SWIC Police Academy EXAM 1
Questions and Correct Answers
Graded A+ 2025\2026 Edition.
Crime - Answer A violation of the criminal law without acceptable legal justification
Deviance - Answer A violation of social norms defining appropriate behavior under a particular
set of circumstances, may include crime but not necessarily
Theory - Answer In simple terms, theory is an explanation of something
Hypotheses - Answer An explanation that accounts for a set of facts and that can be tested by
further investigation. Also, something that is taken to be true for the purpose of argument or
investigation
Describe the seven (7) theories of crime and differences between them - Answer 1.
Deterrence and Rational Choice Theories.
2. Biological and Biosocial Theories
3. Psychological Theories.
4. Social Learning Theory
5. Social Bonding and Control Theories
6. Labeling and Reintegrative Shaming Theory
7. Social Disorganization Theory: Social Structure, Communities, and Crime.
Classical Criminology - Answer A school of thought based upon utilitarian notions of free will
and the greatest good for the greatest number. At its core, classical criminology refers to a belief
that a crime is committed after an individual weighs the pros and cons. The decision to commit
a crime is a rational decision, and is best countered through a deterrence-based system.
Routine Activity Theory - Answer This theory states that for crime to be committed, three
elements must be present: an available target, a motivated offender, and a lack of guardians
Deterrence - Answer A core principle of classical school and rational choice theories. This
theory states that crime can be controlled through the use of punishments that combine the
, Rational Choice Theory - Answer This is the 1980s formulation of classical criminology. While
the beliefs of rational choice theory can be traced back to eighteenth-century philosopher
Cesare Beccaria, this version adds a new dimension that emphasizes the expanding role of the
economist in criminological thought. The emphasis is placed on the expected reward for
committing a crime, and other associated costs and benefits surrounding criminal activity
Biological and Biosocial Theories - Answer • Human behavior is constitutionally or genetically
determined.
• Basic determinants of human behavior may be passed from generation to generation.
• Some behavior is the result of propensities inherited from more primitive developmental
stages in the evolutionary process.
Biological Positivism - Answer A view of crime, also referred to as biological positivism that
claims that criminal behavior is the result of biological or inborn defects or abnormalities. This
view directly conflicts with classical criminology, which claims that criminal activity is the result
of free will. Under a biological perspective, deterrence is of little value
Determinism / Soft Determinism - Answer In considering biological theories, determinism
refers to the view that an individual's criminal lifestyle or actions is the direct result of genetic
inheritance or biological predisposition. Soft Determinism, examines the role of determinism,
but also acknowledges that other factors, from environmental to choice, may be part of the
equation. This assumes that behavior is not completely and strictly determined by the
individual's genetic or biological makeup.
Psychological Theories - Answer • The individual is the main unit of analysis.
• Personality is the major motivational element.
• Crimes result from inappropriately conditioned behavior.
• Abnormal mental processes may have a number of causes.
• Diseased mind.
• Inappropriate learning.
• Improper conditioning.
Freudian Concepts - Answer • Psychoanalytic theorists believe that criminal behavior is the
result of a mental disturbance. From a Freudian perspective, this may have been caused by a
conflict between the id, ego, and superego, or it may be the result of an improper fixation
during a stage of emotional development.
• Id, Ego, Superego.
Questions and Correct Answers
Graded A+ 2025\2026 Edition.
Crime - Answer A violation of the criminal law without acceptable legal justification
Deviance - Answer A violation of social norms defining appropriate behavior under a particular
set of circumstances, may include crime but not necessarily
Theory - Answer In simple terms, theory is an explanation of something
Hypotheses - Answer An explanation that accounts for a set of facts and that can be tested by
further investigation. Also, something that is taken to be true for the purpose of argument or
investigation
Describe the seven (7) theories of crime and differences between them - Answer 1.
Deterrence and Rational Choice Theories.
2. Biological and Biosocial Theories
3. Psychological Theories.
4. Social Learning Theory
5. Social Bonding and Control Theories
6. Labeling and Reintegrative Shaming Theory
7. Social Disorganization Theory: Social Structure, Communities, and Crime.
Classical Criminology - Answer A school of thought based upon utilitarian notions of free will
and the greatest good for the greatest number. At its core, classical criminology refers to a belief
that a crime is committed after an individual weighs the pros and cons. The decision to commit
a crime is a rational decision, and is best countered through a deterrence-based system.
Routine Activity Theory - Answer This theory states that for crime to be committed, three
elements must be present: an available target, a motivated offender, and a lack of guardians
Deterrence - Answer A core principle of classical school and rational choice theories. This
theory states that crime can be controlled through the use of punishments that combine the
, Rational Choice Theory - Answer This is the 1980s formulation of classical criminology. While
the beliefs of rational choice theory can be traced back to eighteenth-century philosopher
Cesare Beccaria, this version adds a new dimension that emphasizes the expanding role of the
economist in criminological thought. The emphasis is placed on the expected reward for
committing a crime, and other associated costs and benefits surrounding criminal activity
Biological and Biosocial Theories - Answer • Human behavior is constitutionally or genetically
determined.
• Basic determinants of human behavior may be passed from generation to generation.
• Some behavior is the result of propensities inherited from more primitive developmental
stages in the evolutionary process.
Biological Positivism - Answer A view of crime, also referred to as biological positivism that
claims that criminal behavior is the result of biological or inborn defects or abnormalities. This
view directly conflicts with classical criminology, which claims that criminal activity is the result
of free will. Under a biological perspective, deterrence is of little value
Determinism / Soft Determinism - Answer In considering biological theories, determinism
refers to the view that an individual's criminal lifestyle or actions is the direct result of genetic
inheritance or biological predisposition. Soft Determinism, examines the role of determinism,
but also acknowledges that other factors, from environmental to choice, may be part of the
equation. This assumes that behavior is not completely and strictly determined by the
individual's genetic or biological makeup.
Psychological Theories - Answer • The individual is the main unit of analysis.
• Personality is the major motivational element.
• Crimes result from inappropriately conditioned behavior.
• Abnormal mental processes may have a number of causes.
• Diseased mind.
• Inappropriate learning.
• Improper conditioning.
Freudian Concepts - Answer • Psychoanalytic theorists believe that criminal behavior is the
result of a mental disturbance. From a Freudian perspective, this may have been caused by a
conflict between the id, ego, and superego, or it may be the result of an improper fixation
during a stage of emotional development.
• Id, Ego, Superego.
