Criminology Overview and Theories
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Questions and Answers

What does Eysenck suggest plays a vital role in predisposing individuals to crime?

  • Heredity (correct)
  • Personal relationships
  • Cultural background
  • Social learning experiences
  • Which theory posits that individuals learn criminal behavior through specific forms of learning?

  • Labeling theory
  • Learning theory (correct)
  • Biological theory
  • Control theory
  • How does classical conditioning relate to criminal behavior according to the content?

  • It pairs unwanted behavior with reinforcement.
  • It associates unwanted behavior with punishment. (correct)
  • It promotes positive reinforcement of good behavior.
  • It encourages individuals to repeat desirable actions.
  • What element is central to control theory in explaining antisocial behavior?

    <p>Inner controls and external constraints</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which aspect of emotional deficiency is often linked to violent behavior?

    <p>Lack of empathy</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a primary feature of social learning in the context of criminal behavior?

    <p>Observational learning from others</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In terms of operant learning, what factor most strengthens criminal behavior?

    <p>Immediate reinforcement timing</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which type of theory emphasizes the importance of the label in predicting behavior?

    <p>Social labeling theory</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is one of the key components necessary for observational learning according to Bandura?

    <p>Reinforcement of performance</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which type of model is NOT considered a social context for modeling aggression?

    <p>Religious influences</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does differential association theory emphasize as a cause of delinquency?

    <p>More examples of favorable law violations than unfavorable</p> Signup and view all the answers

    According to the learning theories presented, which factors are crucial in the learning of criminal behavior?

    <p>Reinforcement outweighing punishment</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a significant criticism of social learning theory regarding violence?

    <p>It provides a poor explanation for impulsive violence.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following does NOT influence antisocial behavior according to environmental cues?

    <p>Positive reinforcement in school</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What statement best describes the role of intimate groups in the context of criminal behavior learning?

    <p>They play a principal role in reinforcing criminal behavior.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What do models and cues lead to in the context of learning criminal behavior?

    <p>Bad behavior entrenchment</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary focus of criminology?

    <p>Studying crime as a social trend</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is a belief of the positivist school of criminology?

    <p>Understanding crime requires a scientific approach</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main goal of rehabilitation in the context of crime?

    <p>Treating individuals to eliminate the causes of crime</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Under the classical school of criminology, which concept is emphasized?

    <p>Punishment should fit the severity of the crime</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which factor is NOT related to the early theories of crime?

    <p>The effectiveness of therapy in prisons</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does deterrence in the context of criminal justice primarily focus on?

    <p>Certainty and severity of punishment</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Who believed that crime occurred more often in specific geographic areas and under certain social conditions?

    <p>Quetelet</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In the classical school of criminology, what is the implication of free will?

    <p>Individuals are held accountable for their choices</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Criminology

    • Behavioral scientists study crime and criminal behavior, focusing on crimes feared by most, as well as the overall origins, manifestations, and societal impact of crime. Juveniles and young adults often commit a large number of violent offenses.

    Why Crime Happens

    • Rehabilitation: Aims to treat individuals and eliminate the root causes of crime.
    • Retribution: Punishes offenders proportionally to the severity of the crime.
    • Deterrence: Primarily focuses on certainty and severity of punishment rather than rehabilitation.

    Early Theories

    • Religious Theories: Sin is believed to be a cause of crime.
    • Classical School of Criminology (17th Century): Advocates for proportional punishment fitting the crime, emphasizing free will, choice, and the consequences of actions.

    Positivist School of Criminology

    • Focuses on factors influencing criminal behavior, arguing that criminal behavior is determined, rather than chosen freely.
    • Seeks to understand crime via scientific method and empirical data.
    • Quetelet, Lombroso, and others studied geographical locations and social circumstances to find correlations to crime rates.

    Contemporary Theoretical Frameworks of Crime

    • Sociological Theories: Emphasize external social and cultural factors influencing crime, rejecting the idea that criminals are inherently different from non-criminals.
    • Structural Explanations: Dysfunctional social arrangements (e.g., poor schooling, economic hardship) contribute to criminal behavior.
    • Differential Opportunity: Inequalities in opportunity to achieve societal goals contribute to crime.
    • Anomie: A state of normlessness where lack of social control and unlimited aspirations lead to deviance and crime.
    • Subcultural Explanations: Focus on clashes between dominant societal norms and values, and those of specific cultural groups (e.g., gangs). Crime is a manifestation of conflicts and differences in norms.
    • Rational Crime Theory: Asserts criminal behavior makes sense when weighing potential rewards against risks.
    • Strain Theory: Suggests that societal pressures, particularly differing socioeconomic status and limited opportunities, lead to frustration and potential criminal behavior.

    Psychological Theories

    • Psychodynamic Theory: Early childhood experiences influence an individual's likelihood of committing crimes.
    • Behavioral Theory: Crime is learned through observation and modeling. Criminal behavior is learned through social interactions
    • Cognitive Theory: Examines how individuals mentally perceive and represent the world around them, and how this affects their tendency to commit crimes. Cognitive processes of criminals may differ from those of non-criminals.

    Personality Based Explanations

    • Psychopathy: Defined by traits like lack of empathy, insensitivity, callousness, and impulsivity.
    • Antisocial Personality Disorder:Characterized by deceitfulness, manipulativeness, and lack of remorse, and a disproportionate involvement in violent crime.

    Social Learning Theory

    • Crime is learned through observation, modeling, and reinforcement.
    • Techniques, direction of motives, and attitudes towards criminal behavior are influenced by social interactions, values, and attitudes.

    Control Theories

    • Control Theories: Focus on factors that prevent individuals from engaging in criminal behavior.
    • Reckless' Containment Theory: External and internal controls that help individuals from committing crimes.External controls include societal rules. Internal controls include a sense of self-discipline.

    Social Labeling Theory

    • Social labeling theory: Society's reaction to a criminal act (primary deviance) can lead to further criminal behavior (secondary deviance) due to labeling and stigmatization.

    Biological Theories of Crime

    • Biological theories: Explore the potential relationship between individual characteristics and criminality; while acknowledging multiple factors contributing to crime.
    • Chemical imbalances/Genetic factors: Some research explores the possibility of correlations between biological factors and a predisposition toward criminal behavior.

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    Description

    Explore the foundational theories of criminology, including behavioral approaches to crime, the concepts of rehabilitation, retribution, and deterrence. Dive into early and positivist schools of thought that examine the origins and societal impacts of criminal behavior, especially among juveniles and young adults.

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