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CJUS Theory Test 1
Terms in this set (128)
National Incident-Based
Reporting System (NIBRS)
A system that has details on each single
crime
incident. It includes information on
victims, offenders, location, date, time, etc.
Dark figure of crime
Many people do not report crimes to the police
Least reported realms of crime domestic violence, date rape, white collar crime
Describe crime in the United
States
Lawlessness in the US surpasses any other
industrialized Western nations. Crime is not
evenly
distributed.
Theory in Social context majority of people believe social factors play a role
in the cause of crime
Theory
to observe and reflect on the meaning of an event
Describe criminological
thinking
People should put aside bias when studying crime.
As society changes, crime will too. Thinking about
crime is conditioned by your own social experience.
Theory versus policy
understanding why crime occurs.
different theories suggest different ways of
reducing crime.
when there are shifts in societal
opinion, theoretical models...
1.
Gain or lose credence
2.
Gain or lose the ability to justify a range
of criminal justice policies
Mainstream theories classical, positivist, chicago, control,
differential association, strain
Classical school theory emphasis on rational decision making & cost benefit
analysis
Positivist school theory scientific study of criminal. Criminals and
noncriminals were different
Chicago school theory
social circumstances play a role in crime causation
critical theories
identify how conflict and power were involved in
the production of crime and the inequities found in
the criminal justice system
examples of critical theory labeling, conflict and radical, feminist, white collar
theories
conservative era 1980s and beyond. Claim crime was due to
the faults of the individual
routine activity,
theories from the conservative
environmental,
era
rational choice,
perceptual deterrence
21st century criminological
thinking
mix of old and new ways of thinking. includes
the biosocial perspective and life course
developmental criminology
describe characteristics of
early theories
blame offenders, not society.
Why are theories important? they influence criminal justice policy and practice
describe george bennett's
crimewarps
study of crime in 20-50 years, tried to predict
what crime would be like in the future. This is very
hard
and almost impossible to do without social context
Spiritualism theory
causes of crime in souls, wills or body
constitutions. Criminals were possessed by evil
spirits.
trial by battle,
how did spiritualist deal with trial by ordeal,
criminals compurgation.
strong families rarely punished
Compurgation
reputable people swear on an oath the accused
was innocent
examples of spiritualism
salem witch trials 1692
cons to spiritualism theory cannot be tested scientifically
naturalistic theory focused on physical world of facts. The brain is
explained by passion or reason.
classical school (in depth)
1.
Criminals are capable of deciding what
they want
to do
2.
pain versus pleasure
3.
punishments should fit the offense
4.
basis of us legal system
Cesare Beccaria classical school theorist, wrote On crimes and
Punishment
describe beccaria's argument
1.
give up liberty to create laws and
punish
offenders
2.
if behavior is prohibited unnecessarily it
could increase crime
3.
presumption of innocence
4.
write down laws
5.
punishment should be retributive
6.
severity of punishment should be
limited
7.punishment should fit the crime
8.punishment should be swift and sure
9.
certainty of punishment is more
important than
severity
10.
offenders are individual reasonable people
11.
prevention should be the goal
Jeremy Bentham
English social reformer. Believed punishment
should be a deterrent. Behavior is a result of free
will and hedonistic calculus.
John Howard influenced the passage of England's penitentiary
act
of 1779.
What impact did the classical
school have
inspired revolutions, creation of new legal codes,
french revolution of 1789, US constitution, etc.
problems with the classical
school
1.
argument of hedonism was weakening and
aggravating and mitigating circumstances became
more important.
2.
new laws did not separate punishment of
adult
and children
3.
rational man did not fully answer
causation
question
positivist school (detailed)
scientific proof, empirical facts to confirm ideas
that crime was determined by multiple factors-
physical attributes, mind
Cesare Lombroso
1.
Father of Modern criminology
2.
Disagreed with free will and philosophy
3.
Claimed diseases contributed to mental
and physical deficiencies resulting in crime
Lombroso on criminal man
biological focus claiming that criminals represented
a peculiar physical type. evolutionary focus that
physical characteristics were reflective of
early forms of evolution
Lombroso's criminal types
1.
Born criminals
2.
Insane criminals
3.
occasional criminals
4.
criminals of passion
Kaspar Lavater claimed there was a relationship between facial
features and behavior
Franz Joseph Gall argued that the shape of an individuals head could
explain personal characteristics
Enrico Ferri
1.
No to free will
2.
Emphasized the interrelatedness of social,
economic, and political factors as contributors to
crime
3.
control crime by social change
Ferri's classes of criminals
1.
born criminal
2.
insane criminal
3.
passion criminal
4.
occasional criminal
5.
habitual criminal
6.
involuntary criminal
Raffaele Garofalo
1.
views on nature of crime and
criminals were
consistent with Darwinism
2.
Crimes are offenses against the laws of nature.
3.
Pity and probity
Garfalo's criminal classes
Murderers: lack pity and probity
Lesser crimes: lack either pity or probity
violent: lack pity
thieves: lack probity
sexual criminals: lack pity
Garfalo's view on punishment
Death of true criminals would contribute to society's
survival. Lesser criminals should receive life
imprisonment.
Dr. Charles Goring
Medical officer of prison, studied english convicts
and non convicts. He concluded there were no
significant differences between criminals and
noncriminals except for stature and body weight.
Ernst Kretschmer came up with the idea of 4 body types and matched
them with crimes
Kretschmer's body types
Asthenic: lean and narrow
Athletic: muscular and powerful
Pyknic: soft and stubby
and Mixed
Asthenic and athletic builds associated with
schizophrenic personalities, pyknic were manic
depressive
George Mohr and Ralph
Gundlach
Found that pyknics were frauds, violence or sex
offenses while the asthenics and athletics were
burglary, robbery or larceny
William Sheldon Focused on delinquent male youth. Concluded the
factors that produce delinquency were inherited.
William Sheldon physiques
endomorphy
:
so
ft
and
f
a
t
mesomorphy: muscular and athletic
ect
omorphy
:
sk
inny
and
fl
a
t
Eleanor Glueck supported Sheldon's study. Found delinquents to be
mesomorphic
Positivist causes of crimes focus on personality, psychoanalysis,
personality
traits
Sigmund Freud said that tensions exist between the unconscious id
and the conscious ego.
Freud's identities
Unconscious id: hold aggressive biological and
psychological urges.
Conscious Ego: controls and molds the individual
Superego: self criticism piece that reflect the
basic behavioral requirements of a particular
culture
psychoanalysis
crime results when the ego or superego fail to
develop pr a delinquent ego forms.
Psychoanalytical approach did not directly
address what causes criminal behavior but
explained all
behavior.
The Jukes
were thought to be involved in crime because they
suffered from degeneracy and innate depravity
The Kallinkak Family
studied in 1912 and a follow up in 1916. Studies were
too general and there were no advanced
comparative statistics.
IQ
Alfred Binet first one to test it in lab setting.
Eugenics
Inheritance could explain the presence of simple
and complex human behavioral characteristics.
Practices of sterilization continued in the US
until
1970.
20th century ideas
vision changed to view that crime was a social
product. Shift from blaming criminal man to blaming
society
Chicago School main idea
bulging populations and slum areas, people wanted
to study why there was so much crime in these
areas.
Robert Park
Sociologist, coined the phrase human ecology.
Concluded that city's develop in a pattern and is
not
random
Burgess's Concentric Zone
theory
cities grow radically, zone of transition was cause
for concern and study. This zone was right outside
the center, known as the loop.
Progressives
Believed that the poor were pushed by their
environment into lives of crime.
Save the poor by providing social services.
Lessen the pains of poverty and teach the
benefits of middle-class culture.
Shaw and McKay Theory of
Juvenile Delinquency
Applies concentric zone theory. Delinquency is
prevalent in zone of transition. Neighborhood
organization was the main factor in delinquency
Disorganized neighborhood
break down of control, exposure to criminal culture,
juveniles drawn to crime through association with
siblings or gangs, sustains criminal traditions.
Support for social
disorganization theory
Pratt and Cullen (2005) and Sampson and
Groves
(1989)
Sampson and Groves structural factors increased disorganization and
those places had higher crime
Integrated theory merges different casual conditions into single
explanation
What other theories is
disorganization theory based
on
control/ social bond theories and sutherland's
differential association theory
Sutherland's Differential
association theory
social organization regulates criminal
behavior, groups are either in support or
against criminal activity, ratio of those listed
before determines
behavior
Sutherland's 9 propositions
1.
criminal behavior is learned
2.
it is learned through interaction
3.
primary learning is through intimate
personal
groups
4.
learning includes techniques, directions,
attitudes,
etc.
5.
motives are learned from definitions of codes as
favorable or not
6.
people become delinquent due to
excess
definitions unfavorable to law
7.
associations vary
8.
this learning is just like any other learning
9.
criminal behavior is not explained by general
needs bc those that do not commit crimes also
have
those needs
What did Sutherland believe differential association could apply to all crimes
including white collar
robert sampson
how informal social control at the community
level explains variation in crime rates across
neighborhoods
systemic theory
when social networks are dense and strong-
informal social control. When weak- lack of informal
social control
Bursick and Grasmick Systemic
model
most sophisticated systemic model. Organized
communities have all Three levels of
community control being:
1.
private: family/ friends
2.
P
ar
ochial
:
those
met
thr
ough
dail
y
routines
3.
public: external groups
Problem with systemic model
high crime communities have neighbors that
often know each other while low crime areas can
have
weak ties
collective efficacy
social cohesion among neighbors combined with
their willingness to intervene on behalf of the
common good
collective efficacy studies
collective efficacy is a strong predictor or levels
of
violence across neighborhoods.
Cultural Attenuation Theory decreased allegiance or extinction. There is cultural
conflict in the zone of transition.
Cultural conflict There are people that support crime and there are
those that are against it
Legal Cynicism Theory
police are seen as absent or too present in high
crime areas. This creates conditions conducive
to crime. People think that the police will not be
responsive so they are less likely to report crime
and criminals are less likely to be caught
Cultural deviance theory: code
of the street
Elijah Anderson says that street codes value
violence and governs choices of inner city kids.
Disrespect is met with violence.
Social learning theory
Ronald Akers: crime is learned behavior through
social interaction
Four concepts: differential association, imitation,
definitions, differential social reinforcement
General (social learning
theory)
broad attitude toward crime
Specific (social learning
theory)
certain acts defined as wrong
Negative (social learning
theory)
disapprove of criminal behavior
Positive (Social learning
theory)
approve of criminal behavior
Neutralizing (social learning
theory)
justifying behavior
Imitation (social learning)
modeling criminal conduct
Differential reinforcement
(social learning)
anticipation of reward versus punishment. The
better the reward the more likely the behavior will
persist
criticism of social learning rather than delinquent friends causing delinquent
behavior is it birds of a feather flock together
Policy implications of theories
Sha
w
and
McK
ay
:
r
eor
ganiz
e
communities
t
o
reduce crime
The
chica
go
school
:
r
e
v
er
se
criminal
l
earning
t
o
reduce crime
differential association and social learning:
advocate removing offenders from settings and
people that encourage crime
C
AP
:
chica
go
ar
ea
pr
oject
addresses juvenile delinquency in chicago slum
areas. strong emphasis on rec. programs and
taking pride in the community
does CAP work
50 year assessment found it was effective
in reducing delinquency rates
Strain theory
Robert K. Merton's theory that predicts that
criminal behavior is likely to occur when individuals
are
unable to achieve social and material goals
because of insufficient access or resources
Merton's thoughts Us places a lot of emphasis on economic success
Adaptations to strain
Conformity, innovation, ritualism, retreatism,
rebellion
Conformity
what most people do, they do not deviate and work
hard to achieve almost impossible goals
Innovation
embrace success but turn to illegitimate
means.
Ends justify the means.
Ritualism
maintain outward conformity to the norms of
governing institutionalized means, but not the
goals. Scale down the goals
Retreatism
giving up on both the goals and the means. In
society but not of it
Rebellion
not only reject but wish to change the system
Anomie
erosion or absence of norms, standards or values.
Anomie and deviance are
mutually reinforcing
when institutionalized norms allow people to
violate standards, it challenges the legitimacy of
the
norms
Merton and Anomie
when norms weaken, anomie will take hold in
societies that place intense value on economic
success
rejecting individualism Merton says very nature of american
society generates crime
dominant realty cultural homogeneity and universalism, americans
share a dream and identity
Social structure and anomie
poverty is now seen as a social problem. Minorities
and other disadvantaged citizens were being
denied equal opportunity
Albert Cohen, Richard
Cloward, Llyod Ohlin
Extension of Merton's deviance approach. They
investigated how this theory could be applied to the
study of juvenile gangs in urban areas. Focused on
the origins and effects of delinquent subcultural
norms
Delinquent Boys (Cohen)
Delinquent gangs and the values they embrace are
concentrated in urban slums. They are supportive
of crime. lower class youth are disadvantaged in
their efforts to achieve middle class standards of
success and status. Denied status bc they do not
meet
criteria
Cloward and Ohlin
Slum youths face problem of lack the opportunity
to be successful and earn status. This creates status
discontent.
Delinquency and Opportunity
theory
Disparity between what lower class youths are les
to want and what is available is the source of the
problem. Strain!! Delinquent subcultures emerge
and persist only where enough youth were
concentrated to band together and support one
another delinquency
3 types of subcultures
1.
criminal subculture in organized neighborhoods
2.
conflict of fighting oriented subculture in
disorganized neighborhoods
3.
the retreatist or drug using subculture
when double failures
Criticism of merton
do all Americans really have the same goal of
success? Is strain really more persuasive in the
lower class? Why did this originate and
persist?
Criticism of Cohen, Cloward
and Ohlin
Do they describe the subculture accurately? Do
they all embrace negative values?
Empirical critique of strain
theory
some found that high aspirations are associated
with conformity and low are are associated with
delinquency
Robert Agnew
Argued merton's strain theory was too narrow.
There are other situations that can cause strain and
cause people to break the law.
Examples of general strain
economic deprivation, discrimination, criminal
victimization, harsh discipline of kids, child abuse,
neglect, etc.
Agnew's general strain theory
3 causes of strain: failure to achieve positively
valued goals, removal of something valued,
impose negative stimuli
Variable that condition the
response to strain
Diminish risk of criminal adaptation: goals, coping
resources, social support, social bonds
Increase risk of criminal adaptation: low self
control, prior criminal leaning, antisocial
Four factors of strain that will
likely prompt criminal activity
Strain is seen as unjust, its high in magnitude, it is
associated with low self control, it creates
pressure or incentive to engage in criminal coping
some disparity could be due to police practices and
Theory of African American radical inequality that leads to poverty and
Offending
criminogenic circumstances. Is the cause for each
race the same?
Institutional anomie
economic institutions dominate other social non
economic institutions. This causes the US to have a
higher crime rate than any other industrialized
nation
Criticism of Institutional anomie
american dream, anomie, balance of power,
efficacy are all difficult to measure with one
single data set. Does the US have mixed feelings
on the American dream?
Elliot Currie
US suffers from high rate of economic
inequality,
which in turn disrupts other social
institutions.
Extreme capitalism is toxic and the market
economy
is so strong
Policy implications to combat
strain theory
increase legit opportunities, provide programs that
help the disadvantaged, prison rehab programs,
delinquency prevention
