Question 1

The ______ argument argues that people generally refrain from committing murder because they fear execution.

Accepted Answer

General deterrence is the argument that people generally refrain from committing murder because they fear execution.

Question 2

______ killers are rare because they suffer from some form of psychosis: They frequently perceive voices or images that command them to kill.

Accepted Answer

Visionary killers are the only type of killers who commonly suffer from psychosis, which involves experiencing sensory perceptions that aren't based in reality.

Question 3

_____ is the most extreme form of punishment that states and the federal government can hand down as a sanction for murder.

Accepted Answer

Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the most extreme form of punishment that can be handed down for murder. It involves the convicted individual being put to death by the state.

Question 4

The ______ for capital punishment is that executing those who commit murder is the only effective way to keep them from ever killing again.

Accepted Answer

The incapacitation justification argues that capital punishment is necessary for preventing the offender from ever committing murder again, as they are permanently removed from society. The death deterrence justification argues that the threat of capital punishment deters others from committing murder, while general deterrence argues that it deters potential offenders who have not yet committed a crime. Specific deterrence argues that capital punishment deters the individual offender from committing future crimes. However, research has not supported the effectiveness of deterrence justifications for capital punishment.

Question 5

______ in 1958 coined the term victim precipitation,which simply means that victims sometimes start the conflict that ends in their own death.

Accepted Answer

Marvin Wolfgang coined the term victim precipitation in 1958 as part of his work on victimology.

Question 6

______ are killings judged to be legally acceptable because they occurred in defense of life or property.

Accepted Answer

Justifiable homicides are killings that are considered legally acceptable because they occurred in self-defense to protect oneself, someone else, or property. This differs from murders or criminal homicides, which are killings that were intentionally committed without legal justification or excuse. Excusable homicides refer to accidental or unintentional killings that are considered understandable or forgivable under certain circumstances, but still may require legal consequences.

Question 7

Mass murders are likely to take place in ______.

Accepted Answer

Mass murders can occur in any location where the perpetrator has access to victims, including airports, schools, office buildings, and federal buildings. There is no single type of location that is exclusively prone to such incidents.

Question 8

There are three broad types of multicide: mass murder,spree murder,and ______.

Accepted Answer

Mass murder and spree murder refer to incidents where multiple people are killed in a single event or short time period. Serial murder, on the other hand, involves the killing of three or more individuals over a longer period of time, with a cooling off period in between each murder. Therefore, the missing option in the question is A) serial murder.

Question 9

______ is generally understood to have taken place when someone kills four or more victims in one location at one general point in time

Accepted Answer

Mass murder is generally understood to have taken place when someone kills four or more victims in one location at one general point in time. Serial murder involves killing multiple victims over a period of time with a "cooling off" period between killings. Felony murder occurs when a death is caused during the commission of a felony, regardless of the intent to kill. Spree murder involves killing multiple victims in multiple locations over a short period of time without a "cooling off" period.

Question 10

The final justification for capital punishment is ______ and has nothing to do with public safety-it is a moral justification.

Accepted Answer

Retribution refers to the idea of punishing a offender in order to exact revenge for their crime, and is considered a moral justification for capital punishment. It is unrelated to issues of public safety or deterrence.

Question 11

______ generally include two categories-murder and manslaughter-with various types subsumed under each.

Accepted Answer

Criminal homicides generally include murder and manslaughter with various types subsumed under each. Justifiable homicides are those committed in self-defense or by law enforcement in the line of duty. Excusable homicides are those committed accidentally or in a state of extreme emotional distress. Felony homicides are those that occur during the commission of a crime.

Question 12

The theory known as ______ also contends that human behavior-including assaults and homicides-occurs in social situations,and that the meanings people attach to their behavior is an important element in understanding what takes place in a given circumstance.

Accepted Answer

Symbolic interactionism emphasizes the importance of the meanings people attach to their behavior, and how these meanings emerge through social interactions. This perspective suggests that human behavior-including violent behavior-is shaped by social norms, cultural values, and shared symbols, which in turn influence how people perceive and act in various situations. Thus, to understand why violence occurs, one must examine not only individual characteristics, but also the social and cultural contexts in which violence takes place.

Question 13

______ killers murder to obtain a sense of domination and total control over their victims.

Accepted Answer

Power/control killers have a desire for dominance and control over their victims, which is achieved through murder. They derive satisfaction from having complete power over another person's life and death.

Question 14

______ are accidental or unintentional killings that did not occur because of negligence or recklessness.

Accepted Answer

Accidental or unintentional killings that did not occur because of negligence or recklessness are considered excusable homicides. Justifiable homicides are killings that are deemed lawful, such as in self-defense, while criminal homicides are intentional killings that are illegal. Murder is a type of criminal homicide that involves premeditation and malice aforethought.

Question 15

A ______ murderer is one who kills on at least three occasions,with what can be called an emotional cooling-off period between the incidents.

Accepted Answer

The question describes the characteristics of a serial murderer, who kills on multiple occasions with a cooling-off period between each incident. The other options (A, B, and C) do not specify these particular attributes.

Question 16

______ are criminal homicides in which the degree of responsibility is considered much less than murder,not only because premeditation and deliberation are absent but also because the offender did not act with malice.

Accepted Answer

Manslaughters are criminal homicides in which the degree of responsibility is considered much less than murder, not only because premeditation and deliberation are absent but also because the offender did not act with malice. Justifiable murder refers to killing someone in self-defense or defense of others, while felony murder involves a death that occurs during the commission of a felony. First degree murder, on the other hand, involves premeditation and deliberation, as well as malice aforethought.

Question 17

A(n)______ assault is defined as "an attack or attempted attack with a weapon,regardless of whether or not an injury occurred and attack without a weapon when serious injury results."

Accepted Answer

The definition given matches the criteria for aggravated assault as defined by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Question 18

______ refers to the knowledge and intention to kill while deliberation implies that the killing was planned and thought about rather than committed on impulse.

Accepted Answer

Premeditation refers to the planning and intention to kill someone, while first degree murder refers to the intentional killing of someone with premeditation and deliberation. Felony murder refers to a killing that occurs during the commission of a felony, regardless of intent to kill. Manslaughter refers to the killing of someone without premeditation or intent.

Question 19

A ______ assault is an "attack without a weapon resulting either in no injury,minor injury (for example,bruises,black eyes,cuts,scratches,or swelling),or an undetermined injury requiring less than 2 days of hospitalization."

Accepted Answer

A simple assault is an attack without a weapon resulting in minor or no injury, and requiring less than 2 days of hospitalization. Aggravated assault involves a weapon or serious injury, while violent crime is a broader category that includes crimes such as murder and rape. The Uniform Crime Report is a statistical analysis of crime data reported by law enforcement agencies.

Question 20

______ appears to be the least common of the three types of multicide.

Accepted Answer

Spree murder is considered the least common among the types of multicide, which include mass murder, spree murder, and serial murder. Spree murder involves the killing of multiple victims at two or more locations with no cooling-off period in between, making it a rare occurrence compared to the other types of multicide.

Quiz 4: Assault and Murder: A Continuum of Violence