Criminology Midterm Review PDF

What is criminology? the study of criminal behavior: nature, extent, cause and control Main elements of classical criminological theory: People can choose criminal or lawful behaviors. Criminal solutions may be more attractive than lawful ones. The fear of punishment may cont...

What is criminology? the study of criminal behavior: nature, extent, cause and control Main elements of classical criminological theory: People can choose criminal or lawful behaviors. Criminal solutions may be more attractive than lawful ones. The fear of punishment may control the choice of criminal solutions. The more certain, swift, and severe the punishment, the more likely it is to control criminal behavior Biological determinism: Cesare Lombroso- Father of criminology. Serious violent offenders have inherited criminal traits and “atavistic anomalies” Biosocial Theory: Focuses on the interaction between biological and social factors as related to crime Sociological criminology: Focuses on the relationship between social factors and crime. Quetelet: use of social statistics to study social factors related to crime. Age and gender were found to have a strong influence on crime Anomie: Lack of norms or clear social standards Anomic Society: Chaos, moral uncertainty, loss of traditional values Crime: A reaction to an environment that is inadequate for healthy, proper human relations Criminologists: Criminal Statistics, Sociology of Law, Theory Construction, Criminal Behavior Systems, Penology, Victimology Precedent: When the same rule is applied successfully in several similar cases Common Law: Develops when precedents are commonly applied in similar cases Mala In Se: Inherently evil and depraved Mala Prohibitum: Crimes defined by parliament; reflected existing social conditions Indictable Offences: Most Serious Summary Offences: Less Serious Actus Reus: The Guilty Act Mens Rea: The Guilty Mind Original Theory Evolution Classical Theory Rational Choice Theory Biosocial and Psychological Lombrosian Theory views Chicago School Social Structure Theory  3 Primary sources of crime statistics: Uniform crime reporting surveys (UCR) and crime severity index (CSI) reporting, victim surveys, self-report surveys Uniform crime report (UCR): listing the number of offenses in that jurisdiction, required to report the number of offenses monthly, Data is forwarded to the Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics (CCJS) Revised uniformed crime report: captures more detailed information about each criminal incident Strengths of each source of crime data: UCR and CSI contain data on the number of murders and people arrested, GSS- VS includes unreported crime and information on persona characteristics of the victim, self-reporting surveys contain personal characteristics of the offender Weaknesses of each source of crime data: UCR omits crimes that are not reported to the police, GSS- VS has a limited sample size, GSS- VS does not include data on important crime patterns, such as murder and drug abuse, self report surveys rely on honesty of the offender Subject: Introduction Date: 2024/09/23 Key Points: Victimization: the process of becoming victimized or becoming a victim Victimology: the scientific study of victims and victimization 1980s: The victims’ rights movement grew out of the feminist movement 1960s: a victim’s behavior was important to the crime process Victim Characteristics: Household, income, age, gender, mental health, social status, marital status, race and ethnicity, Victim precipitation theory: people may initiate a confrontation that will eventually lead to their death or injury Active precipitation: victim acts provocatively, uses threats or fighting words, or attacks first Passive precipitation: The victim exhibits some personal characteristic that unknowingly threatens or challenges the offender Routine activities theory: volume and distribution of predatory crime are closely related to the interaction of three variables 1. suitable targets, 2. absence of capable guardians, 3. motivated offenders. if all 3 components are there, it is more like a predator crime will occur Delinquent and criminal behaviors result from a rational decision-making process in which an action's potential consequences and benefits are weighed.  Development of rational choice theory: rooted in classical criminology, letting the punishment fit the crime and the link between crime and punishment, classical criminology theory has evolved into rational choice theory, Criminality: product of careful thought and planning Structuring criminality: offenders desist from crime if future criminal earnings are too low, attractive and legal opportunities to earn income are available They are motivated toward crime if they know others who have been successful criminals and made big scores. Situational crime prevention: A proactive approach to crime prevention that tries to reduce opportunities for crime by increasing risks and decreasing rewards. Crime can occur when three components converge at the right time and place: a motivated potential offender, a suitable target, and a lack of capable guardianship. Geographic profiling: uses a criminal investigative methodology to analyze the locations of a connected series of crimes to determine the most likely area where an offender may live. Displacement (consequences): when efforts to control crime in one area shift illegal activities to another Extinction (consequences): The crime prevention method has an immediate impact that then disappears as criminals adjust to new conditions Diffusion of benefits (advantages): Efforts to prevent one crime unintentionally prevent another and or crime control efforts in one place reduce crime in other areas Discouragement (advantages): Limiting access to one target reduces other type of crime General deterrence/theory: If the certainty of arrest, conviction, crime rates should decline Crime persists because there is a small chance of getting arrested for committing a particular crime, police are reluctant to make arrests even if they are aware of the crime. Deterrence theory: increasing the number of police should decrease the crime rate Brutalization effect: capital punishment increases rather than decreases the level of violence in society Certainty, swiftness, proportion. Stigmatization: Ongoing degradation and humiliation, the offender is seen as evil and is cast out of society Reintegrative shaming: brief controlled shaming, followed by forgiveness, apology, repentance, and reconnection with community  Incapacitation effect: keeping offenders in jail will reduce the risk of recidivism Trait theory: Criminality is a product of abnormal biological and or psychological traits Biological and psychological views may overlap, but also each has unique characteristics Sociobiological theory: Edmund wilson, biological and genetic conditions affect how social behaviors are learned/perceived. explains why some commit crimes and others do not Contemporary Trait Theory: Every offender is physically and mentally unique. some traits develop at birth or soon after, affecting social functioning and behavior choices. Biological trait theories focus on biological conditions that control behavior. Chemical and mineral influences: minimum levels of minerals and chemicals are required for normal brain function. An inadequate diet can lead to depression, mania, cognitive problems, memory loss, and abnormal sexual activities. Neurophysiology: study of brain activity. neurological and physical abnormalities acquired early in life, or through brain injury later in life, can influence life-long behavior including criminality FASD, Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: Physical and behavioral characteristics in infants and children associated with alcohol use during pregnancy. no firm guidelines to diagnose FASD the link between FASD and crime involvement ABI, Acquired brain injury: scientists are better able to study brain injuries and possible links to behavioral problems Neurotransmitters: Chemical compounds influencing or activating brain functions. Abnormal levels of various chemicals are associated with aggression. Arousal Therapy: Brain functions differently when faced with environmental stimuli Parental deviance: Researchers are examining any link between parental and children’s delinquent behavior Adoption studies: some studies indicate the relationship between biological parent’s behavior and children, with no contact Evolution of gender and crime: It is beneficial for males to mate with females to ensure the survival of the gene pool. Because of differences in mating patterns, the most aggressive males mate most often and have the most children Crime rate differences between genders may be due to inherent behaviors developed over time due to socialization. Critics: biological theories are racist and dangerous in their implications  Psychodynamics of criminal behavior: the criminal offender is an aggressive, frustrated person influenced by childhood events Aichorn: societal stress alone cannot cause criminality Latent delinquency: psychological predisposition to commit antisocial acts because of an id-dominated personality Behavior theory: human actions are developed through learning experiences Skinner, Operant conditioning: based on positive and negative reinforcement Behavioral modelling: the process of learning behavior by observing others Social learning theory advances four factors that may cause aggressive or violent behaviors: An event that heightens arousal, aggressive skills, expected outcomes, consistency of behavior with values Cognitive theory: focuses on mental processes; how people perceive and mentally represent their world Information-processing theory: how people process, store, encode, retrieve, and manipulate information to make decisions and solve problems. Personality: reasonable stable patterns of behavior, including thoughts and emotions that distinguish one person from another. Nature theory: intelligence is largely determined genetically, ancestry determines IQ, low intelligence is linked to criminality Nurture Theory: intelligence is not inherited; it is largely a product of the environment Schizophrenia: hearing voices, hallucinations, delusions, inappropriate responses Conventional view: no strong association exists between mental disorders and violence Psychological trait theorists counter criticisms: All behavior begins with the individual and interaction of biological and psychological makeup Primary prevention programs: substance abuse clinics, MH associations, treat problems before they manifest into crime Secondary prevention programs: such as psychological counselling to youths and adults, occur after a law is violated