Chapter 1 Vocab

Just world hypothesis

A belief that one gets what one deserves in this world

Status offenses

A class of illegal behavior that only persons with certain characteristics or status can commit. Used here to refer to the behavior of juveniles. Examples include running away from home, violating curfew, buying alcohol, or skipping school.

National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS)

A government-sponsored survey of victims of crime, intended to collect data from the victim's perspective on crimes both reported and not reported to police.

Model

A graphic or descriptive illustration intended to add clarity to a theory. Examples are the dual-process model of psychopathy, the dynamic or developmental cascade model, and the dual systems model of adolescent development

Self control theory

A heavily researched theory in criminology that proposes that crime and antisocial behavior are the result of an individual's deficits in inability to control his or her behavior. Controversial aspect of the theory is that self-control is a stable trait and well in place before adolescence is reached.

Theory verification

A process whereby a scientific theory is tested through observation and analysis. If the process falsifies the theory, the theory must be revised to account for the observed events.

Strain theory

A prominent sociological explanation for crime based of Robert Merton's theory that crime and delinquency occur when there is a perceived discrepancy between the materialistic values and goals cherished and held in high esteem by a society and the availability of the legitimate means for reaching these goals

Monitoring the Future (MTF)

A self-report survey administered to high school students nationwide focusing on drug use and abuse.

Social learning theory

A theory of human behavior based on learning from watching others in the social environment. This leads to an individual's development of his or her own perceptions, thoughts, expectancies, competencies, and values

General Theory of Crime

Based on the assumption that lack of self-control is the core factor in criminal behavior.

Antisocial behavior

Clinical term reserved for serious habitual behavior, especially that involving direct harm to others

Intimate partner violence (IPV)

Crimes committed against persons by their current or former spouses, boyfriends, or girlfriends

Developmental approach

Examines the changes and influences (risk factors) across a person's lifetime that contribute to the formation of antisocial and criminal behavior or, alternately, that protect individuals with many risk factors in their lives.

Hate Crime Statistics Act

Federal as well as state laws that require police to track and report crimes motivated by bias or hate against victims based on the race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, gender, or other protected status.

Differential association theory

Formulated by Edwin Sutherland, a theory of crime that states that criminal behavior is primarily due to obtaining values or messages from others, including but not limited to those who engage in crime. The critical factors include with whom a person associates, how early, for how long, how frequently, and how personally meaningful the associations are.

Crime rate

In government statistics, the number of crimes known to police per 100,000 population.

Hierarchy rule

In the UCR program, the rule that requires that only the most serious crime in a series be reported in the crime statistics

Self report (SR) data

Information about crime and anti-social behavior gathered from the offenders themselves. In recent years many self-report studies focus on substance use and abuse.

Trait or disposition

Relatively stable and enduring tendency to behave in a particular way across time and place. Traits are believed by some psychologists to be the basic building blocks of personality.

National Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS)

The FBI's system of collecting detailed data from law enforcement agencies on known crimes and arrests

Uniform Crime Reports (UCR)

The FBI's system of gathering data from law enforcement agencies on the crimes that come to their attention and on arrests.

Cognitions

The internal processes that enable humans to imagine, to gain knowledge, to reason, and to evaluate. The attitudes, beliefs, values, and thoughts that people hold about the environment, relationships, and themselves.

Criminology

The multidisciplinary study of crime

Dark figure

The number of crimes that go unreported in official crime data reports

Falsification

The process of testing a theory whereby if it is discovered that even one of its propositions is found not to be supported, the theory cannot be valid.

Clearance rate

The proportion of reported crimes that have been "solved" through the arrest and turning over for prosecution of at least one person. Crimes also may be cleared through exceptional means, such as the death of a person about to be arrested

Nonconformist perspective

The theoretical perspective that humans will naturally try to get away with anything they can, including illegal conduct, unless social controls are imposed.

Conformity perspective

The theoretical position that humans are born basically good and generally try to do the right and just thing

Learning perspective

The theoretical position that humans are born basically neutral and behaviorally a blank slate. What they become as individuals depends on their learning experiences rather than innate predispositions.

Deterrence theory

The theory that argues that threat of punishment will prevent crime.

Social control theory

Theory in criminology that proposes that individuals are prevented from committing antisocial behavior or crime because of bonds they hold to society, such as their attachment to parents or significant others

Classical theory

Theory of human behavior that emphasizes free will as a core concept

Positivist theory

Theory that argues prior experiences or influences determine present behavior.