Criminografie VIVES Mastery Exam 380 Questions & correct
Rationales 2026 2027
This third volume provides 380 high-yield multiple-
choice questions for the Criminography module at
VIVES Kortrijk. This set focuses on the Belgian
judicial process, penology, and integrated security
policies. Each answer is in bold italics with a clinical
rationale.
1. Which theory focuses on the "Social Bond" and asks why people don't commit crimes?
o A. Strain Theory
o B. Social Control Theory (Hirschi)
o Rationale: Travis Hirschi argued that attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief
in social norms prevent individuals from deviating into crime.
o C. Labelling Theory
o D. Conflict Theory
2. In Labelling Theory, what is the term for the initial deviant act that does not yet result in
a criminal identity?
o A. Primary Deviance
o Rationale: Primary deviance refers to minor, often unnoticed acts. It only becomes
"Secondary Deviance" once society applies a label and the individual internalizes it.
o B. Tertiary Deviance
o C. Master Status
,o D. Social Stigma
3. According to the Chicago School, which zone in the "Concentric Zone Model" has the
highest crime rates?
o A. The Commuter Zone
o B. The Zone in Transition
o Rationale: This area, characterized by poverty, crumbling infrastructure, and high
population turnover, lacks the social cohesion needed to prevent crime.
o C. The Central Business District
o D. The Working Class Zone
4. What is "Neutralization" according to Sykes and Matza?
o A. Mental techniques used by offenders to justify their behavior and silence their
conscience.
o Rationale: Examples include "denial of responsibility" or "denial of injury," allowing the
offender to maintain a positive self-image.
o B. The process of DNA matching.
o C. Police de-escalation techniques.
o D. Abolishing the death penalty.
Section 2: Criminological Schools & Biological Trends
5. Which concept describes the belief that specific areas of the brain or skull shape dictate
criminal tendencies?
o A. Positivism
o B. Phrenology
o Rationale: Gall’s phrenology was an early, though now debunked, attempt to link skull
physical structure directly to criminality.
o C. Bio-criminology
o D. Somatotyping
6. Sheldon’s "Somatotyping" identified which body type as most prone to aggression and
crime?
o A. Ectomorphs (Thin/Fragile)
o B. Endomorphs (Soft/Round)
o C. Mesomorphs (Muscular/Athletic)
o Rationale: Mesomorphs were categorized as being more active and aggressive,
therefore more likely to engage in physical crime.
o D. Polymorphs
Section 3: Victimology & The Victim’s Role
7. What is "Victim Blaming" in a clinical/sociological context?
,o A. Shifting the responsibility of the crime from the offender to the victim’s actions
or appearance.
o Rationale: This often leads to "secondary victimization," where the victim suffers further
trauma from society's judgment.
o B. Punishing the victim for lying.
o C. A legal defense strategy.
o D. Insurance fraud.
8. In Routine Activity Theory, a "Capable Guardian" can be:
o A. Only a police officer.
o B. Anyone or anything that discourages crime (e.g., a neighbor, a dog, or a CCTV
camera).
o Rationale: A guardian is anyone whose presence makes the target "unsuitable" or risky
for the offender.
o C. A lawyer.
o D. A social worker.
9. Which survey is the primary source for understanding the "Dark Number" in Belgium?
o A. The Police Report Log
o B. The Veiligheidsmonitor (Security Monitor)
o Rationale: This survey reaches out to citizens to report their experiences with crime,
regardless of whether they went to the police.
o C. The Belgian Census
o D. The Prison Intake Record
Section 4: Statistics & The "Trechtermodel" (Funnel)
10. If the "Donker getal" (Dark Number) is high for a specific crime, it means:
o A. The crime is very rare.
o B. The crime is significantly under-reported (e.g., domestic violence or petty
theft).
o Rationale: A high dark number indicates that official police stats are not reflecting the
true extent of the problem.
o C. The police are doing an excellent job.
o D. The crime only happens in the dark.
11. Why do criminologists prefer "Self-Report Studies" (Zelfrapportage)?
o A. They allow researchers to see crimes committed by the "middle class" that are
often missed by police.
o Rationale: People often admit to minor crimes (drug use, shoplifting) in anonymous
surveys that never lead to arrest.
o B. They are cheaper than police reports.
o C. They are always 100% honest.
o D. They replace the need for judges.
, Section 5: High-Yield Mixed Review (12-50)
12. What is Situational Deterrence? A. Immediate fear of being caught at the scene of
the crime.
13. What is Environmental Criminology? A. Study of how the design of a city (lighting,
streets) affects crime opportunities.
14. What is Conflict Theory? A. The idea that laws are made by the powerful to control
the lower classes.
15. What is Radical Criminology? A. A branch of conflict theory that blames
capitalism for crime.
16. What is Peacemaking Criminology? A. Focus on mediation and non-violence
rather than traditional punishment.
17. What is General Strain Theory (Agnew)? A. Broadening Merton's theory to include
emotional strains like bullying or loss of a loved one.
18. What is Differential Reinforcement? A. Learning crime through a system of
rewards (stolen goods, status) and punishments.
19. What is Status Frustration (Cohen)? A. Lower-class youth committing crime
because they cannot succeed in middle-class schools.
20. What is Reaction Formation? A. Rejecting the values of a society that has rejected
you.
21. What is Social Capital? A. The network of relationships and trust that helps a
community function safely.
22. What is Collective Efficacy? A. A community's ability to maintain order in public
spaces.
23. What is Defensible Space? A. Architectural designs that allow residents to identify
and control their territory.
24. What is Target Hardening? A. Making a target more difficult to attack (e.g.,
installing better locks).
25. What is Displacement? A. When preventing crime in one area causes it to move to
another nearby area.
26. What is Diffusion of Benefits? A. When security measures in one building also
reduce crime in the building next door.
27. What is Crime Mapping? A. Using GPS/GIS to track where crimes happen most
(Hotspots).
28. What is Slachtofferschap (Victimization)? A. The process of being harmed by a
criminal act.
29. What is Lifestyle Theory? A. The idea that certain lifestyles (e.g., being out late at
bars) increase crime risk.
30. What is Restorative Justice (Herstelrecht)? A. Bringing the victim and offender
together to discuss the impact of the crime.
31. What is Incapacitation? A. Removing an offender from society (usually through
prison) to prevent future crimes.
32. What is Rehabilitation? A. Treating the "causes" of a person's criminality so they
can return to society.
33. What is Just Deserts? A. The "Classical" idea that the punishment must fit the
crime exactly.
Rationales 2026 2027
This third volume provides 380 high-yield multiple-
choice questions for the Criminography module at
VIVES Kortrijk. This set focuses on the Belgian
judicial process, penology, and integrated security
policies. Each answer is in bold italics with a clinical
rationale.
1. Which theory focuses on the "Social Bond" and asks why people don't commit crimes?
o A. Strain Theory
o B. Social Control Theory (Hirschi)
o Rationale: Travis Hirschi argued that attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief
in social norms prevent individuals from deviating into crime.
o C. Labelling Theory
o D. Conflict Theory
2. In Labelling Theory, what is the term for the initial deviant act that does not yet result in
a criminal identity?
o A. Primary Deviance
o Rationale: Primary deviance refers to minor, often unnoticed acts. It only becomes
"Secondary Deviance" once society applies a label and the individual internalizes it.
o B. Tertiary Deviance
o C. Master Status
,o D. Social Stigma
3. According to the Chicago School, which zone in the "Concentric Zone Model" has the
highest crime rates?
o A. The Commuter Zone
o B. The Zone in Transition
o Rationale: This area, characterized by poverty, crumbling infrastructure, and high
population turnover, lacks the social cohesion needed to prevent crime.
o C. The Central Business District
o D. The Working Class Zone
4. What is "Neutralization" according to Sykes and Matza?
o A. Mental techniques used by offenders to justify their behavior and silence their
conscience.
o Rationale: Examples include "denial of responsibility" or "denial of injury," allowing the
offender to maintain a positive self-image.
o B. The process of DNA matching.
o C. Police de-escalation techniques.
o D. Abolishing the death penalty.
Section 2: Criminological Schools & Biological Trends
5. Which concept describes the belief that specific areas of the brain or skull shape dictate
criminal tendencies?
o A. Positivism
o B. Phrenology
o Rationale: Gall’s phrenology was an early, though now debunked, attempt to link skull
physical structure directly to criminality.
o C. Bio-criminology
o D. Somatotyping
6. Sheldon’s "Somatotyping" identified which body type as most prone to aggression and
crime?
o A. Ectomorphs (Thin/Fragile)
o B. Endomorphs (Soft/Round)
o C. Mesomorphs (Muscular/Athletic)
o Rationale: Mesomorphs were categorized as being more active and aggressive,
therefore more likely to engage in physical crime.
o D. Polymorphs
Section 3: Victimology & The Victim’s Role
7. What is "Victim Blaming" in a clinical/sociological context?
,o A. Shifting the responsibility of the crime from the offender to the victim’s actions
or appearance.
o Rationale: This often leads to "secondary victimization," where the victim suffers further
trauma from society's judgment.
o B. Punishing the victim for lying.
o C. A legal defense strategy.
o D. Insurance fraud.
8. In Routine Activity Theory, a "Capable Guardian" can be:
o A. Only a police officer.
o B. Anyone or anything that discourages crime (e.g., a neighbor, a dog, or a CCTV
camera).
o Rationale: A guardian is anyone whose presence makes the target "unsuitable" or risky
for the offender.
o C. A lawyer.
o D. A social worker.
9. Which survey is the primary source for understanding the "Dark Number" in Belgium?
o A. The Police Report Log
o B. The Veiligheidsmonitor (Security Monitor)
o Rationale: This survey reaches out to citizens to report their experiences with crime,
regardless of whether they went to the police.
o C. The Belgian Census
o D. The Prison Intake Record
Section 4: Statistics & The "Trechtermodel" (Funnel)
10. If the "Donker getal" (Dark Number) is high for a specific crime, it means:
o A. The crime is very rare.
o B. The crime is significantly under-reported (e.g., domestic violence or petty
theft).
o Rationale: A high dark number indicates that official police stats are not reflecting the
true extent of the problem.
o C. The police are doing an excellent job.
o D. The crime only happens in the dark.
11. Why do criminologists prefer "Self-Report Studies" (Zelfrapportage)?
o A. They allow researchers to see crimes committed by the "middle class" that are
often missed by police.
o Rationale: People often admit to minor crimes (drug use, shoplifting) in anonymous
surveys that never lead to arrest.
o B. They are cheaper than police reports.
o C. They are always 100% honest.
o D. They replace the need for judges.
, Section 5: High-Yield Mixed Review (12-50)
12. What is Situational Deterrence? A. Immediate fear of being caught at the scene of
the crime.
13. What is Environmental Criminology? A. Study of how the design of a city (lighting,
streets) affects crime opportunities.
14. What is Conflict Theory? A. The idea that laws are made by the powerful to control
the lower classes.
15. What is Radical Criminology? A. A branch of conflict theory that blames
capitalism for crime.
16. What is Peacemaking Criminology? A. Focus on mediation and non-violence
rather than traditional punishment.
17. What is General Strain Theory (Agnew)? A. Broadening Merton's theory to include
emotional strains like bullying or loss of a loved one.
18. What is Differential Reinforcement? A. Learning crime through a system of
rewards (stolen goods, status) and punishments.
19. What is Status Frustration (Cohen)? A. Lower-class youth committing crime
because they cannot succeed in middle-class schools.
20. What is Reaction Formation? A. Rejecting the values of a society that has rejected
you.
21. What is Social Capital? A. The network of relationships and trust that helps a
community function safely.
22. What is Collective Efficacy? A. A community's ability to maintain order in public
spaces.
23. What is Defensible Space? A. Architectural designs that allow residents to identify
and control their territory.
24. What is Target Hardening? A. Making a target more difficult to attack (e.g.,
installing better locks).
25. What is Displacement? A. When preventing crime in one area causes it to move to
another nearby area.
26. What is Diffusion of Benefits? A. When security measures in one building also
reduce crime in the building next door.
27. What is Crime Mapping? A. Using GPS/GIS to track where crimes happen most
(Hotspots).
28. What is Slachtofferschap (Victimization)? A. The process of being harmed by a
criminal act.
29. What is Lifestyle Theory? A. The idea that certain lifestyles (e.g., being out late at
bars) increase crime risk.
30. What is Restorative Justice (Herstelrecht)? A. Bringing the victim and offender
together to discuss the impact of the crime.
31. What is Incapacitation? A. Removing an offender from society (usually through
prison) to prevent future crimes.
32. What is Rehabilitation? A. Treating the "causes" of a person's criminality so they
can return to society.
33. What is Just Deserts? A. The "Classical" idea that the punishment must fit the
crime exactly.
