Criminology Exam #1 (Ch. 1-4) Questions With Correct
Answers.
"The field of criminology is..." What? (Ch. 1)
An academic field that uses the scientific method to study the nature, extent, cause, and
control of criminal behavior
Name The Elements of Criminological Enterprise (Ch. 1)
1. Criminal Statistics and Crime Management
2. Sociology of Law / Law and Society
3. Develop Theories of Crime Causation and Criminal Behavior Systems
4. Penology: Punishment, Sanctions, and Corrections
5. Victimology: The Role of The Victim
Criminal Stats and Crime Management deal with? (Ch. 1)
-Valid and reliable measurements of data on criminal behavior
-Analysis of police and courts
-Measurement of criminal activity
-Identification of victims
-Testing theories
Sociology of Law / Law and Society deals with? (Ch. 1)
-Investigating history of legal thought and changing criminal acts
-Assessing effects of legal change
-Example : The sex offenders registration
Developing Theories of Crime Causation deals with? (Ch. 1)
-Viewing crime from different standpoints:
>Psychological: Personality, development, social learning, and cognition
>Biological: Biochemical, genetic, neurological
>Sociological: Neighborhood, poverty, socialization, group interactions
-Also deals with criminal behavior systems:
>Violence, organized crime, and terrorism
Penology deals with? (Ch. 1)
-The correction and sentencing of known criminal offenders:
>Rehabilitation treatment
>Social control - appropriate punishment
Victimology deals with? (Ch. 1)
-The role of the victim in a crime
>Victim surveys to measure the nature and extent of criminal behavior
>Victimization risks
>Victim culpability/blame
>Designing services for crime victims
Classical Criminology Description (18th Century) (Ch. 1)
-Utilitarianism
-Free will
-Crime is attractive
, -Crime can be controlled through fear/punishment
-Punishment works better when swift/severe
Positivist Criminology Description (19th Century) (Ch. 1)
-The scientific method
-Logic
-Empirical verification - things must be proved
-Value-free - no outside influence by observers or biases
Positivist Criminology: What physical aspects were studied during this period?
Who was the "father of criminology?" What was the Biosocial Theory? (Ch. 1)
-Physiognomists and Phrenologists
>Facial features and head lumps
-Cesare Lombroso
-Focuses on the interaction between biological and social factors as related to crime
Sociological Criminology Description (19th Century) (Ch. 1)
-Crime as a social phenomenon
-Reflects other social and economic conditions
-Functional, conflict, and symbolic means
Developmental Criminology Description (20th Century) (Ch. 1)
-Sheldon and Eleanor Glueck
-Developmental theory: Views criminality as a dynamic process influenced by:
>Biological
>Social
>Physiological elements
Contemporary Criminology Description/Theories (21st Century) (Ch. 1)
-Rational Choice Theory
-Trait Theory
-Social Structure Theory
-Social Process Theory
-Critical Theory
-Developmental Theory
Deviance - And when is it a crime? (Ch. 1)
-Deviance - Any action that violates a social norm (either positively or negatively)
(assault vs winning a Nobel Prize)
-Deviant acts become crimes when it is deemed socially harmful or dangerous - when it
is specifically defined, prohibited, and punished under criminal law
Define Crime (Ch. 1)
A violation of societal rules of behaviors as interpreted/expressed by the criminal law,
which reflects public opinion... etc. Individuals who violate these rules are subject to
sanctions by state authority, social stigma, and loss of status
What is the consensus view? - Concept of Crime (Ch. 1)
The belief that the majority of citizens in a society share common values and agree on
what behaviors should be defined as criminal
What is the conflict view? - Concept of Crime (Ch. 1)
Answers.
"The field of criminology is..." What? (Ch. 1)
An academic field that uses the scientific method to study the nature, extent, cause, and
control of criminal behavior
Name The Elements of Criminological Enterprise (Ch. 1)
1. Criminal Statistics and Crime Management
2. Sociology of Law / Law and Society
3. Develop Theories of Crime Causation and Criminal Behavior Systems
4. Penology: Punishment, Sanctions, and Corrections
5. Victimology: The Role of The Victim
Criminal Stats and Crime Management deal with? (Ch. 1)
-Valid and reliable measurements of data on criminal behavior
-Analysis of police and courts
-Measurement of criminal activity
-Identification of victims
-Testing theories
Sociology of Law / Law and Society deals with? (Ch. 1)
-Investigating history of legal thought and changing criminal acts
-Assessing effects of legal change
-Example : The sex offenders registration
Developing Theories of Crime Causation deals with? (Ch. 1)
-Viewing crime from different standpoints:
>Psychological: Personality, development, social learning, and cognition
>Biological: Biochemical, genetic, neurological
>Sociological: Neighborhood, poverty, socialization, group interactions
-Also deals with criminal behavior systems:
>Violence, organized crime, and terrorism
Penology deals with? (Ch. 1)
-The correction and sentencing of known criminal offenders:
>Rehabilitation treatment
>Social control - appropriate punishment
Victimology deals with? (Ch. 1)
-The role of the victim in a crime
>Victim surveys to measure the nature and extent of criminal behavior
>Victimization risks
>Victim culpability/blame
>Designing services for crime victims
Classical Criminology Description (18th Century) (Ch. 1)
-Utilitarianism
-Free will
-Crime is attractive
, -Crime can be controlled through fear/punishment
-Punishment works better when swift/severe
Positivist Criminology Description (19th Century) (Ch. 1)
-The scientific method
-Logic
-Empirical verification - things must be proved
-Value-free - no outside influence by observers or biases
Positivist Criminology: What physical aspects were studied during this period?
Who was the "father of criminology?" What was the Biosocial Theory? (Ch. 1)
-Physiognomists and Phrenologists
>Facial features and head lumps
-Cesare Lombroso
-Focuses on the interaction between biological and social factors as related to crime
Sociological Criminology Description (19th Century) (Ch. 1)
-Crime as a social phenomenon
-Reflects other social and economic conditions
-Functional, conflict, and symbolic means
Developmental Criminology Description (20th Century) (Ch. 1)
-Sheldon and Eleanor Glueck
-Developmental theory: Views criminality as a dynamic process influenced by:
>Biological
>Social
>Physiological elements
Contemporary Criminology Description/Theories (21st Century) (Ch. 1)
-Rational Choice Theory
-Trait Theory
-Social Structure Theory
-Social Process Theory
-Critical Theory
-Developmental Theory
Deviance - And when is it a crime? (Ch. 1)
-Deviance - Any action that violates a social norm (either positively or negatively)
(assault vs winning a Nobel Prize)
-Deviant acts become crimes when it is deemed socially harmful or dangerous - when it
is specifically defined, prohibited, and punished under criminal law
Define Crime (Ch. 1)
A violation of societal rules of behaviors as interpreted/expressed by the criminal law,
which reflects public opinion... etc. Individuals who violate these rules are subject to
sanctions by state authority, social stigma, and loss of status
What is the consensus view? - Concept of Crime (Ch. 1)
The belief that the majority of citizens in a society share common values and agree on
what behaviors should be defined as criminal
What is the conflict view? - Concept of Crime (Ch. 1)
