Criminology Part 1 Test

A common right provided to victims through the criminal justice system is the right to be treated fairly in a way that preserves their:

Dignity and respect

A criminologist secretly studies groups by temporarily deceiving them as to his or her real purpose. This describes which research method?

Disguised observation

Nationally, the disparity of rates between black and nonblacks was much greater for _______________________ offenses.

Drug

Criminologists prefer using ethnography as a research method because it is not as time consuming as some of the other methods.

False

Criminology's subject matter is concerned with human behavior but not attitudes.

False

Delinquents are less likely to have families characterized by physical illness, mental retardation, and mental disturbance.

False

Despite its American roots, most of the major developments in modern criminology took place in Europe.

False

Folkways refer to serious customs that involve moral judgments as well as sanctions.

False

Households earning more than $75,000 per year are more likely to experience victimization than those that earn less than $7,500.

False

Liquor law offenses are classified as Part I index offenses on the UCR.

False

Many of the early criminological theories provided biological frameworks that have only recently been considered in the U.S.

False

Our understanding of the characteristics of crime and criminals remains consistent regardless of the source of information that we are using.

False

Participant observation is the best method for obtaining quantitative data regarding crime.

False

Persons over age 50 are more likely to be violently victimized than teens.

False

Persons who have been victimized are less likely to be re-victimized.

False

Practicing bad manners such as putting elbows on the table while eating is an example of Sumner's mores.

False

Researchers may misuse their positions as fraudulent pretext for gathering information as long as they fully report their findings.

False

The "dark figure of crime" refers specifically to the body of organized crime syndicates that operate in the United States

False

The "dark figure of crime" refers specifically to the body of organized crime syndicates that operate in the United States.

False

The government requires that federal courts allow cameras in the court room during trials.

False

The majority of crimes committed in the United States are not "index offenses."

False

Triangulation, which occurs when researchers allow their personal bias to shape their research, is one potential threat to the accuracy of our data on crime.

False

When conducting an experiment, the control group receives the treatment and the experimental group does not.

False

While most persons arrested and convicted as adult criminals were first arrested as juveniles, most juvenile delinquents do not become adult criminals.

False

Which of the following is considered the most important social institution in regard to socializing children?

Family

The statement "neighborhoods that have a large percentage of female-headed households have higher rates of theft and violent victimization" is an example of:

Family structure

According to the International Crime Victimization Survey, the rate of violent crime in the United States is:

Higher than the rates in both Canada and Western Europe

The use of philosophy, rationality, and logical argument to explain crime is more reflective of which stage of the progression of knowledge?

Metaphysical

A fanatical adherence to a particular research method, often at the expense of a concern for substance, is known as which of the following?

Methodological narcissism

The "crime index" reflects which of the following?

Part I offenses on the UCR

Officials estimate that as many as ________________ of all black men have been arrested and served time in jail before the age of 35:

27 percent

Officials estimate that as many as ________________ of all black men have been arrested and served time in jail before the age of 35

27 precent

Gemeinschaft refers to:

A communal society that predominantly relies on informal methods of social control

A particular crime is punishable by 5 years in prison; this crime is most likely:

A felony

Prohibition had the unintended effect of increasing corruption, disobedience, and public disrespect for the law. This unintended effect is an example of:

A latent function of law

African Americans compose approximately 12% of the population in the United States. Which of the following is true regarding African Americans and contemporary arrest rates?

African Americans account for 65% of all arrests

Crime rates are difficult to compare cross-nationally due to:

All of the above

Behavior that is outside the range of normal societal toleration is best described as:

Deviant

Crime has evolved over time. The most common types of criminals observed during the 1970s included:

Bank robbers, burglars, and car thieves

Which of the following is true regarding the relationship between age and crime?

Both property and violent crime rates peak early in life, and then decline significantly with age.

Means by which a person or target can be effectively guarded so that a victimization is prevented from occurring:

Capable guardianship

The early writings of this man, including his famous essay, On Crimes and Punishments led to the reform of criminal law in Western Europe.

Cesare Becaria

Based on all available evidence, exposure to media violence has:

Different effects on different viewers

The argument that drug laws are a tool for the wealthy to control the dangerous classes is consistent with the:

Conflict view of crime

The belief that criminal law originates from an agreement among members of society is consistent with:

Consensus perspective

A criminologist decides to study the way in which violent crime is portrayed in newspaper headlines. This type of research in known as:

Content analysis

Fads in crime that are stimulated by media coverage or portrayals are referred to as:

Copycat crimes

Famed sociologist Emile Durkheim argued that crime is normal. By this he meant that:

Crime is a predictable product of, and in some ways a useful element of, the structure of society.

The field that attempts to define, explain, and predict criminal behavior is known as:

Criminology

Criminologists agree that quantitative research is a means of inquiry superior to qualitative methods.

False

A criminologist wants to gain an in-depth understanding of the subculture of a street gang in a particular city. Which one of the following methods would be the most appropriate method for obtaining such an understanding?

Engaging in an ethnography

A criminologist wants to gain an in-depth understanding of the socialization process of a state police academy. Which of the following methods would be the most appropriate method for obtaining such an understanding?

Engaging in participant observation

This does not cause or prevent crime but rather reflects one's social class, location of residence, and exposure to criminal or delinquent opportunities:

Ethnic background

The use of pretests and posttests applies to which of the following research methodologies?

Experimentation

"Deviant behavior" is defined as "behavior which is in violation of written laws."

False

Compared to other countries, the United States has a strikingly low rate of violent crimes such as murder and rape.

False

Of all demographic variables, which is the best predictor of criminality?

Gender

The residents of country X have diverse viewpoints regarding which behaviors are considered moral. People in this society tend to be individualistic, which may be a product of the economic structure, which is characterized by extensive division of labor. County X would be considered a:

Gesellschaft society

In his book The Criminal and His Victim: Studies in the Sociobiology of Crime, this individual recognized the importance of investigating what factors underpinned why certain people are victims just as criminology attempts to identify those factors that produce criminality.

Hentig

As unemployment rises, crime rates tend to:

Increase

While crime was rising in the 1960s in the United States, crime was decreasing in Japan. This observation is significant because:

It discredited the assumption that modernization inevitably produces increased criminality.

Which of the following is not a characteristic of criminal law?

It must be administered by federal authorities

Which of the following is an example of a person violating a folkway?

Johnny was eating dinner at a friend's house and openly expressed distaste for the meal being served.

Which of the following is true of laws?

Laws become more common when informal methods of social control are weakened.

A criminologist visits the Library of Congress to analyze letters and political correspondence of Martin Luther King, Jr. This research method is which of the following?

Life history

As an independent field, criminology has:

Long recognized the ethical codes of its parent disciplines, but only recently begun to adopt its own ethical guidelines

While there is not complete consensus, in defining who should be considered "criminal", criminologists most strongly agree that the term should be used for which of the following?

Long-term recidivists who have repeatedly been found guilty

Driving 26 miles per hour in an area where the speed limit is 25 miles per hour would be best described as an act:

Mala prohibita

Prohibition had the intended goal of forbidding alcohol consumption to reduce substance abuse. This intended goal is an example of:

Manifest function of the law

The person known as the "father of victimology" was:

Mendelsohn

This individual created classification of victims based on their culpability.

Mendelsohn

Which of the following is the most difficult cost to quantify for victims?

Mental health costs

Which of the following sources of data includes detailed information on criminal incidents, including location, time, and presence of weapon?

NIBRS

The gap between male and female crime rates is _______ in modernized societies

Narrowing

Wolfgang found several factors related to victimology. Select the one below that is not one of the factors described by Wolfgang.

Never started by minor altercation that escalated

If a criminologist conducts a study of an issue that he or she feels strongly about, there may be issues with the researcher remaining:

Objective

Commonly associated with individuals returning from war and combat, this is a psychiatric condition that recently has been recognized as a possible consequence of other traumatic events.

PTSD

Which of the following is true of participant observation in the field of criminology?

Participant observation is a valuable methodology for studying groups that have historically been little-understood.

The premise of routine activities theory includes three elements that must be present for a crime to occur. Which of the following is not one of those elements?

Presence of durable goods

The more frequently a person comes into contact with persons in demographic groups with likely offenders, the more likely it is the person will be victimized is referred to as:

Principle of homogamy

If participants in an experiment have equal probability of being assigned to the experimental group or the control group, this is accomplished through:

Random Assignment

What is the most commonly reported victimization according to NCVS?

Rape

The crime_______ is the actual number of reported crimes standardized by some unit of the population.

Rate

When conducting research with human participants, criminologists must develop a system of mutual trust and obligation between the researcher and subject. This is referred to as:

Reciprocity

Which of the following refers to "consistency and/or stability of measurement"?

Reliability

______________ is also called predicted victimization.

Residential mobility

According to French sociologist Auguste Comte, the last stage of the progression of knowledge is:

Scientific

Females have an overreaching fear of:

Sexual assault

As society becomes increasingly complex and heterogeneous, which of the following is typically true of society's effort to maintain order?

Society becomes increasingly reliant on informal methods of social control.

Criminology is considered a sub-discipline of:

Sociology

Mores are:

Strong norms that carry sanctions/ punishment if broken

Which of the following is commonly used to refer to the number of crimes that are committed, but which never come to official attention?

The dark figure of crime

Which of the following is true of the criminal justice system in the contemporary United States?

There is clear evidence that blatant racism continues to be rampant in the system

A large portion of funding for victim compensation programs comes from criminals themselves.

True

A victim of rape who resists or uses self-protective actions is less likely than those who do not to be victimized again.

True

An example of an avoidance behavior is staying home at night.

True

As society becomes more complex, it becomes increasingly reliant on informal methods of social control to maintain order.

True

Changes in the law may be needed in an effort to define and sanction conduct related to technology.

True

Characterological self-blame believes victimization is deserved.

True

Crime as a violation of criminal law can only have negative consequences for the social solidarity of any society.

True

Criminologists have a clear understanding of the economic, social, and psychological impacts of crime.

True

Criminology's subject matter is concerned with human behavior but not attitudes.

True

Definitions of deviance are relative to the time, place, and person(s) making the evaluation.

True

Gambling is an act that would be considered mala prohibita.

True

In decades past, societies possessed cultural values that were practices and beliefs intended to benefit a group of people. Cultural values do not hold the same level of importance today.

True

In the context of research methods, "reliability" refers to the accuracy of measurement.

True

Information on the volume of Part I and II offenses known to law enforcement, those cleared by arrest exceptional means, and the number of persons arrested is reported to the FBI monthly.

True

Laws, which are codified rules of behavior, represent informal methods of attempting to assure social control.

True

Males are more likely to be victimized; however, this gender gap is becoming less evident.

True

Most crimes committed are index crimes.

True

Statistics indicate that juveniles who come from broken homes are significantly more likely to engage in crime than those who do not.

True

The National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) was first implemented in the 1930s.

True

The field of criminalistics is focused on the scientific evaluation of physical evidence.

True

Triangulation involves the use of multiple methods to measure a given phenomenon.

True

Victimologists are not as concerned with the costs associated with being a crime victim as with why they become a victim.

True

The primary source of official crime statistics in the United States is the annual __________ published by the FBI.

UCR

Corporate violence, racism, structured inequality, and systematic wrongdoing by political officials are examples of:

Undercriminalization

The Department of Justice evaluates "what works" in criminology and criminal justice on the assumption that it makes little sense to continue to invest in programs that do not work. This describes:

Uniform Crime Report

Most of the modern-day developments in criminology have taken place in which country?

United States

Overall crime rates:

Vary by social and historical context

Not all victims are eligible for compensation from the crime victims' fund. Victims of which of the following crimes are not eligible

Vehicle theft

Extent to which a victim is responsible for his or her own victimization:

Victim precipitation

An individual is shot while trying to break into a home. This is an example of:

Victim provocation

Occurs when a person does something that incites another person to commit an illegal act.

Victim provocation

The "age/crime" debate refers to the debate surrounding:

Whether there is a relationship between age and crime

This type of crime tends to increase in periods of prosperity and to decrease during periods of depression.

White-collar

For youth, ___________ is common after victimization from their peers, such as being bullied

depression

In stating that criminology may have a Eurocentric bias, it is meant that the field has been:

dominated by European influence of criminologists

Fear is a(n) ___________ response to a(n) _________ threat.

emotional; perceived

Juveniles under the age of 18 have a lower likelihood of being arrested for robbery than adults.

false

System costs associated with victimization are distributed equally in society.

false

During war, domestic crime rates tend to decline.

true

Being arrested for possession of marijuana would best be described as an act:

that is Mala in se

Which of the following variables is related to an increase in crime rates?

unemployment