no resources to support other members, less supervision of kids

Question 10

Ethnic heterogeneity

Answer 10

different ethnicities and races brought together that are making up a neighbourhood coming from fundamentally different cultures; hard to create common goals, customs, values, religions.

Question 11

Residential mobility

Answer 11

Moving in and out of neighbourhoods frequently and no real connections are formed

Question 12

Sampson and Groves

Answer 12

There are exogenous sources of social disorganization in highly urbanized areas and a decreased capacity for social control

Question 13

Family disruption

Answer 13

marital disruption can decrease social control, less supervision if not 2 parents in a household.
-Stable family creates more family controls

Question 14

Sparse local friendship networks

Answer 14

close groups are better connected, ban together, and can look out for one another.

Question 15

Unsupervised teenage groups

Answer 15

A cohesive community is able to supervise teenage leisure activity, more likely to challenge kids loitering
-unsupervised, kids may spontaneously form gangs ‘in-group-out-group theory’

Question 16

Low organizational participation

Answer 16

refers to institutional stability and opportunities that arise out of them