CRIM 103 FINAL EXAM QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED
ANSWERS
The 3 Categories of Substance Use (Week 9: Substance Use & Crime) - Answers - 1.
Stimulants
o Temporarily producing alertness and suppressing fatigue (e.g. cocaine, caffeine)
o Located: Central Nervous System
2. Depressants
o Reduces activity of nervous system, relaxes muscles, alleviate pain (Heroin, PCP,
Morphine)
o Location: nervous system
3. Hallucinogens
o Disrupts nervous system and alters perceptions of reality (LSD, ecstasy)
Factors Influencing Effect of Drugs: (Week 9: Substance Use & Crime) - Answers - 1.
Dosage - The higher the dosage or amount of drug, the stronger its effect on the user
2. Purity/Potency - The more psychoactive substance (chemical THC in weed)
3. Drug Mixing - snorting lines while being high
4. Administration - Intravenous injection (directly putting it in skin)
5. Habituation - A drug has a greater effect on occasional users than chronic users
Methodological Issues: (In Substance Use-Crime Relationship) (Week 9: Substance
Use & Crime) - Answers - 1. Definitional Inconsistencies
o Crime, substance use, "drug-related crime"
2. Measurement Inconsistencies
o Severity: Use vs. abuse vs. dependence
o Time: Current, last month, last year?
3. Sample Type
o Community, community at-risk, CSV young offenders
Theoretical Models: 4 different theoretical models (Week 9: Substance Use & Crime) -
Answers - 1. Common cause hypothesis
2. Situational model
3. Economic motivation model
4. Psychopharmacological model
Substance Use-Crime Relationship: Community Samples - Answers - • Weak
association with substance use
• Typically, do not engage in hard drug use and if they do it's for a short duration of time
• Low likelihood of progressing to addiction
• Experimentation end in late adolescence/young adulthood
• Causal mechanism: situational factor (e.g. party) and peer group (e.g. delinquents)
, Substance Use-Crime Relationship: Substance Dependent Samples (Week 9:
Substance Use & Crime) - Answers - • Overall, moderate association
• For many forms of addictive street drugs (e.g. cocaine & heroin) there is a spike in
individual level crimes when they are using substance: crime decreases when they are
not using substances
• Causal Explanation:
o Economic motivation model
Resort to crime to finance their addition (theft, drug dealing)
o Key mediating factor: Economic situation
Substance Use-Crime Relationship: Juvenile Delinquent Samples (Week 9: Substance
Use & Crime) - Answers - • Engage in both delinquency and substance use
• Those in delinquency also typically involved in substance use and vice versa
o High delinquency = higher substance use
o There are, of course, some delinquents who do not use substances and some
substance users who are not delinquent but there are less common
• Greater risk of addiction
• Causal mechanism?
o 1) Common cause hypothesis: Individual level + Socialization Factors = Substance
Use and Delinquency
Individual level: ADHD, ASPD Early Trauma
Socialization factors: Poor parental monitoring, etc.
o 2) Psychopharmacological model: Effects of intoxication lead to criminal behaviors
o 3) Risky-lifestyle model:
Substance use / delinquency emerges as part of a risky / sensation-seeking lifestyle.
This lifestyle leads to a variety of criminal behaviors & victimization.
Crime/substance use is part of lifestyle
The "CSV" in CSV Young Offender? (Week 9: Substance Use & Crime) - Answers -
Chronic/serious/violent
Chronic/Serious/Violent Young Offenders: Examining prevalence of
substance use and its associations with violent crime - Overall Conclusions about
association? (Week 9: Substance Use & Crime) - Answers - Association is weak.
However...
• Association is stronger for delinquent samples and those who are drug dependent +
low SES
• Of those involved in delinquency they are also typically involved in substance use and
vice versa
• High delinquency, higher substance use
• There are, of course, some delinquents who do not use substance and some
substance users who are not delinquent but there are less common
• Association is stronger for males than females
• Delinquent samples = common cause, psychopharmacological model, risky lifestyles
ANSWERS
The 3 Categories of Substance Use (Week 9: Substance Use & Crime) - Answers - 1.
Stimulants
o Temporarily producing alertness and suppressing fatigue (e.g. cocaine, caffeine)
o Located: Central Nervous System
2. Depressants
o Reduces activity of nervous system, relaxes muscles, alleviate pain (Heroin, PCP,
Morphine)
o Location: nervous system
3. Hallucinogens
o Disrupts nervous system and alters perceptions of reality (LSD, ecstasy)
Factors Influencing Effect of Drugs: (Week 9: Substance Use & Crime) - Answers - 1.
Dosage - The higher the dosage or amount of drug, the stronger its effect on the user
2. Purity/Potency - The more psychoactive substance (chemical THC in weed)
3. Drug Mixing - snorting lines while being high
4. Administration - Intravenous injection (directly putting it in skin)
5. Habituation - A drug has a greater effect on occasional users than chronic users
Methodological Issues: (In Substance Use-Crime Relationship) (Week 9: Substance
Use & Crime) - Answers - 1. Definitional Inconsistencies
o Crime, substance use, "drug-related crime"
2. Measurement Inconsistencies
o Severity: Use vs. abuse vs. dependence
o Time: Current, last month, last year?
3. Sample Type
o Community, community at-risk, CSV young offenders
Theoretical Models: 4 different theoretical models (Week 9: Substance Use & Crime) -
Answers - 1. Common cause hypothesis
2. Situational model
3. Economic motivation model
4. Psychopharmacological model
Substance Use-Crime Relationship: Community Samples - Answers - • Weak
association with substance use
• Typically, do not engage in hard drug use and if they do it's for a short duration of time
• Low likelihood of progressing to addiction
• Experimentation end in late adolescence/young adulthood
• Causal mechanism: situational factor (e.g. party) and peer group (e.g. delinquents)
, Substance Use-Crime Relationship: Substance Dependent Samples (Week 9:
Substance Use & Crime) - Answers - • Overall, moderate association
• For many forms of addictive street drugs (e.g. cocaine & heroin) there is a spike in
individual level crimes when they are using substance: crime decreases when they are
not using substances
• Causal Explanation:
o Economic motivation model
Resort to crime to finance their addition (theft, drug dealing)
o Key mediating factor: Economic situation
Substance Use-Crime Relationship: Juvenile Delinquent Samples (Week 9: Substance
Use & Crime) - Answers - • Engage in both delinquency and substance use
• Those in delinquency also typically involved in substance use and vice versa
o High delinquency = higher substance use
o There are, of course, some delinquents who do not use substances and some
substance users who are not delinquent but there are less common
• Greater risk of addiction
• Causal mechanism?
o 1) Common cause hypothesis: Individual level + Socialization Factors = Substance
Use and Delinquency
Individual level: ADHD, ASPD Early Trauma
Socialization factors: Poor parental monitoring, etc.
o 2) Psychopharmacological model: Effects of intoxication lead to criminal behaviors
o 3) Risky-lifestyle model:
Substance use / delinquency emerges as part of a risky / sensation-seeking lifestyle.
This lifestyle leads to a variety of criminal behaviors & victimization.
Crime/substance use is part of lifestyle
The "CSV" in CSV Young Offender? (Week 9: Substance Use & Crime) - Answers -
Chronic/serious/violent
Chronic/Serious/Violent Young Offenders: Examining prevalence of
substance use and its associations with violent crime - Overall Conclusions about
association? (Week 9: Substance Use & Crime) - Answers - Association is weak.
However...
• Association is stronger for delinquent samples and those who are drug dependent +
low SES
• Of those involved in delinquency they are also typically involved in substance use and
vice versa
• High delinquency, higher substance use
• There are, of course, some delinquents who do not use substance and some
substance users who are not delinquent but there are less common
• Association is stronger for males than females
• Delinquent samples = common cause, psychopharmacological model, risky lifestyles
