CCJS 105: Introduction to CriminologyFinal Exam Study Guide (cumulative portion)The final exam will consist of 100 multiple-choice questions. Approximately half of these questions will be drawn from the content covered in the first two exams. In order to assist your studies a comprehensive list of these items are included below. That is, only these items appearing below will be drawn from in compiling the cumulative portion of the final exam. Please note that some of the terms and concepts listed below are broader than others.The dark figure of crimeUnreported and unrecorded crimesStrengths and limitations of both the UCR and NCVSUCRHierarchy rule: only the most serious crime is countedSample comes from police departments- official reports are drawn from law enforcement agency recordsIf a person commits a crime in a city, it does not necessarily mean that they live there, but they will influence crime rates (ecological fallacy)Most consistent definition of crime across jurisdictionsCan track trends in dataNational figures can be broken down- these are raw counts & represent a censusSubject to political manipulation- unfound crime8 index crimes included, most serious crimesHomicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny/theft, motor vehicle theft, arsonNCVSConducted by US census bureau & US department of justiceSample comes from households with telephonesCovers a broader set of crimes, does not include homicide or victimless crimesEliminates reporting biasesUnderreports rapes because of stigma, less likely to be discussedSeries victimization: a serious of crimes committed by the same person is recorded as a single crime occurringExcludes institutions like jails & businessesTelescoping & memory decayEliminated by boundingQuantitative and Qualitative dataQuantitative- statisticsQualitative- narrative recount of events, provides detailThe 3 part definition of criminologyMaking, breaking, and reaction to breaking of the law*Crime patterns:16-24 year olds are most likely to commit crimesHighest crime rates between 6 pm and 6 amSummer months have more crimeSouth has more homicidesMales commit more crimes than females, but since the 1960’s female crime rate has been increasing faster than male crime ratesUrban areas have more crimeWhites commit the most crimesBut are overrepresented in drug abuse & white collar crimeBlacks and Hispanics are overrepresented, especially with violent crimes & homicidesHispanic households have higher victimization rates than African AmericansLower class is more likely to commit crimeConflict versus consensus theoriesConflict- power struggle between 2 or more groups that have differing views of the norms of societyBelief that the law disproportionally reflects the interest of a powerful minority within societyConsensus- society as a whole agrees to what the norms areBelief that the law reflects the interest of most people in societyMala in se and mala prohibitaMala in se- inherently wrongRape, murderMala prohibita- wrong because it is illegalDrugsActus reus and mens reaActus reus- guilty actMens rea- guilty mindBoth must be present in order for a crime to have occurredBeccaria*Victim-offender overlapTypically both the victim and offender have similarities- both are males, both are in the same social class, etc.The science of criminology3 criteria required to establish causal relationshipCorrelationTemporal orderingMust eliminate spuriousness- the potential for a third elementThe role of ideology and politicsBasic beliefs or values may filter scientific informationScience can be used to advance political claimsLegal or economic pressure can influence the findings of scientific research or the way it is disseminated, reported, or interpretedIndependent and dependent variables*Cross-sectional and longitudinal dataCross-sectional: data collected at 1 point in timeLongitudinal: data collected over time*Macro/microMacro: groups- gangs, neighborhoods, states, nations, etc.Micro: individual- background, psychological factors, etc.*Relative rates of crimes and crime numbers produced by UCR and NCVSNCVS has double the crime rates of the UCRNCVS violent crime rate is 5 times the rate of UCRNCVS property crime rate is 4 times the rate of UCRSelf-report dataSimilar to NCVS but not series victimizationTries to enhance the quantity, quality, & statistical data collected by law enforcementTelescoping & memory decaySampling from general populationBased on offender behaviorPeople may be dishonest or not know how to answerNYS- National Youth SurveySample comes from public school studentsMore information on deviance rather than crimeLimited because many deviants may not be in schoolImportant figures:Emile DurkheimSociological criminologyAnomie: state of normlessness causes more crimes to occurLack of rules and definitions about what the function of society should beTends to occur most often during times of change in societal valuesOrganic & mechanical solidarityMoving from mechanical to organic solidarity causes more crime because the more specific your job is, the more you have to rely on othersMechanical- uniformity, solidarity based on commonly shared beliefs & valuesOrganic- diversity of roles & functions/division of labor, solidarity based on interdependence & specializationSociological theoriesFunctionalism (What is it? How is deviance defined up and down?)Idea that crime is normal & serves a purposeNo society has ever existed crime freeCrime is to be regulated & controlled, not eliminatedCrime & deviance are continually refinedDefining deviance up- more restrictive lawDefining deviance down- more permissive lawResultProduces social solidarityNormality is defined through a contrast with criminalityPractical benefit is in managing workloadBenefits society through allowing for innovation/adaptationOtherwise individuals would be pathologically over controlledCesare BeccariaClassical criminologyDeterrenceSwiftness, severity, certaintyCertainty is most important and most effectiveEmphasized less severityGeneral and specific deterrenceGeneralDeterrence of others, regardless of whether the individual criminal is deterredSpecificPreventing the criminal from reoffendingFocuses on the defendant regardless of any possible offending by othersPeople have free will & the ability to make rational decisions, they will act in a way that is advantageous to themBook- Crime and PunishmentAgainst the death penaltyBrutalization effect- increase of homicides in places that
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