Juvenile Justice MidTerm Exam UPDATED
ACTUAL QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS
Define delinquency - CORRECT ANSWER Behaviors prohibited by family or juvenile
code of state that subjects minors to jurisdiction of juvenile court
What are the two general categories of delinquency - CORRECT ANSWER Criminal
offenses- behaviors prohibited by law if committed by adults (larceny, robbery, car theft)
Status offenses- behaviors prohibited only for minors (truancy, running away from home,
curfew)
Define juvenile justice - CORRECT ANSWER People not old enough to be held
responsible for criminal acts
Why do we use different language/terminology when responding to juveniles? - CORRECT
ANSWER Because labeling can lead to stigmatization, lost opportunities, and
additional delinquent behavior
What are the problems with the legal definition of delinquency? - CORRECT
ANSWER Fails to capture complete human dimension;
-cops only respond to certain/more serious offenses
-broad range of behaviors; technically all juveniles could be considered delinquents
-no distinction in who is caught and who all is participating in that behavior
What does the labeling perspective predict - CORRECT ANSWER System
involvement may lead to negative outcomes limiting youths educational, social, and
employment opportunities
What is official data? - CORRECT ANSWER Collected by juvenile justice agencies
(law enforcement, juvenile courts, correctional programs)
, Ex: name, age, gender, race, offense history
What is unofficial data and examples of sources? - CORRECT ANSWER Data
collected by researchers or other people.
EX:
-Self report studies
-Panel studies: survey youth over time to reveal changing behaviors/attitudes
What is dole incapax - CORRECT ANSWER Doctrine that holds young children do
not know right from wrong and as a result cannot be held liable for actions that would be
considered illegal if committed by an adult
*Where a lower age limit exists, minors younger than the statutorily specified age cannot
engage in delinquent behavior because they are felt too young to have Mens Rea*
Define waiver, remand, or transfer - CORRECT ANSWER A legal process whereby a
juvenile is sent to adult court for trial
How is juvenile delinquency characterized? - CORRECT ANSWER Duration,
frequency, priority, seriousness
Define uniform crime report - CORRECT ANSWER The most comprehensive
compilation of known crimes and arrests published each year by the FBI.
What are the two broad categories of the UCR - CORRECT ANSWER Part 1 (crime
index) offenses
Further separated into violent offenses and property offenses
-Aggravated assault, forcible rape, murder, and robbery are classified as violent
-while arson, burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft are classified as property crimes.
ACTUAL QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS
Define delinquency - CORRECT ANSWER Behaviors prohibited by family or juvenile
code of state that subjects minors to jurisdiction of juvenile court
What are the two general categories of delinquency - CORRECT ANSWER Criminal
offenses- behaviors prohibited by law if committed by adults (larceny, robbery, car theft)
Status offenses- behaviors prohibited only for minors (truancy, running away from home,
curfew)
Define juvenile justice - CORRECT ANSWER People not old enough to be held
responsible for criminal acts
Why do we use different language/terminology when responding to juveniles? - CORRECT
ANSWER Because labeling can lead to stigmatization, lost opportunities, and
additional delinquent behavior
What are the problems with the legal definition of delinquency? - CORRECT
ANSWER Fails to capture complete human dimension;
-cops only respond to certain/more serious offenses
-broad range of behaviors; technically all juveniles could be considered delinquents
-no distinction in who is caught and who all is participating in that behavior
What does the labeling perspective predict - CORRECT ANSWER System
involvement may lead to negative outcomes limiting youths educational, social, and
employment opportunities
What is official data? - CORRECT ANSWER Collected by juvenile justice agencies
(law enforcement, juvenile courts, correctional programs)
, Ex: name, age, gender, race, offense history
What is unofficial data and examples of sources? - CORRECT ANSWER Data
collected by researchers or other people.
EX:
-Self report studies
-Panel studies: survey youth over time to reveal changing behaviors/attitudes
What is dole incapax - CORRECT ANSWER Doctrine that holds young children do
not know right from wrong and as a result cannot be held liable for actions that would be
considered illegal if committed by an adult
*Where a lower age limit exists, minors younger than the statutorily specified age cannot
engage in delinquent behavior because they are felt too young to have Mens Rea*
Define waiver, remand, or transfer - CORRECT ANSWER A legal process whereby a
juvenile is sent to adult court for trial
How is juvenile delinquency characterized? - CORRECT ANSWER Duration,
frequency, priority, seriousness
Define uniform crime report - CORRECT ANSWER The most comprehensive
compilation of known crimes and arrests published each year by the FBI.
What are the two broad categories of the UCR - CORRECT ANSWER Part 1 (crime
index) offenses
Further separated into violent offenses and property offenses
-Aggravated assault, forcible rape, murder, and robbery are classified as violent
-while arson, burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft are classified as property crimes.
