Deck 2: Measuring and Explaining Crime

Question 1

In the twentieth century crime declined most between ______.

A) 1930-1940
B) 1990-2000
C) 1950-1960
D) 1970-1980

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Researchers who study the causes of crime are:

A) Victimologists
B) Criminologists
C) Psychologists
D) Sociologists

Answer 2

B

Question 3

The number of women in prisons and jails is ____ over time.

A) Remaining stable
B) Decreasing steadily
C) Increasing rapidly
D) Slowly increasing

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Since its inception in 1930,the ____ has attempted to measure the overall rate of crime in the United States by organizing "crimes known to the police."

A) National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS)
B) National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS)
C) Self-report surveys
D) Uniform Crime Report (UCR)

Question 5

The study of crime is referred to as ____.

A) Criminal justice
B) Criminology
C) Psychology
D) Sociology

Question 6

A theory of crime in which offenders weigh the possible benefits of criminal activity against the costs of being apprehended is:

A) Rational choice theory
B) Social disorganization theory
C) Social process theory
D) Trait theory

Question 7

Supporters report that ____ gives victims a voice in the criminal justice process.

A) National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS)
B) National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS)
C) Self-report surveys
D) The Uniform Crime Report (UCR)

Question 8

A theory is:

A) A relationship between two variables in which they vary together
B) An educated guess by a criminologist about the relationship between two variables
C) A statement in which a variable is denoted as the cause of change in another variable
D) An explanation for a phenomenon based on observation,experimentation,and reasoning

Question 9

____ is a phrase used to describe the actual amount of crime that takes place.

A) "Hidden figure of crime"
B) "Dark prediction of crime"
C) "Dark figure of crime"
D) "Hidden prediction of crime"

Question 10

The UCR is comprised of agency data which represents __________ of the American population.

A) 95%
B) 88%
C) 76%
D) 65%

Question 11

The UCR is prepared annually by:

A) The United States Census Bureau
B) The Department of Homeland Security
C) The Federal Bureau of Investigation
D) The United States Secret Service

Question 12

The "dark figure of crime" appears to be:

A) Much higher than suggested by the UCR
B) Much lower than suggested by the UCR
C) Slightly lower than suggested by the UCR
D) Consistent with the UCR

Question 13

The Uniform Crime Report (UCR)reports on three measurements.Which of the following is NOT one of them?

A) The number of persons arrested
B) The number of crimes reported by victims,witnesses,or the police themselves
C) The number of officers and support law enforcement specialists
D) The number of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)agents that compile the UCR

Question 14

When the UCR presents crime data as a rate,they are reporting:

A) The amount of crime per 100,000 people
B) The amount of change that has occurred since the previous year
C) The total number of crimes
D) The frequency with which a particular crime is committed within a 24 hour period

Question 15

Which of the following is a Part II offense?

A) Driving under the influence
B) Burglary
C) Arson
D) Motor vehicle theft

Question 16

What are criminological theories primarily concerned with?

A) Assisting the criminal justice professional
B) Constructing grounds to explain the behavior of criminal justice professionals
C) Determining the reasons behind criminal behavior
D) Providing support to criminal psychologists

Question 17

While traditionally overlooked in criminological research,__________________ are the fastest growing minority group in the U.S.prison population.

A) African Americans
B) Asians
C) Hispanics
D) American Indians

Question 18

In what form of data collection are persons asked directly,through personal interviews or questionnaires or over the telephone,about specific criminal activity to which they may have been a party?

A) National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS)
B) National Victimization Survey (NCVS)
C) Self-report surveys
D) Uniform Crime Report (UCR)

Question 19

A proposition that can be tested by researchers to determine if it is valid is a (n):

A) Hypothesis
B) Scientific method
C) Theory
D) Correlation

Question 20

Which of the following is a Part I offense?

A) Driving under the influence
B) Embezzlement
C) Drug abuse violations
D) Larceny/theft

Question 21

According to Jack Katz,the emotional or sensual rush a criminal experiences upon the successful completion of a crime is referred to as:

A) "Crime adrenalin"
B) "Criminal benefit"
C) "Rush sensation"
D) "Seduction of crime"

Question 22

A theory that believes criminals must be taught both the practical and emotional skills necessary to participate in illegal activity.

A) Labeling theory
B) Learning theory
C) Social process theory
D) Trait theory

Question 23

Which theory suggests that certain biological or psychological traits in individuals could incline them toward criminal behavior given a certain set of circumstances?

A) Choice theory
B) Social process theory
C) Social structure theory
D) Trait theory

Question 24

To understand the basics of addiction and physical dependence,you must understand the role of _ ____________ in the brain.

A) Serotonin
B) Norepinephrine
C) Dopamine
D) Histamine

Question 25

Gambling is considered to be a white-collar crime.

Question 26

According to ________________crime occurs when three factors are present: a likely offender,a suitable target,and the absence of a capable guardian.

A) Choice theory
B) Social disorganization
C) Social process theory
D) Routine activity theory

Question 27

A delinquent or criminal who commits multiple offenses and is considered part of a small group of wrongdoers who are responsible for a majority of the antisocial activity in any given community is a:

A) Constant criminal
B) Chronic offender
C) Constant offender
D) Persistent perpetrator

Question 28

Robbery is considered a violent crime.

Question 29

According to Wolfgang,Figlio,and Sellin,what percent of juvenile offenders has been shown to be responsible for a disproportionate amount of violent crime?

A) 6%
B) 10%
C) 14%
D) 80%

Question 30

Social conflict theory focuses on ____ as a key component in explaining crime.

A) Choice
B) The community
C) Learning
D) Power

Question 31

Shaw and McKay studied high-crime neighborhoods and discovered that these "zones" were characterized by ____,or a breakdown in schools,families,and community groups.

A) Chaos
B) Conflict
C) Disorganization
D) Disruption

Question 32

Assault and battery are the same crime.

Question 33

Learning theory was popularized by:

A) Cesare Lombroso
B) Clifford Shaw
C) Edwin Sutherland
D) Henry McKay

Question 34

Choice theorists believe the best way to deter crime is to:

A) Increase the severity of the punishment for offending
B) Provide counseling and treatment for those individuals at risk for offending
C) Establish programs to strengthen communities
D) Divert juvenile offenders from the criminal justice system

Question 35

According to ____,criminal offending is the result of interactions with parents,friends and peer groups.

A) Choice theory
B) Social disorganization theory
C) Social process theory
D) Trait theory

Question 36

Which of the following is NOT one of the three neurotransmitters that seem particularly related to aggressive behavior?

A) Serotonin
B) Norepinephrine
C) Dopamine
D) Estrogen

Question 37

Robbery is the unlawful entry of a structure with the intention of committing a serious crime such as theft.

Question 38

The UCR presents crime data collected annually from local,state,and federal law enforcement agencies.

Question 39

A chronic offender is also referred to as a ____.

A) Career criminal
B) Constant criminal
C) Chronic victim
D) Persistent perpetrator

Question 40

What is the school of criminology that is often associated with a critique of our capitalist economic system?

A) Labeling
B) Social conflict
C) Social disorganization
D) Social process

Question 41

Research shows that serotonin is a neurotransmitter that is related to aggressive behavior.

Question 42

All individuals are at equal risk of being victimized by crime.

Question 43

Prostitution and gambling are examples of ____________________.

Question 44

There are currently no theories that associate physical characteristics with criminality.

Question 45

UCR Part I offenses include attempted as well as completed crimes.

Question 46

Victimology is a school of criminology that studies why certain people are the victims of crimes and the optimal role for victims in the criminal justice system.

Question 47

As a reaction to the research of the "chronic 6%," law enforcement agencies and district attorneys' offices have devised specific strategies to apprehend and prosecute repeat offenders.

Question 48

__________ is the act of taking property from another person through force,threat of force,or intimidation.

Question 49

Part I offenses are recorded by the FBI to give a general idea of the "crime picture" in the United States.

Question 50

There are potentially criminal penalties for subjects who admit to criminal activity in a self-report survey.

Question 51

Victim surveys are used to collect data from criminals and victims of crime.

Question 52

The Uniform Crime Reports (UCR)are compiled by the __________.

Question 53

Part II offenses are measured only by __________ data.

Question 54

There are seven Part II offenses listed in the UCR.

Question 55

Crime is an overwhelmingly male activity.

Question 56

UCR crime rates are expressed per 10,000 people.

Question 57

Trait theorists believe that crime is best addressed by punishing criminal offenders.

Question 58

_______________describes an illegal act or series of acts committed by an individual or business entity using some nonviolent means to obtain a personal or business advantage.

Question 59

The dark figure of crime refers to those offenses that are committed,but are unknown to the police.

Question 60

A correlation between variables means that one variable causes change in another variable.

Question 61

Someone with low self-control is likely to solve problems with _______________ rather than his or her intellect.

Question 62

Compare and contrast Part I and Part II crimes of the UCR Reports.

Question 63

A _______________ is a chemical that transmits nerve impulses between nerve cells and from nerve cells to the brain.

Question 64

__________ allow the victims of crime to speak directly to crime experts about their experiences.

Question 65

Describe the Uniform Crime Report (UCR).Who compiles this crime measurement source,when was it created,and what does it include?

Question 66

Medical drugs that require a physician's permission for purchase are ________________________.

Question 67

_______________ regulates perceptions of pleasure and reward.

Question 68

A _____________ is an explanation of a happening or circumstance that is based on observation,experimentation,and reasoning

Question 69

A proposition that can be tested by researchers to determine if it is valid is a(n)____________________.

Question 70

__________ is the scientific study of mental processes and behavior.

Question 71

__________ suggests that a lack of social control,as provided by entities such as the family or school,can lead to antisocial behavior.

Question 72

____________ is/are researchers who study the causes of crime.

Question 73

Criminologists believe that first-time illegal drug users go through a ___________________ in taking up the habit.

Question 74

The two major branches of social process theory are learning theory and __________ theory.

Question 75

Compare and contrast victim surveys and self-reported surveys

Question 76

Strain theory has its roots in the works of Emile Durkheim and his concept of _________________.

Question 77

__________ is more important that skin color when it comes to crime trends.

Question 78

The ___________________________ refers to the actual amount of crime that takes place.

Question 79

What is meant by "the dark figure of crime?" Are there sources that help to reveal this "dark figure?"

Question 80

List and discuss the six different main categories of crime.