CRJ 1010 Intro to Criminal Justice - Chapter Two: Crime and its Consequences

These flashcards cover key concepts from the chapter on crime and its consequences, designed to aid students in understanding fundamental terms and definitions relevant to criminal justice.

Social Definition of Crime

Behavior that violates the norms or social mores of society.

Legal Definition of Crime

An intentional violation of the criminal law or penal code, committed without defense or excuse and penalized by the state.

Overcriminalization

The prohibition by the criminal law of some behaviors that arguably should not be prohibited.

Victimless Crimes

Crimes that do not directly harm another individual but are illegal, such as gambling and prostitution involving consenting adults.

Actus Reus

The criminal act or conduct which can be either an action or inaction that causes harm.

Mens Rea

Criminal intent or a guilty state of mind necessary to establish criminal liability.

Legal Defenses

Situations where an offender is not considered responsible for a crime, such as insanity or duress.

Causation

The requirement that there must be a causal relationship between the act and the harm for it to be considered a crime.

Concurrence

The necessity that the actus reus and mens rea occur together.

Felony

A severe crime, typically punishable by imprisonment for more than one year.

Misdemeanor

A less severe crime, usually punishable by less than one year of imprisonment.

Mala in Se

Crimes that are inherently wrong or evil, like rape and murder.

Mala Prohibita

Offenses that are illegal because laws define them as such, lacking universality.

National Crime Victimization Surveys (NCVS)

Surveys that gather data on the incidence of crime by asking respondents about their experiences as victims.

Dark Figure of Crime

The number of crimes that go unreported and are not officially recorded by law enforcement.

Uniform Crime Reports (UCR)

A primary source of crime statistics in the United States compiled by the FBI.

Self-Report Crime Surveys

Surveys that ask subjects whether they have committed crimes, often revealing hidden crime rates.

Fear of Crime

A psychological consequence experienced by victims and communities, often exacerbated by media coverage.