Criminology: Drugs, White-Collar Crime, Gun Control, and Policing

Vocabulary flashcards covering core concepts, legislation, historical eras, case studies, and myths across drugs and violence, white-collar crime, gun control, and policing.

Drug-Violence Myth

The belief that drugs automatically cause violence.

Reality of Drug Use

Most drug users are not violent.

Correlation

Two things happen together, but one doesn't necessarily cause the other.

Causation

One thing directly causes another.

Spuriousness

A third factor causes two things to happen together.

Volatile

Unpredictable behavior that can change quickly.

Violent

Actually using force to hurt someone.

Psychopharmacological

Violence caused by the drug's effects on the brain.

Systemic

Violence caused by illegal drug markets.

Economic-Compulsive

Committing crimes to get money to buy drugs.

Harrison Act (1914)

First major law linking drugs and crime.

Reefer Madness (1936)

Movie that spread fear about marijuana.

Marijuana Tax Act (1937)

Law restricting marijuana; opposed by the AMA.

Harry Anslinger

Government official who promoted fear about marijuana.

AMA

American Medical Association; opposed the Marijuana Tax Act.

Alcohol and Violence

Alcohol has a stronger connection to violence than many feared drugs.

Drug Arrests Ratio

Police arrest about $7$ times more people for possession than sale.

Drug Incarceration Rate

About $1$ in $5$ incarcerated people is locked up for a drug offense.

Main Problem of Drug Policy

Money goes to prisons instead of treatment, healthcare, and education.

White-Collar Crime

Illegal or harmful acts committed in a professional setting for financial benefit.

Corporate Crime

Crime committed to benefit a company.

Occupational Crime

Crime committed to benefit yourself.

Corporate vs. Occupational Crime

Company vs. Own pocket.

White-Collar Crime Myth

The belief that white-collar crime only causes financial damage.

White-Collar Crime Reality

White-collar crime can injure and kill people.

Kernel of Truth (White-Collar Crime)

White-collar offenders usually want financial profit, not necessarily to hurt people.

White-Collar Crime Losses

Over $\$1\text{ trillion}$ annually.

Property Crime Losses

About $\$20\text{ billion}$ annually.

Healthcare Fraud Losses

About $\$100\text{ billion}$ annually.

Workplace Deaths

$50{,}000+$ workers die annually from workplace diseases and accidents.

Workplace Injuries

$2\text{ million}+$ workers are injured annually.

Asbestos Case

Companies knew asbestos was dangerous but hid the information.

Peanut Corporation Case

Contaminated food caused $700+$ illnesses and $9$ deaths.

Steve Parnell

CEO who said "Just ship it"; sentenced to $28$ years.

Boeing 737 Max

Two crashes killed $346$ people; Boeing avoided criminal prosecution.

Flint Water Crisis

Switching water sources exposed approximately $100{,}000$ people to lead.

Volkswagen

Installed software to cheat emissions tests.

Purdue Pharma

Company connected to the opioid crisis.

Gun Control Myth

Gun laws caused crime rates to decrease.

Gun Control Reality

Crime decreased even in places without new gun laws.

History Effects

Changes in crime caused by events happening in society.

Treatment Effects

Changes in crime caused by the actual policy being tested.

Total Handgun Ban

Not a viable policy; Supreme Court decisions protect individual gun ownership.

Dealer Regulations

Limited effectiveness because criminals often use secondary gun markets.

Secondary Market

Guns obtained through theft, straw purchases, or illegal sales.

Buyback Programs

People turn in guns for money; little evidence of reducing crime.

Concealed Carry

Allowing people to carry hidden guns; no consistent evidence it reduces crime.

Tougher Prosecution

Harsher punishments; little evidence of lasting crime reduction.

Directed Patrol

Police focus on specific high-crime areas.

Boston Ceasefire

Program combining policing and community outreach; youth homicides dropped $63\%$.

CVI

Community Violence Intervention; workers mediate conflicts and connect people to resources.

BSCA (2022)

Bipartisan Safer Communities Act; expanded background checks and violence prevention.

FOPA (1986)

Prevents a federal searchable gun purchase database.

PLCAA

Limits lawsuits against gun manufacturers and dealers for crimes involving their products.

Brady Exemptions

Some concealed carry permit holders skip waiting periods.

Shall Issue

Authorities must issue permits if basic requirements are met.

Preemption

State laws prevent cities from passing stricter gun laws.

Bruen (2022)

Gun laws must fit America's historical tradition of firearm regulation.

Rahimi (2024)

Upheld restrictions on gun possession for people under domestic violence restraining orders.

Defensive Gun Use

Using a gun to defend yourself; under $1\%$ of crimes involve defensive gun use, according to your notes.

Police Myth

Police spend most of their time fighting crime.

Police Reality

Police spend $15\%$ or less of their time on crime.

Social Control

Ways society makes people follow rules and norms.

Formal Social Control

Official punishment, such as police arrests.

Informal Social Control

Unofficial pressure, such as family expectations.

Minority Group Threat Hypothesis

Police presence is predicted more by minority population than crime rates.

Slave Patrols

First policing era answering "How do we maintain slavery?"; maintained slavery and protected slave owners.

Labor Policing

Policing era answering "How do we manage labor unrest?"; controlled workers, immigrants, and labor strikes.

Pinkertons

Private security used by businesses to control workers.

Patronage Era

Policing era answering "How do we maintain political power?"; police were hired based on political loyalty.

Professionalization Era

Policing era answering "How do we restore legitimacy?"; made police appear more professional to restore legitimacy.

Post-1960s Era

Policing era answering "How do we maintain public trust?"; focused on rebuilding public trust after visible police brutality.

Castle Rock v. Gonzales (2005)

Supreme Court case ruling that police have no constitutional duty to protect a specific person.

Negative Constitution

Constitution limits government actions but doesn't guarantee protection.

Police vs. Policing

Police refers to individual law enforcement officers; policing refers to the larger institution and system of law enforcement.

Community Policing

Police work with communities to address local problems.

Myth

What society believes is true.

Kernel of Truth

The small part of a myth that is actually true.

Real Story

What research and evidence actually show.

Who Benefits?

The people or institutions gaining from the myth.

What Goes Wrong?

The harmful policies created by believing the myth.

Tough on Crime

Political strategy of appearing strict on crime to gain votes.

Media Sensationalism

Media focuses on shocking stories to attract attention.

Social Construction of Crime

Society's ideas about what is dangerous are shaped by politics, media, and power.