Intro to Criminology - Exam 1 - Study Guide

Deviant behavior (definition)

Behavior that is outside the limits of societal toleration

Crime (definition)

Violations of criminal law

Mala prohibita (definition)

Acts that are bad due to being prohibited

Mala en se (definition)

Acts that are bad in themselves

Part I offenses (definition)

The index crimes, or crimes that are used in order to calculate the crime rate; Part I crimes in the UCR that are used to construct the violent crime and property crime indexes

Part I offenses (list)

Criminal homicide

Rape

Robbery

Aggravated assault

Burglary

Larceny-theft

Motor vehicle theft

Arson

Part II offenses (definition)

The non-index crimes that are not used in the calculations of the crime rate; typically less serious than Part I offenses; only arrest data is reported for these offenses

Part II offenses (list)

Human trafficking

Simple assault

Forgery and counterfeiting

Fraud

Embezzlement

Stolen property

Vandalism

Weapons

Prostitution and commercialized vice

Sex offenses

Drug abuse violations

gambling

Offenses against the family and children

Driving under the influence

Liquor laws

Drunkenness

Disorderly conduct

Vagrancy

Suspicion

Curfew and loitering laws

All other offenses

Violent crimes

Murder and non-negligent manslaughter

Forcible rape

Robbery

Aggravated assault

Property crimes

Burglary

Larceny-theft

Motor vehicle theft

Arson

Most common violent crime

aggravated assault

Least common violent crime

Rape, though it's probably homicide because rape is not often reported

Most common property crime

Theft

Least common property crime

Vehicle theft

Who collects and reports for UCR data?

FBI collects

Police departments and agencies report

When did the UCR begin?

1929-30

When did major changes happen with the UCR?

In 1982, NIBRS was created; it was an redesign of the UCR that responded to criticism of the general UCR program

Also, in 2013, the definition of rape was changed

What data is taken for the UCR?

Reports and arrests on part I and II offenses

What is UCR data good for measuring?

Reported crimes

Who collects and reports for NIBRS data?

Bureau of Justice Statistics collect

A smaller sample (1/3) of police agencies report

What data is taken for the NIBRS?

More extensive info than UCR; characteristics of the incident and arrest; distinguishing attempts v. completed offenses and crimes against different types of places and people

What is the difference between the NIBRS and the UCR?

The NIBRS is a sub-section of the UCR, is reported by fewer agencies, but provides more detailed accounts of incidents and arrests; NIBRS is more exact

What are the limitations of official data?

Not a lot of crimes are reported; the more serious the crime, the more likely it is to be reported; Some only takes into account arrest data, not the circumstances or if the case was solved; comparison between jurisdictions; bias in complaint and arrest

What are the advantages of official data (UCR)?

Since UCR is the primary data used to study differences across geographic units, it is easier to make comparisons; can be utilized for studying trends over time; best for studying homicide and robbery, as they are the most likely to get reported and have someone arrested

Who collects data for the NCVS? How?

Census and Bureau of Justice Statistics; voluntary, extensive survey

What data is collected for the NCVS?

Reports on crime in a detailed way that many not be included in other data (UCR); extensive details of the crime and arrest, like victim and offender appearance, crime details, and reporting, was it reported or not and why

What are the limitations of the NCVS?

Inaccurate reporting due to memory errors and telescoping (bounding, bias); sample cuts due to less reporting; can't use for crime rates in smaller cities because of sample size; persons not in households are not sampled

What are the advantages of the NCVS?

Gets at the 'dark figure' of crime; helps understand why there is so much unreported crime; asks what led up to the crime

Who collects for self-report surveys? How? (example)

Non-government agencies, typically criminologists; interviews and anonymous questionnaires; reported by offenders, typically

What are the advantages of self-report surveys?

Good info; not relying on biased police; beneficial in supplemental info

What are the disadvantages of self-report surveys?

Hard to get a good sample; dishonest answers leading to over- or under-reporting; telescoping

What are qualitative interviews and field data?

Descriptions of behavior, culture, and place

Who collects data in qualitative interviews and field data? How?

Criminologists, undercover researchers, non-police agencies; collected through participant observations, open-ended interview methods, just people-watching

What are the advantages of qualitative interviews and field data?

Gets at really hard to reach groups; gangs, professional criminals, white collar criminals

What are the disadvantages of qualitative interviews and field data?

Generalizing (applies onto to one area), dangerous (infiltrating, undercover), time consuming and costly

What question types does methodology address?

How much crime is there? Who commits crime? How do commissions of crime or definitions of crime vary?

Methodology (definition)

Collection and analysis of accurate data or facts

What are the best practices to study crime?

Triangulating data with UCR, NCVS, self-reporting, etc.

What should you be aware of when looking at resources?

No one method has any superiority over another; each method has it's weaknesses; TRIANGULATE

What data would you use for different types of questions? (examples)

How many murders occurred? UCR; What is the typical race of a victim in this area? NCVS; How many gang offenses occur in this area? Field Data

What should one be cautious of while looking at graphs?

Labels can be misleading and have incomplete or incorrect info

What is a correlate?

A variable that is statistically associated with crime

What is under-representation?

A portion of the population has far less % of arrests than % of people

What is over-representation?

A portion of the population has far more % of arrests than % of people

What are the 5 main correlates of crime?

Age, race, gender, socioeconomic status, and region

How are the main correlates of crime correlated with crime? (examples)

Age: crime peaks in 18-24 range

Gender: men commit more crime than women

Race: Black people are more likely than white people to be arrested; lots of over- and under-representation in crime; nonwhite people are more likely to commit crime than white people; whites commit the most offenses against Native Americans, blacks with the least amount

Socioeconomic: those with lower-class lives or who are impoverished are more likely to commit crime, not counting white collar crime; due to lack of power and needing to gain resources through illegitimate means

Region: the South commits the most crime, most likely because it's the most populous; accounts for nearly half of crime in the country; urban crime rate is higher than suburban, which is higher than rural

What is the crime trend for property crime in the U.S.?

It has gone down significantly

What is the crime trend for violent crime in the U.S.?

It has gone down significantly

What are the 3 models of law?

Consensus, Group Conflict, and Class Conflict

What are the assumptions of the 3 models of law? Where does law come from?

Consensus: there is a shared belief of what is right and wrong in society

Class Conflict: conflict between the upper and lower class exists; law is a product of this conflict

Group Conflict: different groups have different views

What are the main critiques of the 3 models of law?

Consensus doesn't take into account that there is conflict among people

Class Conflict doesn't take into account mala en se offenses, and it doesn't take into account conflict within classes

Groups Conflict doesn't tall us who has the power to make laws and talks about the sources of power but when something becomes a source of power or loses power, it doesn't tell when that happens

What are the 3 levels of analysis?

Macro (Structural)

Micro (Individual)

Cross-levell

What question type does theory address?

Why there is crime, and how to prevent crime

WHY

Who is associated with differential association theory?

Sutherland

Differential association theory level of analysis?

Cross-level

Differential association theory model of law?

Group Conflict

Differential association theory states that crime is...

Crime is learned through socialization

What are definitions, techniques, and opportunities in differential association theory?

Definitions (intensity, duration, frequency, priority) is the extent to which one has been exposed to deviant behavior. Techniques are the skills needed to correctly be deviant. Opportunity can be subjective and objective, and one is criminal when they view subjective states of crime.

According to differential association theory, how does criminal behavior occur?

Through social exposure

According to differential association theory, what is the role of social structure?

By forming close social relationships, one is exposed to definitions favorable to crime, learning techniques, and opportunities for crime

What are the critiques of differential association theory?

Overly-deterministic; "over socialized" view of humans; does not focus on personal choice; measuring "definitions favorable" is difficult

What are the names associated with labeling theory?

Lemert, Tannenbaum

Labeling theory level of analysis?

Cross-level

Labeling theory model of law?

Conflict (Class)

According to labeling theory, deviance is primarily caused by what? How does 'self-fulfilling' labeling cycle work?

Crime is a result of an internalized societal label

What is the role of social structure in labeling theory?

According to social structure, crime is dependent on the role-taking process; inequality in society, the powerful create and apply labels, the powerless become "subject " of labeling

What are the policy implications of labeling theory?

If you take away the stigmatized label from drugs, you can take away the 'junkie' label; affects who is stopped and arrested

What are some critiques of labeling theory?

Fails to explain primary deviance; proposed process = further deviance; apparently nothing is bad until society labels it as such

What does anomie mean?

Normlessness

What is the American Dream?

Economic success and security

Merton's anomie theory level of analysis?

Macro, structural, about the society and structural position within society

Merton's anomie theory model of law?

Consensus (we know right and wrong, we just don't care in this situation)

What leads to crime according to Merton's anomie theory?

Normlessness and the gap between economic success and legitimate ways to achieve that success

What are some critiques of Merton's anomie theory?

Sees deviance as an individual response to these conditions, ignore the fact that a lot of deviance is done in a group

Not all crime is committed by the poor

What are the 4 models of adaptation for Merton's anomie theory? (examples)

Innovator (criminal), Rebellion (Amish), Retreatist (drug user), Ritualism (working class person)

What are the names associated with Institutional anomie theory?

Messner and Rosenfeld

What is the difference between Institutional anomie and Mertion's anomie theory?

Institutional is an extension of Merton's theory, assumes more so that economic disparity is the cause of crime

Institutional anomie theory level of analysis?

Macro, structural

Institutional anomie theory model of law?

Consensus

What are the key assumptions of institutional anomie theory?

Economics are more dominant in American culture than any other institution, like family, education, politics, etc.

What is the key argument of institutional anomie theory?

There is more crime in the US because economic institution is prioritized over and effects other institutions

What are the policy implications of institutional anomie theory?

We need to put more emphasis on the other institutions, not just economic institution; if you want less crime, make economics less important and increase access to welfare

What are some critiques of institutional anomie theory?

Society is not in consensus regarding economic success; crime is not limited to the lower class (white collar)

Routine activities perspective level of analysis?

Individual, micro (technically cross-level, but still)

What explains crime/victimization in routine activities perspective?

People's daily lives put them at risk to be victimized; focuses on situations

What are 3 key elements that increase one's risk of victimization according to routine activities perspective? (examples)

Lack of capable guardianship (physical or social)(no security or dog), motivated offender (criminals), suitable target (attractiveness)

What are some critiques of routine activities perspective?

What are the names associated with critical/conflict theories?

Quinney, Du Bois, Reiman, Turk

What are the central themes of critical/conflict perspective?

Different groups within society are in conflict for power; the most powerful makes the laws that keep the less powerful without power; crime is a label attached to the behavior of the less powerful; capitalism is the root cause of crime

What do critical/conflict theories question?

Who is in power? Who makes the laws? Questions power and dominance in law

What is the theory of surplus value according to critical/conflict theories?

The working classes produce goods that exceed their wages in value; the working class creates profit, which goes to the owners, creating a conflict of interests between the working class and capitalist class

What are the 6 propositions about the relationship between crime and social order according to Quinney's conflict theory?

Crime is a definition of human conduct created by authorized agents in a politically organized society

Criminal definitions describe behaviors that conflict with the interests of segments of society that have power to shape public policy

Criminal definitions are applied by segments of society that hve power to shape the enforcement and administration of criminal law

Behavior patterns are structured in segmentally organizaed society in relation to criminal definitions, and within this context persons engage in actions that have relative probabilities of being defined as criminal

Conceptions of crime are constructed and diffused in the segments of society by various means of communication

The social reality of crimes is constructed by the formulation and paplication of criminal definitions, the development of behavior patterns related to criminal definitions, and the construction of criminal conceptions

Ho is capitalism and crime related according to Quinney's conflict theory?

Crimes of accommodation and resistance result in crimes by the powerless in reaction to their social position by the working class; corporate crime, violations of civil liberties, and political crime by the state characterizes the ruling class; we as a society focus on the crimes fo the working class, not the upper

What are working class crimes according to Quinney's conflict theory? (example)

What are ruling class crimes according to Quinney's conflict theory? (example)