week 1

Question 1

what are the areas researchers look at for causes for criminality

Answer 1

biological
sociological
psychological
developmental life course

Question 2

what is the biological theory for criminality

Answer 2

focus on the physical body, such as inherited genes, evolutionary factors, brain structures, and hormones in influencing behaviour

Question 3

what is the sociological theory for criminality

Answer 3

regard crime as a social phenomenon, and emphasises the cultural and social elements of criminal behaviour

Question 4

what is the psychological theory for criminality

Answer 4

focus on individual personality, social factors, cognition and developmental factors

Question 5

what is the developmental life course theory for criminality

Answer 5

regards individual factors such as personality, and social factors such as family and community wellbeing

Question 6

what did sheldons constitutional theory believe

Answer 6

crime is a product of an individuals body build (somatotype) which is linked to temperament
eg. endomorphs>obese>jolly
ectomorphs>thin>introvert
mesomorphs>muscular>bold (aggressive, more likely to commit crime)

Question 7

what is the dyscontrol biological theory

Answer 7

lesions in the temporal lobe and limbic systems lead to physical violence, impulsive behaviour

Question 8

types of sociological theories

Answer 8

strain theory
differential association theory
labelling theory

Question 9

what is the strain theory

Answer 9

disadvantaged people without access to goals (money, status, power, etc) will resort to crime to gain it

Question 10

what is the differential association theory

Answer 10

learned behaviours; social interactions influence a propensity for leaning toward criminal or non-criminal behaviour

Question 11

what is the labelling theory

Answer 11

need or gratification of being labelled a criminal. Society ‘looking down’ on ‘criminals’ fuels more deviant acts

Question 12

types of psychological theories

Answer 12

biosocial theory of crime
social learning theory
general theory of crime

Question 13

what is the biosocial theory of crime (eysenck)

Answer 13

some personality types - namely extroverts and neurotics do not learn from mistakes and consequences and will develop antisocial tendencies

Question 14

what is the social learning theory

Answer 14

learned, when role models display antisocial behaviours, justified, when there is more perceived reward from bad behaviour than punsihment

Question 15

what is the general theory of crime

Answer 15

low self control and criminal opportunity results in persons more likely to commit crime

Question 16

what are the two main types of antisocial offenders in society

Answer 16

adolescence limited offenders

life-course persistent offenders

Question 17

what is an adolescence-limited offender

Answer 17

they demonstrate criminal or antisocial behaviour only during adolescence. arrests numbers spike in adolescence but subsequently declines

Question 18

what is life-course persistent offenders

Answer 18

begin antisocial behaviour in childhood and continue into adulthood. early bad behaviours, biting hitting at early ages, followed by moderate/ serious crimes in adolescence and adulthood (from shoplifting to sexual assault and beyond)