CRIM 322 Exam 1

What is criminology?

Study of crime and criminality

What is criminology compared to criminal justice?

The theory behind the practice

What is criminal justice compared to criminology?

The practice

What is human agency/free will?

Our capacity to make free choices, act independently, and influence the world around us

Classical crim - role of free will

Human action is due to free will

Classical crim - why crime happens

Crime is voluntary and committed freely by individuals with the capacity to make different choices

Classical crim - punishment

C- Punishment should fit the crime

Classical crim - theories

Deterrence theory, rational choice theory, routine activities theory

Positivistic crim - free will

Human action is deterministic

Positivistic crim - why crime happens

Crime is an action into which individuals are propelled by social, economic, and ‘mental’ forces outside their control

Positivistic crim - punishment

P - Should fit the crime

Positivistic crim - theories

General strain theory, biological/biosocial theories, social learning theory

Critical crim - free will

‘Soft determinism’ - social structures perpetuate inequality which drives human action, but we have the agency to make choices within/about those structures

Critical crim - why crime happens

Crime is a result of the unequal distribution of power and wealth

Critical crim - punishments

Should achieve ‘justice’

Critical crim - theories

Feminist theory, critical race theory, queer theory, restorative justice

In the Pre-Classical Era of crime, what was the prevailing Western understanding of crime?

Causes of crime are primarily supernational – demonic possession, evil spirits – and sin/moral failure

How did the Classical Era of crime shift our understanding of crime?

Shift from religious understanding to rational choice made by individuals with free will

What is proportionality?

Punishment is proportional to the crime

What are useful punishments?

Swift, certain, severe

What is the principle of rationality?

We perform cost/benefit analysis, cost of engaging in crime must outweigh the benefit; fundamental assumption of free will

What is the principle of hedonism?

The belief that our free will is guided by the desire to maximize pleasure and minimize pain, make a rational choice to commit crime

What is the principle of deterrence?

Pain of punishments must outweigh the pleasure of crime

What are the classical assumptions about free will?

Human reasoning/logic is a ‘spark of the divine’ – make yourself vulnerable to crime, sinning is a choice

What are Beccaria’s three elements of deterrence

Swift, certain, severe

What is formal deterrence?

Sanctions or other consequences that are implemented by the state/government or some other formal entity

What is informal deterrence?

The actual or anticipated social sanctions and other consequences of crime and deviance

What is objective deterrence?

Actual laws, police activity, and legal penalties that exist in society

What is perceptual deterrence?

An individual’s belief/estimation about whether they will be caught or punished  

What is specific deterrence?

Actual intervention/punishment on those who commit a crime

What is general deterrence?

The state’s punishment of offenders serve as an example to those in the general public who have not committed the crime

What is rational choice theory?

People commit crimes after they weigh the costs and benefits of the crime/punishment

How is rational choice theory different from deterrence theory?

Decision making uses experience/reasoning vs decision making is motivated by hedonism

What is routine activities theory?

Explains the variation in crime by suggesting that opportunities to commit crime vary by time and place, offenders seek opportunities to engage in crime

What are the three elements of routine activities theory?

Motivated offender, suitable target, absence of a capable guardian

How to apply the elements of RAT to policy/prevention?

Assume offenders always exist, target hardening, increase guardianship, make physical changes to the environment

According to the early biological perspective of crime, what causes crime?

People are ‘born criminal’ – criminality is inherited

What did Lombroso do?

Reject the classical school of criminology

What is atavism according to Lombroso?

Theory that criminals are in an earlier, more primitive stage of human evolution, genetic traits are lost through evolutionary changes and randomly appear later

What is physical stigmata according to Lombroso?

Criminals could be identified by facial asymmetry, large ears, large lips, protruding chins, etc

What are the three types of subhumans according to Lombroso?

The born criminal, the criminaloid, the insane criminal

What are the weaknesses of Lombrosian criminology?

Bad implications, influenced by racial bias, eugenics

What is the biological perspective of crime?

There are ‘protective factors’ and ‘risk factors for criminal behavior

What are protective factors according to the biological perspective?

High IQ, high resting heart rate, higher fear response

What are risk factors according to the biological perspective?

Exposure to lead, malnutrition/poor diet, prenatal exposure to drugs/alcohol

What is the biosocial perspective of crime?

Biology alone is not responsible for criminal behavior, but environment is also not solely responsible for criminal behavior

What does nature via nurture mean in the context of biological/biosocial crime?

Criminal behavior is a mix of biology and the environment

What are some protective factors according to the biosocial perspective?

Good physical health, positive/stable relationships, healthy physiological stimulation, quality education

What are some risk factors according to the biosocial perspective?

Inherited trains, gene-environment interaction, low heartrate, abnormally high or low hormone levels, childhood maltreatment, inconsistent/harsh discipline, neighborhood disadvantage