Deck 4: Sociological Explanations of Delinquency

Question 1

Social Disorganization Theory was developed by:

A) Clifford Saw
B) Henry McKay
C) Sigmund Freud
D) Both A and B

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Robert Merton formulated strain theory around the concept of:

A) "anome"
B) "annomine"
C) "anomie"
D) "successfulness"

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Sociology is a discipline that studies:

A) Group behavior and how social factors influence individuals
B) Descriptions of social groups
C) Social Problem
D) All of the above

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Who combined the strong points of the traditional classical theory and positivist theories into the general theory of crime?

A) Blake and Rodger
B) Huizinga and Weiher
C) Esbensen
D) Gottfredson and Hirschi

Question 5

School involvements tend to ___________ delinquency.

A) Increase
B) Not effect
C) Effect
D) Decrease

Question 6

Robert Agnew identified three sources of strain in his general strain theory. What are they?

A) Failure to achieve positively valued goals; removal of positively valued stimuli; presentation of negative stimuli.
B) The ability to achieve positively valued goals; securing positively valued stimuli; avoidance of negative stimuli.
C) The inability to achieve; securing necessities; avoidance of negative stimuli.
D) Failure to achieve positively valued goals; removal of self-esteem; acceptance of negative stimuli.

Question 7

Social disorganization theory believes that deviance is not caused by the _____________but by inadequate social institutions.

A) Parents
B) Individual
C) Physiology
D) Psychology

Question 8

Criminologists traditionally viewed the causes of delinquency and criminal behavior not as ______ or ______but as a social problem.

A) Biogenetic; psychological
B) Psychological; neurological
C) Economic; social class
D) Dynamic; static

Question 9

Strain theory is best described by:

A) An individual not having medical needs satisfied.
B) A person being frustrated by the environment.
C) An individual not being able to have equal opportunities as others.
D) An individual being lazy.

Question 10

Cultural deviance theory is also known as…

A) Cross-cultural prevalence theory
B) Juvenile behaviorism
C) Psychoanalytic theory
D) Subcultural theory

Question 11

Control theories have what premise?

A) The way to understand delinquency is to study juveniles.
B) The way to understand delinquency is to know the characteristics of persons who conform and do not engage in delinquency.
C) The way to understand delinquency is to be delinquent.
D) The way to understand delinquency is to understand delinquent psychology and physiology.

Question 12

Edward Sutherland developed what social process theory?

A) Differential association theory
B) Differential process theory
C) Delinquency prevention process
D) Control theory

Question 13

Lemert differentiated between ________ ________ and _______ __________by respectively referring to behavior of the individual and the other referring to society's response.

A) Primary deviance; secondary deviance
B) First deviance; first correction
C) Internal motivation; societal motivation
D) Juvenile psychology; criminal psychology

Question 14

Conflict theory states that there are certain laws that:

A) Criminalize behavior that is not considered a crime to the vast majority of people.
B) Criminalize behavior that is excessive
C) Criminalize behavior that is obscene.
D) Criminalize behavior that is juvenile.

Question 15

Developmental or life-course delinquency explanations attempt to account for differences among offenders who:

A) Begin offending at a later age and continue offending, and those who begin in adolescence and seem to grow out of it.
B) Begin offending at an early age and continue offending and those who are carrier criminals.
C) Begin offending at an early age and continue offending, and those who begin in adolescence and seem to grow out of it.
D) None of the above

Question 16

The opportunity-structure theories prompted government funded polices such as:

A) No Child Left Behind
B) Head Start Programs
C) Summer School Programs
D) Reading Programs

Question 17

Social Control Theory was developed by:

A) Lawrence Ban
B) Linden Hackler
C) Travis Hirschi
D) Liska Reed

Question 18

The feminist perspective of delinquency is a form of:

A) Social control theory
B) Conflict theory
C) Social disorganization theory
D) Integration theory

Question 19

Walter Miller described a number of concerns that dominated lower class cultures and often run counter to lawful, middle-class behavior. These concerns are known as:

A) Primary concerns
B) Prominent concerns
C) Focal concerns
D) Opportunistic concerns

Question 20

There has been _________of research to support labeling theory.

A) Vast amounts
B) A lot
C) Little
D) Average amount

Question 21

"Social reaction theories" focus more on how society, social institutions, and government officials react to crime than on why offenders commit crime.

Question 22

The "cultural deviance theory" is also referred to as "differential association theory."

Question 23

Conditions of "anomie" or "normlessness" exist when the rule of law is weakened and becomes powerless to maintain social control.

Question 24

Social structure explanations of delinquency focus on the social and cultural environment in which adolescents grow up but pay little attention to subculture groups.

Question 25

More recent criminological explanations of delinquency include developmental and life-course theories.

Question 26

Race is not a significant factor in most studies of juvenile delinquency and juvenile justice.

Question 27

The increase in crime that occurred with urban growth was due to social-disorganization and conditions over which individuals had little control.

Question 28

The "strain theory" is part of the "social-disorganization" theory of delinquency.

Question 29

The "conflict" theorists view schools as social control institutions whose primary purpose is to prepare young people for entry into the work world.

Question 30

"Life-course persistent" delinquent behavior is typified by a smaller group whose antisocial behavior begins early in life and develops into an adult career in crime.

Question 31

The primary assumption of the "labeling theory" is that repeated delinquent behavior is "caused" by society's reaction to minor deviant behavior.

Question 32

In the "general theory of crime" they begin with the question, "What is crime?" rather than "What causes crime?"

Question 33

The "conflict" or "critical" theory focuses on individual characteristics and criminal tendencies of offenders.

Question 34

The "social-disorganization" theory directs attention to individual responsibility for crime.

Question 35

The "strain theory" explains delinquency as being caused by the frustration of not having an equal opportunity to achieve commonly shared goals such as economic or social success.

Question 36

The focal question of the "control theory" is: Why do most youth "not" engage in repetitive, serious delinquency?

Question 37

The "differential association theory" was founded on a number of propositions including: criminal behavior is learned and criminal behavior is an expression of general needs and values.

Question 38

The "subculture theory" is also known as the "cultural deviance theory". It suggests that youth violate law because they follow the values of their lower-class community.

Question 39

The "control theory" does not consider the influence of parents, peers, and school experiences in explaining delinquency.

Question 40

Criminologists have traditionally viewed the causes of delinquency as a social problem.

Question 41

Discuss the "social structure theory" of delinquency. List the three categories of social structure explanations and the impact of each on delinquency.

Question 42

Define the "cultural deviance theory." Explain the impact of "focal concerns" on juvenile delinquency.

Question 43

Describe the "control theory" of delinquency. What is the role of parents, peers, and school experiences in explaining delinquency?