Criminology Exam #2

Social Disorganization Theory

Focuses on conditions in the environment - Characteristics of a socially lacking neighborhood influences crime.

Strain Theory

Focuses on conflicts between goals and means-Living in areas with high poverty leads to a lot of stress. You don't have the same types of means for items and that leads to crime.

Street efficacy

A concept in which more cohesive communities with high levels of social control and social integration foster the ability for kids to use their wits to avoid violent confrontations and to feel safe in their own neighborhood. Adolescents with high levels of street efficacy are less likely to resort to violence themselves or to associate with delinquent peers.

Status frustration

A form of cultural conflict experienced by lower-class youths because social conditions prevent them from achieving success as defined by the larger society.

Self-control

A strong moral sense that renders a person incapable of hurting others or violating social norms

Secondary deviance

Accepting Deviant labels as a personal identity. Acts become secondary when they form a basis for self-concept as when a drug experimenter becomes an addict.

Reaction formation

According to Cohen, rejecting goals and standards that seem impossible to achieve. Because a boy cannot hope to get into college, he considers higher ed a waste of time.

Reality Principle

According to Freud, the ability to learn about the consequences of one's actions through experience

Turning points

According to Laub and Sampson, life events that alter the development of a criminal career.

Primary Deviance

According to Lemert, deviant acts that do not help redefine the self-image and public image of the offender

Conduct Disorder

Children with ADHD who continually engage in aggressive and antisocial behavior in early childhood.

Tertiary prevention programs

Crime control and prevention programs that may be a requirement of a probation order, part of a diversionary sentence, or aftercare at the end of a prison sentence.

Self-control theory

Gottfredson and Hirschi - The view that the cause of delinquent behavior is an impulsive personality. Kids who are impulsive may find that their bond to society is weak.

Stratified society

Grouping according to social strata or levels. American society is considered stratified on the basis of economic class and wealth

Subculture

Groups that are loosely part of the dominant culture but maintain a unique set of values, beliefs, and traditions.

Role exit behaviors

In order to escape from a stifling life in male-dominated families, girls may try to break away by running away or attempting suicide.

Positivism

The branch of social science that uses the scientific method of the natural sciences and suggests that human behavior is a product of social, biological, psychological, or economic forces.

Underclass

The lowest social stratum in any country, whose members lack the education and skills needed to function successfully in modern society

Social bond

Ties a person has to the institutions and processes of society. According to Hirschi, elements of the social bond inclide commitment, attachment, involvement, and belief.

Secondary prevention programs

Treatment programs aimed at helping offenders after they have been identified

Primary prevention programs

Treatment programs that seek to correct or remedy personal problems before they manifest themselves as a crime.

Truly disadvantaged

Wilson's term for the lowest level of the underclass; urban, inner-city, socially isolated people who occupy the bottom rung of the social ladder and are the victims of discrimination

BIOCHEMICAL CONDITIONS AND CRIME

Diet, vitamin intake, hormonal imbalances, food allergies, environmental containments, chemical substances and chemical reactions in the body Diet and Nutrition Are we what we eat? Yes, bad food is linked to more crimes. Improper nutrition - In Childhood, improper nutrition is linked to physical, mental, and behavioral problems throughout their lives. Delinquency and Improved Diets Oversupply and undersupply of chemicals and minerals - Look at the link with sodium, calcium, potassium, amino acids and see how it correlates with delinquency. Not having these leads to learning problems, problematic sexual behavior, aggression, etc. Diets high in saturated fats, sugar, and white flour - People who have these diets tend to be more aggressive, violent, and suffer from more mental disorders.

Culture of poverty

The view that people in the lower class of society form a separate culture with its own values and norms that are in conflict with conventional society. The culture is self-maintaining and ongoing.

Social Ecology View

- Social Structure Theory - Social factors in your urban areas and how they foster crime. Social and physical characteristics of a neighborhood are linked to crime.

Social Control Theory

Travis Hirschi - Social control theory focuses on criminal behavior in terms of ties to the community. People will commit crimes if they have weak ties to the community. We are controlled by our bonds to our community. We're all born bad, and we must be controlled through bonds. It doesn't focus on why people commit crimes, it focuses on why people DON'T commit crimes. There's four things we need to do to strengthen bonds: 1. Attachment - having shared interests with other people and forming attachments, 2. Commitment - Commit to doing things the right way such as telling people not to associate with known criminals, getting a job, make juveniles obtain their education, tell people not to commit crime, 3. Involvement - means spending time in conventional activities. We do this with juveniles if they are becoming a problem in the community, 4. Belief - you're less likely to commit crime around those with similar beliefs. The reasons why the majority of us don't commit crimes is because we have been controlled by society. The reasons people do not commit crimes is because of internal and external control factors. Some internal factors include guilt, shame, moral beliefs, etc. These are enough to stop most people, but not all. Some external forms of control are laws, criminal justice system, family, church organizations, friends, etc.

Integrated Theory

Tries to combine various concepts together in order to explain criminal behavior. I.e. Models of crime causation that weave social and individual variables into a complex explanatory chain.

Eugenics Movement of the 1920s and 1930s

Trying to control race breeding. The white race was superior, and they didn't want those with undesirable traits reproducing. Involuntary sterilization evidence in 1970s - Forcing someone to be sterilized if someone has committed an abuse or if someone was deemed inferior. The doctors would force this on them when it wasn't necessary.

Negative Reinforcement

Using either negative stimuli or loss of reward to curtail unwanted behaviors.

Biological and Psychological Trait Theories

We move away from the idea that people have a rational choice. Internal forces to explain criminal behavior - We believe that it is internal forces that explain criminal behavior. Rational choice theory versus trait theories -In rational choice, they said there's no difference between anyone. However, the trait theories believe that criminals are biologically or psychologically inferior to non-criminals.

Trajectory Theories

What are the different pathways (or trajectories) to crime. Rolf Loeber's Pathways to Crime Authority- Conflict pathway - - Status offending can end up leading to being career criminals. Kids who start off very defiant and will end up defying all authority. They'll end up running away, breaking rules, truancy, etc. Covert Pathway - Will start off with minor criminal behavior such as shoplifting and lying, and that will lead to more serious criminal behavior such as burglary and serious theft. Overt Pathway - Start off with minor aggressive behavior, and then move into serious aggressive behavior. They might start off as bullies, or doing things to annoy people, and then it'll progress into committing serious violent behavior such as rape and aggravated assault.

Brain Chemistry

Chemical composition of the brain and its link to behavioral responses - Neurotransmitters - chemical compounds (substances) within the brain that activate brain functions Important neurotransmitters: - When people have major mental illnesses, the drugs try to control these neurotransmitters Dopamine - Emotions and movements. It is associated with frenia Serotonin - Controls sleep, memory, and depression. Has been linked to violent and aggressive behavior. People with deficiencies tend to be very anxious and never get excited through thrills. Monoamine Oxidase - They found that people with low levels of MAO tend to commit property crimes, violent behavior, and they're very defiant. MAO controls dopamine and serotonin levels. People with low levels of MAO need anti-psychotic and medication for depression.

Social Learning Theory

Criminal Behavior is learned through human interactions. Before people commit crimes, individuals have to learn how to values associated with criminal behavior such as selling and taking drugs is okay. They also have to learn to cope with their criminal behavior. Although some are born with predispositions, they believe that we are all born with good intentions, and that we learn to be bad through intimate groups.

Social Conflict Theory or Critical (Radical) Criminology

Explains crime in terms of conflict, economic rivalry, power, and capitalism. Look at the political, social, and economic structure within society and its impact on the distribution of wealth and power. Its main focus is through those who have control within society. DEFINITION: Crime is behavior that is socially defined by those with wealth and power within society.

Hormones

Look at the presence of male and female hormones and whether they make individuals more likely to commit crimes. The decision: They're not sure if they effect criminality. Testosterone Female hormones (Estrogen and progesterone)

Direct Conditioning

Occurs when behavior is reinforced by being either rewarded or punished while interacting with others.

Neurophysiology

The study of brain activity

Social Disorganization Theory Parts

Theorists: Clifford Shaw and Henry McKay Conditions within urban environments that affect crime rates Characteristics of Socially Disorganized Neighborhoods Transient Population - You're gonna have people moving out of this neighborhood and that lacks community support. Failure of the Social Structure - That means that there will be inadequate housing, schools, employment, high single parent homes, community agencies, distrust with PD, quality peer relationships. Community Deterioration - All aspects keep deteriorating and its hard to see what caused what. There will be a lot of deserted and abandoned property. Abandoned businesses. The overall community looks run down. High Poverty Rates - No economic means of survival leads to crime. Increase Fear and Desensitization - Can lead to a flourishment of crime because you avoid the community by leaving or hiding by going to work and going home. Not stepping in if someone is being beaten. Crime and Presence of Potential Offenders - This is common in socially disorganized neighborhoods. Generational crimes through kids who learned to commit crimes by watching others or family members. Decreasing Crime: Collective Efficacy - Create a situation where everyone works together and builds mutual trust. It is about mutual trust and cooperation Social Control and Communities Working Together Social Control Informal - Families and friends keeping you in check, helping with kids, forming Neighborhood watch Institutional - Schools, churches, volunteer organizations, recreation centers, helping give kids and community members something positive to do. There's a lot of things you can do at church regardless if you believe in God. It keeps individuals occupied. Public - High police presence and government assistance - Social services, financial assistance, etc. Some people think the police don't care, so there needs to be a positive interaction between the police and the public.

Learning Disability

A disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or using spoken or written language.

Patriarchal

A society in which men dominate public, social, economic, and political affairs.

Reciprocal altruism

Acts that are outwardly designed to help others but that have at their core benefits to the self.

Equipotentiality

All children are equal at birth and are thereafter influenced by their environment.

History of the Sociological Theory

Emile Durkheim Deviance and crime is normal Crime can be useful - Shows us what we're doing wrong as a society and brings about change. It lets us know what we need to work on. We are selfish and impulsive and must be controlled - In our natural state we are all of these. If society didn't control us, we'd do whatever we want to. We're controlled by social ties. Anomie-normlessness - Anomie pretty much focuses on social norms which tell us how to behave from society to society. Some social norms are not picking your nose, wearing clothes, stopping at a redlight, flush the toilet, be polite, etc. We eventually get to the state of normlessness where the social norms break down and chaos reigns such as famines, wars, injustices, natural disasters.

Blood Glucose

Hypoglycemia - This research is also inconclusive. They have found in some cases that many criminals have had low blood sugar so they were hypoglycemic during the crime. Low blood sugar does make people irritable and prone to irrational behavior.

Biosocial theories

Interaction betweens octal environment and biological variations in human beings. If a person who is born with a tendency to commit crimes, hopefully their environment will lead them not to.

Neurophysiological Conditions and Crime

Is there a link between the structure and function of someone's brain and proneess to violence and aggressive behavior? Deals with the nervous system Interested in: Neurological Impairments - There's research that says criminals and juvenile delinquents often suffer from sort of brain impairment. If someone is born with this, it increases antisocial behavior. Brain Chemistry - Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Neurological impairments Brain abnormalities - inherited or acquired Look at images of the brain for tumors, lesions, and deficits Higher levels of abnormal EEG recordings - Have been linked to aggressive and violent behavior. They found that this is linked to impulsive behavior and increased destructive behavior and hostility. Abnormalities in the cerebral structure of the brain - It controls your thought as well as your logical reasoning skills. You cannot think and reason normally. Decifits in prefrontal region of the brain - Has been linked to problems with communication, impulse control, social skills, abstract reasoning, etc. Minimal Brain Dysfunction - Abruptly appearing maladaptive behavior which means violent, aggressive, rage and explosive behavior. 60% of criminal population show MBD Learning disabilities Brain Trauma - Some type of injury to the brain. It can also be tumors and diseases. Some people with brain trauma might be more exposed to psychotic episodes. This leads to marital problems because of personality changes.

Historical Theorists/Researchers of the Social Conflict Theory

Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels (1840s) Capitalism and the division of labor -Focuses on how there's a working class (proletariats) and those who own the means of production (Bourgeoisie). The proletariats work for these individuals, aren't paid a lot, and that leads to conflict. There's big differences between these two classes. There's one class that is powerful and one class that is powerless. Proletariats are exploited because of their labor and they are oppressed through the law. Marx and Engels said that crime is the result of the powerless reacting against unfair treatment. Max Weber (1900s) Power Conflict Theory Crime results from the unequal distribution of power in society because one group forces its will on others.

Behavior Modeling

Kids model their behavior after certain individuals or groups. You're gonna see behavior in other people, and model yourself after them. If your parents abuse you, you're gonna learn that that's acceptable behavior.

Latent Trait Theories

Latent Trait - Stable feature or conditions present at birth or soon after that make some people more prone to crime over the life course. Latent trait does not make them commit crime. Important Latent Trait Theory: Michael Gottfredson and Travis Hirschi's General Theory of Crime. Criminal acts and criminal offenders are separate concepts Criminal act - deed done because it was advantageous Criminal Offender - Predisposed to committing crime Crime = Criminal offender (Master traits + plus low self-control + weak social bond) and criminal opportunity (absences of capable guardians, access to victims, opportunity theft, etc.)

How to deal with crime based on the social structure theory:

Make changes in social environment - Cleaning up the community through physical changes. Collective Efficacy - Getting all institutions in the community to help make a change. Provide Educational and Employment Opportunities - Provide quality of education so that they can succeed through legitimate means. Improve quality of life

Social Learning Theory: Neutralization Theory

Matza + Sykes. This theory focuses on how we have people who can be criminal and noncriminal at the same time. It focuses on the drift from criminal to noncriminal behavior. For most people, they have to learn how to neutralize their criminal behavior so that they can live with what they've done. Neutralizing their criminal actions by blaming another individual. There's five techniques people use in order to neutralize their behavior: 1. Denying responsibility - it's not my fault that I did this, its because life is too expensive. 2. Denying injury - it's not hurting anyone. 3. Denying a victim - She deserved to be rape because she led me on. 4. Condemning the condemner - Get caught speeding and the person getting mad because the cops speed all the time. They do it too so how is it wrong for me to do it. 5. Appealing to a higher loyalty - People who are antiabortion killing abortion doctors because they're doing it for God.

Nature and Nurture

Nature is stuff like intelligence, genetics, hormones, the structure of the brain, diet, environmental contaminants. Nurture is your family, friends, social bond, etc.

Modern: Neurosis and Psychosis and Major Mental Illnesses

Neurosis - Mental illnesses that result in behavior associated with fear and anxiety. Such as OCD. Psychosis - Mental illnesses that result in behavior associated with the inability to comprehend reality. They don't understand that there's something wrong with them. Such as bipolar, frenia, psychotic depression, etc.

Albert Cohen's Theory of Delinquent Subculture

Our education and employment system sets kids up for failure because everything is standardized. Middle class measuring rod - if you set a standard for all classes to achieve, then that expectation will fail. Discusses the formation of deviant and criminal subcultures Youths who are frustrated by their status (status frustration) in society will join together in order to succeed. Their environment sets them up for failure and rejection - Middle class measuring rod Authority figures may look down on them and not be willing to help (middle class measuring rods by authority)

Life-course theories

Our propensity for crime changes over our lifetime Important Life Course Theory Robert Sampson and John Laub's Age-Graded Theory explains termination of criminal careers Trajectories, transitions, and turning points Trajectories - long-term patterns or events; things that put us on our long term path. Joining a gang would put you on a trajectory toward crime. Going to school might put you on a pattern not to commit crime. Transitions - short-term events embedded in trajectories - such as graduation, or getting married, or having kids, etc. Turning Points - important life events that either keep you going forward or change your trajectory. Getting divorced can be a major turning point in someone's life, getting involved in the juvenile justice system, losing a parent, etc. Why do people stop committing crime? They get married, start having kids, join the military, start having positive peer relationships, they get mental health treatment, they get treatment for drug and alcohol problems, they get scared straight, or they just choose to stop.

Overt Pathway

Pathway to a criminal career that begins with minor aggression, leads to physical fighting, and eventually escalates to violent crime.

Pathological Personality

Personality disturbances and diseases History: Psychopathy Today: Antisocial Personality Disorder - They lack empathy and they might be antisocial. They cannot put themselves in other people's place. They don't understand the way people think. It is all the about the way they want things and they will lie, cheat, steal, charm, manipulate, or use violence as necessary to get what they want. These people have higher rates of criminality. Symptoms and signs of APD - 1. Impulsiveness, 2. Problem relationships, 3. Problem with work behavior - irresponsible work behavior, 4. disregard for what's right and wrong, 5. Chronic lying, 6. Very deceitful, 7. very manipulative, 8. Very charming, 9. Problems with the law, 10. Aggressive or violent, 11. Lack remorse (major characteristic), 12. Intimidate others.

Social Learning Theory: Differential Reinforcement

Robert Burgess and Akers - Combined the learning with the reinforcement with rewards and punishment. This theory states that people learn to be good or bad through reinforcement or punishment. People can grow up believing that certain punishment is okay. Individuals can reward certain behavior and children will believe that that's acceptable behavior. They can also report you when you break the law.

Social Conflict View

Social Conflict Theories - It looks at crime in relationship to wealth and power. It focuses on social inequality and its relationship to crime.

Modern Sociological theories:

Social Ecology View The influence of social and physical characteristics on community crime rates Socialization view The influence of social relationships on crime rates Social conflict view The influence of social inequality on crime rates

Conscience

Tells what is right and wrong. It forces the ego to control the id and directs the individual into morally acceptable and responsible behaviors.

Cultural transmission

The concept that conduct norms are passed down from one generation to the next so that they become stable within the boundaries of a culture. Cultural transmission guarantees that group lifestyle and behavior are stable and predictable.

Nurture Theory

The view that intelligence is not inherited but is largely a product of environment. Low IQ scores do not cause crime but may result from the same environmental factors.

Classical Condition (Ivan Pavlov)

you can condition someone to believe that certain conditions are acceptable. You can use this on sex offenders or domestic violence individuals through aversion therapy (Drinking the nasty water with violent images) Unconditional stimulus or Unconditioned Response - being hugged or being loved. Before going to bed the dad would hug her and she would expect hugs with love. Neutral Stimulus - Eventually one night dad comes into the room and touches the daughter inappropriately but then he hugs her so she feels okay. The neutral stimulus would be the sexual abuse. Pair US (hugging) with NS (sexual abuse) = UR (Unconditioned response makes a person feel loved) Conditioned Stimulus = Conditioned Response We can teach people in order to get the behavioral responses we want.

Lawrence Kohlberg's Stages of Moral Development

- How our conscience is developed. Six Stages (3 levels) Preconventional level - The ideas of what is right and wrong is based on punishment. It is based on themselves. I know this is wrong if my parents punish me in some way. It's only a crime if I get caught. Why it's wrong: Stealing is wrong because I'll get arrested. Conventional level - Focuses more on society itself. People will progress more at this level once they start school and can see how their actions hurt others. Something is wrong because it can hurt others. Most people stay at this level. Why it's wrong: Stealing is wrong because I'll violate the law and I'll hurt others. Postconventional level - Move beyond just laws and society to focus on human rights. These are the people who don't care about laws. If it's an unjust law I'm going to fight for people's rights no matter the consequences. Human and individual rights. Why it's wrong: Stealing is wrong because it violates individuals rights

Biological Determinism

A belief that criminogenic traits can be acquired through indirect heredity from a degenerate family whose members suffered from such ills as insanity, syphilis, alcoholism, or through direct heredity - being related to criminals.

ADHD

A neurological condition involving poor attention, deficient impulse control, and hyperactivity. The main impact is on the educational opportunities of children with ADHD. All three components must be present and some kids are missed diagnosed when they only have one of these conditions present and are wrongly put on medication, they do not need it. What is included in each component: Poor Attention - Problems maintaining eye contact, they get easily bored, their mind wanders, trouble focusing on tasks, they become easily distracted by outside stimuli, Deficient Impulse Control - These are the type of people who just blurt out stuff. They can't wait for their hand to be called in class. They often interrupt conversations, start something, and then change tasks. They cannot get on track. Tell them things over and over and over again before it will register with them. Hyperactivity - Can't sit still for long periods of time, excessive movements, erratic behavior. Kids who have ADHD have led to drug and alcohol use, suspensions, and problems with the law. With adults, they typically cannot maintain or hold down jobs.

Early Biological Theories

Based on Individual Characteristics alone Many have been discredited.

Critical Race Theory

Criminal justice system and criminal law is used by the majority to control minorities and that is why you see racial differences in crime. The CJ system targets minorities and it is a way for the majority to keep their power.

Social Learning Theory: Differential Association

Differential Association - Edwin Sutherland - Criminal behavior is learned through contact with those who are pro-crime. A subpart of this theory is differential learning which is the socialization process by which we learn criminal behavior. This theory basically states that crime is learned through the way everything else is learned. The first principle is that criminal behavior is learned the same way everything else is learned. The second principle is that criminal behavior is a by-product of interaction. The third principle is that learning occurs within intimate groups. The fourth principle is that criminal techniques are learned. Differential association may vary in frequency, duration, priority, and intensity (this means that the learning will vary depending on interactions. In terms of duration, it depends on if its a one time interaction or a long-term. Negative interactions can be through encouraging people to break the law, being taught things like retaliation or getting even, everybody does it, its not a crime unless you get caught, etc.

Walter Miller's Lower Class Focal Concern Theory

Focus on the values of lower class culture - people who cannot achieve the society's goals in life, will adopt their own values. (1) of them is excitement - the excitement can lead to drug use and crime, (2) Fate - The only way to get what I want is through fate such as through the lottery. (3) Trouble - Asserting my authority over people and being aggressive are the only way to get what I want. (4) Street Smart (5) Defying Authority - They won't succeed in school, and they want to be independent of the police.

Differential Opportunity Theory

Illegitimate Opportunity Structure Established criminal enterprises and criminal mentors Richard Cloward and Lloyd Ohlin's Differential Opportunity Theory Those individuals who live in socially disorganized areas lack the opportunity to succeed and will join gangs with people who are like them Gang members will provide them with the support they need to commit illegal activities Types of gangs: Criminal Gangs - These are the ones that are the established gangs that we hear about. Usually adults recruit younger members, mentor them, teach them how to succeed, teach them how to commit crimes, and they typically have a long history in communities. Conflict Gangs - These typically don't have adult role models. These gangs tend to be the most violent because they don't have mentors. They usually occur when juveniles get together and they want power and success so they turn to violence. Retreatist Gangs - They're rejected by middle class and the criminal enterprises as well. They cannot succeed in both legit and illegitimate societies. They basically join together and try to cope by using drugs and alcohol.

Power-Control Theory

John Hagen Gender differences in crime are a function of class position - Generally two income homes are more paternalistic and the struggle of power in the household (power) and family function - If the male has more power, he will control the female more. (control) Paternalistic families - Men are the bread winners and the mothers stay home. These types of families tend to oppress women in the household more often. The boys get to do more such as hangout with friends more so they have more opportunities to engage in crime. Egalitarian families - Both parents work so there's more of an equal distribution of power. In this type of situation, both the male and females in the household have equal opportunity to commit crime. Female-headed households - Absence of the father. The women have more opportunities to engage in crime in these types of households.Crime is based on who has the most power in the homes.

Personality Traits and Intelligence

Personality traits linked to criminality - Impulsiveness, defiance, jealousy, mental instability, hostility, resentment, overly suspicious, etc. Link between intelligence and criminality - Looking at IQ tests. They're more focused on intelligence and how it relates to behavior. Why do people commit crimes? - Because our personality controls our behavior and when there are disturbances in our mental processes that affects our personality, we will have disturbances in our behavior.

Historical Researchers of Developmental Theories

Sheldon and Eleanor Glueck (1930s) They studied persistent offending - Why are people careers criminals? They started researching history of criminals to see what factors contributed to persistent offending. These factors were body types, juvenile sociology, etc.

Personality

The reasonably stable patterns of behavior, including thoughts and emotions, that distinguish one person from another.

Behaviorism or Behavior Theory

learning with a big emphasis on learning through childhood. Committing crime could be acceptable if parents rewarded teenagers for committing it. Human behavior is the result of learning by observation or reward/punishment History: Operant Conditioning (B.F. Skinner) - He focused on rewards and punishments. He believed that young people could be conditioned easily through rewards and punishment. These rewards and punishments would either increase or decrease behavior. Rewards increase/punishments decrease. Positive Reward (reinforcement) - Adding something good in order to increase behavior. Negative Reward (reinforcement) - Removing something bad. They don't make up their bed, so you ground them. That forces them to change. A negative reward is that every day they make up their bed you remove a day from them being grounded. Positive Punishment - Adding something bad to increase good behavior such as spanking. Negative Punishment - Removing something good in order to decrease behavior such as taking away their toys or desserts. Although these are good, some parents praise delinquent behavior.

Intelligence

refers to a person's ability to reason, comprehend ideas, solve problems, think abstractly, understand complex ideas, learn from experience, and discover solutions to complex problems.

Cultural Deviance Theory Parts

Combines the social disorganization and strain theory. Thorsten Sellin - Cultural Conflict -Crime will result when there's a clash between different cultural values. You'll see clashes when middle class and lower class needs of survival interfere with each other. and Conduct Norms - Rules governing acceptable behavior. Because there aren't the same ideas of success, goals can vary according to class. Goals: Middle Class American Dream Problem: Socially disorganized Society - No opportunity Result: Inability to achieve goals, strain, joining together, and alternative methods of succeeding leads to crime. Three cultural deviance theories: Focal Concern Theory Theory of Delinquent Subcultures Differential Opportunity Theory

Modern: Information Processing

Focus on how perception and thought processes influence behavior Three components Encoding information - How we perceive the information that we have and accumulate data. You're going to look to the guidelines of the research paper to see what does she want from me? Searching for proper response and decision on the next appropriate course of decision (criminals typically don't use this) - noncriminals would think things like this isn't my money, it would be wrong to take it, I'm gonna turn it in because it's the right thing to do. Criminals would say finders keepers, I'm broke and no one will know I took it, etc. Acting on the decision - Noncriminals will give it to the police. Criminals will keep it. Criminals do not process information in the same manner as noncriminals Should I keep the $1500 I found in a lost wallet? - look to components for answers

Cultural Deviance Theory

Focuses on a combination of social disorganization and strain - Focuses on the deviance of subcultures and socially disorganized neighborhoods. These neighborhoods lead to the formation of gangs.

Maladaptive Behavior

How people react and manage situations. They have inappropriate ways of coping. History: Psychoanalytical (Psychodynamic) Theory - Sigmund Freud 20s-30s Human behavior is explained by drives and impulses within our unconscious mind Three Components of Our Personality: Id (What do I want?) - Controls your basic instincts. It is the first part of the personality that is developed. It controls desires, urges, etc. It is the pleasure part of our personality. I.e. love, sex, and aggression. The single purpose of the id is to seek out instant gratification. The id is what we're attracted to. Ego (How can I get it?) - It is the aspect that explains how you can get what you want. This is the reality part of our personality. Superego (What is the right course of actions?) - Picking the right course of action through your conscience. It is the ethical part of your personality. Its purpose is to tell you to look through all options available and come up with the right course of action. Why does crime occur? Crime occurs because criminals might have an undeveloped superego. It cannot control the id. Crime occurs because individuals lack impulse control.

Dealing with the Crime Problem

Identifying and treatment Warning signs and risk factors Treating psychological problems - To keep people from committing crime in the future. Intervention and treatment after criminal behavior.

History of Biological Theory

Rooted in Criminal Anthropology - Criminal Physical Characteristics and Behavior Phrenology - Gall (1810-1840) - You can look at the shape of a skull and tell people whether they are a criminal or not. He believed that the bumps on the head was indicative of criminals and non-criminals. The mind and personality is in the brain. Also called craniology Studying bumps on the head Brain is the human mind and personality 27 "brain organs" Underdeveloped portions of the brain - Crime is the result of these. These underdeveloped portions showed a weakness in the mind. Looked at young pickpockets - believed that all pickpockets had bumps behind their ears and it was linked to being a liar and a thief. First to link mind and body

Socialization View

Social Process Theories - Focuses on relationships to explain criminal behavior. It's not just living in an area or poverty, but it's the failure of the socialization process. Socialization is the process of by which we learn the skills, values, motivation, knowledge, and rules of the group that we belong to. We can belong to different groups and adapt to all of these elements. It basically says that criminal behavior is learned, and if it's learned, then it can be controlled.

Middle-class measuring rod

The standards by which teachers and other representatives of state authority to evaluate lower-class youths. Because they cannot live up to middle-class standards, lower-class youths are bound for failure, which gives rise to frustration and anger at conventional society.

Cognitive Theory

The study of the mental processes of understanding, perceiving, interpreting, and manipulating information. How we use all of the information to influence our actions. The way criminals think is different then the way non-criminals think. Criminals think that what they're doing is acceptable. Their sense of right and wrong may be different from noncriminals. Everything we do is influenced through our environment.

Drift

The view that youths move in and out of delinquency and that their life-styles can embrace both conventional and deviant values.

Developmental Theory

Why does crime occur? A variety of biological, psychological, and sociological factors impact why people begin committing crime, why they continue to commit crime, and why they stop committing crime Solutions to the crime problem: Comprehensive approach to crime prevention Family, educational system, community program, social programs, juvenile and criminal justice systems must be involved Primary (awareness of factors that lead to crime), secondary (families who are at-risk in the CJ system, get the doctors to identify at-risk parents, or get teachers to identify kids who might commit crimes), and tertiary (delinquents and criminal activities that are supposed to reduce recidivism) crime prevention programs.

Conflict Theory or Critical Criminology

Why does crime occur? Uneven balance of power as a result of wealth, race, and gender Ruling class defines crime Solutions to the crime problem Restorative justice and conflict resolution Emphasis on gender, racial, and social equality Distributing wealth Criticisms Focus too much on capitalism Powerful alone does not establish criminal behavior Gender differences in crime.

Robert Morton's Theory of Anomie

Anomie result in strain - If I can't achieve through socially legitimate ways, then the individual will turn to illegitimate ways. Anomie occurs when culturally defined goals are not able to be obtained through socially acceptable means. Constant strain can result in a variety of reactions: Conformity - These people will still continue to work hard and hope to achieve the American dream. Ritualism - These people accept their status, and they're not gonna commit crimes in order to get what they want. They might try to change the socially acceptable goals. They might reject the American dream mentality. Change their ideas of what constitutes as successful. Innovation - These individuals accept this American dream, but they'll reject the social acceptable ways of achieving it. These are the crime committers, they'll just find another way to get what they want in life. Retreatism - Reject the goals and the means. They give up and don't care anymore, so they tend to turn to drugs and alcohol in order to cope. May commit crimes. Rebellion - They don't tend to commit crimes, they want to overthrow society's idea of success. Political activists - Change what success means by steering away from money and maybe towards volunteering.

Three Delinquent Subcultures:

Corner Boy - Status offending but eventually acceptable as productive members of society. College boy - Reject status and continue to strive for middle class success. - They don't care how they're treated. They won't care that they're poor or from socially disorganized areas they're still gonna strive to succeed. Delinquent boy - Rejects and becomes hostile towards middle class values (<—— reaction formation) and join gangs.

Robert Park and Ernest Burgess and the Chicago School

Crime in urban areas Social ecology - Looks at characteristics of the environment. Park and Burgess - concentric zones - The zones with the circles. The most central zones had the most crime. The first zone was called the central business zone, zone 2 is the transition zone, zone 3 is the blue-collar residential zone, zone 4 is your middle class zone, zone 5 is your commuter zone. Zone 2 has the most crimes because people are constantly transitioning in and out and where the most poverty is. They tried to understand crime through the construction of areas. The center zone has the most diversity and it spreads as it goes out.

Peacemaking Criminology

Crime is a way people react to hardships, oppression, and injustice. The criminal justice system and other social institutions should be used to reduce suffering instead of adding to it. Currently, all it does is create more hardships and further widens the gap between the powerful and the powerless. The only way to solve the crime problem, is to use the CJ System, or social institutions. Instead of locking people up for a long time, they need to use alternative methods to solve crime such as treatment and rehab.

Biological Theories

Criminal Behavior is cased by biological factors beyond the individual's control. Criminals are biologically inferior to non-criminals. Definition of crime Crime is an instinctive response to environmental stimuli Crime is a result of instinctual biological responses to what's going on in an individual's environment. Important Biological Theorists/Researchers - Franz Joseph Gall, Cesare Lombroso, and William Sheldon.

Sociological Theories

Concerned with how the environment influences thought, behavior, and reactions They began to look at factors such as poverty, age, race, environment, and gender. Researchers believed that group behavior rather than individual behavior can help predict and understand crime rates. Group behavior rather than individual behavior. A lot of these factors are in respect to urban areas

Psychological Theories

Criminal behavior is caused by psychological factors beyond the individual's control Criminals are psychologically inferior to non-criminals Definition of Crime Crime is behavior that results from the individuals inability to cope with his or her environment. Important psychological theorists/researchers: Sigmund Freud Ivan Pavlov B.F. Skinner Albert Bandura Lawrence Lawrence Kohlberg Focuses on our personality Defective Mental Processes - Impacts our ability to cope with our environment. Defects can lead to violent, disruptive, or interruptive behavior. Pathological personalities Mapadaptive Behavior Inappropriate Behavior and Conditioning - Conditioned that a certain behavior is acceptable. (Behaviorism) Faulty Cognitive Processes - Faulty thinking. I.e. don't think the same way as non-criminals.

Modern: Albert Bandura's Social Learning Theory

Criminal behavior is learned. Someone might have a psychological or biological trait that might make them predisposed, but those traits alone don't explain the violence. The key is that someone has to teach you that violent behavior. You're not born knowing how to commit burglarly, or hot wire cars, you might be predisposed to the trait, but the behavior is learned.

Contemporary Theories: Feminist Theories (1970)s

Critical Feminist Theory Gender conflict in a male-dominated society explains criminal behavior. This does two things 1. Limits females access to crime, and 2. increases females possibility of victimization. Women will often commit crime that is self-destructive, rather than destructive to society. Gender differences also explains why women are targets for crime through oppression and exploitation - To prove manhood, men have to attack women in order to establish manhood among their peers.

Genetic/Hereditary Conditions and Crime

Does crime run in families - The research is inconclusive if crime is run in the genes. However, if a parent is a criminal a juvenile is more likely to be delinquent. Twin Studies - there's more of a link between identical twins than fraternal twins. There's a correlation between suicide, violent behavior, and alcohol/drug abuse with identical twins. They tend to lack empathy, be impulsive, and be aggressive when engaging in criminal behavior. Adoption Studies - When kids have been removed from their biological family do you still see that link between genetics and criminality. Some research does support this. They found more support for if people who are raising you are engaging in criminality then that increases the child's chances. Problems with these studies - it's not always genetics, it is the environment too. Policy Implication of Genetic Studies

Social Reaction Theory

Focuses on how the reaction of significant members in society can influence other's behaviors. The labels we place on people influence their behavior later on. They believe that we're not born good or bad. It's the reaction of other people that controls our behavior. If we're not born good or bad, we're impacted by our family and how they raise us. This one focuses a lot on the education system with juveniles. We don't want labels placed on them because it will follow them the rest of their lives. Criminal behavior is a product of negative labeling by those around you and the person accepting the label (Has to be both). You see this in families calling one child the problem child or in education with calling someone stupid or in the Criminal Justice System by calling people felons, sex offenders, or criminals. The labels we place on people can encourage criminal behavior. We have different labels for juveniles because we don't watch the labels to influence their behavior. Although each of these views focuses on the socialization process, the main difference is based on how they feel that learning occurs.

Developmental Theories Focus on

Foundations Early childhood Family Relations Limited Economic means Limited Educational achievements Biosocial traits Psychological traits Criminal Careers Childhood Adolescence Adulthood

contagion effect

Genetic predispositions and early experiences make some people, including twins, susceptible to deviant behavior, which is transmitted by the presence of antisocial siblings in the household.

Dealing with Crime Problem

How do you deal with the crime problem according to the biological perspective? - The big emphasis is on biological traits, but also environmental traits. Identify - Those people who are at risk. Start early to identify high risk children and high risk families. At risk if their parents are engaging in criminal behavior, fetal-alcohol syndrome, neurotransmitters. Monitor - To see if biological factors are coming into play and if the family is able to take care of the child. Intervene - Getting the child and the family help.

Social Process Theories

It doesn't focus on environmental factors. Your SES, gender, and race do not matter. All people have the potential to commit crimes. Interactions explain criminal behavior. People are influenced by their interactions with family, friends, peers, teachers, media, religious organizations, employers, the criminal justice system, and the educational system. Definition of Crime - Socialized behavior which means that crime is the result of human interactions and socialization. Theorists/Researchers Edwin Sutherland - Differential Association Theory Edwin Sutherland & Donald Cressey - Differential Learning Theory Robert Burgess + Ronald Akers - Differential Reinforcement Theory Travis Hirschi - Social Control (Bond) Theory David Matza + Gresham Sykes - Neutralization Theory Basics - It focuses on interactions and how they relate to crime. Positive interactions decrease the chance of criminal activities and negative interactions increase the chances. The three biggest interactions are: Family Positive - Spending time together, Love and Affection, Reducing conflicts, Negative - Drug use, Alcohol use, Abuse and Neglect, Parents with mental illnesses that don't get help, improper supervision, domestic violence, criminality by parents, etc. Peers Positive - People who encourage good behavior, friends who disapprove of drug and alcohol use, friends who accept friends as who they are, positive relationships where the child can express him or herself. Negative - Being rejected by your peers through maybe bullying or being unpopular, friends who encourage bad behavior. Education Positive - Positive motivation such as having goals to go to college, being encouraged by peers, family, teachers, etc., being involved in school activities, and having friends in school. Negative - Doing poorly in school academically, dropping out, feeling alienated, negative labelling by your teachers, lack of educational motivation by family, peers, and teachers.

Three main developmental Theories

Life course theories - Life experiences and how they impact us positively or negatively Latent trait theories - Master traits - Biological and psychological traits Trajectory Theories - pathways to crime. - Different paths individuals take to get to crime.

Environmental Contaminants

More research done to discover this link. They found that excessive exposure to these items can lead to antisocial behavior. Food dyes and artificial coloring Mercury and Copper - They found that overexposure has been linked to emotional, behavior and physical disorders. Lead exposure and poisoning - A link between this and homicidal and violent behavior.

Strain Theory

Most of us have the same values and goals. Everyone wants to live the American Dream. Some people do not have the same means of obtaining goals as others. Strain is the result of not being able to achieve goals, and that's what leads to crime. Upper, middle, and lower class creates difficulty between what individuals can obtain in life. This theory focuses on low SES, but it can be applied to nearly everyone.

Social Structure Theory

Social and economic forces operating in deteriorated lower-class areas are the key determinants of crime. Definition of crime: Crime is behavior that is acquired through exposure to harsh economic and social conditions - This means that because people grow up in environments where they have lack of support and education, those characteristics will influence them by allowing them to witness criminal behavior. Branches: Social Disorganization Theory Strain Theory Cultural Deviance Theory

Atavism - Lombroso (1863)

Some consider him to be the father of "modern" criminology Charles Darwin and Lombroso -If evolving is true with animals, then it is also true with humans. Evolutionary Throwbacks - What he said was based on evolution and that some people haven't evolved through time. They still exhibit characteristics of primitive societies. Criminals haven't evolved like most non-criminals have. Looked at dead male Italian Prisoners - Only looked at dead criminals from this prison. He didn't look at different ethnicities, or non-criminals. Atavistic characteristics of criminals - Excessively hairy, tend to have exceptionally long arms, index fingers were longer than their middle finger, rodent-like cheeks, crooked noses, sloped foreheads, eyes too far apart or too close together, canine-like teeth, cold glassy eyes, large noses, large jaws, curly dark hair, and delicate lips. Believed 70% of criminals were "born criminals" - The majority of criminals were born criminals. They had some type of hereditary factor that would lead them to commit crimes. The other 30% of individuals crimes could be through insanity, environmental factors, or in the heat of the moment. When females commit crimes, they have masculine features.

Two Formulations of Strain Theory

Structural Level Strain: Institutional Anomie Theory - Focuses on how society create crime. Crime is a result of cultural and institutional influences - Such as being rich is the only way to be successful or being smart is the only way to get rich. Individual Level Strain: General Strain Theory - Anyone who feels stress may turn to crime. Robert Agnew's General Strain Theory People who feel stress and strain may commit crime. Sources of individual Strain: Failure to achieve positively valued goals - If your goal in life is monetary success and you fail it, you might turn to crime. Differences between expectations and achievements - You may have an exception to get an A or get a promotions, and the result isn't the same. You might feel stress and turn to crime. Removal of positive stimuli - When you lose something valuable in your life such as through death, divorce, items, jobs, etc. Presentation of negative stimuli - Something bad happening to you. It could be that you were the victim of abuse, flunking out of school, that leads you down a dark path. Crime results because of the frequency and duration of strain and your reaction to it. Why do most people who experience strain not commit crime? - Most of us do not commit crime because we have good coping skills. Most of us have the coping skills to keep from slashing our girlfriend/boyfriends tires, vandalizing places, etc. However, a lot of people see no way out and figure that they MUST turn to crime.

Body Shape (Somatology) - Sheldon (1949)

Studied 200 boys in a Boston rehabilitation home and compared them to 200 non-delinquent college students. However, how did he know that the college students were non-delinquent? Three Body Types Endomorphs - Were the short, fat, more extroverted, relaxed, individuals. He believed that they were more sociable and preferred a more easy going life. He believed that fat people wouldn't commit crimes. Mesomorphs - More athletic individuals who are more muscular, and strong and this leads them to be physically aggressive with a high pain tolerance. They enjoy risk-taking behavior. These are the types who tend to be criminals. Ectomorphs - Thin individuals who are delicate and fragile. They tend to be introverted and shy. The ectomorphs tend to not be criminals because they are too shy and weak. They have physical and psychosomatic disorders.

Biophobia

The belief that no serious consideration should be given to biological factors when attempting to understand human nature

Developmental Theories

There is no single explanation for criminal behavior. Explains crime in terms of criminal careers including: Onset of criminal careers Continuation of criminal careers Termination of criminal careers Definition of Crime: Crime is behavior influenced by biological, psychological, and sociological factors. Individual factors such as choice can be factored in here as well.

Core Principles of Biosocial Theories

There's two principles. 1.Your genetic makeup significantly influences your behavior, 2. Not everybody is born with equal potential to learn and achieve. Biochemical conditions, neurological conditions, and genetic/hereditary conditions interact with social environment - They evolved as technology evolved.Remember it is an interaction with the social environment as well.

Critical Criminology

This theory gained momentum during the 1960s Focuses on crimes committed by the powerless, the powerful, and the role of criminal law and the criminal justice system within capitalist societies. People were dissatisfied with the government and that's why it gained momentum. It focuses on the crimes that people ignore when they're committed by the powerful. Crimes committed by the powerless - This theory focuses on how people who are oppressed will commit crime as a result of feeling as if they have been treated unfairly. These crimes are punished much more severely. Generally these crimes have one or two victims. Crimes committed by the powerful - What the powerful is doing that has a significant impact against the public, such as civil rights violations, economic crimes, and state crimes (illegal and domestic surveillance, state violence, corporate crimes such as accepting bribes from big businesses). Generally, these crimes have massive amounts of victims and can hurt people financially. These crimes are punished less severely. Two varying views of the roles of criminal law and the criminal justice system in a capitalist society - Capitalistic societies make people want stuff that they don't need. Individuals will work their whole lives to get items that they do not need. Materialistic goals of individuals breeds crime Instrumental view - The criminal justice system is an instrument by the powerful to control the powerless. There is much less severe penalties for the more powerful. Societal goals or criminal laws that are used to maintain control over the poor, such as with materialistic goals, with stealing from employers, selling drugs or committing other crimes to supplement wages. Owners are focused on accumulating wealth so they'll often cut corners to get around safe products, creating unsafe working conditions and products Structural view - The idea that the capitalist system is the most important thing and the criminal justice system is used to prevent people from overthrowing the capitalistic society.

Contemporary Theories: Left Realism (1980s)

We need practical solutions to understanding street crimes (criminals and victims) and solutions to the overall problem. The right wing get tough on crime problem isn't working so we need to figure out what's going on. The left focuses on the powerful controlling the powerless and that we need to move beyond just locking people up. We need to focus on real solutions now that we have the basis in the last sentence. We cannot overthrow the government so we need to come up with practical solutions within the system that we have. We need to view crime as a social problem. Jock Young - Relative Deprivation - Crime is the result of people feeling deprived relative to those around them. People will become disillusioned or discontent when they feel as if they're subject to inequality, injustice, or oppression, and nothing is being done with it. This causes individuals to commit crime.. such as riots. We can use the criminal justice system to improve the social conditions of individuals.

Terrie Moffitt's path of Young Offenders

Why juveniles who commit delinquent acts turn to be persistent criminals. Adolescent-limited offenders - They start off committing status offenses and delinquent acts, but as they get older it tapers off. They start going to college and working to improve themselves so they do not want to commit any more delinquent acts. Life-course persisters - These are the ones more likely to end up being career criminals. They don't have the positive experiences that you need to have when you're an adult such as going to prison or not graduating highschool. They don't find jobs or any positivity in life. They have mental or addictive problems.

Desist

stop or refrain from; abstain from. The police ordered the criminal to cease and desist.