Question 1

The same behaviour may be judged criminal in one society and exalted in another society, or even in the same society at another time. What is this an example of?

Accepted Answer

This is an example of the social construction of crime, which suggests that what is considered criminal behavior is determined by societal norms and values, which can vary between different societies and change over time.

Question 2

In the 2014 GSS, Canadians aged 15 and over were asked about their perceptions concerning their levels of personal safety from crime. What percentage of Canadians indicated they held high levels of satisfaction about their personal safety?

Accepted Answer

In the 2014 General Social Survey (GSS) on Canadians' safety (victimization), 88 percent of Canadians aged 15 and over reported that they were satisfied or very satisfied with their personal safety from crime, indicating a high level of satisfaction concerning their personal safety.

Question 3

Which of the following had the most common police-reported crime rate in 2017?

Accepted Answer

Property crimes typically have the highest rates among categories of crimes due to their nature, encompassing various offenses like theft, burglary, and vandalism, which are more frequent than violent crimes or specific offenses like sexual assault.

Question 4

You are listening to a public lecture in which the speaker argues that police-reported crime statistics do NOT give an accurate portrayal of crime. What is her argument most likely based on?

Accepted Answer

The answer of You are listening to a public lecture...

Question 5

You are a researcher interested in studying fear of crime. What is a typical research question that you would ask to obtain data about the fear of crime among a group of citizens?

Accepted Answer

Surveying feelings of satisfaction with personal safety from crime directly addresses the subjective experience of fear of crime among citizens, making it a typical research question for studying fear of crime.

Question 6

As a researcher, you are interested in obtaining national information about police-reported crime in 2009. Where would you find the data for your research project?

Accepted Answer

The Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) is a comprehensive annual report compiled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) that provides national data on police-reported crimes in the United States, making it the appropriate source for the researcher's needs.

Question 7

According to the 2014 General Social Survey (GSS), what percentage of Canadians aged 15 and over indicated they held high levels of satisfaction about their personal safety?

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to the 2014 General Social Survey...

Question 8

The recent changes to the distracted driving laws in Ontario represent a trend in society. Statistics gathered this year will likely show a high percentage of drivers being fined for this charge. What is this an example of?

Accepted Answer

The social construction of crime refers to the idea that crime is not an objective phenomenon, but rather a social construct that is defined and redefined by society over time. The recent changes to the distracted driving laws in Ontario represent a shift in society's definition of what constitutes a crime, and the statistics gathered this year will likely reflect this change.

Question 9

At 5,334 incidents per 100,000 population, the police-reported crime rate increased how much in 2017 compared to the previous year?

Accepted Answer

The police-reported crime rate increased by 1 percent in 2017 compared to the previous year.

Question 10

You are listening to a public lecture in which the speaker argues that the legal status of a behaviour lies not in the content of the behaviour itself but in the social response to the behaviour or to the persons who engage in it. What is this an example of?

Accepted Answer

This is an example of the social construction of crime, which suggests that what is considered criminal behavior is determined by societal reactions and norms rather than the intrinsic nature of the behavior itself.

Question 11

Which term refers to the belief that official crime statistics reflect subjective responses to criminal behaviour that change over time as opposed to any objective criteria?

Accepted Answer

The term "social construction of crime" refers to the belief that perceptions and definitions of what constitutes crime can vary and change over time, influenced by societal norms, values, and reactions, rather than being based on any fixed, objective criteria. This perspective emphasizes that what is considered criminal behavior is constructed through social processes.

Question 12

Which term refers to the measure which determines the volume of police-recorded crime, either collected by the police and other justice officials from crimes reported to them or through interviews with individual citizens about instances in which they were victimized?

Accepted Answer

Official crime statistics are collected by the police and other justice officials from crimes reported to them, providing a measure of police-recorded crime volume.

Question 13

What percentage of men personally felt safe in general, according to the 2014 General Social Survey (GSS)?

Accepted Answer

According to the 2014 General Social Survey (GSS), 64% of men reported personally feeling safe in general.

Question 14

Paul feels relatively sure he will NOT be a crime victim. He likely belongs to which group?

Accepted Answer

Able-bodied white males are statistically less likely to be victims of crime compared to other groups, which may contribute to a higher sense of security and lower perceived risk of becoming a crime victim.

Question 15

You are listening to a public lecture in which the speaker argues that crime statistics are socially constructed. Of what is she most likely a supporter?

Accepted Answer

The answer of You are listening to a public lecture...

Question 16

As reported in the 2014 General Social Survey (GSS), which measure revealed little difference between men and women when it came to protecting themselves from criminal acts?

Accepted Answer

The 2014 General Social Survey (GSS) found little difference between men and women in terms of taking measures to protect their personal property, such as installing new locks or a robbery alarm. This suggests that concerns about property security affect both genders similarly.

Question 17

You are listening to a public lecture about recent controversies over abortion policy and assisted suicide in the United States. These are examples of which of the following?

Accepted Answer

These topics are examples of the social construction of crime, which refers to the idea that societies and cultures define what is considered criminal behavior, and these definitions can change over time and vary across different societies. Abortion policy and assisted suicide are controversial because they involve moral and ethical considerations that different groups within a society may view differently, leading to debates over whether and how they should be regulated or criminalized.

Question 18

In the 2014 General Social Survey (GSS), which immigrants and other visible minority women reported especially feeling unsafe?

Accepted Answer

In the 2014 General Social Survey (GSS) on Canadians’ Safety (Victimization), Arab and West Asian women reported especially feeling unsafe, highlighting the specific vulnerabilities and experiences of these groups in terms of safety perceptions.

Question 19

In 2017, how many Criminal Code incidents were reported to the police (excluding traffic incidents and those involving other federal statutes such as drug offences)?

Accepted Answer

In 2017, there were just over 1.95 million Criminal Code incidents reported to the police in Canada, excluding traffic incidents and those involving other federal statutes such as drug offences.

Question 20

According to the 2014 General Social Survey (GSS), what percentage of women aged 15 to 24 indicated that they felt very or somewhat satisfied with their personal safety from crime?

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to the 2014 General Social Survey...

Quiz 4: Crime Rates, Crime Trends, and Criminal Victimization in Canada