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150 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Crime
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human conduct in violation of the criminal laws of a state, the federal government, or a local jurisdiction that has the power to make such laws
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Criminalist
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a specialist in the collection and examination of the physical evidence of crime
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Criminality
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a behavioral predisposition that disproportionately favors criminal activity
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Criminalize
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to make illegal
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Criminal Justice
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the scientific study of crime, the criminal law, and components of the criminal justice system, including the police, courts, and corrections
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Criminal Justice system
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the various agencies of justice, especially the police, courts, and corrections, whose goal it is to apprehend, convict, punish, and rehabilitate, law violators
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Criminologist
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one who is trained in the field of criminology. Also, one who studies crime, criminals, and criminal behavior
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Criminology
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An interdisciplinary profession built around the scientific study of crime and criminal behavior, including their forms, causes, legal aspects, and control
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Deviant Behavior
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human activity that violates social norms
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General Theory
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a theory that attempts to explain all (or at least most) forms of criminal conduct through a single, overarching approach
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Integrated theory
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an explanatory perspective that merges (or attempts to merge) concepts drawn from different sources
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Socialization
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the lifelong process of social experience whereby individuals acquire the cultural patterns of their society
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Social policy
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a government initiative, program, or plan intended to address problems in society. The "war on crime," for example, is a kind of generic (large-scale) social policy; one consisting of many smaller programs
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Social problems perspective
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the belief that crime is a manifestation of underlying social problems, such as poverty, discrimination, pervasive family violence, inadequate socialization practices, and the breakdown of traditional social institutions
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Social relativity
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the notion that social events are differently interpreted according to the cultural experiences and personal interests of the initiator, the observer, or the recipient of that behaviors
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Social responsibility perspective
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the belief that individuals are fundamentally responsible for their own behavior and that they choose crime over other, more law-abiding courses of action
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Statute
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a formal, written enactment of a legislative body
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Statutory law
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law in the form of statutes or formal, written strictures made by a legislature or governing body with the power to make law
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Theory
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a series of interrelated propositions that attempt to describe, explain, predict, and ultimately control some class of events. A theory gains explanatory power from inherent logical consistency and is "tested" by how well it describes and predicts reality
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Unicausal
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having one cause. Unicausal theories posit only one source for all that they attempt to explain
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Applied Research
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scientific inquiry that is designed and carried out with practical applications in mind
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Confounding Effects
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a rival explanation, or competing hypothesis, that is a threat to the internal or external validity of a research design
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Control group
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a group of experimental subjects that, although the subject of measurement and observation, is not exposed to the experimental intervention
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Controlled experiment
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an experiment that attempts to hold conditions (other than the intentionally introduced experimental intervention) constant
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Data confidentiality
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the ethical requirement of social scientific research to protect the confidentiality of individual research participants, while simultaneously preserving justified research access to the information participants provide
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Descriptive statistics
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statistics that describe, summarize, or highlight the relationships within data that have been gathered
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External Validity
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the ability to generalize research findings to other settings
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Hypothesis
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an explanation that accounts for a set of facts and that can be tested by further investigation
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Inferential Statistics
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statistics that specify how likely findings are to be true for other populations or in other locales
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Informed Consent
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the ethical requirement of social scientific research that research subjects be informed as to the nature of the research about to be conducted, their anticipated role in it, and the uses to which the data they provide will be put
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Internal Validity
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the certainty that experimental interventions did indeed cause the changes observed in the study group. Also, the control over confounding factors, which tend to invalidate the results of an experiment
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Intersubjectivity
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a scientific principle that requires that independent observers see the same thing under the same circumstances for observations to be regarded as valid
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Meta-analysis
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a study of other studies about a particular topic of interest
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Operationalization
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the process by which concepts are made measurable
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Participant Observation
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a strategy in data gathering in which the researcher observes a group by participating to varying degrees, in the activities of the group
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Primary Research
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research characterized by original and direct investigation
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Pure Research
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research undertaken simply for the sake of advancing scientific knowledge
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Qualitative Method
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a research technique that produces subjective results, or results that are difficult to quantify
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Quantitative method
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a research technique that produces measurable results
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Quasi-experimental design
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an approach to research that, although less powerful than experimental designs, is deemed worthy of use when better designs are not feasible
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Randomization
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the process whereby individuals are assigned to study groups without biases or differences resulting from selection
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Replicability
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a scientific principle that holds that valid observations made at one time can be made again later if all other conditions are the same
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Research
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the use of standardized, systematic procedures in the search of knowledge
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Research design
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the logic and structure inherent in an approach to data gathering
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Secondary research
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new evaluations of existing information that had been collected by other researchers
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Survey research
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a social science data-gathering technique that involves the use of questionnaires
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Test of significance
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a statistical technique intended to provide researchers with confidence that their results are, in fact, true and not the result of sampling error
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Theory
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a series of interrelated propositions that attempt to describe, explain, predict, and ultimately control some class of events.
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Variable
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a concept that can undergo measurable changes
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Verstehen
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the kind of subjective understanding that can be achieved by criminologists who immerse themselves in the everyday world of the criminals they study
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Booster
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A frequent shoplifter
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Fence
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an individual or a group involved in the buying, selling and distribution of stolen goods
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Gateway offense
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an offense, usually fairly minor in nature, that leads to more serious offense. Shoplifting, for example, may be a gateway offense to more serious property crimes
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Jockey
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a professional car thief involved regularly in calculated steal-to-order car thefts
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Joyriding
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an opportunistic car theft, often committed by a teenager seeking fun or thrills
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Occasional offender
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a criminal offender whose offending patterns are guided primarily by opportunity
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Offense specialization
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a preference for engaging in a certain type of offense to the exclusion of others
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Persistent Thief
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one who continues in common-law property crimes despite no better than an ordinary level of success
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Professional criminal
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a criminal offender who makes a living from criminal pursuits, is recognized by other offenders as professional, and engages in offending that is planned and calculated
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Snitch
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a amateur shoplifter
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Aggravated Assault
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(UCR) An unlawful attack by one person upon another for the purpose of inflicting severe or aggravated bodily injury
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Arson
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The willful or malicious burning or attempt to burn, with or without intent to defraud, of a dwelling house, public building, motor vehicle or aircraft, personal property of another, and so on
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Burglary
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(UCR) the unlawful entry of any fixed structure, vehicle, or vessel used for regular residence, industry, or business, with or without force, with intent to commit a felony or a larceny
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Carjacking
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The stealing of a car while it is occupied
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Clearance rate
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The proportion of reported or discovered crimes within a given offense category that are solved
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Cohort
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A group of individuals having certain significant social characteristics in common, such as gender and date and place of birth
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Correlation
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a casual, complementary, or reciprocal relationship between two measurable variables
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Criminal homicide
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the illegal killing of one human being by another
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Criminality Index
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the actual extent of the crime problem in a society. The criminality index is computed by adding the actual crime rate and the latent crime rate
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Dark Figure of crime
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the numerical total of unreported crimes that are not reflected in official crime statistics
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Date rape
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unlawful forced sexual intercourse with a woman against her will that occurs within the context of a dating relationship
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Demographics
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the characteristics of population groups, usually expressed in statistical fashion
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Desistance phenomenon
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the observable decrease in crime rates that is invariably associated with age
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Felony Murder
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a special class of criminal homicide in which an offender may be charged with first-degree murder when that person's criminal activity results in another person's death
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First-degree murder
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criminal homicide that is planned or involves premeditation
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Forcible rape
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(UCR) the carnal knowledge of a female forcibly and against her will. Assaults or attempts to commit rape by force or threat of force are also included in the UCR definition
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Hate crime
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a criminal offense in which the motive is hatred, bias, or prejudice based on the actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation of another individual or group of individuals
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Larceny-theft
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(UCR) the unlawful taking, carrying, leading, or riding away of property (other than a motor vehicle) from the possession or constructive possession of another. Attempts are included
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Latent crime rate
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a rate of crime calculated on the basis of crimes that would likely be committed by those who are in prison or jail or who are otherwise incapacitated by the justice system
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Monitoring the Future
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a national self-report survey on drug use that has been conducted since 1975
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Motor Vehicle Theft
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(UCR) The theft or attempted theft of a motor vehicle. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, this offense category includes the stealing of automobiles, trucks, buses, motorcycles, motorscooters, and snowmobiles
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National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS)
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A survey conducted annually by the Bureau of Justice Statistics that provides data on surveyed households that report they were affected by crime
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National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS)
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a new and enhanced statistical reporting system that will collect data on each single incident and arrest within 22 crime categories
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National Youth Survey (NYS)
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a longitudinal panel study of a national sample of 1,725 individuals that measured self-reports of delinquency and other types of behavior
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Negligent Homicide
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the act of causing the death of another person by recklessness or gross negligence
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Part I offenses
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the crimes of murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, and motor vehicle theft, as defined under the FBI's UCR
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Part II offenses
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less serious offenses as identified by the FBI for the purpose of reporting arrest data
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Rape
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(NCVS) Carnal knowledge through the use of force or the threat of force, including attempts. Statutory rape (without force) is excluded. Both heterosexual and homosexual rape are included
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Robbery
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(UCR) The taking of or attempting to take anything of value from the care, custody, or control of a person or persons by force or threat of force or violence or by putting the victim in fear
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Second-degree murder
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Criminal homicide that is unplanned and that is often described as "a crime of passion"
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Self-report survey
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a survey in which anonymous respondents, without fear of disclosure or arrest, are asked to confidentially report any violations of the criminal law that they have committed
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Simple Assault
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(NCVS) An attack without a weapon, resulting either in minor injury or in undetermined injury requiring less than two days of hospitalizations
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Spousal rape
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the rape of one spouse by the other. The term usually refers to the rape of a woman by her husband
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Statistical School
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a criminological perspective with roots in the early 1800s that seeks to uncover correlation between crime rates and other types of demographic data
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Uniform crime Reporting Program (UCR)
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A federal Bureau of Investigation summation of crime statistics tallied annually and consisting primarily of data on crimes reported to the police and on arrests
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Acquaintance rape
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rape characterized by a prior social, though not necessarily intimate or familial, relationship between the victim and the perpetrator
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Crime typology
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a classification of crimes along a particular dimension, such as legal categories, offender motivation, victim behavior, or the characteristics of individual offenders
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Cyber stalking
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an array of high-technology related activities in which an offender may engage to harass or "follow" individuals, including e-mail and the Internet
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Cyber terrorism
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A form of terrorism that makes use of high technology, especially computers and the Internet, in the planning and carrying out of terrorist attacks
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Domestic Terrorism
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the unlawful use of force or violence by a group or an individual who is based and operates entirely within the United States and its territories without foreign direction and whose acts are directed at elements of the U.S. government or population
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Exposure-reduction theory
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a theory if intimate homicide that claims that a decline in domesticity, accompanied by an improvement in the economic status of women and a growth in domestic violence resources, explains observed decreases in intimate-partner homicide
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Expressive Crime
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a criminal offense that results from acts of interpersonal hostility, such as jealousy, revenge, romantic triangles, and quarrels
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Foreign terrorist organization
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(FTO) a foreign organization that engages in terrorist activity that threatens the security of U.S. Nationals or that national security of the United States and that is so designated by the U.S. secretary of state
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Infrastructure
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the basic facilities, services, and installations needed for the functioning of a community or society, such as transportation and communications systems, water and power lines, and public institutions, including schools, post offices, and prisons
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Institutional robbery
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robbery that occurs in commercial settings, such as convenience stores, gas stations, and banks
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Instrumental crime
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a goal-directed offense that involves some degree of planning by the offender
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International terrorism
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the unlawful use of force or violence by a group or an individual who has a connection to a foreign power or whose activities transcend national boundaries against people or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof in furtherance of political or social objectives
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Intimate-partner assault
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a gender-neutral term used to characterize assault behavior that takes place between individuals involved in an intimate relationship
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Mass murder
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the illegal killing of four or more victims at one location within one event
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National Violence against Women (NVAW) survey
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A national survey to the extent and nature of violence against women conducted between November 1995 and May 1996
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Nonprimary Homicide
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murder that involves victims and offenders who have no prior relationship and that usually occurs during the course of another crime such as robbery
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Personal robbery
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robbery that occurs on the highway or street or in a public place (and that is often referred to as "mugging") and robbery that occurs in residences
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Primary homicide
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murder involving family members, friends, and acquaintances
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Rape myth
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a false assumption about rape such as "when a woman says no, she really means yes." Rape myths characterize much of the discourse surrounding sexual violence
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Rape shield law
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a statute providing for the protection of rape victims by ensuring that defendants to not introduce irrelevant facts about the victim's sexual history into evidence
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Selective disinhibition
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a loss of self-control due to the characteristics of the social setting, drugs or alcohol, or a combination of both
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Separation assault
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violence inflicted by partners on significant others who attempt to leave an intimate relationship
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Serial murder
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criminal homicide that involves the killing of several victims in three or more separate events
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Sibling offense
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an offense or incident that culminates in homicide. The offense or incident may be a crime, such as robbery, or an incident that meets a less stringent criminal definition such as a lover's quarrel involving assault or battery
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Spousal rape
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the rape of one spouse by the other. The term usually refers to the rape of a woman by her husband
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Stalking
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a course of conduct directed at a specific person that involves repeated visual or physical proximity; nonconsensual communication; verbal, written, or implied threats; or a combination thereof that would cause a reasonable person fear
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Terrorism
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premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by sub-national groups or clandestine agents, usually intended to influence an audience
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Victim precipitation
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contributions made by the victim to the criminal event, especially those that led to its initiation
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Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)
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signed into law on October 28th, 2000, to address concerns about violence against women
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Violent Criminal Apprehension Program (VICAP)
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the program of the Federal bureau of Investigation focusing on serial murder investigation and the apprehension of serial killers
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Workplace Violence
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the crimes of murder, rape, robbery, and assault committed against persons who are at work or on duty
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Audit trail
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a sequential record of computer system activities that enables auditors to reconstruct, review, and examine the sequence of states and activities surrounding each event in one or more related transactions from inception to output of final results back to inception
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Communications decency act
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sought to protect minors from harmful material on the internet
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Computer abuse
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any unlawful incident associated with computer technology in which a victim suffered or could have suffered loss, or in which a perpetrator by intention made or could have made gain
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Computer crime
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any violation of a federal or state computer crime statute
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Computer-related crime
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any illegal act for which knowledge of computer technology is involved in its perpetration, investigation or prosecution
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Cyber Security Enhancement Act
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part of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, this federal law directed the U.S. sentencing commission to take several specific factors into account in creating new sentencing guidelines for computer criminals
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Computer virus
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a set of computer instructions that propagates copies or versions of itself into computer programs or data when it is executed
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Cybercrime
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crime committed with the use of computers or via the manipulation of digital forms of data
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Cyberspace
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the computer-created matrix of virtual possibilities, including online services, wherein human beings interact with one another and with the technology itself
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Data encryption
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the process by which information is encoded, making it unreadable to all but its intended recipients
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Daubert standard
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a test of scientific acceptability applicable to the gathering of evidence in criminal cases
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DCS-1000
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a network diagnostic tool that is capable of assisting in criminal investigations by monitoring and capturing large amounts of Internet Traffic. Previously called Carnivore
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Digital Theft Deterrence and Copyright Damages Improvement Act
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passed in 1999; attempted to combat software piracy and other forms of digital theft by increasing the amount of damages that could potentially be awarded in cases of copyright infringement
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DNA Profiling
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the use of biological residue found at the scene of a crime for genetic comparisons in aiding the identification of criminal suspects
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Expert Systems
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computer hardware and software that attempt to duplicate the decision-making process used by skilled investigators in the analysis of evidence and in the recognition of patterns that such evidence might represent
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Hacker
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a person who uses computers for exploration and exploitation
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Identity theft
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the unauthorized use of another individual's personal identity to fraudulently obtain money, goods, or services; to avoid the payment of debt; or to avoid criminal prosecution
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Internet
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the world's largest computer network
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No Electronic Theft Act
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increases the penalties associated with electronic theft
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Phishing
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pronounced "fishing." An internet based scam to steal valuable information such as credit card numbers, social security numbers, user IDs, and passwords
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Phone phreak
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a person who uses switched, dialed-access telephone services for exploration and exploitation
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Software Piracy
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the unauthorized and illegal copying of software programs
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TEMPTEST
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A standard developed by the U.S. government that requires that electromagnetic emanations from computers designated as "secure" be below levels that would allow radio receiving equipment to "read" the data being computed
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Threat analysis
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a complete and thorough assessment of the kinds of perils facing an organization
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