WJEC Criminology Unit 2 Flashcards

Flashcards covering key terms and concepts from criminology lecture notes.

Values

Rules shared by most people in a culture or the ideas they hold in value.

Norms

Social expectations that guide behavior and keep deviant behavior on check.

Moral Codes

Rules or standards that people choose to live by to keep their behavior aligned with their culture's values.

Deviance

Any behavior that is different from normal things.

Formal Sanctions

Sanctions that are handed out by officials, such as fines or expulsions.

Informal Sanctions

Sanctions used when rules are not formal; positive sanctions also exist.

Unusual and Good Deviance

Risking your life to save another person’s.

Unusual and Bizarre Deviance

Talking to plants.

Unusual and Bad Deviance

Punching someone.

Legal Definition of Criminal Behavior

Any action that is forbidden by the criminal law.

Strict Liability

Cases where mens rea (guilty mind) is not required for conviction.

Self-Defense

Using reasonable force to defend oneself is not considered criminal.

Social Definition of Criminal Behavior

Even if legally accepted, not all harmful acts are considered criminal.

Summary Offenses

Less serious offenses tried by magistrates.

Indictable Offenses

Serious offenses tried at a crown court with a judge and jury.

Categories of Indictable Crimes

Violence against the person, sexual offenses, fraud, forgery, and criminal damage.

Court Sanctions

Custodial sentences (prison) and community sentences (restrictions, treatment).

Police Sanctions

Cautions, conditional cautions, and penalty notices for disorder.

Other Implications of Committing Crime

Exclusion from certain occupations, travel bans, and placement on the Violent and Sex Offenders Register.

Act both Criminal and Deviant

Robbery.

Criminal but not Deviant Act

Speeding.

Deviant but not Criminal Act

Picking your nose.

Social Construction

Anything made or defined by society rather than developing naturally.

How Criminality is Socially Constructed

Society defines what a criminal is, and this changes as society changes.

Polygamy

Having more than one spouse.

Polygyny

Men having two or more wives.

Polyandry

A woman with two or more husbands.

Polygamy

In the UK, it is called Bigamy and is punishable with imprisonment and/or a fine

Adultery

Sexual acts between two people where one or both are married to other people.

Adultery Laws

Legal in the UK; criminalized in mostly Muslim majority countries.

Homosexuality

Sexual acts between members of the same sex.

Homosexuality Laws

Legal in some countries; criminal in most Muslim countries.

Cannabis Laws

Some places have legalized personal use; others have strict penalties.

Drug Laws - Portugal Case Study

Portugal's law changed from a crime to a civil offense in 2001 for possessing less than 10 days of personal supply of drugs.

Gun Control - How it Changed Over Time

UK gun control laws changed after mass shootings like Hungerford (1987) and Dunblane (1996).

Child Labor

In the 19th century, children as young as 6 would work dangerous jobs. A series of ‘Factory Acts’ eventually excluded children from the workplace.

How Child Labor Laws Changed Over Time

Compulsory education and the Children Act of 2004.

Capital Punishment

Capital punishment was used for serious and less serious crimes but was fully abolished in Britain in 1965.

Jaywalking

crossing the street without regard for traffic regulations

Differential Law Enforcement

Punishments vary depending on the purpose: to set an example or to prevent recurrence.

Moral Panics

The criminal justice system harshly punishes those involved to 'teach them a lesson'.

Typifications

Police have an idea of what a “Typical Offender” Looks like; despite committing similar crimes, the "Roughnecks” were dealt with more harshly by the police.

Age of Criminal Responsibility

10 years old in England, 12 years old in Scotland.

Youth Courts

Children go through the youth court, and under 18s are sent to secured centers instead of prison.

Defenses in Homicide Cases

Diminished responsibility, loss of control, and automatism can reduce murder to manslaughter.

Biological Theories of Criminality

Physiological, genetic, brain injuries, and biochemical explanations.

Physiological Theory

Focuses on a criminal’s physical characteristics.

Genetic Theory

Focuses on criminality as an inherited trait.

Brain Injuries and Disorders

Damage causes people to offend.

Biochemical Explanations

Factors such as hormones cause offending.

Cesare Lombroso's Theory

A criminal could be identified by atavistic features like large ears and jaws.

Endomorph

Soft bodied, sociable, and relaxed.

Mesomorph

Muscular and hard bodied, assertive, domineering, and sensation seeking.

Ectomorph

Thin and fragile, self-conscious, and emotionally restrained.

Twin Studies

Studying Monozygotic twins. If one is a criminal, there is a high chance the other will be, too.

Adoption Studies

Based upon the “Nature vs nurture” debate. If criminality is inherited, an adopted child should show the same behaviour as their biological parents and not their adopted parents.

Jacob: XYY - “Super Males”

men who are very tall, well built and considered to be less intelligent.

Research to Back Lombroso’s Atavistic Theory

Lombroso examined convicts' facial and cranial features and concluded that 40% of criminal acts could be accounted for by atavistic characteristics.

Research to Back Sheldon’s Somatotype Theory

Sheldon found delinquents were much more likely to be Mesomorphs than average college students, with a similarity score of 4.6 out of 7.

Research to Back Genetic Inheritance (Twin and Adoption Studies Genetic

If a birth parent had a criminal record the adopted child was more likely to have a criminal record than if the adoptive parent had a criminal record.

Research to Back XYY Theory

Men with XYY are more represented in prison than the general public

Phineas Gage

Personality change due to a rod went through his head turning him more aggressive

Sex Hormones - Male

Sex hormones, with testosterone linked to crimes such as murder and rape.

Sex hormones - Female

Pre-Menstrual tension (PMT) and post-natal depression have been used as partial defenses of crimes

Blood sugar levels

Symptoms include triggering of aggressive reactions

Saunders - Alcohol

This substance plays a significant role in 1000 arrests a day.

Lead and synthetic food colouring tartrazine (Yellow)

Linked to hyperactivity.

Vitamin B

a deficiency may lead to erratic, aggressive behavior.

Individualistic Theories of Criminality

Psychodynamic, Eysenck’s personality, learning, and cognitive theories.

Psychodynamic Theories

Argue that our personalities have an active force that causes us to act in the way we do.

ID

Driven by the “pleasure principle”. The blind desire to satisfy urges

SuperEGO

Our internal morals and values where we get out feeling of guilt

EGO

The balance between “ID” and “SuperEGO”. Can be referred to as the “I”. driven by the “Reality principle

Psychoanalysis Views Antisocial/Criminal Behaviour

SuperEgo is at the heart of Criminality.

Bowlby - Maternal deprivation theory

Link between maternal deprivation and deviant/antisocial/criminal behaviour.

44 thieves study

Found that 39% had experienced maternal deprivation before the age of 5

Eysenck’ personality theories

personality determines our likelihood of engaging in criminality.

Dimensions of Personality

Extraversion vs introversion (E), Neuroticism vs emotional stability (N)

Psychoticism

Those with a high P score were more likely to be criminal - Often profiled as solitary, cruel, insensitive, lacking empathy and aggressive.

Sutherland - Differential association

Individuals mostly learn criminal activities from their families or their peer groups

Imitation

Individuals learn criminal activities from observation.

Skinner - Operant learning

The basis of operant learning is factored around punishment and reinforcement

Bandura - Social learning theory

Bandura argues that our behaviour is learnt through the imitations of observed behaviour. The others who’s behaviour gets copied are referred to as role models.

Cognitive Theories of Crime

refers to our thinking and mental processes which includes beliefs, reasoning, attitudes and how we interpret the world around us

Yochelson and Samenow - Criminal personality theory

Criminals are prone to faulty behaviour which makes them more likely to commit a crime

Kohlberg - Moral development theory

right and wrong develop in stages from childhood to adulthood. For example, the childhood stage of right and wrong is based on punishment and rewards whereas in adulthood the right and wrong is based on moral principles.

Sociological Theories of Criminality

Functionalist, interactionism, Marxism, left realism, right realism, and surveillance theories.

Functionalist and subcultural theories

inequality of society is what causes conflict and division

Establishes Boundary Maintenance

Act of crime unites society strengthening its values.

Enables Social Change

Lack of people challenging norms prevents social development.

Act as a Safety Valve

Prostitution allows relief of sexual needs without threatening ‘Nuclear Family.

Is a Warning Light

High re-offending suggests rehabilitation program is not working.

Merton - Strain theory

unequal structure of society

Merton - Strain theory - the five responses

Conformity, innovation, ritualism, retreatism, and rebellion.

Albert Cohen - Status frustration

deviancy is a group response not an individual one

Cloward and Ohlin - Three subcultures

Criminal, conflict, and retreatist subcultures.

Interactionism Overview

Based on “Meaning or Labels” in this sense being labelled a criminal is something that is based on interaction

Labelling theory

“no act is deviant or criminal itself” they only become criminal when they are labelled as such.

Differential Enforcement of the Law

Police label particular groups as criminals.

Primary Deviance

Trivial acts that may go unnoticed which have not been labeled publicly