Crime Theory and victimization test 3 stafford txst

How is the distinction between patriarchal and egalitarian families important in John Hagan's power-control theory?

The distinction is important because it explains the gender differences in delinquent involvement and how gender differences expand or contract depending on the type of family structure and the degree of parental controls over boys relative to girls.

-Patriarchal: Father has job with control, where he gives commands to other people while the mother usually doesn't work but if she does she works in a job where she "obeys".

-Egalitarian Families: Both parents have same type of obeying job or controlling job.

How should one go about evaluating the effectiveness of rehabilitation programs?

1. Criterion for effectiveness? Recidivism

2. How to measure recidivism? Official Data. The more you look the more you find.

3. Recidivism for same or different type of act?

4. Time period for follow up? 3-5 years.

5. Comparison or control group from matching or random assignment

How are the terms "trajectories," "turning points," "onset," and "desistance" important in developmental and life-course theories?

They are important because it helps understand the stability as well as the changes in criminal behavior in one individual and between different individuals at different ages or life stages.

Trajectories: trajectory of committing more/less crime (adolescence limited and life course persistent)

Turning points: transitions (getting old, getting married, stable employment, increased social bonds

Onset: initiation (age at which first crime was committed)

Desistance: Termination ( age at which last crime is committed)

According to lecture and Akers, Sellers, and Jennings, is the criminal behavior of most offenders versatile or specialized?

Versatile

In Robert Sampson and John Laub's age-graded theory of informal social control, why do marriage and stable employment cause most people who violate the law at a young age to discontinue their law-violating behavior in later life?

Abrupt turning points and gradual changes that come with growing older such as getting married, finding stable employment and increase in social bonds to society explains why most who were delinquent at a younger age aren't later in life.

Peer associations are altered because they start to hang out with other married couples

Why are control groups so important to evaluations of rehabilitation programs?

Control groups are important because they are constructed to produce an estimate of the counterfactual, that is, what would have happened if an intervention had not been implemented.

What is the difference between random assignment and matching in evaluations of rehabilitation programs?

Random Assigned: One control group and one treatment group, patients are then chosen randomly, not on any specific factors of the person ( coin flip)

Matching: Picking individuals based on characteristics deemed important to the outcome.

Problem: researchers can't match on factors they don't know yet=biased results.

What is the difference between primary and secondary deviance in labeling theory?

Primary: Deviants violations of laws are believed to be unorganized, inconsistent and infrequent. minor rule violations.

Secondary: The commission of continuing deviance in a more coherent, organized fashion. more serious.

What are the policy implications of labeling theory?

"Hands-Off" Approach . Ignore whenever it's possible.

-Decriminalization: status offenders were removed entirely from the jurisdiction of the JJS.

-Diversion: gained max attention. diverting people from the system=avoid stigma=reduce recidivism

-Due process

-Deinstitutionalization: policy to remove juveniles from jails.

According to Akers, Sellers, and Jennings, to what extent are "members of less powerful groups... more likely to be arrested, prosecuted, convicted, and given more several penalties for committing the same offenses than the members of the favored groups?

There is NO bias for the same offense, there is an overrepresentation of racial and ethnic minorities in prison systems because of the seriousness of the offense.

Prior record=more likely to be arrested

Prior record=prior bias

What is the logic of john braithwaite's theory of reintegrating shaming?

Reintegrative shaming theory emphasizes the importance of shame in criminal punishment. Crime must be punished and reintegrated. Punishments should focus on the offenders behavior rather than characteristics of the offender. Punishment and shaming of a person with the intent to reintegrate them into society.

What are some policy implications of john braithwaite's theory of reintegrative shaming?

Use restorative justice for this.

How is conflict theory different from other theories we have considered? How does conflict theory help us to understand the origins of criminal laws?

Definition: Assumption that society is not held together by agreement and consensus on major values but rather is a congeries of groups held together by dynamic equilibrium of opposing group interests and efforts.

Explains crime as the behavior of individuals caught up in cultural and group conflict.

Most powerful groups control the law.

This theory differs from other theories we have considered because it's not about criminal behavior.

How is labeling more a theory about reactions to crime than about the causes of crime?

An individual engages in behavior that is deemed by others as inappropriate, others label that person to be deviant, and eventually the individual internalizes and accepts this label.

The negative reaction of others to a particular behavior is what causes that behavior to be labeled as "criminal" or " deviant"

Reactions=causes of crime

What does research reveal about the empirical validity of labeling theory?

Most practitioners believe that just being labeled does not define their self identities.

Fails to acknowledge that there are other factors besides being labeled that can lead an individual to commit crime

Applies little attention to the actual behavior of the person who is being labeled.

Little empirical validity.

What is the key variable in the Gibbs-Stafford theory of homicide?

Control failures.

How are labeling and social control theories integrated into john braithwaites theory of reintegrative shaming?

Wanted to shift focus from individuals to nations.

Ways punishment were implemented before and after

After singling out. labeling and shaming instead of keeping the individual isolated, reintegrate back into society.

Social controls( reintegrating)

Why are some rehabilitation programs more successful than others in reducing recidivism?

1. Improve family functioning: communication skills, parenting skills

2. Remove from delinquent groups (peers)

3. Enhance school success

Lower recidivism and cost

What is the logic of James Messerschmidt's theory of masculinities and crime?

Theory to explain why men participate in crime more than women. Focuses on social class relations.

Def: Argues that crime and deviance are resources different men use to accomplish the prestigious hegemonic masculinity.

Mans status and class position determines how they will accomplish this goal

Middle-class men: academic success

working-class men: schools are emasculation

working-class-minority men: worst situation. least likely to act as barrier to criminal behavior

Suffer failures in school=find masculinity through crime

Theory is not testable

How does Gibbs-Stafford control theory account for gender differences in homicide?

Males are much less likely to use self control and other options of control, were as females are more likely to use self control and limit control failures

Women are more effective in having more control of other people and self control. Their complaints are more effective because they give favorable responses, seek treatment (help) while men are more aggressive and are bad at soliciting third parties for help making them controlling

Men believe it's their job to control things=to them attempting to control more=failure

How has research on the histories of laws about vandalism, drug use, and alcohol prohibition, supported conflict theory?

What is the overall conclusion of Akers, Sellers, and Jennings about gender disparities in juvenile and adult justice decisions? does gender have a stronger or weaker effect than legally relevant variables, such as the seriousness of the offenses, on justice decisions?

Independent effects of gender on criminal justice actions are weak or absent.

Gender has weaker effects than relevant variables

Women don't get off easier than men

There are disparities because men are more likely to participate in violent crimes=higher representation in the justice system

What is the logic of labeling theory?

Named because of its focus on the informal and formal application of stigmatizing deviant labels or tags by society on some of it's members.

treats labels as independent and dependent variables

Dependent: attempts to explain why certain behavior is socially defined as wrong and why certain people are selected for stigmatization and criminalization

Independent: hypothesis that labels cause continuation and increase of criminal behavior

says that those who are labeled as deviant are likely take on a self-identity as a deviant and become more rather than less deviant if they had not been labeled.