Question 1

Positivist criminology viewed criminals as being controlled by free will.

Accepted Answer

Positivist criminology rejected the idea of free will and instead emphasized the role of factors beyond an individual's control, such as biological, psychological, and sociological influences in criminal behavior.

Question 2

One reported weakness of the Uniform Crime Report is that it does NOT consider ______.

Accepted Answer

The Uniform Crime Report only includes data on Part I offenses, which are the most serious crimes, and does not consider less serious crimes. Therefore, the best choice is C, as it is the only option that correctly identifies a weakness of the report.

Question 3

Scholars in the first portion of the 20th century did research to determine whether individuals with a mesomorphic body type were more prone to criminal behavior.

Accepted Answer

Early 20th century researchers did indeed study whether the mesomorphic body type was linked to criminal behavior.

Question 4

When figuring the crime rate of an area, the number of offenses is divided by which of the following?

Accepted Answer

The crime rate is typically calculated by dividing the number of offenses by the population of the jurisdiction to determine the rate per capita.

Question 5

Lombroso believed that offenders were atavistic in nature.

Accepted Answer

Lombroso believed that criminals were primitive and resembled earlier, less-evolved humans in terms of their physical and mental characteristics. He argued that these individuals were atavistic or throwbacks to an earlier stage of biological evolution.

Question 6

Which of the following describes the practice of only reporting the most serious offense in crimes where multiple offenses are committed?

Accepted Answer

The hierarchy rule is a practice followed by law enforcement agencies where only the most serious offense is reported and counted in cases where multiple offenses are committed. This is done to ensure accurate crime statistics and to avoid double counting of crimes committed in the same incident.

Question 7

In his Essays on Crime and Punishments, Beccaria lamented the shift away from spiritualism and the belief that criminals are possessed by the devil and must be punished severely to save their immortal souls.

Accepted Answer

In his Essays on Crime and Punishments, Beccaria actually advocated for a more rational and humane approach to punishment, arguing that it should be based on the principle of deterrence rather than religious redemption. He criticized the barbaric methods of punishment that were common during his time, such as torture and public executions, and called for a more proportional and rational system of justice.

Question 8

Labeling theory claims that when social rules are overly structured and strict, people will feel frustration and act out in criminal ways.

Accepted Answer

Labeling theory primarily focuses on how the labels or definitions applied to individuals by society (especially by authorities such as law enforcement) can influence individuals' self-identity and behavior, potentially leading to deviance or criminal behavior. It does not primarily concern the structure or strictness of social rules causing frustration and criminal acts.

Question 9

Which is the most widely used and most accurate reporting of crimes in the United States that is published by the FBI?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which is the most widely used and...

Question 10

Which of the following categories is unique to the National Incident-Based Reporting System?

Accepted Answer

Crimes against society is a unique category to the National Incident-Based Reporting System, as it includes offenses such as drug offenses, prostitution, and gambling. The other categories listed (crimes against persons, crimes against property, and crimes against corporations) are common categories found in various crime reporting systems.

Question 11

Which of the following is a potential weakness of the National Crime Victimization Survey?

Accepted Answer

Estimates crime based on a representative sample can lead to sampling error, which is a potential weakness of the survey.

Question 12

One of the principles of classical criminology is that the criminal justice system should be predictable--the citizens know the laws and their punishments.

Accepted Answer

Classical criminology emphasizes the importance of a predictable criminal justice system, where the laws and their punishments are known to the citizens. This is believed to deter crime by making the consequences of criminal behavior clear, leading to rational decision-making by potential criminals.

Question 13

Criminologists used theoretical paradigms to explain why crime occurs.

Accepted Answer

Criminologists use theoretical paradigms, which are frameworks or models, to understand and explain the causes of crime. These paradigms can include biological, psychological, social, and economic factors.

Question 14

Strain theorists argue that crime is caused by a learned helplessness.

Accepted Answer

Strain theorists argue that crime is caused by the frustration and strain experienced by individuals who are unable to achieve their goals through legitimate means. This often leads to innovative, delinquent, or criminal behavior as a means of coping with the strain. It is not related to the concept of learned helplessness.

Question 15

Within the NCVS, personal crime includes all of the following EXCEPT ______.

Accepted Answer

Burglary is not considered a personal crime because it involves unlawful entry into a property, rather than a direct attack or threat towards a person. Personal crimes within the NCVS include robbery, assault, and sexual attack.

Question 16

Learning theory argues that criminal behavior is acquired through social learning processes.

Accepted Answer

Learning theory posits that criminal behavior is learned through social interaction and modeling, as well as through reinforcement and punishment. This perspective highlights the importance of environmental factors and social influences in shaping behavior, and suggests that individuals who are exposed to deviant attitudes, values, and behavior are more likely to engage in criminal activity themselves.

Question 17

Which includes data on eight different offenses and on both crimes against persons and crimes against property?

Accepted Answer

The Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) include data on eight different offenses, known as Part I offenses, which cover both crimes against persons (such as murder and assault) and crimes against property (such as burglary and theft).

Question 18

Criminologists used theoretical paradigms to explain why crime occurs.

Accepted Answer

Criminologists often use various theoretical paradigms, such as social learning theory or strain theory, to explain the causes of crime.

Question 19

A researcher is attempting to estimate the number of rape offenses that have not been reported to the police over the past 6 months. Which of the following databases would most likely have the best information related to these data?

Accepted Answer

The National Crime Victimization Survey is designed to collect information directly from victims of crime, including those who did not report the crime to the police. Therefore, it would be the most appropriate database for estimating the number of unreported rape offenses. The U.S. Census data, Uniform Crime Reports, and National Incident-Based Reporting System do not focus on unreported crimes specifically.

Question 20

Aside from determining the number of crimes for a given area, the crime rate can also show the ______.

Accepted Answer

Crime rate measures the number of crimes per population, or the frequency of crime, which can give an indication of the likelihood of becoming a victim of crime.

Quiz 3: Theories of Crime and Measuring Victimization

Positivist criminology viewed criminals as being controlled by free will.

One reported weakness of the Uniform Crime Report is that it does NOT consider ______.

Scholars in the first portion of the 20th century did research to determine whether individuals with a mesomorphic body type were more prone to criminal behavior.

When figuring the crime rate of an area, the number of offenses is divided by which of the following?

Lombroso believed that offenders were atavistic in nature.

Which of the following describes the practice of only reporting the most serious offense in crimes where multiple offenses are committed?

In his Essays on Crime and Punishments, Beccaria lamented the shift away from spiritualism and the belief that criminals are possessed by the devil and must be punished severely to save their immortal souls.

Labeling theory claims that when social rules are overly structured and strict, people will feel frustration and act out in criminal ways.

Which is the most widely used and most accurate reporting of crimes in the United States that is published by the FBI?

Which of the following categories is unique to the National Incident-Based Reporting System?

Which of the following is a potential weakness of the National Crime Victimization Survey?

One of the principles of classical criminology is that the criminal justice system should be predictable--the citizens know the laws and their punishments.

Criminologists used theoretical paradigms to explain why crime occurs.

Strain theorists argue that crime is caused by a learned helplessness.

Within the NCVS, personal crime includes all of the following EXCEPT ______.

Learning theory argues that criminal behavior is acquired through social learning processes.

Which includes data on eight different offenses and on both crimes against persons and crimes against property?

Criminologists used theoretical paradigms to explain why crime occurs.

A researcher is attempting to estimate the number of rape offenses that have not been reported to the police over the past 6 months. Which of the following databases would most likely have the best information related to these data?

Aside from determining the number of crimes for a given area, the crime rate can also show the ______.