CJ 305 - Exam 2 Study Questions with
Correct Answers
deterrence theory - ANSWER-developed by Beccaria and Bentham
assumes that potential and actual legal punishment can deter crime
marginal deterrence - ANSWER-the effect of increasing the severity, certainty,
and/or swiftness of legal punishment
general deterrence - ANSWER-people decide not to break the law for fear of legal
punishment
specific deterrence (individual deterrence) - ANSWER-offenders who have already
been punished for committing a crime decide not to reoffend
objective deterrence - ANSWER-the impact of actual legal punishment
subjective deterrence - ANSWER-the impact of people's perceptions of the likelihood
of arrest and punishment
instrumental offenses - ANSWER-crimes committed for material gain and with some
degree of planning.
these are more deterrable than expressive offenses
expressive offenses - ANSWER-crimes committed for emotional reasons and with
little or no planning
routine activities theory - ANSWER-developed by Cohen and Felson
assumes that crime is more likely when motivated offenders find attractive targets in
the absence of guardianship
formal guardian = police, security, surveillance
informal guardian = family, friends, bystanders, dog
rational choice theory - ANSWER-assumes that potential offenders choose whether
to commit crime after carefully calculating the possible rewards and risks
moral development - ANSWER-the ability to distinguish between right from wrong
and to determine the ethically correct course of action in complex circumstances
biosocial perspective - ANSWER-biological traits interact with environmental
influences to produce crime
social disorganization theory - ANSWER-high rates of neighbourhood crime are due
to weakened norms, social bonds, and conventional social institutions
, crime has a clear geographic distribution
anomie theory - ANSWER-crime results from the failure to achieve the cultural goal
of economic success through the institutional means of working
general strain theory - ANSWER-negative emotions and thus delinquency result from
the failure to achieve desired goals, from the removal of positive stimuli, and from the
introduction of negative stimuli
people's aspirations become uncontrolled and unfulfilled
learning theories of crime - ANSWER-see criminality as the result of the socialization
process we all experience
social bonding theory - ANSWER-delinquency and crime are more common among
individuals with weakened social bonds to conventional social institutions such as
the family and school
self-control theory - ANSWER-criminal behavior results from low self-control, which
in turn results from ineffective parenting
labeling theory - ANSWER-deviance is not a quality of the act a person commits;
some people and behaviors are more likely than others to be labeled deviant;
the deviant label may lead to continued deviance
assumptions of classical theories - ANSWER-1. humans have free will and make
decisions for themselves
2. humans are rational and weigh pain v. pleasure
structure of society - ANSWER-socioeconomic status
T/F: Crime is a result of the conditions of a neighborhood, not the types of people
who live there. - ANSWER-True
Neighborhoods with structural problems like poverty, residential turnover, and ethnic
heterogeneity tend to have __________ crime. - ANSWER-higher
From lecture, we learned that the "age-crime curve" can be described as this: Crime
_________ in adolescence, __________ in the late teens, and _________ in
adulthood.
A. increases/peaks/decreases
B. decreases/increases/peaks
C. increases/continues to increase/decreases
D. decreases/continues to decrease/increase - ANSWER-
increases;peaks;decreases
T/F: According to the Barkan textbook, the UCR shows that whites accounted for the
majority (69%) of all arrests in 2014. Thus, in terms of sheer numbers, whites commit
most crime in the U.S., and the typical offender is white. - ANSWER-True
Correct Answers
deterrence theory - ANSWER-developed by Beccaria and Bentham
assumes that potential and actual legal punishment can deter crime
marginal deterrence - ANSWER-the effect of increasing the severity, certainty,
and/or swiftness of legal punishment
general deterrence - ANSWER-people decide not to break the law for fear of legal
punishment
specific deterrence (individual deterrence) - ANSWER-offenders who have already
been punished for committing a crime decide not to reoffend
objective deterrence - ANSWER-the impact of actual legal punishment
subjective deterrence - ANSWER-the impact of people's perceptions of the likelihood
of arrest and punishment
instrumental offenses - ANSWER-crimes committed for material gain and with some
degree of planning.
these are more deterrable than expressive offenses
expressive offenses - ANSWER-crimes committed for emotional reasons and with
little or no planning
routine activities theory - ANSWER-developed by Cohen and Felson
assumes that crime is more likely when motivated offenders find attractive targets in
the absence of guardianship
formal guardian = police, security, surveillance
informal guardian = family, friends, bystanders, dog
rational choice theory - ANSWER-assumes that potential offenders choose whether
to commit crime after carefully calculating the possible rewards and risks
moral development - ANSWER-the ability to distinguish between right from wrong
and to determine the ethically correct course of action in complex circumstances
biosocial perspective - ANSWER-biological traits interact with environmental
influences to produce crime
social disorganization theory - ANSWER-high rates of neighbourhood crime are due
to weakened norms, social bonds, and conventional social institutions
, crime has a clear geographic distribution
anomie theory - ANSWER-crime results from the failure to achieve the cultural goal
of economic success through the institutional means of working
general strain theory - ANSWER-negative emotions and thus delinquency result from
the failure to achieve desired goals, from the removal of positive stimuli, and from the
introduction of negative stimuli
people's aspirations become uncontrolled and unfulfilled
learning theories of crime - ANSWER-see criminality as the result of the socialization
process we all experience
social bonding theory - ANSWER-delinquency and crime are more common among
individuals with weakened social bonds to conventional social institutions such as
the family and school
self-control theory - ANSWER-criminal behavior results from low self-control, which
in turn results from ineffective parenting
labeling theory - ANSWER-deviance is not a quality of the act a person commits;
some people and behaviors are more likely than others to be labeled deviant;
the deviant label may lead to continued deviance
assumptions of classical theories - ANSWER-1. humans have free will and make
decisions for themselves
2. humans are rational and weigh pain v. pleasure
structure of society - ANSWER-socioeconomic status
T/F: Crime is a result of the conditions of a neighborhood, not the types of people
who live there. - ANSWER-True
Neighborhoods with structural problems like poverty, residential turnover, and ethnic
heterogeneity tend to have __________ crime. - ANSWER-higher
From lecture, we learned that the "age-crime curve" can be described as this: Crime
_________ in adolescence, __________ in the late teens, and _________ in
adulthood.
A. increases/peaks/decreases
B. decreases/increases/peaks
C. increases/continues to increase/decreases
D. decreases/continues to decrease/increase - ANSWER-
increases;peaks;decreases
T/F: According to the Barkan textbook, the UCR shows that whites accounted for the
majority (69%) of all arrests in 2014. Thus, in terms of sheer numbers, whites commit
most crime in the U.S., and the typical offender is white. - ANSWER-True
