Criminology Final Exam Vocab.

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arousal theory

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a view of crime suggesting that people who have a high arousal level seek powerful stimuli from their enviornment, leading to violence and aggression.

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biosocial theory

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focuses on the interaction between biological and social factors as they relate to crime.

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control balance theory

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a development theory that attributes deviant behavior to an imbalance between the amount of control and individual has and recieves

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cultural deviance theory

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branch of social structure theories that sees strain and disorganization together to create a unique lower-class culture

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deterrence theory

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if the probability of arrest, conviction, and sanctioning increases, crime rates should decline.

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developmental theory

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developmental factors including biological, social and psychological change affect criminal career over life course

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deviant place theory

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people become victims when the reside in socially disorganized, high-crime areas.

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differential association theory

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Sutherland's theory, criminal acts are related to a person's exposure to an excess amount of antisocial attitudes and values

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differential reinforcement theory

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explains crime as a learned behavior, differential assocaiation along with psychological learning theory

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general strain theory

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multiple sources of strain interact with an individual's emotional traits and responses to produce criminality

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general theory of crime

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developmental theory that modifies social control theory by integrating concepts of biosocial, psychological, routine activities, and rational choice

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human nature theory

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personal traits such as genetic make-up, intelligence, and body build, may outweigh the importance of social variables

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institutional anomie theory

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the view that anomie pervades U.S. culture and dominates values

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instrumental critical theory

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criminal law and criminal justice system are capitalist instruments to control the lower-class

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integrated theories

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weaves social and individual variables into a complex explanatory chain

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labeling theory

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society creates deviance by designating certain people as deviant, which causes them to be stigmatized

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latent trait theory

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criminal behavior is controlled by a master trait that is present at birth or soon after

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life course theory

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conditions and events can influence the way people behave, and can cause change in that behavior later in life

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lifestyle theory

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people become crime victims because their life-style increases their exposure

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nature theory

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intelligence is largely determined by genetics

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nurture theory

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intelligence is a by-product of enviornment

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power-control theroy

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gender differences in crime are a function of economic power and parental controls

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rational choice theory

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crime is a decision-making process in which the offender weighs the risks against the benefits

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routine activities theory

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predatory crime is related to the interaction of suitable targets, motivated offenders, and capable guardians

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self-control theory

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the view that the cause of delinquent behavior is an impulsive personality

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social conflict theory

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crime is a function of class conflict and power relations

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social control theory

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people commit crime when the forces that bind them to society are weakened or broken

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social disorganization theory

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breakdown of institutions such as family, school, employment, and neighborhood cause crime

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social learning theory

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human behavior is modeled through observation and interaction either directly or indirectly

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social process theory

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people's interactions with organizations, institutions, an process in society lead to crime

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social reaction theory

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people become criminals when specific members of society label them as such

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social structure theory

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disadvantaged economic class position is a primary cause of crime

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strain theory

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sees crime as a function of the conflict between people's goals and their means to attain them

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structural critical thoery

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criminal law and criminal justice system are a means of preserving the capitalist system

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symbolic interaction theory

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people communicate through symbols and incorporate it into their personaltity

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trait theory

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criminality is a product of abnormal biological and or psychological traits

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Criminology

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the scientific approach to studying criminal behavior

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classical criminology

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the writing of Beccaria and his followers: people have free will to choose criminal or unlawful behavior

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Cesare Lombroso

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The father of Crim

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criminological enterprise

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subareas of criminology exist within the broader areas of criminology

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White collar crime

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business related offences

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Victomology

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study of victim culpability, services for victims, and probabilities of victimization

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mens rea

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intent to commit the criminal act

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cross-sectional research

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interviewing or questioning a diverse sample of subjects who represent the members of a communtity

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longitudinal research

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observing a group of people who share like characteristics

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20%

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the amount of index crime that are reported and cleared each year by arest

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the dark figures of crime

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crimes that police do not know about

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victim-precipitation theory

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victim actually initiates the confrontation that leads to their injury or death

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capable gaurdians

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police, homeowners, and other people in positions to prevent and deter crime

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suitable target

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expensive and or easy to get item or person targeted by criminals

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target hardening

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making one's home and business crime proof through locks, bars, alarms, and other devices

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Choice theory

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criminals choose to commit crime

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Diffusion of benefits

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when efforts to prevent one crime unintentionally prevents another

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extiction

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crime reduction programs which may produce a short-term positive effect, but benefits dissipate as criminals adjust

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crackdowns

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sudden changes in police activity designed to lower crime rates through an increase in the communicated threat

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the Hierarchy rule

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counting only the highest offenses and ignoring the rest

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crowds

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loosely organized groups of children who share interests and activities

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general deterrence

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crime rates are influenced and controlled by the threat of punishment

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Intensity

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the importance and prestige attributed to individuals or groups from who definitions are learned

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Somatotype

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William Sheldon; criminals manifest distinct physiques that make them susceptible to particular types of delinquent behavior

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techniques of neutraliazation

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the ability of delinquent youth to neutralize moral constraints so they may drift into criminal acts

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ritualists

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those who gain pleasure from practicing traditional ceremonies regardless of whether they have a real purpose

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conformity

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when individuals embrace conventional social goals and have the means at their disposal to attain them

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gentrification

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a renewal stage in which obsolete housing is replaced and upgraded

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cognitive processing

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the mental processes and how people perceive and mentally represent the world around them

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reciprocal altruism

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the belief that when we come to the aid of others that out actions will be reciprocated

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negative reinforcement

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when behavior is punsished

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equipotentiality

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the belief that all humans are born with equal potential to learn and achieve

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relative deprovation

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the condition that exists when people of wealth and poverty live in close proximity to one another

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social strata

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the unequal distribution of wealth

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moral entrepreneurs

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people who create rules

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marginal deterence

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if petty offenses were subject to the same punishment as more serious crimes, offenders would choose the worse

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definitions unfavorable toward criminality

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when friends or parents demonstrate their disapproval of crime

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reflected appraisal

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a youth's self-evaluation based on his or her perceptions of how others evaluate them

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mesomorphs

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have well developed muscles and an athletic appearance

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endomorphs

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have heavy builds and are slow moving

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ectomorphs

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tall, thin, and less social and more intellectual that others

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condemnation of condemners

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when an offender views the world as a corrupt place with a dog-eat-dog world

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situational crime prevention

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policies that convince potential criminals to desist from criminal activities, delay their actions, or avoid a target

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innovation

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when an individual accepts the goals of society, but rejects or is incapable of attaining them through legitimate means

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culture of poverty

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the view of apathy, cynicism, helplessness, and mistrust of social institutions

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socialization

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the process of human development and enculturation

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drift

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the movement from one extreme end of behavior to another, resulting in behavior that is sometimes unconventional

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stigma

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an enduring label that taints a person's identity and changes him or her in the eyes of others

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inheritance school

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the study of activities of several generations of families believed to have an especially large number of criminal members

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transitional neighborhoods

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poverty-ridden neighborhoods which suffer high rates of population turnover and are incapable of inducing residents to remain

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anomie

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occurs in a society in which rules of behavior have broken down or become inoperative during periods of rapid social change

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reflective tole-taking

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when one believes that others view them as antisocial or a troublemaker, and then they reflect those beliefs

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cliques

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small groups of friends who share activities and confidences

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crime discouragers

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people whose behavior directly influences crime prevention

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rebel

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substituting an alternative set of goals and means for conventional ones

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denial of victim

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offenders neutralize wrongdoing by maintaining that the victim of crime "had it coming"

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social development model

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states that a number of community level risk factors make some people susceptible to developing antisocial behavior

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family relation

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according to Gluecks, the most important factor that impacts offending

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defiance

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term represented by activities such as vandalism, curfew violations, and unconventional sex

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life-course persisters

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small group of offenders who begin their career at an early age, and continue into adult hood

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predation

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direct forms of physical violence

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social capital

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positive relations with individuals and institutions that are life sustaining

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interpersonal coercion

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coercion that is direct, involving the use or threat of force and intimidation

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exploitaion

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those who have excess control and involve others to commit crime have this power

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authority conflict pathway

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pathway to crime that begins at an early age, usually with stubborn behavior

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critical feminists

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those who view gender inequality as a function of female exploitation by fathers and husbands

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peacemaking crim

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view that the main purpose of crim is to promote a peaceful and just society

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overt pathway

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pathway of crime where aggressive acts begin with aggression and lead to physical fighting and then to violence

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human nature theory

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view that both biological and psychological traits influence one's decision to engage in crime or non-crime behavior

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egalitarian family

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family where husbands and wives share similar positions of power at home and the workplace

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control deficit

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occurs when a person's desires or impulses are limited by other people's ability to regulate or punish there behavior

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proletariat

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people who do the actual work in a capitalist society

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bourgeoisie

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owners of the means of production

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submission

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passive obedience to the demands of others, such as submitting to physical or sexual abuse without response

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impersonal coersion

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coercion that involves pressures beyond individual control, such as economic and social preasure

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symbolic reparation

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some form of an apology

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left realism

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branch of conflict theory which holds that crime is social problem experienced by the lower class and lower class concerns should be addressed

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covert pathway

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pathway to crime that begins with a minor, underhanded behavior that leads to property damage

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role exit behavior

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behavior such as running away from home to respond to bad situations

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adolescent-limited

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offenders antisocial behavior peeks during adolescence and then disapears

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decadence

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spur of the moment irrational acts

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interactional theory

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holds that seriously delinquent juveniles form belief systems that are consistent with their deviant lifestyle