Chapter 19: Violent Crime in U.S. History (Homicide and Aggravated Assault) Part 4

Question 1

What are offense attributes that create higher homicide and aggravated assault rates?

Answer 1

(1) Weapon Use
(2) Co-Offenders and Multiple Victims
(3) Alcohol/Drug Use

Question 2

Homicide rates per weapon:

• ___% of the homicides were committed with a firearm
• ___% of homicides involved knives or cutting instruments
• __% of homicides involved personal weapons
• ___% were committed with other dangerous weapons or by an unknown type of weapon

Answer 2

68%
13%
6%
13%

Question 3

Homicide rates per weapon:

• 68% of the homicides were committed with a _______
• 13% of homicides involved _______ or _______ ___________
• 6% of homicides involved ________ ________
• 13% were committed with ______ dangerous weapons or by an _________ type of weapon

Answer 3

firearm
knives
cutting instruments
personal weapons
other
unknown

Question 4

What are the aggravated assault rates per weapon?

Answer 4

About 21% of aggravated assaults involve firearms, knives and other cutting instruments

Question 5

Men are more likely to use _____ in homicides than women.

Answer 5

guns

Question 6

The use of knives and other sharp objects is more common among _______ offenders

Answer 6

female

Question 7

What are the homicide rates, by age?

Answer 7

(fatal) victim is a teenager 84%, pre-teens 24%

Question 8

What are the most prevalent circumstances of gun homicides?

Answer 8

“gangland killings” (95% are done with guns)
juvenile gang killings (91%)
narcotic/drug slayings (82%)
robbery homicides (75%)

Question 9

What are several properties of firearms that explain their prevalence as lethal weapons for homicide?

Answer 9

(1) guns equalize strength differences by gender and size
(2) it’s easier to commit lethal injuries with guns because other methods may require greater rage to inflict multiple blows to kill an assault victim

Question 10

In the cases of multiple victims homicides the offender is?

Answer 10

(1) a male family member (who kills his wife and kids)

2) a disgruntled employee (who kills co-workers in his workplace

Question 11

How often does co-offending/multiple victimization occur?

Answer 11

Multiple victims are found in about 10% of homicide situations and about 20% of homicides involving multiple offenders

Question 12

True or False: The typical homicide and aggravated assault involves only one victim and offender

Answer 12

True

Question 13

True or False: Many of the offenders who kill multiple family members later commit suicide

Answer 13

True

Question 14

What is the theory of social facilitation?

Answer 14

the presence of co-offenders facilitates/encourages violence because these other people provide both subtle and direct pressure on individuals to commit violent assaults to “man up” and/or affirm their masculine identify

Question 15

How have illicit drug and alcohol have also been linked to criminal violence?

Answer 15

(1) the sellers and buyers of illicit drugs competed with other drug distributors and violence was a primary means of reducing this competition
(2) drug sellers have been violently attacked by buyers who are tying to steal their drug supplies or cash to support their own drug habits
(3) the group context of street-level drug and alcohol usage in many metropolitan areas are the types of situational contexts in which a rather trivial comment or personal affront may quickly escalate into a violent attack

Question 16

Why does alcohol have a high impact on violent behavior?

Answer 16

its adverse influence on cognitive reasoning and the weakening of social inhibitions

Question 17

About ___% of the persons in prison for murder or assaults were under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or both at the time of their offense.

Answer 17

50%

Question 18

About 50% of the persons in prison for _______ or ________ were under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or both at the time of their offense

Answer 18

murder

assaults

Question 19

High rates of _______ use among the victims of lethal violence.

Answer 19

alcohol

Question 20

According to national UCR data, what is the ranking of the primary context or circumstance underlying homicides?

Answer 20

(1) Arguments
(2) Robbery
(3) Juvenile Gang Killings
(4) Narcotic Drug Law Violations
(5) Alcohol-Related Brawls

Question 21

Which stage of Luckenbill’s situational transactions in homicides is this:
the victim makes an opening move that is consider by the offender as an offense to “face”

Answer 21

Stage 1

Question 22

Which stage of Luckenbill’s situational transactions in homicides is this:
action by the victim typically involves a direct verbal expression, the refusal to cooperate or comply with the offender’s request, or a nonverbal, physical gesture

Answer 22

Stage 1

Question 23

Which stage of Luckenbill’s situational transactions in homicides is this:
this initial action by the victim fits with other people’s research on “victim precipitated” crime

Answer 23

Stage 1

Question 24

Which stage of Luckenbill’s situational transactions in homicides is this:
the offender interprets the victim’s previous move as personally offensive

Answer 24

Stage 2

Question 25

Which stage of Luckenbill’s situational transactions in homicides is this:
the offender learns the meaning of the victim’s move form inquiries made of the victim or audience

Answer 25

Stage 2

Question 26

Which stage of Luckenbill’s situational transactions in homicides is this:
the apparent affront could evoke different responses, but in these lethal transactions it initiates a retaliatory move aimed at restoring face and demonstrating strong character

Answer 26

Stage 3

Question 27

Which stage of Luckenbill’s situational transactions in homicides is this:
most of these retaliatory moves begin with the offender issuing a verbal or physical challenge

Answer 27

Stage 3

Question 28

Which stage of Luckenbill’s situational transactions in homicides is this:
the victim and offender come to a “working” agreement with the proffered definition of the situation as one of violence

Answer 28

Stage 4

Question 29

Which stage of Luckenbill’s situational transactions in homicides is this:
the working agreement to use violence is reached by the victim’s direct actions or by the offender’s misinterpretation of their actions

Answer 29

Stage 4

Question 30

Which stage of Luckenbill’s situational transactions in homicides is this:
the offender and, in many cases, the victim become committed to battle

Answer 30

Stage 5

Question 31

Which stage of Luckenbill’s situational transactions in homicides is this:
both parties have stake in this battle

Answer 31

Stage 5

Question 32

Which stage of Luckenbill’s situational transactions in homicides is this:
commitment to battle is enhanced by the available of weapons to support verbal threats and challenges

Answer 32

Stage 5

Question 33

Which stage of Luckenbill’s situational transactions in homicides is this:
the actual physical interchange is often brief and precise

Answer 33

Stage 5

Question 34

Which stage of Luckenbill’s situational transactions in homicides is this:
the transaction terminates once the victim has fallen

Answer 34

Stage 6

Question 35

Which stage of Luckenbill’s situational transactions in homicides is this:
the offender either flees the scene, remains voluntarily, or they are physically subdued by audience members until the police arrive

Answer 35

Stage 6

Question 36

What are “Burning Bed” Situations?

Answer 36

not immediate but imminent threat in domestic violence

Question 37

Why don’t many assaults today result in homicides?

Answer 37

advanced medical care and rapid emergency response

Question 38

What are the consequences of medical advances when it comes to homicide rates?

Answer 38

fewer homicides even though criminal intent may be similar over time

Question 39

Does the availability of guns create more or less crime?

Answer 39

Both.
More Guns= Less Crime because armed citizens deter crime.
More Guns=More Crime because this increased the availability of guns to criminals.