CRIM Chapter 2 Quiz
Which of the following might result in rising crime rates, specifically among the youth in coming decades? a. A global movement towards deinstitutionalizing non-violent offenders. b. Increased vigilance by governments to limit the proliferation of weapons. c. Falling rates of global income inequality, particularly in developing countries. d. Increasing automation of manufacturing and service jobs at the expense of human workers.
13. Which of the following might result in rising crime rates, specifically among the youth in coming decades? a. A global movement towards deinstitutionalizing non-violent offenders. b. Increased vigilance by governments to limit the proliferation of weapons. c. Falling rates of global income inequality, particularly in developing countries. d. Increasing automation of manufacturing and service jobs at the expense of human workers.
What limits the effectiveness of gun control such as requiring waiting periods and limiting the sale of guns? a. There is no reliable way to keep track of the sale of new firearms. b. Few guns used in crimes are sold new to criminals. c. Many firearms used in crimes come from overseas. d. Due to the Second Amendment, law enforcement agencies cannot combat illegal firearms.
16. What limits the effectiveness of gun control such as requiring waiting periods and limiting the sale of guns? a. There is no reliable way to keep track of the sale of new firearms. b. Few guns used in crimes are sold new to criminals. c. Many firearms used in crimes come from overseas. d. Due to the Second Amendment, law enforcement agencies cannot combat illegal firearms.
Which of the following would be classified as a Part II crime? a. an individual selling cocaine to another person b. an individual speeding on a public road c. an individual robbing a liquor store d. an individual breaking into a home
Answer: A a. Correct. Part II crimes are all crimes other than index and minor traffic offenses. b. Incorrect. This situation is a violation or minor traffic offense. c. Incorrect. This situation is a Part I or Index offense. d. Incorrect. This situation is a Part I or Index offense.
What is data mining? a. the use of advanced software by police to identify crime patterns and link them to suspects based on behavior patterns b. police conducting a full scope background check of a suspect, which includes questioning family and neighbors c. a method used by police to match suspects in a surveillance video to known criminals in a database d. a technique used by police to access a suspect's computer, bypass security protocols, and download the contents of its hard drive
Answer: A a. Correct. Data mining is the use of sophisticated computer software to conduct analyses of behavior patterns in an effort to identify crime patterns and link them to suspects. Remember [Secondary Sources of Crime Data] b. Incorrect. Data mining does not have this narrow a focus or employ this approach. Remember [Secondary Sources of Crime Data] c. Incorrect. Data mining does not address this type of investigation. Remember [Secondary Sources of Crime Data] d. Incorrect. Data mining does not have this narrow a focus or employ this approach. Remember [Secondary Sources of Crime Data]
Why is the NIBRS currently of limited use in gauging crime nationwide? a. The NIBRS has not been fully adopted in all 50 states. b. The NIBRS only records and tracks non-violent crime. c. The NIBRS is overly reliant on the use of flawed UCR databases. d. The NIBRS overutilizes subjective National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) data.
Answer: A a. Correct. Thus far, over 30 states have implemented their NIBRS programs. When this program is fully implemented and adopted across the nation, it should bring about greater uniformity in cross-jurisdictional reporting and improve the accuracy of official crime data. Remember [Primary Sources of Crime Data] b. Incorrect. NIBRS is not limited to nonviolent crime; 49 specific offenses are included. Remember [Primary Sources of Crime Data] c. Incorrect. MIBRS is not overly reliant on UCR databases. Remember [Primary Sources of Crime Data] d. Incorrect. NIBRS does not overutilize NCVS data. Remember [Primary Sources of Crime Data]
What is a career criminal? a. an offender who persistently engages in criminal acts b. an offender who has only committed a single act c. an offender who begins a life of criminality as an adult d. an offender who has renounced their criminal past
Answer: A a. Correct. A career criminal is a person who repeatedly violates the law and organizes his or her lifestyle around criminality. Remember [Crime Patterns] b. Incorrect. A career criminal requires more than a single act to be called such. Remember [Crime Patterns] c. Incorrect. A career criminal might begin a life of crime as an adult, but that would not make this person known as a career criminal; persistent acts would be required. Remember [Crime Patterns] d. Incorrect. A career criminal is one who continues a career in crime, not one who renounces it. Remember [Crime Patterns]
Which of the following groups could be used in a specific cohort study? a. the graduating male class of a particular high school b. the entire population of the United States c. a random group of youth aged 15 to 20 from across the country d. a group of Americans chosen by a national lottery system
Answer: A a. Correct. Cohort research involves observing, over time, a group of people who share a like characteristic. Remember [Secondary Sources of Crime Data] b. Incorrect. The entire population of the country would be way too unwieldy for a cohort study. Remember [Secondary Sources of Crime Data] c. Incorrect. There would not be a shared characteristic for this to be a cohort group. Remember [Secondary Sources of Crime Data] d. Incorrect. There would not be a shared characteristic for this to be a cohort group. Remember [Secondary Sources of Crime Data]
What is continuity of crime? a. the view that criminality starts at an early age and remains throughout life b. the idea that criminality is passed from one family generation to another c. the view that an individual will commit more severe crimes as they age d. the idea that prison serves to promote high recidivism rates among criminals
Answer: A a. Correct. Continuity of crime is the view that crime begins early in life and continues throughout the life course. Thus, the best predictor of future criminality is past criminality. Remember [Crime Patterns] b. Incorrect. Although a commitment to crime may be passed from one generation to the next—and in this sense is continuous---this is not what is known as continuity of crime. Remember [Crime Patterns] c. Incorrect. Continuity of crime is not related to the idea that someone will commit more severe crime as they age, but that could happen. Remember [Crime Patterns] d. Incorrect. Although prison could be argued to promote high recidivism among criminals (and crime thus continues among these offenders), this is not what is known as continuity of crime. Remember [Crime Patterns]
In what way are technological developments complicating the fight against crime? a. Technology is creating new classes of crime that are harder to detect and combat. b. Criminals are more adept at using technology than law enforcement agencies. c. Many law enforcement agencies cannot afford technology that they can benefit from. d. New laws are frequently diminishing the importance of technology to law enforcement.
Answer: A a. Correct. Technological developments such as e-commerce on the Internet have created new classes of crime that are not recorded by any of the traditional methods of crime measurement. It's possible that some crimes such as fraud, larceny, prostitution, obscenity, vandalism, stalking, and harassment have become cybercrimes, falling under the radar of official crime data. Understand [Crime Trends] b. Incorrect. Although some criminals might be more adept at using technology than some law enforcement agencies, this should not have the greatest impact technology has on crime in the future. Understand [Crime Trends] c. Incorrect. Inability to afford technology has not been a problem for law enforcement agencies as of now. Understand [Crime Trends] d. Incorrect. New laws are not diminishing the importance of technology to law enforcement. Understand [Crime Trends]
Why can the figures cited by the Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) be misleading? a. All multiple victim offenses are treated the same even though they aren't. b. Police departments vary in the way they record, classify, and report crimes. c. All crimes are reported in multiple crime situations, making the counting tedious. d. The FBI reports federal crimes differently than state ones.
Answer: B a. Incorrect. Actually, multiple victim crimes are handled differently. Robberies of multiple victims in a single incident are counted as one robbery, whereas multiple assaults in one incident are counted as multiple assaults. Understand [Primary Sources of Crime Data] b. Correct. The way police departments record and report criminal and delinquent activity affects the validity of UCR statistics. Not all police departments pay strict attention to FBI guidelines—some define crimes loosely, others make systematic errors, and some may falsify crime reports. Understand [Primary Sources of Crime Data] c. Incorrect. In multiple offense situations only the most serious crime is reported. Understand [Primary Sources of Crime Data] d. Incorrect. Federal crimes are not included in the UCR. Understand [Primary Sources of Crime Data]
Declining deviance as part of the aging out process results from __________. a. the need for economic independence b. youth growing more mature c. increased conflict with authority figures d. a simultaneous decline in mental abilities
Answer: B a. Incorrect. Aging out is not about economic independence. It's about maturity. Remember [Crime Patterns] b. Correct. Aging out is the process by which individuals reduce the frequency of their offending behavior as they age. It is also known as spontaneous remission, because people are believed to spontaneously reduce the rate of their criminal behavior as they mature. Remember [Crime Patterns] c. Incorrect. Aging out is not about increased conflict with authority figures. It's about maturity that might actually coincide with decreased conflict with authority figures. Remember [Crime Patterns] d. Incorrect. Aging out is not about a simultaneous decline in mental abilities; it's likely the opposite of this. Remember [Crime Patterns]
What is the foundation of racial threat hypothesis? a. Crime rates in a community typically rise when multiple racial minorities converge. b. A fear of growing minority populations results in greater police action against them. c. Law enforcement agencies provide more attention to minorities due to their higher crime rates. d. Certain minority groups are more predisposed to commit crime than others.
Answer: B a. Incorrect. Although there could be a slight rise in a crime rate due to this phenomenon, this is not what is known as the racial threat hypothesis. Understand [Crime Patterns] b. Correct. According to the racial threat hypothesis, as the percentage of minorities in the population increases, so too does the amount of social control that police direct at minority group members. The source of racial threat begins when residents overestimate the proportion of minorities living in their neighborhood, a circumstance that leads to false perceptions of disorder are heightened. Understand [Crime Patterns] c. Incorrect. Although there can be more law enforcement attention provided to minorities due to a higher crime rate, this is not what is known as the racial threat hypothesis. Understand [Crime Patterns] d. Incorrect. Although there could be some truth to this statement, this is not what is known as the racial threat hypothesis. Understand [Crime Patterns]
What is true concerning homicide rates in the world? a. Homicide rates are the lowest in Central America. b. Homicide rates are the highest in South Africa. c. Homicide rates are the highest in Eastern Asia. d. Homicide rates are increasing in Russia.
Answer: B a. Incorrect. Central America has one of the highest rates. Understand [Crime Trends] b. Correct. The global average homicide rate is about 6 per 100,000 population. Southern Africa and Central America have rates over four times higher than that (more than 24 victims per 100,000 population), making them the subregions with the highest homicide rates on record. Understand [Crime Trends] c. Incorrect. Eastern Asia has one of the lowest homicide rates. Understand [Crime Trends] d. Incorrect. The homicide rate in Russia is decreasing. Understand [Crime Trends]
What is the relation of the concept of early onset to crime? a. Increasing globalization and interdependence provide more economic opportunities and lessen the risk of youth resorting to crime as a means to establish financial independence. b. As a society increases the levels of punishment that are applied to crime, deterrence will occur as youth will be less inclined to commit criminal acts out of fear of the consequences. c. Youth who have been exposed to a variety of personal and social problems from an early age are the most at risk of repeat offending throughout their life. d. The assumption that crime is wholly related to rates of immigration and resulting workplace competition and that any drop in that rate will serve to discourage crime among adolescents.
Answer: C a. Incorrect. Increased globalization and interdependence are not related to the concept of early onset. Understand [Crime Patterns] b. Incorrect. Increased levels of punishment and any relation to deterrence are not related to the concept of early onset. Understand [Crime Patterns] c. Correct. The concept of early onset is the principle or fact that kids who have been exposed to a variety of personal and social problems at an early age are the most at risk to repeat offending. Understand [Crime Patterns] d. Incorrect. The concept of early onset is not related to immigration rates and workplace competition. Understand [Crime Patterns]
During which season would it behoove police on foot patrol in a major U.S. city to be on greater lookout for property crimes such as pickpocketing? a. fall b. winter c. summer d. spring
Answer: C a. Incorrect. Many teenagers are attending school in the fall and are not on the streets as much as in summer. Remember [Crime Patterns] b. Incorrect. Many teenagers are attending school during winter and many would-be victims are not on the streets to be pickpocketed during the winter. Remember [Crime Patterns] c. Correct. Crime rates are highest during the warm summer months of July and August. During the summer, teenagers, who usually have the highest crime levels, are out of school and have greater opportunity to commit crime. People spend more time outdoors during warm weather, making themselves easier targets. Remember [Crime Patterns] d. Incorrect. Many teenagers are attending school in the spring and are not on the streets as much as in summer. Remember [Crime Patterns]
What aspect of self-report surveys impedes their validity? a. the non-anonymous reporting nature of self-report surveys b. the limited use of self-report surveys to members of the population aged 45 and older c. the potential non-honesty of self-report survey respondents d. the use of self-report surveys in solely questioning adolescents
Answer: C a. Incorrect. Self-report surveys are anonymous, hopefully encouraging honest reporting. Understand [Primary Sources of Crime Data] b. Incorrect. Self-report surveys are typically used with high-school level students and not older groups, but the age of the respondents does not negate the validity of these surveys. Understand [Primary Sources of Crime Data] c. Correct. Self-report surveys are a research approach for questioning large groups of subjects, such as high school students, about their own participation in delinquent or criminal acts. Critics of self-report studies frequently suggest that it is unreasonable to expect people to candidly admit illegal acts. Understand [Primary Sources of Crime Data] d. Incorrect. Self-report surveys are typically used with adolescents, but this does not compromise their validity. Understand [Primary Sources of Crime Data]
When did violent crime rates peak in the United States? a. the 1950s b. late 2010s c. early 1990s d. mid 1970s
Answer: C a. Incorrect. Violent crime was still relatively infrequent at this time. Remember [Crime Trends] b. Incorrect. At this time violent crime had sharply declined from its high in the 1990s. Remember [Crime Trends] c. Correct. In 1992, police recorded about 1.93 million violent crimes at a rate of 757 per 100,000 people. By 2014, that figure fell to 1.16 million violent crimes at a rate of 365 per 100,000 people. Furthermore, between those years, the population increased by over 60 million. Remember [Crime Trends] d. Incorrect. Violent crime rates started to climb at this time. Remember [Crime Trends]
A systematic review: a. is always quantitative in reporting its findings. b. is based solely on research emanating from polls and surveys. c. combines UCR and NIBRS reports to produce a clearer picture of crime. d. synthesizes the findings of past studies to make a conclusion.
Answer: D a. Incorrect. A systematic review can be qualitative in nature. Remember [Secondary Sources of Crime Data] b. Incorrect. A systematic review can be conducted on a variety of methodologies. Remember [Secondary Sources of Crime Data] c. Incorrect. A systematic review would not be oriented or conducted this way. Remember [Secondary Sources of Crime Data] d. Correct. A systematic review is a research technique that involves collecting the findings from previously conducted studies, appraising and synthesizing the evidence, and using the collective evidence to address a particular scientific question. Remember [Secondary Sources of Crime Data]
Which of the following would be considered an instrumental crime? a. an individual shooting and critically injuring a person who criticized them b. an individual who vandalizes government property for the thrill of it c. an individual who is sexually frustrated, breaks into a home and rapes an inhabitant d. an individual threatens another with a knife to hand over their wallet
Answer: D a. Incorrect. Assault crimes, whether for revenge or not, are not among instrumental crimes. Remember [Crime Patterns] b. Incorrect. Thrill crimes are not among instrumental crimes. Remember [Crime Patterns] c. Incorrect. Sexually based offenses are not among instrumental crimes. Remember [Crime Patterns] d. Correct. Instrumental crimes are offenses designed to improve the financial or social position of a criminal. Remember [Crime Patterns]
In which of the following scenarios can crime mapping benefit police? a. Police have video surveillance of a robbery that shows the face of the suspect clearly. b. Police are uncertain if any hostages are being held in a barricaded building. c. Police have found evidence with fingerprints on it at a crime scene. d. Police are uncertain as to where they should deploy more officers to counter crime.
Answer: D a. Incorrect. Crime mapping programs do not assist in this type of identification. Understand [Secondary Sources of Crime Data] b. Incorrect. Crime mapping programs do not provide this type of intelligence. Understand [Secondary Sources of Crime Data] c. Incorrect. Crime mapping programs do not analyze this type of evidence. Understand [Secondary Sources of Crime Data] d. Correct. Computer mapping programs that can translate addresses into map coordinates allow departments to identify problem areas for particular crimes, such as drug dealing. Computer maps allow police to identify the location, time of day, and linkage among criminal events and to concentrate their forces accordingly. Understand [Secondary Sources of Crime Data]
What can primarily serve to limit co-offending in a community? a. law enforcement agencies devoting more resources to fighting white-collar crime b. community efforts aimed at forming home owners' associations c. placing juvenile offenders in adult criminal courts rather than juvenile courts d. developing more opportunities for youth employment in economically depressed communities
Answer: D a. Incorrect. Law enforcement agencies devoting more resources to fight white-collar crime would have no effect on co-offending in a community. Understand [Crime Patterns] b. Incorrect. It's more about communities that bond rather than raising money for community tasks that could affect co-offending in a community. Understand [Crime Patterns] c. Incorrect. Transferring juveniles to criminal court for trial should have no influence on co-offending in a community. Understand [Crime Patterns] d. Correct. Co-offending is more prevalent in neighborhoods that are less disadvantaged, more stable, and contain more people who can be trusted. Ironically, this means that efforts to improve neighborhood stability and cohesiveness may also help produce an environment that encourages group offending. Understand [Crime Patterns]
Which of the following is true for liberal feminist theories regarding crime? a. Despite changes in the crime hierarchy of America, women are not inclined to resort to violence. b. Women are genetically predisposed to seeking and using property crime as a way to facilitate change. c. The class structure of America necessitates women to seek crime as a way to advance their status. d. As women move closer to men in social and economic position, their crime rate will increase.
Answer: D a. Incorrect. Liberal feminist theory does not posit that women are not inclined to resort to violence. Remember [Crime Patterns] b. Incorrect. Liberal feminist theory does not posit that women are genetically predisposed to seeking and using property crime as a way to facilitate change. Remember [Crime Patterns] c. Incorrect. Although the class structure is problematic, liberal feminist theory does not posit that women seek crime as a way to advance their status. Remember [Crime Patterns] d. Correct. Liberal feminist theory has suggested that the traditionally lower crime rate for women could be explained by their second-class economic and social position. It was believed that as women's social roles changed and their lifestyles became more like those of males, the crime rates for the genders would converge. Remember [Crime Patterns]
In what way is the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) intended to be more explanatory than the Uniform Crime Reports (UCR)? a. The NIBRS compiles summaries rather than statistics related to crime. b. The NIBRS includes the name and criminal record of the offender for each crime. c. The NIBRS is concerned only with the basic, fundamental aspects of a reported crime. d. The NIBRS requires reported crimes to be put into greater context.
Answer: D a. Incorrect. NIBRS requires more than just summaries, including a brief account of each incident and arrest, including the incident, victim, and offender information. Understand [Primary Sources of Crime Data] b. Incorrect. Again, including the name of the offender is only part of the reason NIBRS is intended to be more explanatory than the UCR. Understand [Primary Sources of Crime Data] c. Incorrect. NIBRS goes well beyond the basic aspects of a crime and details many aspects of each offense. Understand [Primary Sources of Crime Data] d. Correct. Instead of allowing local police agencies simply to indicate the kinds of crimes that individual citizens report to the police and to submit summary statements of resulting arrests, the NIBRS requires them to provide at least a brief account of each incident and arrest, including the incident, victim, and offender information. Understand [Primary Sources of Crime Data]
When compared to the UCR, what does the Monitoring the Future (MTF) study reveal? a. crime rates recorded in various ways are roughly equal b. criminals and delinquents specialize in one type of crime c. only a minority of people commit crime d. the crime problem is much greater than official statistics would lead us to believe
Answer: D a. Incorrect. The MTF study does not address the other various ways in which crime rates are recorded. Understand [Crime Trends] b. Incorrect. MTF data show that crime is a mixed bag according to what offenders will admit doing. Understand [Crime Trends] c. Incorrect. MTF data show that nearly everyone has committed some type of offense in their lifetime. Understand [Crime Trends] d. Correct. If the MTF data are accurate, the crime problem is much greater than official statistics would lead us to believe. According to the MTF, high school students alone commit nearly 200,000 robberies per year. In comparison, the UCR now tallies about 325,000 yearly robberies for all age groups. Understand [Crime Trends]
What is the correlation between a good economy and higher crime rates? a. Typically, when the economy is doing well, it only benefits the upper class. b. Some criminals desire to take advantage of prosperity by acquiring more wealth. c. The acquisition of greater material wealth encourages greed and the need to satisfy it. d. Greater prosperity for more people in turn provides more tempting targets for youth criminals.
Answer: D a. Incorrect. When the economy is doing well all classes tend to benefit. Understand [Crime Patterns] b. Incorrect. To the extent that this is accurate, a good economy is irrelevant. Understand [Crime Patterns] c. Incorrect. To the extent that this is accurate, a good economy is irrelevant. Understand [Crime Patterns] d. Correct. Since teens commit more crimes than adults, high teenage employment will actually increase the overall crime rate. A good economy means that people can buy valuable goods, which make tempting targets. Understand [Crime Patterns]