Crime and Criminology
This interdisciplinary science gathers and analyzes data on crime and criminal behavior
What is Criminology?
Victimologists study victims to prevent victimization and minimize harm after it occurs. This field is called what./
Victimology
Social structure theories argue that people's place in this influences their chances of becoming criminals
What is the socioeconomic structure?
Psychological theories say criminal behavior stems from differences in thinking, personality, or this mental process.
Cognitive processing
Strain theory argues that the inability to attain resources legitimately generates this negative emotional state.
What is unhappiness or frustration?
Individuals differ in their likelihood of committing crime due to biological predispositions, psychological factors, and these external influences.
What are environmental conditions?
This theory argues that victims sometimes initiate actions that contribute to their own harm, actively or passively.
Victim Precipitation Theory
Differential association theory says criminal behavior is learned through interactions with these people
What are intimate social groups?
Childhood trauma, cognitive distortions, and personality disorders are factors in this category of crime theories
What are psychological theories?
Strain theory says people may turn to illegitimate means when they cannot achieve this culturally valued goal.
What is the American Dream?
Crimes universally wrong in themselves vs crimes wrong oly because the law prohibits them represent this distinction.
Mala in Se vs Mala Prohibita
Lifestyle theory says victimization risk increases when routine activities include a motivated offender, a suitable target, and this missing factor.
What is the absence of capable guardians?
This theory says people learn criminal behavior through reinforcement, punishment, imitation, and modeling within their social environment
What is Social Learning Theory?
Biological theories argue that criminal behavior can stem from genetic traits, hormonal imbalances, or these physical abnormalities
Brain abnormalities
General strain theory expands strain beyond financial issues to include trauma, loss, anger, and these negative experiences.
What are multiple sources of strain?
We measure crime to understand its extent and to control, understand, predict, and prevent it.
Identifying the problem and improving prevention
This theory argues that frequent exposure to dangerous locations increases victimization risk due to a lack of informal social controls
Deviant Place Theory
This theory argues that crime occurs when an individual's attachment, commitment, involvement, or belief in society weakens.
Social Bond Theory
Low empathy, low self-control, and improperly conditioned moral reasoning can lead individuals to commit crimes regardless of the environment.
Psychological predispositions
General strain theory says individuals may use illegal methods to prevent loss or regain something or someone. This is driven by what?
What is emotional strain?
The 3 major ways criminologists measure crime are the UCR, NCVS, and this self-reported method.
What are self-report studies
This concept describes a breakdown of societal norms and values, causing people to feel disconnected from society.
What is Anomie?
This theory states that once society labels someone as deviant, the person may internalize that label and continue offending.
What is Labeling Theory?
Biological theories say impaired decision-making and impulse control can make individuals more susceptible to crime due to this factor.
What are genetic or biological predispositions?
Strain theory focuses on the disjunction between goals and means, while general strain theory focuses on this broader range of pressures.
What are multiple emotional and situational strains?