Chapter 2

Why is prostitution considered a public order crime in the United States?

It is a crime that society has deemed immoral.

Why do the changing demographics of the United States show a possibility for an increase in crime rates?

The number of youths entering the prime years of committing crime or of their criminal careers will be and are increasing.

The consensus, conflict, and interactionist views of crime all share which common idea?

criminal law has a social control function

What role does technology currently play in crime?

Technological developments have created new classes of crime

A serial killer differs from a mass murderer in which way?

A serial killer commits multiple murders over time

When compared to the Uniform Crime Reports (UCR), what does the Monitoring the Future (MTF) study reveal?

The crime problem is much greater than official statistics would lead us to believe

Which of the following would be considered an expressive act of violence?

A male tracking down and killing a person he suspects is having an affair with his wife

Why can the Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) be misleading?

Not all criminal incidents are reported to the police

Why is the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) currently of limited use in gauging crime nationwide?

It has not been fully adopted in all 50 states

In what way is the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) intended to be more explanatory than the Uniform Crime Reports (UCR)?

It requires reports of crimes to be put into context

How does organized crime differ from corporate crime?

Its acknowledged purpose is economic gain through illegal enterprise

Under the interactionist view of crime, which of the following groups would wield significant power in shaping criminal law?

wealthy political campaign donors

Compared to 1995, what has happened to the rate of violent crime in the United States today?

It has dropped by half

What is the relation of the concept of early onset to crime?

the idea that kids who have been exposed to a variety of personal and social problems or commit crime at an early age are the most at risk of repeat offending

What aspect of U.S history directly fuels the idea of cultural bias in high crime rate among black Americans?

the nineteenth-century system of racial slavery

Which of the following would be classified as a burglary?

an individual breaking and entering a person's home to steal valuables

What aspect of self-report surveys impedes their validity?

the potential dishonesty of its respondents

What is the idea of system bias dependent on?

race and ethnicity

What would serve to enhance the validity of crime reporting devices such as the Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) and the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS)?

ensuring greater accuracy in the way they are reported

What type of crime is predominant in the United States?

a property crime

Under the conflict view of crime, who decides the content of criminal law and shapes the definition of crime in a society?

the ruling class

In what way does the consensus view of crime differ from the conflict and interactionist views of crime?

It holds that the majority of society is in agreement as to what behaviors must be outlawed or controlled to protect society

Which of the following is true for liberal feminist theories regarding crime?

Women have a lower crime rate due to their second-class economic and social position

What role might the "contagion effect" have on crime?

Crime might be reduced due to prevailing social factors

In what way does the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) provide a more complete picture of crime than the Uniform Crime Reports (UCR)?

It takes into account crimes that are not reported to the authorities

What is the view that the vast majority of citizens agree that certain behaviors must be outlawed or controlled, and that criminal law is designed to protect citizens from social harm?

consensus view of crime

What is the view that criminal law is created and enforced by those who hold political and economic power?

conflict view of crime

What is the view that criminal law reflects the preferences and opinions of people who hold social power?

interactionist view of crime

Who are people who wage campaigns to control behaviors they view as immoral?

moral entrepreneurs

What is violent behavior motivated by rage, anger, or frustration?

expressive violence

What is violent behavior that results from criminal activity designed to improve financial status?

instrumental violence

The Uniform Crime Report _________, and included only the most serious offenses

captures data only on crimes reported to the police

The National Incident-Based Reporting System _________

includes all the offenses that occur in an incident

The National Crime Victimization Survey is a ___________

comprehensive nationwide survey of victimization