What is a Theory?
An explanation for observed facts that relate to a particular aspect of life.
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| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| What is a Theory? | An explanation for observed facts that relate to a particular aspect of life. |
| Theories of Criminal & Deviant Behavior | This explains why people do commit crimes or why they don't. Macro and Micro level theories. |
| Theories of Making & Enforcing the Criminal Law | This focuses on how some behaviors are defined as criminal. |
| Evaluating a Theory | 1. Logical -- the theory makes sense. 2. General -- it doesn't only apply to one person. 3. Parsimonious (simple) -- we can understand what is being said rather than the complicated theories. 4. Testable -- must be falsifiable and NOT self-defining. 5. Empirical Validity (MOST IMPORTANT) -- must have evidence in support of it. 6. Useful |
| Measuring Crime | Most commonly used is the UCR -- Crimes known to police -- Crimes cleared by arrest |
| UCR Strengths | - Most accurate indicator of serious crimes - Good for macro-level crime data - Gathered annually by police nationwide. |
| UCR Weaknesses | - Rely on victim/witness reporting - Differences across agencies in definitions and reporting - No federal crimes - Hierarchy rule - Ony includes 8 offenses |
| Part 1 Index Offenses | Violent -- - Agg. Assault - Homicide - Forcible Rape - Robbery Property -- - Arson - Burglary - Larceny/Theft - Motor Vehicle Theft |
| Victimization Surveys (NCVS) STRENGTHS | - Good for uncovering "dark figure" crimes - Victims report frequency, type, and consequences of crime as well as offender characteristics (if known) |
| Victimization Surveys (NCVS) WEAKNESSES | - Problems with over reporting and underreporting crimes - Does not include variety of crimes |
| Self-Report Survey's STRENGTHS | - Good for uncovering "dark figure" of crime - Get information about person who is involved in crime - Useful for determining biases in official statistics |
| Self-Report Survey's WEAKNESSES | - Problems with over reporting and underreporting - Misunderstanding of questions - Overabundance of trivial offenses |
| What does probabilistic causality mean? | The cause of something doesn't guarantee the effect but increases the likelihood of another thing occurring. |
| What is one way NIBRS improved the UCR? | Includes more information about each incident within one event. You can get more information about the offender and victim. Improved hierchary rule. |
| What is the "dark figure of crime"? | Crimes that are not known to the police. |
| Cesare Beccaria | - Influenced by problems in how offenders were dealt with in Europe - Punishment should be swift, certain, and severe to prevent crime. - Laws and punishment should be known to the police. |
| Jeremy Bentham | - Hedonistic Calculus - All offenders are reasonable, rational persons. |
| Specific Deterrence | You have someone that has committed a crime; you are trying to stop them from committing it again. |
| General Deterrence | There is an example of someone doing something, so you are trying to stop everyone from doing this. |
| Objective Deterrence | People being deterred because of the actual likelihood of being caught or punished for committing a crime. |
| Perceptual Deterrence | Explains how the perceived certainty, severity, and clarity of punishment influence the decision-making of potential offenders. |
| Absolute Deterrence | That the existence of punishments can prevent individuals from committing crimes, even if the specific threat of punishments is not known. |
| Are homicides more likely to be interracial or intraracial? | Intraracial -- anti-black most targeted |
| What is the pleasure-pain principle? | People want to maximize pleasure and minimize pain. |
| Lombroso | - Theory of atavism - Idea that born criminals v. other types of criminals - Stigmata - Positivism |
| Hooten | Work was highly criticized because of racist overtones. |
| Sheldon | - Somatotyping - Ectomorph, endomorph, mesomorph |
| What is Phrenology? | They feel around the skull for indentation or bumps. |
| According to routine activity theory, what three things must be present for a crime to occur? | 1. Lack of someone with you 2. Motivated offender 3. Suitable target |