Criminology Vocabulary

Flashcards on key vocabulary terms from Criminology lecture notes.

Criminology

A science that is multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, descriptive, and etiological. It studies crime, criminals, and the social reaction to crime.

Anomia

The idea that a society proposes the same goals without providing everyone with the legitimate means to achieve them, leading to a loss of credibility and effectiveness of norms.

Labelling Approach

The theory that individuals become deviant because society labels them as such, leading them to internalize the label and pursue a deviant career.

Theory of the Delinquent Born

Lombroso's theory that criminals were recognizable by specific somatic or constitutional anomalies.

Theory of Atavism

Lombroso's theory interpreting criminal conduct as a regression to a primitive stage of human development.

Criminaloids

Individuals exhibiting criminal traits but not considered true criminals by Lombroso, often applied to those committing economic or political crimes.

Es, Io, Super-Io

The three parts of the psyche: the id (instincts), the ego (psychological component), and the superego (internal representation of ethical values and social norms).

Delinquenza Normale

A form of delinquency where the superego is not in control, allowing aggressive and antisocial impulses to be acted upon without guilt.

Comportamentismo

A psychological theory that behavior is guided by environmental conditions through stimulus-response mechanisms; used in re-socialization treatments.

Criminologia Narrativa

An approach that shifts the focus from talking about the criminal to the criminal's own narrative, valuing how the subject explains events and their actions.

Numero Oscuro

The amount of crime that is not reported or reflected in official statistics.

Femminicidio

The killing of a woman because she is a woman.

Uxoricidio

Killing of a wife by her husband.

Identificazione con l'aggressore

A process when individuals reproduce violent behaviors they have observed in their family of origin, transitioning from victim to aggressor.

Tecniche di Neutralizzazione

Strategies used to excuse or justify criminal behavior.

Ageism

Prejudice and stereotypes based on age.

Omocidio

Homicide where victim is killed for being homosexual.

Figlicidio

Killing of one's own child.

Neonaticidio

Killing of a newborn child.

Complesso di Medea

Maternal desire to kill one's own children, often driven by feelings of hatred towards the father of the children (vengeance on the partner).

Sindrome di Munchausen per procura

Parents invent symptoms for their kids.

Parenticidio

Killing of one's parents.

Ibristofilia

Attraction to criminals, especially due to their criminal status.

Enclitofilia

Love for a criminal, specifically because they're criminals.

Mass Murder

Mass murder committed in a single location.

Incel

Involuntary celibate, primarily used to describe individuals (often men) who feel unable to find a romantic or sexual partner.

Psicopatologia Forense

The disciplinal sector that studiues medicolegal aspects of psychiatry.

Cletomania

Recurring failure to resist the urge to steal for personal use.

Teoria dei contenitori di Reckless

Internal and external factors that promote law abiding actions.

Teoria delle associazioni differenziali

Theory that criminal behavior is learned through association with others who engage in criminal behavior.

Crimine operativo di potere

Crimes that are committed by people with high social statues.

Sottocultura

A subcategory characterized by norms that are different from the ones that characterize the dominant class.

Teoria del legame sociale di Hirschi

There are external and internal factors to keep one's self from illegally acting on the criminal itches.

razza subumana

German criminology based on the assumption that rooted the biological in crime.

Eugenetica

The idea and need to fix the purity of the german people.

Idealismo pervertito

Committed a crime for ideas.

Teoria della frustrazione-aggressività

Increased chances and a likelihood to respond aggressively if frustrated.