Criminology Flashcards

Criminology

The study of crime and criminal behaviour, which are defined by reference to criminal law.

Deviance

the actions or behaviors that violate societal norms or expectations, which may not necessarily be illegal.

Demographics

Statistical data relating to characteristics of a population, such as relative size of age groups, gender balance, or any other measurable info.

Correlates

Factors that do not cause crime but are strongly linked to criminal behaviour.

Criminal Justice System

The institutions and processes through which an offender passes, such as the police, the courts, and correctional facilities and programs.

Qualitative

Relating to study of phenomena based on an exploration of the reasons for human behaviour and the qualities of subjective experience.

Quantitative

Relating to the measurement of something, its quantity rather than its qualities.

Media effects

Refers to the influence that media exposure has on audience attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors, including how it can shape perceptions of crime and justice.

Exceptional White Male Syndrome

Mainstream media portrayals of white men as exceptional outliers who do horrific things, but are actually nice people who suddenly snapped.

Moral Panic

Phenomena in which certain people or group are labelled or stigmatized as the cause of a perceived social problem, resulting in widespread public alarm.

Moral Entrepreneur

An individual, group, or organization that seeks to influence societal norms and values by initiating or propagating a moral panic, often framing certain issues as threats to social order.

Discourses

Forms of language, representation, and practices; how meaning is created and shared.

Sousveillance

the practice of watching the watchers or monitoring authority figures through personal devices, often to promote transparency and accountability.

Surveillance

the monitoring of individuals or populations for the purposes of control and care.

Criminal Law

the body of law that defines crimes, regulates the apprehension, charging, and trial of suspected persons, and sets penalties for convicted offenders.

Prohibition

A law forbidding a specific act.

Conflict Theories

Theories in criminology that emphasize the role of social and economic conflicts in shaping laws and criminal behavior, suggesting that laws reflect the interests of the powerful.

Consensus Theories

Theories in criminology suggesting that laws are created through a general agreement among society's members about what constitutes acceptable behavior, emphasizing social cohesion.

Dark Figure of Crime

The dark figure of crime refers to the amount of unreported or undiscovered crime that remains hidden from law enforcement and researchers. This includes offenses that victims do not report and those that authorities do not detect.

Crime Funnel

A model indicating that the actual total quantity of crime is much higher than the decreasing proportion that is detected, reported, prosecuted, and punished.

CompStat

A performance management system used by police departments to reduce crime through data analysis and information sharing.

Telescoping

The phenomenon where victims misremember the timing of criminal events, reporting them as occurring more recently than they actually did.

Primary Victim

The individual who is directly harmed by a crime, experiencing the most immediate negative impact of the criminal act.

Secondary Victim

An individual who is indirectly affected by a crime, often experiencing emotional or psychological harm as a result of the primary victim's victimization.

Tertiary Victim

An individual who is affected by the consequences of a crime that does not directly involve them, often including family members or friends of the primary victim.

Direct Victim

A person who is present at the time of victimization and experiences harm.

Indirect Victim

A person who suffers harm or distress as a result of a crime, but is not the primary victim experiencing direct harm.

Vicarious Victim

A person who does not experience direct victimization but feels the effects through empathy or relational ties to a primary victim.

PTSD

A mental health condition triggered by experiencing or witnessing a severe traumatic event, characterized by flashbacks, severe anxiety, and uncontrollable thoughts.

Rape Trauma Syndrome (RTS)

A set of PTSD symptoms that have been linked specifically to those who have experienced severe violence in the form of sexual assault.

Victim Precipitation

A theory suggesting that victims may play a role in provoking their own victimization through their behavior or choices.

Victim Blaming

The practice of holding victims responsible for the violence or harm they have experienced, often ignoring the role of the perpetrator.

Blame Continuum

The range of blaming possibilities, from total guilt to total innocence, of both the victim and victimizer.

Insulators

Social and psychological factors that protect individuals from being harmed.

Personal Protective Factors

Attributes or conditions that help individuals deal with stress, such as strong social support, self-esteem, and problem-solving skills.

Victim Impact Statement

A statement given by victims that describes the impact of the crime on their lives, often used in court during sentencing.

Positivist School

A school of thought that attributed criminal behaviour to biological or psychological factors; often referred to as the “Italian School.”

Chicago School

The first school of sociology in the US; contributed to social disorganization theory, cultural transmission theory, differential association theory, subcultural theory, the sociology of deviance, and symbolic interactionism.

Psychopathy

A personality disorder characterized by persistent antisocial and criminal behavior, impaired empathy and remorse, egocentrism, and manipulation of others.

Classical School of criminology

A body of work that emerged in the 17th and 18th centuries that argued people have the capacity to think rationally.

Rational Choice Theory

A theory in criminology positing that individuals make decisions to commit crimes based on a cost-benefit analysis, weighing potential rewards against risks.

Differential Association Theory

Sutherland’s theory that criminal behavior is learned through social interactions and that the process includes the learning of criminal skills, motivations, attitudes, and rationalizations.

Hedonism

The view that pleasure is the primary good; the pursuit of pleasure.

Utilitarianism

A philosophy that suggests reasoned decisions will produce the greatest good for the greatest number.

Deterrence

A principle of sentencing or punishment intended to discourage citizens from offending or reoffending.

Atavism

A term associated with Cesare Lombroso and the Positivist School of thought; the notion that criminals are less evolved than other humans.

Conflict Theory

Focuses on the unequal distribution of wealth and power in capitalist society.

Consensus Theory

A sociological perspective that views society as a complex system of interdependent parts working together to promote stability and social order.

Phrenology

A pseudoscience that claims to determine personality traits and criminality based on the shape of the skull and bumps on the head.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder

A range of effects that can occur in an individual whose mother consumed alcohol during pregnancy, including physical, behavioral, and learning challenges.

Anti-Social Personality Disorder

A disorder characterized by a lack of morality, impulsivity, and aggressive behaviour; individuals with APD often have a history of criminal behaviour.

Frustration-Aggression Hypothesis

A theory suggesting that frustration often leads to aggressive behavior, proposing that aggression is a response to the perceived obstruction of goals.

Vicarious Reinforcement

Refers to the process by which individuals observe and imitate the behaviors of others, being rewarded for their actions indirectly through the positive outcomes experienced by those they observe.

Ashley Smith Case

A tragic incident involving a young woman who died in custody, highlighting issues in the treatment of mentally ill inmates and the justice system's response.

Social Disorganization Theory

A theory that links crime rates to the social and physical environment, suggesting that crime is more likely in communities with weak social structures and high levels of poverty, residential instability, and family disruption.

Labelling Theory

A sociological theory that suggests individuals become lawbreakers when labeled as such by society, leading to a self-fulfilling prophecy where the labeled individual engages in further deviance.

Cultural Transmission Theory

A theory that posits criminal behavior is learned through social interactions and cultural communication, where values and norms are passed down, influencing individuals' engagement in crime.

General Strain Theory (GST)

A sociological theory that suggests individuals experience stress or strain from societal expectations and pressures, which can lead to criminal behavior as individuals seek to cope with or overcome these strains.

Social Learning Theory (SLT)

A theory that argues criminal behavior is learned through observing and imitating others, particularly through interactions with peers and family, emphasizing the role of reinforcement and punishment in the learning process.

Social Bond Theory

The 4 elements of the social bond are attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief.

Interactional Theory

A criminological perspective that emphasizes the importance of social interactions and contexts in shaping individual behavior, suggesting that criminal behavior arises from the interplay of individual propensities and social factors.

Life-Course-Developmental Theory

Sampson and Laub’s theory that individuals can be deflected from the trajectory toward a criminal career by life events that can lead them to transition out of criminal behaviour.

recidivism

Reoffending

Paraphilia

A condition characterized by atypical sexual urges, fantasies, or behaviors that may involve non-consenting partners or causes distress.

Civil Commitment

Also known as involuntary commitment, it refers to the legal process by which a person is detained after serving a sentence due to concerns that they will commit further crimes.

Static Factors

Aspects of an individual's past that do not change over time and are used to assess risk for future criminal behavior.

Dynamic Factors

Variables that can change over time, influencing an individual's likelihood of reoffending.

Acute Dynamic Factors

Specific, short-term influences that can significantly impact an individual's behavior, including emotional state and current circumstances.

Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR) Model

A framework used in criminology to assess and rehabilitate offenders by considering their risk level, criminogenic needs, and ensuring that interventions are responsive to individual characteristics. This model aims to reduce recidivism by tailoring rehabilitation strategies.

Warrant Expiry Date

A correctional option to detain a sexual offender until the very end of their sentence. Those who are detained under a WED have been deemed to be a high risk for committing another sexual offence or serious personal injury offence.

810.1 Order

A community prohibition order for sexual offenders deemed to be a high risk that includes conditions such as monitoring and restrictions on movement.

Racketeering

The act of engaging in organized criminal activity for profit, often involving extortion, fraud, or illegal enterprises. Racketeering can include various offenses such as bribery, money laundering, and drug trafficking.

Extortion

The practice of obtaining money, goods, or services from an individual or entity through coercion, threats, intimidation, or by force. It is commonly associated with organized crime and racketeering.

Suppression Strategies

Efforts to eliminate gangs or significantly reduce gang-related crime through a process of deterrence and incapacitation.

Weed and Seed

A community-based strategy aimed at reducing crime by "weeding" out criminals and "seeding" positive community programs.

Scared Straight Programs

Intervention programs designed to deter juvenile delinquency by exposing at-risk youths to inmates and prison environments, aiming to instill fear of imprisonment.

Colonel Russell Williams

was a former Canadian Air Force pilot and convicted murderer, known for committing a series of violent crimes including murder and sexual assault.