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78 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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John Hagan's Typology of Deviance and Crime - 3 Variables
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1. Evaluation of Harm (low to high)
2. Agreement on the Norm (high consensus - low consensus) 3. Severity of Social Response (mild - Severe) |
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Legalistic Definition of Crime
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Any intentional act or omission in violation of criminal law committed without defense or justification and sanctioned by the state.
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Labeling Definition of Crime
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It is not the quality of the act but the label that others attach to it that determines criminality.
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Consensus Theory of Criminology
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Weber - Ciminal law reflects aggreed upon values of society. Assumes fairness. Predominant view in North American criminology. Focuses on traditional concepts of crime:
- Murder - Property offenses |
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Conflict Theory of Criminology.
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Laws reflect the power and economic structure of society. They protect the interests of the powerful. Focuses on crimes of the powerful:
- Environmental Crime - Consumer Fraud - Crimes against humanity |
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Interactionist Theory of Criminology.
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Laws are constantly changing and result from the interactions among individuals of groups. Moral Entrepreneurs work to have their values enacted in law. The focus is on deviance and changing definitions.
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Goasl of Criminal Law
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1. To keep the public safe
2. To articulate society's moral values and concerns 3. To protect the rights and freedoms of the nation's citizenry from potential abuses of power |
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Mala in Se Crimes
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Evil in themselves. Behaviors that violate traditional norms and moral codes. Typically violent an property crimes.
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Mala Prohibita Crimes
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Wrong only because prohibited by law. Behaviors that violate contemporary standards.
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Composite Definition of Crime
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A violation of societal rules as interpreted by a legl criminal code created by people holding social and political power. Violation is subject to sanctions by state authority.
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Critical Approach to Crime
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Crime is a functino of political and economic inequalities produced by a capitalist mode of production
- Human Rights Violations - Crimes of the Powerful - Poverty |
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What is the strongest correlate to crime?
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Poverty
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Actus Reus
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(Guilty Act) - Criminal Act
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Mens Rea
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(Guilty Mind) - Criminal Intent
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Legal Defenses to Criminal Liability
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Accident or Mistake
Ignorance Duress Self-Defense Entrapment |
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Research Methods in Criminology
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Surveys
Ethnographies Interviews Longitudinal Studes Secondary Analysis Comparative Research Historical Research |
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Criteria for Causality
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1. Independent and dependent variables must be statistically related
2. The independent variable must precede the dependent variable in time 3. The relationship b/w the dependent and independent variable must not be spurious |
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Causal order problem
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This occurs when it is difficult or impossible to determine if the independant variable occurred before the dependent variable
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Proscriptive Norm
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Rules and Expectations of what not to do
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Prescriptive Norm
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Rules and Expectations of what to do
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What are 3 weaknesses to formulating law based on public opinion?
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1. Officials are disproportionately influenced by the powerful and elite
2. Majority opinion may violate principals of fairness, equality and justice 3. Publice opinion is inaccurate and can be misinformed. |
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What is the most influential force in public opinion on crime?
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The media
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How does the media misinform the public on crime?
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1. Fabricates crime waves
2. Over reports violent crime 3. Misrepresents racial minorities, and youth 4. Focus on "virtuous" 5. Present misleading dat 6. Neglects white collar crime 7. Interviewing people who reflect the reporter's values |
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What are some effects of media misinformation?
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1. An ignorant public that demands solutions for exaggerated problems or that ignores real problems
2. Excessive fear and concern 3. Obscuring underlying forces in crime 4. Diversion of attention from white collar crime |
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What structural factors influence fear of crime?
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- Population size
- Crime rates - Level of social integration - Quality of living conditions - % of non whites in area |
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What individual factors influece fear of crime?
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- Demographic Variables
- age - gender - race |
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What are some consequences of fear of crime?
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- Undermines traditional feelings of community
- weakened social ties - threatens economic viability of neighborhoods (debatable) |
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What are demographic characteristics death penalty supporters.
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- Men
- Whites - Old - Uneducated - Southerner - Political Conservative - Religious Fundamentalism - Reside in areas with high homicide rates |
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What factors decrease a person's satisfaction with the police?
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- being stopped for minor infractions
- living in a poor neighbourhood - being black or latino |
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What are the three prevalent sources of crime stats in the US?
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The UCR (Uniform Crime Reports)
The NIBRS (National Incident Based Reporting System) NCVS (National Criminal Victimization Survey) Self Report Studies |
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What are critiques of the UCR?
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1. Underestimates amount of crime (~60% of violent crimes not reported)
2. Ignores White Collar Crime 3. Ignores people who avoid arrest 4. Reporting practices change 5. Police recording scandals 6. Definitions of crime can vary |
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What are critiques of the NCVS?
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1. Ignores businesses
2. Some respondents fail to participate 3. Some respondents may forget 4. Excludes the homeless |
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How does the NCVS work?
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- Interviews randomly selected households every 6 months
- Crimes are described - Includes sexual assault - Able to capture unreported crimes |
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What are advantages of the NCVS?
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- More accurate than the UCR for a number of crimes
- Informs on the characteristics of the victims and the context of victimization |
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What are some discoveries of self report studies?
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- Delinquency is not confined to the lower class
- A great deal of delinquency is hidden from legal officials |
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What are some disadvantages of self-report studies?
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- They focus on minor offenses
- Limited by respondent's honesty - Many focus only on boys |
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What are two theories that explain falling crime rates over the 1990s
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1. Tough anti-crime measures
- longer sentences keep criminals locked up - New policing strategies - Zero tolerance policies 2. Social and Demographic Factors - Thriving economy - End of gang wars |
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What are three organizations that track crime rates internationally?
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WHO
Interpol UN |
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How does weather affect crime?
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Warm temps increase violent crime
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How does gender correlate with crime?
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Men - 82% of violent crime arrests
- 62% of property crimes |
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How are women's low crime rates explained?
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- Socialization
- Differential opportunities - Girls have stronger attachments to social institutions - Fewer associations with delinquent peers |
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What has been blamed from rising female crime rates in the 1960s?
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- Women's liberation (disproved)
- Divorce rates leading to female poverty |
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How does age affect crime?
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- Most crime is committed b/w ages 10 and 24
- Exception is white collar crime |
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What are some potential causes for the crime rates of youths?
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1. Peer influences are strongest during adolescence
2. Adolescents have a growing need for money that their parents/part time work may not satisfy 3. Ties to society strengthen as we age and mature |
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How are birth rates used to predict crime.
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An increase in birth rate is expected to result in an increase in crime ~ 15 years down the road.
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What percentage of crime is committed by chronic offenders?
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~50% of crimes are committed by 6% of criminals.
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What are some limitations of scientific research on criminology?
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- Human behavior is complex
- Researchers can change the outcome - Social patterns change constantly - Objectivity in social research is impossible |
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What does cross-sectional mean as it pertains to research?
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The data gathered is valid for a single point in time.
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What are some challenges to longitudinal research?
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- Very time consuming
- Limited sample sized due to level of effort required per sample - Sample attrition. People die, drop out etc. |
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What are challenges for experimental researchers?
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- Ethical implications
- Designing realistic social experiments - Hard to generalize from small experimental groups - Controlling / identifying the meaningful variables |
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Problems with observational research in criminology.
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- Can be dangerous
- Ethical implications (obligation to report crime vs conducting research) - May affect behavior of subjects - Time consuming |
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Problems with Interviews in criminology
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- Time Consuming
- Low incentive for criminal to help - Avoiding manipulations of the criminal |
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How are crime rates reported?
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# of crimes per 100,000 people
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What is indicated by the crime funnel?
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~37% of crimes committed are reported
~14% of crimes are solved by police ~3% of crimes lead to convictions |
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What types of victim surveys are used in Canada?
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- Canadian Urban Victimization Survey
- General Social Survey - Violence Against Women Survey |
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What are some problems with victim surveys?
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- Sampling - homeless are ignored
- The rich don't usually participate - Accuracy - over/under reporting - Ignores victimless crimes |
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Do provinces or territories have higher crime rates?
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Territories
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How do crime stats in Canada vary by province?
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Low rates in the east that rise as you move west.
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What constitutes the majority of crimes?
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Property crimes
- Theft under 5K (52.9%) - B&E (22.5K) - Motor Vehicle Theft (13.5%) - Fraud (7%) - Possession of stolen goods (2.4%) - Theft over 5K (1.7%) |
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What are trends in youth crime?
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- Most crimes have fallen since 1990
- Violent crimes are stable |
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Which crime is unique in that it is more commonly committed by women.
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Child abduction
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What are some examples of victimization due to legal activity?
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- Unethical behavior of multinational corporations
- Victims of poverty - Institutionalized discrimination |
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What are some lifestyles that increase the risk of victimization?
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- Frequenting night clubs
- Heavy Drinking - Drug Use/Trafficking - Prostitution |
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What three things need to be present for victimization to occur?
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1. Presence of attractive target
2. Presence of likely offender 3. Lack of guardianship |
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How does being a criminal affect one's chances of victimization?
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1. Criminals spend more time in high-crime areas
2. Their crimes prompt retaliation 3. Criminals are unlikely to call the police |
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What are some individual traits that can increase victimization?
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Low self control
Lack of social relationships Childhood problems Mental disorders Puberty Being a college student Being homeless |
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What are crimes committed by governments?
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1. Political repression
2. Unethical / illegal experimentation 3. Aiding and abetting corporate crime 4. Political corruption |
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What types of human rights violations do governments commit?
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- Genocide
- Torture - Assassination - Surveillance & Infiltration |
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What types of crimes are committed against governments?
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- Terrorism
- Nonviolent civil disobedience - Espionage - Treason |
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Political Crime
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Any illegal or socially harmful act aimed at preserving or changing the existing political and social order
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How does Canada regulate the behavior of its citizens?
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Mandatory injections for children
Drug laws Abortion rules Victimless crimes |
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How are summary offenses treated?
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- 6 month limitation on prosecution
- Heard in provincial court - Max fine of 2,000 - Max sentence of 6 months |
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How are indictable offenses treated?
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- No limit on prosecution
- Preliminary hearing - May allow for a jury trial - May be heard in higher courts - Severe penalties |
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What are functions of criminal law?
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- Provides social control
- Discourages revenge - Expressing public opinion and morality - Deters criminal behavior - Maintains social order |
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How does criminal law deter criminal behavior?
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Specific deterrence: the punishment of an individual prevents him/her from repeating the crime
General deterrence: The punishment of others deters by example |
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What are various ways the state controls drug use?
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1. Criminalization
2. Legalization 3. Decriminalization 4. Harm Reduction |
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What did the typical opium addict look like in the 1880s?
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60% were female
Over 40 Educated middle/upper class More often white |
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What were some reasons cannabis and opium were made illegal?
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- lack of medical and scientific advocacy
- vocal racist reform movements - effort by the medical community to gain control over prescription powers |
