Introduction to Criminology Exam 1 Study Guide Concepts Terms Politicization the manipulation of science for political gains The definition of criminology the systematic study of the process of making laws the breaking of law the reaction to the breaking of law Correlation two items are consistently related Causation a causal connection 3 criteria 1 Correlation is necessary 2 Temporal ordering 3 Spuriousness must be eliminated Spuriousness the lurking variables other factors that shouldn t explain something but people use these factors to explain crime Ideology a set of beliefs or values that all of us develop usually unconsciously about the way the world is or ought to be Conflict and consensus theory The dark figure of crime we don t exactly know the total crime rate we try to estimate it with official statistics victimization surveys and self reports Ecological fallacy limitation of UCR in areas where a lot of people go in and out but don t live there crime is still committed and reported which skews the data Index crimes 8 crimes listed in the UCR homicide rape robbery aggravated assault burglary theft arson motor vehicle theft Bounding as a way of addressing memory decay and telescoping memory decay is forgetfulness produces downward bias telescoping is over inclusion produces upward bias Bounding they call first and then throw out that first round and call back later for specific reference last time we talked Is criminology a science Yes and no use theories to explain why something happens quantitative and qualitative methods we lack predictive power there is not one definition changing constantly able to discredit several proposed solutions Crime Legal definition nulla poena sine lege no punishment without it being specified as a crime Social harm loss of clarity victimless crimes Hierarchy rule UCR if multiple crimes are committed in one incident for example robbery gone wrong turned into murder then the most serious crime that happened will only be counted in the UCR ex robbery not counted just murder Series victimization NCVS if one person commits multiple of the same crime it is only counted once Quantitative and qualitative data quantitative is numbers and qualitative is stories Cross sectional data collected at only 1 point in time snapshot Longitudinal data data collected at more than 1 point in time movie Macro and micro level of measurement macro is the studying of groups of people gangs neighborhoods states nations micro the study of an individual Solutions that don t work boot camps death penalty three strikes legislation D A R E scared straight gun buy backs Items Uniform Crime Reports strengths weaknesses represents 95 of population includes 8 index crimes HARTBAMR calculated as a rate of crimes population x100 000 to standardize includes SHR supplemental homicide report Advantages trend data mostly consistent definition of crime across jurisdictions national figures can be broken down and represented as a census Disadvantages subject to political manipulation hierarchy rule different definitions ecological fallacy measure of police activity rather than crime National Crime Victimization Survey strengths weaknesses household survey by the census bureau members older than 12 surveyed over the phone 3 year inclusion 6 month intervals uses sampling to produce national estimates Advantages eliminates reporting bias bounding as a way of addressing problems such as memory decay and telescoping Disadvantages questions redesigned causing different outcomes cannot compare pre and post statistics household surveys exclude institutions like jails and businesses victimless crimes and homicide not included series victimization Self report surveys Crime Patterns Correlates of Offending Victimization Across 1 time evening and night hours have more crime weekends also have higher rates of crime violence and alcohol go together 2 Geographical area metropolitan areas have significantly higher crime rates than rural areas most violent crimes with the exception of rape occur in public places regional disparities Southern states comprise 37 of population but are 41 of rates and 45 of assaults 3 Age age 16 24 more likely to commit crimes once you re married you usually stop 4 Race African Americans comprise 15 of population but 39 of arrests for violent crime and approximately 50 of homicides 5 Gender male driven phenomenon testosterone makes people more violent women have a higher verbal IQ and don t fight with their fists Victimization poor are more likely than affluent to be victimized urban centers have higher rates when including property crime African Americans are the greatest in personal victimization following by Hispanics and then Whites males are more victimized than women and teens have highest rates Homicide 80 of victims and 90 of perps are male 18 24 half happen in cities most are intraracial 85 committed by someone other than family member Southern subculture more guns income disparities leave extreme poverty in some places lingering racial tension Victim precipitation 25 of homicides feel sympathy towards the perp because they were egged on self defense ex I went to stab my neighbor and before I could he shoots me because I was about to stab him Victim offender overlap both people usually end up having arrest records and have crossed paths before not random murder Sexual Assault nearly exclusively female victims usually poor young un married non white are the victims half committed by someone that the victim knows a little over half are actually reported 70 of those arrested are white rates have been declining for decades Assault unlawful attack with the purpose of inflicting sever or aggravated bodily injury gun or knife often used but hands and feet can usually qualify too accounts for over 60 of UCR violent crimes offenders are 80 male 40 under 25 65 white 33 black Robbery taking property by force or threat of force requires face to face encounter with the victim many target drug dealers expanding use of credit cards serves as a deterrence less physical harm when a gun is present impulsive and reckless arrested robbers 90 male 60 under 25 50 are black 40 are white Burglary the unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony or theft 8 of American house holds victimized each year 2 3 are against residences the event is a 3 step process 1 perceived threat largely to identity 2 no legally oriented remedy to crisis 3 criminal act offenders look for clue to
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