Chapter 3 Flashcards

Front 1

What do criminal justice theories attempt to explain?

Back 1

toexplain criminal behavior.

Front 2

What do some theories assume?

Back 2

Crimeis part of human nature.

Crimeis based on biological, psychological, sociological, economic factors, or somecombination.

Front 3

Define theory

Back 3

is an assumption that attempts toexplain why or how things are related to each other.

theory of crime attempts toexplain why or how a certain thing (or things) is related to criminal behavior.

Front 4

Define Classical Theory

Back 4

Basedon assumption that people exercise free will and are thus completelyresponsible for their actions.

Criminalbehavior is motivated by a hedonistic rationality, in which actors weigh thepotential pleasure of an action against the possible pain associated with it.

Front 5

Define Utility (In relation to the classical theory)

Back 5

Only justified rationale for lawsand punishments is principle of utility.

Utility:the principle that a policy should provide “the greatest happinessshared by the greatest number"

Front 6

Define Social contract (In relation to the classical theory)

Back 6

Imaginaryagreement to sacrifice the minimum amount of liberty to prevent anarchy andchaos.

Front 7

Classical Rationale for Punishment Deterrence

Back 7

Theonly legitimate purpose of punishment is deterrence, both special and general.

Special or specific deterrence:the prevention of individuals from committing crime again by punishing them

General deterrence:the prevention of people in general or society at large from engaging in crimeby punishing specific individuals and making examples of them

Front 8

Rational Choice Theory

Back 8

Adopts utilitarianbelief that man is a reasoningactor who weighs means and ends, costs and benefits, and makes a rationalchoice.

Front 9

SituationalCrime Prevention

Back 9

By making criminal behavior more risky or less rewarding, individuals will be deterred from engaging in criminal behaviors.

Front 10

Positivist approach to explaining crime

Back 10

Keyassumptions:

Humanbehavior is determined and not a matter of free will.

Criminalsare fundamentally different from noncriminals.

Socialscientists can be objective in their work.

Crimeis frequently causedby multiple factors.

Societyis based on consensus, but not on a social contract.

Front 11

Positivism Biological Theories

Back 11

Basedon belief that criminals are physiologically different from noncriminals.

Earlybiological positivists believed that the cause of crime was biologicalinferiority.

Today’sbiocriminologistsbelieve that crime is caused by a complex interaction between biochemical andenvironmental factors.7960646"/>

Front 12

Modern Biocriminology

Back 12

Ongoingresearch has revealed numerous biological factors associated either directly orindirectly with criminal or delinquent behavior:

Chemical,mineral, and vitamin deficiencies in the diet

Dietshigh in sugar and carbohydrates Hypoglycemia

Ingestionof food dyes and lead

Exposureto radiation

Braindysfunctions

Front 13

Biological Theories

Back 13

Biology or genetics gives anindividual a predisposition to behave in a certain way.

Whether a person actually behavesin that way and whether that behavior is defined as a crime depend onenvironmental or social conditions.

Today, most criminologistsbelieve that criminal behavior is the product of a complex interaction betweenbiology and environmental or social conditions.

Front 14

Positivism: Psychological Theories

Back 14

There are many theories regardingpsychological causes of crime, including: Intelligenceand crime

Psychoanalytictheories

Humanisticpsychological theory

Front 15

Psychoanalytic Theories

Back 15

Psychopaths:persons characterized by no sense of guilt, no subjective conscience, and nosense of right and wrong

Theyhave difficulty in forming relationships with other people.

Theycannot empathize with other people.

Theyare also called sociopathsor antisocial personalities.

Front 16

Positivism: Sociological Theories

Back 16

Sociologists emphasize that humanbeings live in social groups and that those groups and the social structurethey create influence behavior.

Assume that a criminal’s behavioris determined by his or her social environment and reject the notion of theborn criminal.

Front 17

The Contributions of Durkheim

Back 17

Lawsand institutions are “social facts,” and all people cando is submit to them.

Causeof crime is anomie:

Thedissociation of the individual from the collective conscience, or the generalsense of morality of the times

Crimeis functional for society and marks the boundaries of morality.

Front 18

Chicago School: Disorganization Theory

Back 18

•Crimehappens in communities with weak social ties and absence of social control

•Disadvantagedneighborhoods will have higher crime rates

•Poverty,family disruption, ethnic diversity have strong correlation with socialdisorganization

Front 19

Differential Association/Learning Theories

Back 19

Explainscriminal behavior and its prevention with:

Positivereinforcement

Negativereinforcement

Extinction

Punishment

Modelingor imitation

Front 20

Positivist Theories of Crime

Back 20

looks forcauses ofcrime/criminal behavior.

Examples: biological,psychological, sociological

Front 21

Labeling Theory

Back 21

Process of labeling, orstigmatizing, offenders may not deter crime and may lead to more crime.

Front 22

Conflict theory

Back 22

Crime is caused by relativepowerlessness. The objective of the CJsystem is to control subordinate groups.

Front 23

Feminist Theory

Back 23

A perspective on criminality that focuses on women's experiences and seeks to abolish men's control over women's labor and sexuality.

Front 24

Marxism

Back 24

•Crimeis caused by economic exploitation undercapitalism.

•Proletariat(working class) are exploited by bourgeoisie (elite owners of industry).

Front 25

Strain Theory

Back 25

we all have common life goals (american dream), and when you don't have those you lash out and commit crime

Front 26

specific deterrence

Back 26

the prevention of an individual from committing crime again by punishing them

Front 27

general deterrence

Back 27

the prevention of people in general or society at large from engaging in crime by punishing specific individuals (making examples of them)

Front 28

Conflict Theory

Back 28

A theory that assumes that society is based primarily on conflict between competing interest groups and that criminal law and the criminal justice system are used to control subordinate groups. Crime is caused by relative powerlessness.