Criminology Checkpoints Units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, & 6

Match the type of forensic evidence with the corresponding description. 1. ballistics 2. forensic pathology 3. fingerprints 4. DNA 5. toxicology

1. analysis of firearms, bullets, casings, and shells 2. analysis and testing to determine cause of death 3. imprints left behind after picking up or touching a surface or an item with one's hands 4. found in biological evidence, such as blood or skin cells 5. analysis of the effects of drugs and poisons on the body

Match each issue with the professional who can most appropriately address it. 1. poor job search and interview skills, and difficulty finding housing 2. symptoms of mental illness that require medication, such as paranoia and delusions 3. depression and trauma symptoms related to childhood abuse, and poor coping skills

1. social worker 2. psychiatrist 3. psychologist

A six pack refers to a standard lineup procedure.

False

Actual physical property of victims must always be retained for use in trial.

False

An eyewitness who is 100% certain about their identification in court is almost always accurate.

False

Both restitution and compensation come from the offender.

False

Eyewitness testimony evidence is responsible for all of the wrongful convictions that were later exonerated.

False

In general, experts believe that simultaneous procedures are far more accurate that sequential procedures.

False

Most uncooperative witnesses are simply too lazy or selfish to help police and prosecutors.

False

Police departments often use computer generated photo arrays because they generate fillers completely at random.

False

To limit stress for child victims, an interviewer should already be certain of what happened before talking to the child.

False

Witness intimidation is only a problem in gang cases.

False

Which of these costs are not typically covered by victim compensation?

Property losses

Which description of a blind procedure is accurate?

The officer working with the witness does not know where the suspect is in the photo array

How were victim's rights established in the United States?

They have been written into law in every state.

Why is it important to interview children alone?

Too many interviewers creates pressure, Children may try too hard to comply with authority figures, Even well-meaning parents can taint an interview

A victim, for the purposes of victims' rights law, is a person who was harmed directly by a crime committed by someone else.

True

Fillers are other people with the same basic build, sex, race, and other identifiers as suspect used in lineups and arrays.

True

Forensic scientists analyze pieces of evidence in a laboratory.

True

Victims of domestic violence face an especially high risk of witness intimidation.

True

Aggravated assault is what type of crime?

a crime against persons

These days, what are witnesses are more likely to see than mugshots for identifying suspects?

a photo array, images on a computer,

What type of crime is motor vehicle theft?

a property crime

Which professional in the criminal justice system is most likely to refer inmates to literacy programs or GED preparation programs?

a social worker

Which professional in the criminal justice system is most likely to testify in court as an expert witness in child custody cases?

a social worker

Which option best describes victim blaming?

an implication that victims brought the crime upon themselves

Which professional focuses on studying culture?

anthropologist

A suspect and fillers in a photo array should share which characteristics?

approximate amount of facial hair, gender, race/ethnicity

What field of study is concerned with firearms and bullets?

ballistics

What is the required burden of proof in a criminal case?

beyond a reasonable doubt

Which theory of crime focuses mostly on how the structure and chemistry of the brain might affect behavior?

biological theories

Which type of law includes judicial decisions that can become examples for other courts to follow?

case law

How does cause of death differ from manner of death?

cause of death is the direct physical reason for death, manner of death is the event leading to the cause of death

Breaking a contract is a violation of which type of law?

civil law

Which of these approaches can help with the problem of uncooperative witnesses?

community policing, anonymous tip lines

Which type of law includes penal codes for crimes and their corresponding punishments?

criminal

Involuntary intoxication falls under which category of defenses?

excuses

Which biological factors may increase risk for aggressive or illegal behavior?

exposure to lead or other toxins before birth, brain injuries

An alibi is a criminal defense that argues that the defendant should not be held responsible for a crime they did commit.

false

Anything said to a victim-witness advocate is fully confidential.

false

Coroners are the individuals who usually look for and collect evidence at a crime scene.

false

Court rulings are the primary source of criminal law.

false

Defendants found liable in civil lawsuits are usually given short sentences in a local jail.

false

Forming partnerships with the community is a key aspect of traditional policing that focuses on crime fighting.

false

In Bandura's famous social learning theory experiment, when preschoolers watched adults hit and yell at a toy, they knew better than to copy such bad behavior.

false

It is never possible to determine from which direction a perpetrator approached based on blood spatter.

false

Periods of major change lead to social disorganization that in turn lowers the crime rate, according to social ecological theory.

false

Police officers in schools spend most of their time managing criminal behavior and making arrests.

false

Social workers help offenders only after they are released from prison.

false

Some psychologists, sociologists, and anthropologists conduct research, but it has little or no relevance to the criminal justice system.

false

Statutory law develops over time based on court rulings.

false

The idea of uncontrollable criminal impulses based on an offender's genetic makeup was proven by the Human Genome Project.

false

The majority of Americans think that crime is less common than it really is.

false

The standard of proof in a civil lawsuit is beyond a reasonable doubt.

false

Videotaping interviews with children can make them feel doubly exploited and should be avoided.

false

When illegal drugs are seized at a crime scene, there is no need to scientifically test the substances to verify what they are.

false

Which category of crimes is associated with a prison sentence of one year or more?

felonies

Which of these are tactics that a control theorist might use?

help subject find work or other sources of commitment, provide subject with meaningful work and other activities for involvement, offer emotional support to subject to form attachments

What are the benefits of a victim impact statement?

judges can use them to make sentencing decisions, they give victims a chance to confront the offenders who wronged them, the statement may offer a sense of closure

Which would be considered a cause of death?

lack of oxygen

Which type of fingerprint is usually invisible?

latent

What program is organized and operated by citizens whose missions involve canvasing the neighborhood to reduce certain types of crimes?

neighborhood patrols

Violating a penal code is a violation of what type of law?

not civil law

Which of these rights are generally guaranteed by victims' rights laws in the United States?

participate in the criminal justice process, receive information about the criminal case, receive protection

Which type of fingerprint is the most three-dimensional?

plastic

The presence of police officers in schools gives students the opportunity to become more familiar with the police in a _[blank]_context and develop respect for the criminal justice system.

positive

What is the process of adapting to prison culture called?

prisonization

Which professionals in the criminal justice system testify as experts in court?

psychiatrists, social workers, psychologists

Which of these is not a task of a victim advocate?

representing the victim in court

Which option is the least reliable identification procedure?

showup identification

Which of the options are identification procedures which occur before a trial?

showups, photo arrays, lineups

Which professionals sometimes conduct research within the criminal justice system?

social anthropologists, sociologists, psychologists

Social environmental factors that increase criminal behavior include _[blank]_. Which phrase correctly fills in the blank in the previous sentence?

social disorganization, deviant subcultural norms, breakdown of informal social controls

Which measures caused juvenile offending rates to drop?

substance abuse treatment that included family involvement, fair and respectful treatment by the police, meaningful aftercare services in the community

Which option is not an estimator variable?

suggestive identification

In court, what would a prosecutor need to document for evidence to be admitted?

the identity of every person who has taken custody of the evidence, where the item was found, date and time evidence was collected

Which of these rights can be found in the victims' rights laws of most jurisdictions?

the right to be treated with respect and dignity, the right to​ restitution, the right to​ be informed

What is the focus of strain theory?

the strain people feel when society's idea of success seems impossible to reach through traditional means

A key aspect of community policing is solving problems in the community.

true

A poisonous substance can be considered a toxicant.

true

A psychologist provides therapy for inmates or crime victims, while a psychiatrist prescribes psychiatric medications.

true

All defendants in criminal trials are granted the right to a presumption of innocence.

true

Biological samples containing DNA pose a potential biohazard and should be handled with care.

true

Crisis response teams can also be called crisis intervention teams.

true

Failure to document the chain of custody can get evidence thrown out of court.

true

Harsh prison sentences alone cannot prevent crime.

true

Over the past 25 years, violent crime in the United States has dropped sharply.

true

Philosophers develop ideas and theories about how different aspects of the criminal justice system should work.

true

Philosophers interested in criminal justice may write about whether certain punishments are ethical.

true

Prison subculture is an example of a topic social anthropologists might research.

true

Psychologists and psychiatrists may both be asked to testify as expert witnesses in criminal cases.

true

Psychologists sometimes testify in criminal trials about the potential mindset of a perpetrator at the time a crime was committed.

true

Social learning theorists believe that criminals learn to break the law by watching other people model aggressive or illegal behavior.

true

Social-ecological theorists argue that social disorganization and unrest have negative consequences on the behavior of people in the community.

true

Some areas now also provide crisis intervention teams to specifically meet the needs of youth with mental health issues.

true

The broken window theory suggests that the poor physical condition of a neighborhood may promote crime.

true

The chain of custody document includes information about the location where a piece of evidence was found.

true