TEST BANK
UNDERSTANDING CRIME IN CANADA: AN
INTRODUCTION TO CRIMINOLOGY
,TABLE OF CONTENTS
Part 1: Foundations of Canadian Criminology
Chapter 1: What Is Criminology?
Chapter 2: The Media: Shaping Our Understanding of Crime
Chapter 3: Criminal Law in Canada
Chapter 4: Measuring Crime
Chapter 5: Victims of Crime
Chapter 6: Race and Criminalization
Part 2: Theories of Crime
Chapter 7: Theories of Crime: A Brief Introduction
Chapter 8: Biological Approaches
Chapter 9: Psychological Approaches
Chapter 10: Sociological Approaches
Chapter 11: Gender and Crime
Chapter 12: Critical Criminology
Chapter 13: Crime Choice Theory
Part 3: Types of Crime
Chapter 14: Violent Crime
Chapter 15: Sexual Offences and Problematic Sexual Interests
Chapter 16: Property Crime
Chapter 17: Crimes of Morality
Chapter 18: Organized Crime and Gangs
Chapter 19: White-Collar Crime, Cybercrime, and Terrorism
,PART 1: FOUNDATIONS OF CANADIAN CRIMINOLOGY
CHAPTER 1: WHAT IS CRIMINOLOGY?
Difficulty Distribution: 5 Easy | 5 Moderate | 5 Challenging
EASY LEVEL QUESTIONS (1-5)
1. Criminology is best defined as:
A) The study of law enforcement techniques
B) The scientific study of crime, criminal behavior, and societal responses to crime
C) The practice of criminal law
D) The rehabilitation of offenders
Answer: B
Explanation: Criminology is an interdisciplinary social science that systematically examines crime as a
social phenomenon, including its causes, consequences, and control. While law enforcement (A), legal
practice (C), and rehabilitation (D) are related fields, they represent specific applications rather than the
comprehensive academic discipline of criminology.
Difficulty: Easy | Learning Objective: Define criminology as an academic discipline
2. Which of the following is a key question that criminologists seek to answer?
A) How to prosecute criminals most effectively
B) Why some individuals engage in criminal behavior while others do not
C) What the maximum sentence for theft should be
D) How to design secure prisons
,Answer: B
Explanation: A fundamental criminological question concerns the etiology (causes) of criminal behavior
and differential offending patterns. Questions A, C, and D relate to criminal justice administration rather
than criminological inquiry, which focuses on understanding crime patterns and causation.
Difficulty: Easy | Learning Objective: Identify core questions in criminology
3. The term "social harm" in criminology refers to:
A) Only behaviors that violate the Criminal Code
B) Actions that cause damage to individuals or society, which may or may not be criminalized
C) Physical injuries resulting from assault
D) Harm caused exclusively by street crime
Answer: B
Explanation: The social harm perspective recognizes that many harmful behaviors (corporate pollution,
workplace safety violations, poverty-inducing policies) may not be criminalized, while some criminalized
acts may cause minimal harm. This concept challenges narrow legal definitions of crime and expands
criminological focus beyond traditional street crimes.
Difficulty: Easy | Learning Objective: Understand the concept of social harm
4. Which discipline is NOT typically considered part of criminology's interdisciplinary foundation?
A) Sociology
B) Psychology
,C) Engineering
D) Law
Answer: C
Explanation: Criminology draws primarily from social sciences (sociology, psychology) and law to
understand crime. While engineering might contribute to crime prevention technology, it is not a core
foundational discipline. Criminology's interdisciplinary nature integrates sociology (social patterns),
psychology (individual behavior), and law (legal frameworks).
Difficulty: Easy | Learning Objective: Recognize criminology's interdisciplinary nature
5. In Canada, the primary source of criminal law is:
A) Provincial legislation
B) The Criminal Code of Canada
C) Municipal bylaws
D) Common law only
Answer: B
Explanation: The Criminal Code of Canada is the federal statute that defines most criminal offences and
procedures. While common law principles inform interpretation and provincial/municipal laws address
certain regulatory matters, the Criminal Code is the central source of criminal law under federal
jurisdiction per the Constitution Act, 1867.
Difficulty: Easy | Learning Objective: Identify the primary source of Canadian criminal law
MODERATE LEVEL QUESTIONS (6-10)
6. The "consensus perspective" in criminology assumes that:
,A) Laws reflect the interests of powerful elites
B) Criminal laws represent broad societal agreement on fundamental values
C) There is no agreement about what should be criminalized
D) Crime is entirely socially constructed with no objective basis
Answer: B
Explanation: The consensus model posits that criminal laws emerge from general societal agreement
about core values (e.g., protecting life, property). This contrasts with the conflict perspective (A), which
emphasizes power differentials in law creation. While crime has constructed elements, consensus
theory suggests shared moral foundations for certain prohibitions.
Difficulty: Moderate | Learning Objective: Compare criminological perspectives on law creation
7. Which statement best reflects the "conflict perspective" in criminology?
A) Laws are neutral and apply equally to all citizens
B) Criminal law protects the interests of dominant groups and may criminalize the behaviors of
marginalized populations
C) Crime results from individual moral failure
D) There is universal agreement about what constitutes crime
Answer: B
Explanation: Conflict criminology, rooted in Marxist and critical theories, argues that law creation and
enforcement reflect power structures. Dominant groups may use criminal law to control subordinate
populations—for example, historical vagrancy laws targeting the poor or drug laws disproportionately
affecting racialized communities.
,Difficulty: Moderate | Learning Objective: Explain the conflict perspective on crime
8. "Deviance" differs from "crime" in that:
A) Deviance is always more serious than crime
B) Deviance refers to violations of social norms, which may or may not be criminalized
C) Crime is deviance, but deviance is never crime
D) There is no meaningful distinction between the two concepts
Answer: B
Explanation: Deviance encompasses norm violations (e.g., unconventional dress, rudeness) that aren't
necessarily illegal. The relationship is overlapping but not identical: some crimes aren't considered
deviant by certain groups (e.g., cannabis use before legalization), while some deviant acts aren't criminal
(e.g., eccentricity). Understanding this distinction is crucial for analyzing social control mechanisms.
Difficulty: Moderate | Learning Objective: Distinguish between deviance and crime
9. The "social construction of crime" concept suggests that:
A) Crime rates are fabricated by researchers
B) Definitions of criminal behavior vary across time, cultures, and social contexts
C) Crime has no real impact on society
D) Biological factors determine what is considered criminal
Answer: B
Explanation: Social constructionism in criminology emphasizes that crime definitions aren't universal or
unchanging. Cannabis prohibition (criminalized 1923, legalized 2018 in Canada) exemplifies this: the
,same behavior shifted from criminal to legal based on changing social, political, and medical
understandings, not inherent properties of the act itself.
Difficulty: Moderate | Learning Objective: Apply the social construction framework to crime
10. Which of the following best describes "criminalization"?
A) The process of committing a crime
B) The social and legal process by which behaviors become defined as criminal
C) The punishment of offenders
D) The rehabilitation of criminals
Answer: B
Explanation: Criminalization refers to the definitional process—social movements, legislative action, and
enforcement priorities—that transforms behaviors into crimes. Examples include the criminalization of
impaired driving (gradual process through the 20th century) or discussions about criminalizing
environmental harms. This process involves moral entrepreneurs, lobbying, and political decision-
making.
Difficulty: Moderate | Learning Objective: Define and explain criminalization processes
CHALLENGING LEVEL QUESTIONS (11-15)
11. How does the "administrative criminology" approach differ from critical criminology?
A) Administrative criminology focuses on crime prevention techniques; critical criminology examines
power structures and systemic inequalities
B) They are identical approaches with different names
C) Administrative criminology rejects all statistical analysis
,D) Critical criminology only studies corporate crime
Answer: A
Explanation: Administrative criminology (associated with routine activities theory, situational crime
prevention) focuses on practical crime reduction through environmental design and opportunity
reduction, largely accepting existing social structures. Critical criminology challenges fundamental power
arrangements, examining how capitalism, patriarchy, and racism generate criminalization patterns. The
former asks "how to prevent crime"; the latter asks "whose interests does crime control serve?"
Difficulty: Challenging | Learning Objective: Compare criminological paradigms
12. The concept of "state crime" challenges traditional criminology by:
A) Denying that governments can commit harmful acts
B) Recognizing that governments and state institutions can engage in criminal or harmful activities that
often go unpunished
C) Arguing that only individuals, not organizations, can commit crimes
D) Claiming that all government actions are criminal
Answer: B
Explanation: State crime (genocide, torture, illegal surveillance, police violence) reveals limitations in
legalistic crime definitions—governments create laws and often exempt themselves from accountability.
Examples include residential school systems in Canada (state-perpetrated cultural genocide), RCMP
surveillance of Indigenous activists, or international examples like rendition programs. This concept
expands criminology beyond conventional "street crime" focus.
Difficulty: Challenging | Learning Objective: Evaluate expanded definitions of crime
13. Which statement best reflects the relationship between criminology and criminal justice?
, A) The terms are interchangeable
B) Criminology is the theoretical study of crime; criminal justice focuses on system institutions and
practices
C) Criminal justice emerged before criminology historically
D) Criminology only studies police functions
Answer: B
Explanation: Criminology (academic discipline studying crime causation, patterns, impacts) and criminal
justice (applied field examining police, courts, corrections operations) are related but distinct.
Criminology provides theoretical frameworks for understanding crime; criminal justice applies these
insights to system functioning. A criminologist might study why crime occurs; a criminal justice scholar
examines how courts process cases.
Difficulty: Challenging | Learning Objective: Distinguish criminology from criminal justice
14. A criminologist applying a "human rights perspective" to crime would likely:
A) Focus exclusively on offender rehabilitation
B) Examine how criminal justice systems may violate rights and how rights frameworks can inform
responses to harm
C) Reject all forms of punishment
D) Only study international crimes
Answer: B
Explanation: Human rights criminology critiques rights violations within justice systems (wrongful
convictions, solitary confinement, discriminatory policing) while also considering victims' rights and
harm reduction. It might analyze Indigenous overincarceration through rights frameworks (UNDRIP
UNDERSTANDING CRIME IN CANADA: AN
INTRODUCTION TO CRIMINOLOGY
,TABLE OF CONTENTS
Part 1: Foundations of Canadian Criminology
Chapter 1: What Is Criminology?
Chapter 2: The Media: Shaping Our Understanding of Crime
Chapter 3: Criminal Law in Canada
Chapter 4: Measuring Crime
Chapter 5: Victims of Crime
Chapter 6: Race and Criminalization
Part 2: Theories of Crime
Chapter 7: Theories of Crime: A Brief Introduction
Chapter 8: Biological Approaches
Chapter 9: Psychological Approaches
Chapter 10: Sociological Approaches
Chapter 11: Gender and Crime
Chapter 12: Critical Criminology
Chapter 13: Crime Choice Theory
Part 3: Types of Crime
Chapter 14: Violent Crime
Chapter 15: Sexual Offences and Problematic Sexual Interests
Chapter 16: Property Crime
Chapter 17: Crimes of Morality
Chapter 18: Organized Crime and Gangs
Chapter 19: White-Collar Crime, Cybercrime, and Terrorism
,PART 1: FOUNDATIONS OF CANADIAN CRIMINOLOGY
CHAPTER 1: WHAT IS CRIMINOLOGY?
Difficulty Distribution: 5 Easy | 5 Moderate | 5 Challenging
EASY LEVEL QUESTIONS (1-5)
1. Criminology is best defined as:
A) The study of law enforcement techniques
B) The scientific study of crime, criminal behavior, and societal responses to crime
C) The practice of criminal law
D) The rehabilitation of offenders
Answer: B
Explanation: Criminology is an interdisciplinary social science that systematically examines crime as a
social phenomenon, including its causes, consequences, and control. While law enforcement (A), legal
practice (C), and rehabilitation (D) are related fields, they represent specific applications rather than the
comprehensive academic discipline of criminology.
Difficulty: Easy | Learning Objective: Define criminology as an academic discipline
2. Which of the following is a key question that criminologists seek to answer?
A) How to prosecute criminals most effectively
B) Why some individuals engage in criminal behavior while others do not
C) What the maximum sentence for theft should be
D) How to design secure prisons
,Answer: B
Explanation: A fundamental criminological question concerns the etiology (causes) of criminal behavior
and differential offending patterns. Questions A, C, and D relate to criminal justice administration rather
than criminological inquiry, which focuses on understanding crime patterns and causation.
Difficulty: Easy | Learning Objective: Identify core questions in criminology
3. The term "social harm" in criminology refers to:
A) Only behaviors that violate the Criminal Code
B) Actions that cause damage to individuals or society, which may or may not be criminalized
C) Physical injuries resulting from assault
D) Harm caused exclusively by street crime
Answer: B
Explanation: The social harm perspective recognizes that many harmful behaviors (corporate pollution,
workplace safety violations, poverty-inducing policies) may not be criminalized, while some criminalized
acts may cause minimal harm. This concept challenges narrow legal definitions of crime and expands
criminological focus beyond traditional street crimes.
Difficulty: Easy | Learning Objective: Understand the concept of social harm
4. Which discipline is NOT typically considered part of criminology's interdisciplinary foundation?
A) Sociology
B) Psychology
,C) Engineering
D) Law
Answer: C
Explanation: Criminology draws primarily from social sciences (sociology, psychology) and law to
understand crime. While engineering might contribute to crime prevention technology, it is not a core
foundational discipline. Criminology's interdisciplinary nature integrates sociology (social patterns),
psychology (individual behavior), and law (legal frameworks).
Difficulty: Easy | Learning Objective: Recognize criminology's interdisciplinary nature
5. In Canada, the primary source of criminal law is:
A) Provincial legislation
B) The Criminal Code of Canada
C) Municipal bylaws
D) Common law only
Answer: B
Explanation: The Criminal Code of Canada is the federal statute that defines most criminal offences and
procedures. While common law principles inform interpretation and provincial/municipal laws address
certain regulatory matters, the Criminal Code is the central source of criminal law under federal
jurisdiction per the Constitution Act, 1867.
Difficulty: Easy | Learning Objective: Identify the primary source of Canadian criminal law
MODERATE LEVEL QUESTIONS (6-10)
6. The "consensus perspective" in criminology assumes that:
,A) Laws reflect the interests of powerful elites
B) Criminal laws represent broad societal agreement on fundamental values
C) There is no agreement about what should be criminalized
D) Crime is entirely socially constructed with no objective basis
Answer: B
Explanation: The consensus model posits that criminal laws emerge from general societal agreement
about core values (e.g., protecting life, property). This contrasts with the conflict perspective (A), which
emphasizes power differentials in law creation. While crime has constructed elements, consensus
theory suggests shared moral foundations for certain prohibitions.
Difficulty: Moderate | Learning Objective: Compare criminological perspectives on law creation
7. Which statement best reflects the "conflict perspective" in criminology?
A) Laws are neutral and apply equally to all citizens
B) Criminal law protects the interests of dominant groups and may criminalize the behaviors of
marginalized populations
C) Crime results from individual moral failure
D) There is universal agreement about what constitutes crime
Answer: B
Explanation: Conflict criminology, rooted in Marxist and critical theories, argues that law creation and
enforcement reflect power structures. Dominant groups may use criminal law to control subordinate
populations—for example, historical vagrancy laws targeting the poor or drug laws disproportionately
affecting racialized communities.
,Difficulty: Moderate | Learning Objective: Explain the conflict perspective on crime
8. "Deviance" differs from "crime" in that:
A) Deviance is always more serious than crime
B) Deviance refers to violations of social norms, which may or may not be criminalized
C) Crime is deviance, but deviance is never crime
D) There is no meaningful distinction between the two concepts
Answer: B
Explanation: Deviance encompasses norm violations (e.g., unconventional dress, rudeness) that aren't
necessarily illegal. The relationship is overlapping but not identical: some crimes aren't considered
deviant by certain groups (e.g., cannabis use before legalization), while some deviant acts aren't criminal
(e.g., eccentricity). Understanding this distinction is crucial for analyzing social control mechanisms.
Difficulty: Moderate | Learning Objective: Distinguish between deviance and crime
9. The "social construction of crime" concept suggests that:
A) Crime rates are fabricated by researchers
B) Definitions of criminal behavior vary across time, cultures, and social contexts
C) Crime has no real impact on society
D) Biological factors determine what is considered criminal
Answer: B
Explanation: Social constructionism in criminology emphasizes that crime definitions aren't universal or
unchanging. Cannabis prohibition (criminalized 1923, legalized 2018 in Canada) exemplifies this: the
,same behavior shifted from criminal to legal based on changing social, political, and medical
understandings, not inherent properties of the act itself.
Difficulty: Moderate | Learning Objective: Apply the social construction framework to crime
10. Which of the following best describes "criminalization"?
A) The process of committing a crime
B) The social and legal process by which behaviors become defined as criminal
C) The punishment of offenders
D) The rehabilitation of criminals
Answer: B
Explanation: Criminalization refers to the definitional process—social movements, legislative action, and
enforcement priorities—that transforms behaviors into crimes. Examples include the criminalization of
impaired driving (gradual process through the 20th century) or discussions about criminalizing
environmental harms. This process involves moral entrepreneurs, lobbying, and political decision-
making.
Difficulty: Moderate | Learning Objective: Define and explain criminalization processes
CHALLENGING LEVEL QUESTIONS (11-15)
11. How does the "administrative criminology" approach differ from critical criminology?
A) Administrative criminology focuses on crime prevention techniques; critical criminology examines
power structures and systemic inequalities
B) They are identical approaches with different names
C) Administrative criminology rejects all statistical analysis
,D) Critical criminology only studies corporate crime
Answer: A
Explanation: Administrative criminology (associated with routine activities theory, situational crime
prevention) focuses on practical crime reduction through environmental design and opportunity
reduction, largely accepting existing social structures. Critical criminology challenges fundamental power
arrangements, examining how capitalism, patriarchy, and racism generate criminalization patterns. The
former asks "how to prevent crime"; the latter asks "whose interests does crime control serve?"
Difficulty: Challenging | Learning Objective: Compare criminological paradigms
12. The concept of "state crime" challenges traditional criminology by:
A) Denying that governments can commit harmful acts
B) Recognizing that governments and state institutions can engage in criminal or harmful activities that
often go unpunished
C) Arguing that only individuals, not organizations, can commit crimes
D) Claiming that all government actions are criminal
Answer: B
Explanation: State crime (genocide, torture, illegal surveillance, police violence) reveals limitations in
legalistic crime definitions—governments create laws and often exempt themselves from accountability.
Examples include residential school systems in Canada (state-perpetrated cultural genocide), RCMP
surveillance of Indigenous activists, or international examples like rendition programs. This concept
expands criminology beyond conventional "street crime" focus.
Difficulty: Challenging | Learning Objective: Evaluate expanded definitions of crime
13. Which statement best reflects the relationship between criminology and criminal justice?
, A) The terms are interchangeable
B) Criminology is the theoretical study of crime; criminal justice focuses on system institutions and
practices
C) Criminal justice emerged before criminology historically
D) Criminology only studies police functions
Answer: B
Explanation: Criminology (academic discipline studying crime causation, patterns, impacts) and criminal
justice (applied field examining police, courts, corrections operations) are related but distinct.
Criminology provides theoretical frameworks for understanding crime; criminal justice applies these
insights to system functioning. A criminologist might study why crime occurs; a criminal justice scholar
examines how courts process cases.
Difficulty: Challenging | Learning Objective: Distinguish criminology from criminal justice
14. A criminologist applying a "human rights perspective" to crime would likely:
A) Focus exclusively on offender rehabilitation
B) Examine how criminal justice systems may violate rights and how rights frameworks can inform
responses to harm
C) Reject all forms of punishment
D) Only study international crimes
Answer: B
Explanation: Human rights criminology critiques rights violations within justice systems (wrongful
convictions, solitary confinement, discriminatory policing) while also considering victims' rights and
harm reduction. It might analyze Indigenous overincarceration through rights frameworks (UNDRIP
