Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
74 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
|
What is theory of crime? |
Set of ideas that is used to explain a particular phenomena or concept. It helps explain what causes crime and why people engage in criminal behavior. |
|
|
Theory of crime is divided into what two categories? |
Micro and Macro theories of crime |
|
|
Micro theories of crime |
Focus on individual differences between law-abiding and law-violating behaviors. |
|
|
Macro theories of crime |
Explore the large-scale social explanations for crime such as poverty and community disorganization. |
|
|
Classical school of criminology (schools of thought) |
Engage in criminal behavior as result of free will. People make a choice to engage in behaviors that are considered against the law. |
|
|
Positivist School of Criminology |
Emerged out of a focus on the scientific method and involved a data-driven approach to understanding criminal behavior. |
|
|
Cesare Beccaria |
-was a professor of law from Italy -Significant contributor of the classical school of criminology -his book on crimes and punishment --> considered one of the first works on the study of penology |
|
|
Penology |
Subfield of criminology that looks at the issues of Punishment, incarceration, and rehabilitation. |
|
|
Pain-Pleasure Principle (Beccaria) |
Individuals choose their behaviors based on how much pleasure they yield from them. |
|
|
Deterrence (Beccaria) |
People avoid pleasurable acts if the pain or fear of Punishment is significant. --> against the death penalty and torture of criminals --> advocated for offenders to be treated with care and dignity |
|
|
Jeremy Bentham |
-Argued that criminal justice system should take any mitigating factors into consideration when determining an appropriate punishment. ---> for example.. Bentham would argue that younger offenders should be treated differently than adult offenders as result of their lower age, maturity, and decision-making abilities. -His book an introduction to principles of morals is most significant contribution to criminological theory. |
|
|
Biological theories of crime |
Genetic characteristics explain offending. |
|
|
Psychological theories of crime |
How factors such as early childhood experiences, cognitive development, and personality characteristics can help explain criminality. |
|
|
Cesare Lombroso |
-criminals are biological throwbacks -primitive breed of man -various degenerative physical characteristic -he was first to use scientific method to explain criminal behavior. -has been recognized as father of modern criminology |
|
|
Sigmund Freud |
-conducted research on the unconscious mind -often used to help explain criminality from psychological perspective |
|
|
Sigmund Freud... personality divided into three parts: |
Id- one's instinctual wants and desires and is present at birth. It does not have ability to moderate itself and Id must be controlled as we grow. Ego- more realistic and represents part of personality that deals with cognitive decision-making skills. Ego is the rational thinker. Superego- ability to create Balance between the Id and the ego. Voice of reason. |
|
|
Cognitive development theory |
Offenders have failed to develop the capacity to make moral judgments. |
|
|
Jean Piaget and 4 stages in cognitive development in children |
-Sensormotor Stage- first 2 years of life. Children learn about world through sensory exploration. (Senses) -Preoperational Stage- ages 2 to 7. Children develop their language communication skills. Build imagination. (Judgment of others) -Concrete Operational Stage- ages 7 to 11. Develop their logic skills and begin to feel empathy for others. (Logic starts!!) -Formal Operational Stage- begins at 12 and continues into adulthood. Children increase their logic development and explore deductive Reasoning skills. (Abstract thought to application) |
|
|
Lawrence Kohlberg |
-Applies Piaget's theory of moral development to study of criminal behavior. |
|
|
Lawrence Kohlberg and level/stage 1 |
Six stages of development (Piaget) can be grouped into three levels... First level: pre-conventional stage -children develop obedience and introduced to notion of Punishment -begin to develop orientation of their own self-interests and evaluate how they can avoid punishment. "Learning how to behave" |
|
|
Lawrence Kohlberg and level 2 |
Level Two: Conventional Level -Youth identify with social norms of law-abiding behavior "Behaving" |
|
|
Lawrence Kohlberg and level three |
Level three: Post-Conventional level -Young adults begin to consider their world view in light of their own moral compass. "After we've learned to behave" |
|
|
Biosocial theories of crime |
-scholars combine knowledge of biological theories of crime with understanding social environments. -modern perspectives that do not identify biological factors as the sole cause of crime. -investigate how biological traits can contribute to crime -interact with social environments to produce criminological behavior. "Are there people that are just born evil?" |
|
|
Social Disorganization theory |
How do neighborhood environments contribute to criminal behavior? ---how crime is related to socioeconomic status |
|
|
Park and Burgess |
-Examined city of Chicago -Suggested that as cities grow and prosper, residents are either forced out of business zones or choose to exit. -Provided foundation for Shaw and McKay |
|
|
Clifford Shaw and Henry McKay |
-Expansion of factories, immigration, and creation of suburban communities led to a breakdown in traditional communities -As result of lack of community cohesion, Criminal behavior began to rise -Reflects how crime is related to social economic status -First theory to look at effects of social structures on crume. -Factors can lead to Social Disorganization and its link to criminal behavior. |
|
|
Strain Theory |
Focuses on stress and frusterations as cause of criminality |
|
|
Conformist |
Someone who both accepts the socially approved goals and the means to achieve them. ---> most people are this. Conform to society. "Do what you have to do to achieve" |
|
|
Ritualist |
Someone who rejects the socially approved goals, but engages in the processes that society mandates --> you're not going to get everything you want in life. Not happy about job but do it. "Go to work. Come home. Same old ritual" |
|
|
Innovator |
Someone who embraces the socially approved goals, but rejects he means to get there. "Con man" -- trying to get out of things and find the easy way out. |
|
|
Retreatist |
One who isn't interested in either traditional measures of success nor are they willing to engage in hard work. --- don't care about success! Don't want to work hard and don't care. "Substance Abuse". |
|
|
Rebel |
Someone who in their rejections of the socially approved goals and means develops new goals and means. --- the "hippies". Don't like what's going on in society. Bernie Sanders- and try to develop new means of things. Reject what we normally do and come up with new ideas. -Facebook, Google, Electricity. |
|
|
Robert Merton's theory of strain and American Dream example. |
People experience strain when the social approve goals do not mesh with the socially approved means to achieve goals. ----> American Dream example: "this is what I want, this is what I have" |
|
|
Anomie |
Refers to a sense of normalness that societies experience as a result of a breakdown in the social cohesion of society. |
|
|
Edwin Sutherland |
-Developed Differential Association Theory -Identified nine key principles for his differential association theory. Each of these principles reinforces idea that criminal behavior is a learned behavior. |
|
|
Labeling Theory |
Focuses on how people react to criminal behavior ---> allowed society to separate the law-abiding individuals from the deviant and delinquent offenders. |
|
|
Edwin Lemert distinguished two different types of behaviors: |
Primary Deviance- refers to minor acts that are often not serious, but as result, the individual is labeled as an offender. Secondly Deviance- an individual may then adapt to offender identity after being labeled, embrace it, and find themselves engaged in acts of secondary Deviance which may often increase in frequency or severity. |
|
|
Self-fulfilling prophecy |
As the label of delinquent or criminal carries a negative association in society, an individual may then adapt this new identity. |
|
|
According to Bandura... Social Learning Theory suggests.. |
That people learn from observing the behaviors of others around them. This is also referred to as modeling -Internal intrinsic awards. |
|
|
Social Bond Theory |
-Reasons people DON'T commit crimes -Travis Hirschi's work was unique-looked for explanations. |
|
|
Social Bond Theory : Attachment |
Attachment to family, friends...may serve as an informal control against criminality. (Super important within first 18 months..feeling of warmth) |
|
|
Commitment (S.B.T) |
Investment that an individual has to do the normative values of society. ---> committed to something/project= less likely to get in trouble. |
|
|
Involvement (S.B.T) |
Act of getting kids involved with something. Sports and other activities. If involved, less time to commit crimes. |
|
|
Belief (S.B.T.) |
General acceptance of rules in society. Get kids to believe in some/any values. |
|
|
Travis and Hirschi focus on... |
Self-control as the single explanation factor for criminal behavior. |
|
|
Control theory |
Individuals with low social control will be more likely to engage in deviant and criminal activities ---parent involvement in children's lives. |
|
|
Life course theory |
Looks at how these behaviors begin during adolescence or young adulthood and either persist or desist throughout ones life. And the factors or life events that may encourage these shifts in behavior. |
|
|
Sampson and Laub |
Their age-graded developmental theory. Framework suggests that the events from ones life can provide insight as to why one might engage in crime. ----> their research indicated that regardless of whether participants were identified as having a low or high risk of offending. Everyone has stopped engaging in criminal behaviors by age 70. Their theory demonstrates that eventually, everyone ages out of crime. |
|
|
Feminist theory/criminology |
-themes of gender roles and socialization to explain patterns of female offending. -rose as an alternative to many of the traditional theories of crime. -majority of mainstream theories of crime failed to understand how female offenders differed from male offenders. |
|
|
Crime and victims |
Majority of crime involves a victim |
|
|
Victimology |
-focuses on victims -how, either knowingly or unconsciously, they can be at fault for their victimization ------> personal life events ------> decision-making process |
|
|
Mendelsohn's categories of victim |
Innocent victim --> no responsibility for crime. Unconscious. Victim with minor guilt --> victim precipitates crime with carelessness/ignorance Voluntary Victim --> victim and offender equally responsible. Victim pays prostitute for sex, then gets robbed. Victim who is more guilty than offender --> victim who provokes or induces another to commit crime. Victim who alone is guilty --> victim who is solely responsible for his or her own victimization. Imaginary Victim --> victim mistakenly believes she or he has been victimized. |
|
|
Von Hentig typology of victim |
Risk factors for victimization may be influenced by personal factors such as: -Biological -Psychological -Social Factors |
|
|
Just World Hypothesis |
Society has a need to believe that people deserve whatever comes to them. -victim blaming -enables people to make sense of victimization -makes them feel somehow different from person who is victimized. |
|
|
Routine Activities theory |
Suggests that likelihood of criminal activity (and in turn, likelihood of victimization) occurs with 3 principles... 1) someone who is interested in pursuing criminal action (offender) 2) a potential victim (target) "available" to be victimized. 3) absence of someone or something (guardian) that would deter the offender from making contact with victim ---> one of most influential perspectives in modern victimology ---> daily routines and actions you do every day, increased likelihood of becoming a victim of crime |
|
|
Lifestyle Theory |
Increased exposure to motivated offenders |
|
|
Beginning of victims' rights movement |
-Response to lack of attention by criminal justice system towards victim issues -victim services began to develop... mothers against drunk driving, parents of murdered children, national organization for victim assistance. |
|
|
National Organization for Victim Assistance |
NOVA's mission is to champion dignity and compassion for those harmed by crime and crisis. Private, non-profit |
|
|
Presidential task force on victims of crime |
(Ronald Reagan) composed of law enforcement officers, lawyers, and members of the judiciary, as well as victim advocates... their report included 68 recommendations to reform experiences of crime victims. |
|
|
Victim and Witness Protection Act of 1982 |
Provides fair treatment standards to crime victims and witnesses |
|
|
Victims of crime Acts (VOCA) |
Established the Crime Victims Fund |
|
|
National Crime Victimization Survey |
National survey of approximately 49,000 to 77,400 households twice a year in U.S., on frequency of crime victimization as well as characteristics and consequences of victimization. ---> helps reveal the dark figure of crime.. crimes not reported to police. Personal crimes and property crimes. |
|
|
Why unreported crimes? |
Many reasons... some victims feel embarrassed by the crime. Others may decide not to report a crime to police out of belief that nothing could be done. In many cases, people don't report crime because they believe that the crime was not serious enough to make a big deal over it while others believe it is a personal matter. For some, fear of retaliation. |
|
|
Policies |
Provide guidance to criminal justice officials. -->used to facilitate and regulate action |
|
|
Why do we need criminal justice policies? Purpose of policies? |
-Deal with presence of crime and handling of offenders. -Addressing needs or issues that face criminal justice system and society. |
|
|
Debates over demands of policy |
Ex: increase punishments. Increase community safety. |
|
|
Planning a policy... must be issue at hand... |
Identified by various parties ---> Ex: rising crimes, need for prison rehabilitation programs, concerns about residency requirements for convicted sex offenders |
|
|
Agenda Formation Process |
Most politicized stages in policy development as it involves variety of different voices ---> Ex: government officials, special interest groups |
|
|
Adopting and Implementing a Policy |
Could involve passage of new laws or signing of executive orders |
|
|
Policy Implementation Stage |
-spending money -policy Implementation may change |
|
|
Evaluating a policy.. two categories: |
Process evaluation: looking at progression of policy development experience Outcome evaluation: changes that occur as result of the policy |
|
|
Who develops criminal justice policy? |
Political figures such as congressional member of state government or member of U.S. Congress. |
|
|
Two separate camps. Liberals vs. Conservatives |
Liberals: due process, freedoms, constitutional rights. Conservatives: traditional values, less intervention by gov., "lock them up and throw the key away" |
|
|
Drug policy in the Netherlands |
-drugs prohibited -approach drug use as public health issue -minimize risks from both social and individual level. -organize drugs in two categories. Substances that are harmful to individuals (ex:cocaine and heroin) and soft drugs (ex: marijuana) -crime rates lower in Netherlands |
