Theory exam 1

Denial of Victim (Techniques of Neutralization)

"they had it coming"

Social Bonds Theory

bonds are connections to conventional society; weakened bond to conventional society produces more deviance and crime

Criminal as calculator

classical school

Social Learning Theory

the theory that we learn social behavior by observing and imitating and by being rewarded or punished

It is impossible to understand criminological theory outside of its social context

true

Agnew's General Strain Theory

3 causes of strain: failure to achieve positively valued goals, removal of something valued, impose noxious stimuli

Reckless Containment Theory

-internal and external forces both inhibit and encourage criminal acts -internal containments are seen as the strongest pull away from criminal behavior -strong self esteem will strengthen these internal inhibitions, while low self esteem makes the individual more susceptible to outside pressures

Tittle's Control Balance Theory

-the amount of control to which one is subjected and the amount of control that one can exercise determines the probability of deviance occurring -least likely to commit criminal acts has balance of control and being controlled

Compurgation

A group of people "swore" their man was innocent; character witnessing

Definitions

A person's own attitudes or meanings that are attached to a given behavior. That is, definitions are orientations, rationalizations, definitions of the situation, and other evaluative and moral attitudes that define the commission of an act as right or wrong, good or bad, desirable or undesirable, justified or unjustified. The more a person's definitions approve of an act, the greater the chances are that the act will be committed.

Classical School of Thought

A theory of crime causation that views criminal behavior as the product of the offender's free will. The criminal is choosing to break the law. Punishment should be suited to the offense.

Self-Control Theory

According to 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.

pulls

Factors of crime that entice individuals to offend, such as the presence of illegitimate opportunities or peers who offend. Differential association and subculture theories are "pull" explanations.

Unconscious level (Id)

Basic impulses (sex and aggression); seeking immediate gratification; irrational and impulsive. Operates at unconscious level.

The _____ School emphasized the role of the rational human being who weighted costs and benefits

Classical

____ explanations of crime argue that the answer to crime rests largely in harsher sanctions

Conservative

pushes

Factors that propel or motivate offenders toward crime, including biophysical forces, psychological pressures and social conditions such as poverty

The term___ refers to the learning of criminal behaviors through interacting with others.

Differential association

Conscious level (ego)

Executive mediating between id impulses and superego inhibitions; testing reality; rational. Operates mainly at conscious level but also at preconscious level.

Psychogenic causes of crime

Focuses attention on the personality and how it was produced

General versus specific

General definitions are broad attitudes that approve of conventional behavior and disapprove of criminal behavior (e.g., moral beliefs from religion). Specific definitions define certain acts as wrong (e.g., killing a person) and other acts as permissible (e.g., stealing a person's computer).

Preconscious level (superego)

Ideals and morals; striving for perfection; incorporated from parents; becoming a person's conscience. Operates mostly at preconscious level.

According to Akers___ or mimicking others, influences if people engage in criminal behavior

Imitation

____ suggest that the criminal justice system and its approaches to solving crime actually can increase crime rather than reduce it.

Labeling Theory

Imitation

Modeling--person engages in behavior after observing similar behavior in others.

Negative, positive, and neutralizing

Negative definitions disapprove of a behavior. Positive definitions define the behavior as desirable or wholly permissible. Neutralizing definitions define an act as wrong but justify and thus permit the behavior "given the situation."

Rebellion

Not only reject but wish to change the existing system

The____ school sought to collect data in order to scientifically study criminals

Positivist

Arguing that a person was a criminal because they lacked a superego would be classified as a theory based on the ______ school of criminology.

Psychogenic

Retreatism (strain theory)

Relinquish allegiance to both the cultural success goals & the institutionalized means ( are in society but not of it)

Trial by Ordeal

Requiring a person to undergo torture to determine guilt or innocence

Positivist School of Thought

Search for empirical facts to confirm the idea that crime was determined by multiple factors

_____ would recommend policies that increase neighborhood organization to prevent crime

Shaw and Mckay

Explaining crime is caused by demonic possession or the devil is classified as

Spiritualism

Spiritualism criminal explanations (soul)

Stressed the conflict between absolute good and absolute evil. Methods were constructed for dealing with those accused of committing crimes.

Lawlessness in ______ surpasses that in other industrialized nations.

The United States

Differential Reinforcement

The balance of anticipated or actual rewards and punishments that follow or are the consequence of behavior. Most reinforcements leading to crime are social.

Denial of Injury (Techniques of Neutralization)

The offender insists that their actions did not cause any harm or damage

Appeal to Higher Loyalty (Techniques of Neutralization)

The offender suggests that his or her offense was for the greater good, with long term consequences that would justify their actions, such as protection of a friend

Differentiation Association Theory

The process through which individuals are exposed to definitions favorable and unfavorable to illegal or law-abiding behavior.

Support for criminal justice policies eventually will collapse if the ---- on which they are based no longer makes sense

Theory

Condemnation the Condemners (Techniques of Neutralization)

a neutralization technique in which a person tries to turn the tables on those who condemn or disapprove of his or her behavior by condemning them

Each year the FBI publishes the ______ in which it lists the numbers of various crimes that have become known to the nation's police departments.

Uniform Crime Reports

Trail by battle

When 2 nobles were thrown into battle and the outcome determines who is guilty

____ is defined as normlessness or deregulation

anomie

Why do some societies have higher rates of crime than others.

anomie theory

Denial of Responsibility (Techniques of Neutralization)

anyone would act the same way under the circumstances

Progessive Movement

believed that the poor were pushed by their environment into lives of crime

which of the following is an internalized control?

conscience

____ takes the position that because conformity cannot be taken for granted, nonconformity is to be expected when social regulations are less than completely effective

control theory

Psychoanalysis

crime is a symbolic expression of inner tensions that each person has but fails to control. crime results when the ego and/or superego fail to develop or delinquent ego forms.

Skyes and Matza's Techniques of neutralization

denial of responsibility, denial of injury, denial of the victim, condemnation of the condemners, appeal to higher loyalties

According to Messner and Rosenfeld, the fact that work dominates our lives means that the institutional balance is tilted towards

economy

Innovations (strain theory)

embrace success, but turn to illegitimate means

Merton's Strain Theory

individuals are pressured into crime when prevented from achieving goals through institutional means.

four deviant adaptations

innovation, ritualism, retreatism, rebellion

Effective punishment must be

known, swift, severe, certain

Ritualism (strain theory)

maintain outward conformity to norms of governing institutionalized means, but not goals

Which of the following is not strain that Agnew sees leading to crime

negative associations

Criminal as determine

positivist school

_____ are factors that propel or motivate offenders toward crime

pushes

The age of ____would place much faith in the government

reform

Hirschi's Control Theory

social control depends on people anticipating the consequences of their behavior

Why do some individuals commit more crimes than others.

strain theory

Burgress Concentric Zone Model

suggests that as cities develop and get larger they grow in concentric zones. Competition determined how people were distributed spatially among these zones.n

Merton's Anomie Theory

takes hold in societies that place an intense value on economic success. Pursuit of success no longer guided by normative standards or right and wrong.

Collective Efficacy Theory

the ability of members of a community to control the behavior of individuals and groups in the community

Normative dimension

the different patterns of norms and values to which an individual is exposed through this association

Interactional dimension

the direct association and interaction with others who engage in certain kinds of behavior, as well as the indirect association and identification with more distant reference groups

Control Theory Basic Premise

the main theoretical premise- because crime is fun enjoyable and rewarding when control are absent crime is possible and often does occur. When control are present, crime doesn't occur.