Deck 2: Public Opinion, the News Media, and the Crime Problem

Question 1

Democratic theory suggests that:

A) Democratic countries have higher crime rates than dictatorships.
B) Whenever possible, police should hold public meetings on policy decisions.
C) Courts should base their sentencing on public opinion.
D) Policy decisions by public officials should reflect public opinion.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

In general,which of the following gets the least amount of media coverage?

A) Homicide
B) Sexual assault
C) White-collar crime
D) Armed robbery

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Which of the following is a structural factor that contributes to fear of crime?

A) Higher income levels
B) Low levels of social integration
C) Homogenous neighborhoods
D) High number of television news programs

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Which of the following helps explain a higher fear of crime among African-Americans and Latinos?

A) African-Americans and Latinos are more likely to live in large cities.
B) Whites are more likely to install security systems.
C) African-Americans and Latinos are more likely to live in rural areas.
D) Whites are less likely to go out at night.

Question 5

In general,______ tend to hold more punitive views than others.

A) Minorities
B) Women
C) Juveniles
D) Religious fundamentalists

Question 6

Which of the following groups has the greatest fear of "walking alone at night"?

A) White men
B) Latina women
C) African-American men
D) Asian women

Question 7

While its use was actually declining in the 1980s,news stories about _____ gave the public the impression that it had become an epidemic.

A) Marijuana use
B) Crack cocaine use
C) Gun-related crime
D) Juvenile DUI

Question 8

Which of the following is one of the reasons many people may have an unrealistic view of crime?

A) Lack of access to crime data
B) Media overdramatization
C) Poor FBI crime data
D) Inaccurate textbooks

Question 9

When the media suddenly overemphasizes even a small number of crimes,it may create the impression of a _____.

A) Deviance cluster
B) Crime valley
C) Crime wave
D) Deviance surge

Question 10

Based on the following characteristics,who would most likely support the use of the death penalty?

A) Younger, African-American female
B) Older, conservative White male
C) Younger, Latina female
D) Older, Latino male

Question 11

Which of the following groups has a more negative view of police?

A) Whites
B) Native Americans
C) Women
D) African-Americans and Latinos

Question 12

In regards to media coverage,which of the following has been identified as contributing to providing the public with a misleading picture of the crime problem?

A) Reporters failing to provide the social and/or historical context for the information presented in the crime story
B) Reporters adequately presenting both sides of the story
C) Reporters accounting for changes in the population
D) Reporters tending to utilize expert opinion for background presented in the crime story

Question 13

Which of the following are overrepresented in television and news reports regarding crime?

A) Whites and Latinos
B) Women and youths
C) African-Americans and the elderly
D) African-Americans and Latinos

Question 14

Which of the following structural factors contributes to an increased fear of crime in big cities?

A) A high percentage of White citizens
B) A high proportion of elderly
C) A high percentage of teenagers
D) A high proportion of people of color

Question 15

Which of the following is an effect of media coverage?

A) A decreased pubic fear of crime
B) A greater public concern for addressing the root causes of crime such as poverty
C) A decrease in democratic influence on public policy
D) Greater public ignorance of actual crime trends

Question 16

Approximately what percentage of youths is arrested annually for violent crime?

A) 1
B) 5
C) 18
D) 31

Question 17

Media overreporting of crime tends to focus on:

A) Arson
B) Homicide
C) Robbery
D) Kidnapping

Question 18

Which of the following is a consequence of fear of crime?

A) Greater spending on public schools
B) Decreased sentences for drug crimes
C) The building of more prisons
D) An increase in military spending

Question 19

____ are those who might be considered innocent,or having been "in the wrong place at the wrong time".

A) Tentative targets
B) Virtuous victims
C) Fatal targets
D) Tactical victims

Question 20

In the 1830s,major East Coast US cities:

A) Were plagued by mob violence.
B) Were plagued by juvenile delinquency.
C) Saw a major drop in violent crime.
D) Saw a slight drop in crime committed by women.

Question 21

The saying,"if it bleeds it leads" suggests the media overreports violent crime.

Question 22

The media overreports on white-collar crime.

Question 23

The media reinforces negative stereotypes about whites' criminal tendencies.

Question 24

The media tends to overdramatize crime.

Question 25

Fear of crime is generally lower in dilapidated neighborhoods.

Question 26

The media often obscure the underlying causes of crime.

Question 27

Which of the following groups has often been the subject of distorted treatment in media coverage?

A) White males
B) Wealthy women
C) Homeless
D) Racial and ethnic minorities

Question 28

The public often thinks crime is rising when it is actually falling.

Question 29

One theme stands out among public beliefs about crime and criminal justice.Which of the following statements reflects that theme?

A) Americans have almost universal agreement about the criminal justice system.
B) Americans are divided along the lines of race and ethnicity, social class, gender and age.
C) Americans are most divided in opinion depending upon the state in which they live.
D) Americans do not allow news articles to shape their opinions.

Question 30

Fear of crime strengthens social ties within a community.

Question 31

Juveniles commit more crime than adults.

Question 32

While they are least likely to be victims of crime,_____ have a high fear of crime.

A) Juveniles
B) Women
C) Elderly
D) African-Americans

Question 33

People in rural areas are more afraid to walk alone at night than urban dwellers.

Question 34

When given an option,Americans tend to prefer:

A) Incarceration as the primary sentencing option
B) The use of boot camps for juvenile offenders
C) Criminal justice spending on prevention and treatment
D) An increase in the application of the death penalty

Question 35

Most arrests eventually end with the accused going to a jury trial.

Question 36

Crime victims come from all walks of life.

Question 37

Whites are more likely to have a negative experience with police.

Question 38

Most violent crime is committed by friends or intimates.

Question 39

Of the following,which is an area with general agreement among all groups?

A) Crime seriousness
B) Perceptions of criminal injustice
C) Views about crime spending
D) Punitiveness

Question 40

Most demographic subgroups generally agree on crime seriousness.

Question 41

Explain what structural factors are and what role they play in creating criminogenic environments.

Question 42

Matching:
Match the key words or phrases with the associated phrase.

Question 43

_____ factors,that impact fear of crime,focus on community characteristics such as the living conditions of neighborhoods.

Question 44

The media overdramatizes crime through crime _____.

Question 45

Watching ___ may increase fear of crime.

Question 46

Democratic theory suggests decisions by public officials should reflect public _____.

Question 47

What do scholars mean when they suggest that the news media do,in fact,overdramatize crime?

Question 48

How "tough on crime" the public is can be a measure of _____.

Question 49

Explain why people of different races,ages and social class may have different opinions about the police.

Question 50

Overreporting violent offenses raises the public's _____ of crime.

Question 51

Criminal _____ may contribute to tension between minorities and the police.

Question 52

Watch a complete televised news cast.Keep track of the stories,and write a summary of your findings.How much time was spent on crime stories? Did you notice any myths being presented? Were the pieces presented in an objective manner?

Question 53

Individual _____ include demographic variables such as age,gender and race impact a person's fear of crime.

Question 54

News media gives more attention to who they deem innocent or _____ victims.