Question 1

Which statement is false regarding the structure of crime?

Accepted Answer

Distance plays a significant role in an offender's decision-making process when choosing a location for a crime. Offenders often consider the proximity to their own location, the likelihood of being caught, and the ease of escape, among other factors.

Question 2

Who wrote Seductions of Crime , a book that argues that there are immediate benefits to criminality?

Accepted Answer

Jack Katz is the author of "Seductions of Crime," which posits that criminal acts can offer immediate benefits to individuals, such as excitement or a sense of power, thereby explaining part of their appeal.

Question 3

Before choosing to commit a crime, ________ criminals evaluate the risk of apprehension, the seriousness of punishment, the potential value, and the immediate need for criminal gain.

Accepted Answer

Reasoning criminals evaluate the risk of apprehension, the seriousness of punishment, the potential value, and the immediate need for criminal gain before committing a crime, indicating a process of rational decision-making.

Question 4

Adding a security guard to reduce shoplifting in a department store is an example of a crime:

Accepted Answer

Adding a security guard acts as a deterrent or discourager to potential shoplifters, making them think twice before committing the act due to the increased risk of being caught.

Question 5

When an effort to prevent one crime has the unintended consequences of preventing other crimes, this is referred to as:

Accepted Answer

Diffusion of benefits occurs when measures taken to prevent one type of crime inadvertently prevent other crimes as well, without specifically targeting them. This is a positive unintended consequence of a crime prevention strategy.

Question 6

Brightly displaying "No Littering" signs is an example of eliminating:

Accepted Answer

Displaying "No Littering" signs clearly communicates the rules and expectations, thereby eliminating excuses for not following them. It makes it harder for individuals to claim ignorance of the law or rules regarding littering.

Question 7

According to __________, punishment has the potential to discourage all individuals in the population from committing crime.

Accepted Answer

General deterrence theory posits that by punishing one individual, others are deterred from committing similar crimes due to fear of similar punishment.

Question 8

Situational crime prevention is not without its problems. When crime-reduction programs redirect offenders to alternative targets, the practice is termed:

Accepted Answer

Crime displacement refers to the phenomenon where crime reduction efforts in one area lead to an increase in crime in another area, as offenders simply move their activities to less secure locations.

Question 9

________ violations involve encounters in which the grievant's essential character has been challenged.

Accepted Answer

The answer of ________ violations involve encounters in which the...

Question 10

Some law violators describe the adrenaline rush that comes from successfully executing illegal activities in dangerous situations. This integration of danger, risk, and skill is, for some, a seduction of crime and is referred to as:

Accepted Answer

The term "edgework" refers to the seduction of crime through the integration of danger, risk, and skill, where individuals seek the adrenaline rush that comes from successfully executing illegal activities in dangerous situations.

Question 11

Well-lit housing projects that maximize surveillance reflect Oscar Newman's concept of _______ that suggests that crime can be prevented via the use of residential architectural designs that reduce criminal opportunity.

Accepted Answer

Oscar Newman's concept of "defensible space" suggests that crime can be prevented through residential architectural designs that enhance visibility and define areas of influence, thereby reducing criminal opportunity by making spaces more secure and promoting community vigilance.

Question 12

When urban planners consider the characteristics of sites that are at risk for crime, the factors that attract people to these sites, and the factors that equip potential criminals to take advantage of illegal opportunities, they are engaging in a practice known as:

Accepted Answer

Situational crime prevention focuses on reducing the opportunity for crime by increasing the risks and decreasing the rewards associated with committing the crime, which involves analyzing characteristics of sites at risk, factors attracting people, and equipping potential criminals.

Question 13

While outwardly considered the most irrational of offenders, serial murderers are considered rational killers because:

Accepted Answer

Serial murderers are considered rational because they often carefully select their targets, planning their crimes to avoid detection and capture.

Question 14

Richard Felson suggested that violence is a matter of choice that serves specific goals. Which is not one of these goals?

Accepted Answer

Richard Felson's theory on violence does not list rationality as a goal of violence. Instead, his theory suggests that violence serves specific goals such as control, retribution, and reputation, implying that individuals may use violence as a means to achieve these ends rather than acting on pure rationality.

Question 15

The belief that crime can be reduced by modifying the physical environment to reduce opportunity is called:

Accepted Answer

Defensible space is a concept that suggests crime can be prevented or reduced by designing and managing the physical environment in a way that minimizes opportunities for crime. This includes strategies like improved lighting, surveillance, and territorial reinforcement.

Question 16

When efforts to prevent one crime unintentionally prevents another, and when crime control efforts in one locale reduce crime in other, nontarget areas, this is called:

Accepted Answer

Diffusion of benefits occurs when the efforts to prevent or control crime in a specific area lead to unintended positive effects in other areas or types of crime, reducing them without direct intervention.

Question 17

According to deterrence theory, if the probability of arrest, conviction, and sanctioning could be increased, crime rates should:

Accepted Answer

Deterrence theory posits that crime rates will decline if the probability of arrest, conviction, and sanctioning is increased, as potential offenders are deterred by the higher likelihood of facing consequences for their actions.

Question 18

Most burglars prefer to commit crimes in neighborhoods that contain a greater than usual number of access streets. These neighborhoods are referred to as _____ neighborhoods.

Accepted Answer

Permeable neighborhoods are those with a greater number of access streets, allowing for easier entry and exit, which is why burglars might prefer them. This term reflects the ease with which these areas can be penetrated, akin to how liquids pass through a permeable surface.

Question 19

Officer Smith with the Charleston, South Carolina, police department begins motorcycle patrols in an effort to reduce public intoxication offenses in the downtown area. The increased police presence reduces public intoxication offenses in downtown Charleston, but in neighboring communities a spike in these offenses occurs. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

This is an example of displacement, where the effect of a crime prevention effort in one area (reduced public intoxication offenses in downtown Charleston due to increased police patrols) results in the unintended consequence of the crime moving to a different area (neighboring communities experiencing a spike in public intoxication offenses).

Question 20

The view that criminals are not robots who engage in random acts of antisocial behavior reflects _____ crime.

Accepted Answer

The view that criminals are not robots who engage in random acts of antisocial behavior but rather make decisions based on personal circumstances, traits, and situations reflects offender-specific crime. This perspective focuses on the individual characteristics and choices of the offender.

Quiz 4: Rational Choice Theory