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Criminology > AC4.1 > Flashcards

AC4.1 Flashcards

1
Q

Formal policy making

A

Refers to the law and official government agencies to deter criminal behaviour.

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2
Q

Informal policy making

A

Policies made by moral and social institutions (e.g. schools, workplaces etc) promoting lawful behaviour.

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3
Q

Crime control policies

A

Policies, laws, regulations and other governmental actions intended to reduce/prevent crime.

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4
Q

State punishment policies

A

Policies that indicate appropriate punishment for a crime (sentencing).

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5
Q

Biological theories

A

Biological theories argue that criminal behaviour is caused by some biological factor within the individual.

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6
Q

Drug treatments

A

Drug treatments can be used in some cases to treat or control criminal behaviour by changing the body’s biochemical processes.

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7
Q

Antabuse

A

Antabuse is a drug used to treat alcoholism.

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8
Q

Methadone

A

Methadone is a synthetic opioid that is used to treat heroin addiction. It can be used as a long-term alternative to heroin and work to reduce withdrawal symptoms.

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9
Q

Stilbestrol

A

Stilbestrol is a drug that has been used in an attempt to prevent reoffending in male sex offenders. It’s a form of ‘chemical castration’ as it uses female hormones to suppress testosterone as a way of reducing men’s sex drives.

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10
Q

Surgery

A

Surgery can be used to alter offender’s brain or bodies with the aim of preventing them from offending.

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11
Q

Surgical castration

A

Surgical castration of sex offenders has been used in the past to prevent reoffending, for example in Denmark and USA.

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12
Q

Lobotomy

A

Lobotomy involves destroying the frontal lobes of the brain. It was originally used to treat schizophrenia but has been used to treat sexually motivated and spontaneously violent criminals.

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13
Q

Eugenics

A

Genetic theories argue that criminality is caused by inheriting a ‘criminal gene’. Eugenicists were obsessed with the idea that the human race was in danger of ‘degenerating’ because the poor were breeding at a faster rate than the higher classes.

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14
Q

Compulsory sterilisation

A

In 1927, the US Supreme Court ruled it was legal to compulsory sterilise the unfit ‘for the protection and health of the state’.

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15
Q

Nazi Germany eugenics

A

The most extreme case of eugenics was that of Nazi Germany (1933-1945) who wanted to ‘purify’ the ‘Aryan master race’ by eliminating those they deemed unfit to breed.

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16
Q

Genocide justification

A

This was used as part of the justification of the genocide of supposedly ‘inferior’ races, leading to the murder of 6 million Jews.

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17
Q

Defectives

A

Eugenicists argued that the ‘genetically unfit’ should therefore be prevented from breeding through forced sterilisation of ‘defectives’ such as criminals and those with mental illnesses and learning difficulties.

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18
Q

Ethical concerns

A

The view that policies linked to biological theories deprive people of their human rights.

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19
Q

Right to force treatments

A

The question of whether society has the right to force offenders to undergo treatments such as surgery or drug therapies.

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20
Q

Acceptable treatment

A

The consideration of which kinds of offenders it would not be acceptable to treat with forced interventions.

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21
Q

Public protection

A

The justification for imposing treatments based on the need to protect the public.

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22
Q

Seriousness of offence

A

The factor that determines whether it is acceptable to impose treatments on offenders.

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23
Q

Re offenders

A

Individuals who have a history of committing crimes and may be treated differently based on their past behaviour.

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24
Q

Preventive treatments

A

The concept of imposing treatments on individuals before they commit a crime based on biological predisposition.

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25
Risk of adverse side effects
The potential negative consequences of treatments that may affect individuals undergoing them.
26
Wrongful convictions
The concern regarding the possibility of treating individuals who are not actually guilty of a crime.
27
Individualistic policies
Policies aimed at changing an offender's thinking or teaching alternative behaviours.
28
Token economy
A behaviour modification system based on operant conditioning that rewards desirable behaviours with tokens.
29
Operant conditioning
A theory stating that behaviour which is reinforced is repeated, while behaviour that is punished is not.
30
Desirable behaviours
Behaviours that are encouraged in a token economy, such as obeying rules and interacting positively with staff.
31
Effectiveness of token economy
The observation that while there is usually an improvement in behaviour, it often does not last after prison.
32
Criticism of token economy
Concerns that token economies may have short-term effects and do not lead to long-term behavioural change.
33
Hobbs and Holt (1976)
A study that showed significant differences in positive behaviour in token economy groups compared to a control group.
34
Psychoanalysis
A treatment derived from psychodynamic theories aimed at correcting dysfunctions in the super-ego.
35
Super-ego
The part of the personality that psychodynamic theories focus on, particularly in relation to crime.
36
Maternal deprivation
The concept that lack of maternal care can affect a child's development and behaviour, as noted by Aichhorn.
37
Freud's methods
The use of free association and dream analysis to access unconscious conflicts in patients during therapy.
38
Aichhorn's findings
The conclusion that many young offenders had uncaring or absent parents, linking maternal deprivation to their behaviour.
39
Psychoanalysis
A therapeutic approach implemented to help young offenders deal with their unconscious conflicts.
40
Power imbalance in therapy
The ethical issue arising from the nature of psychoanalysis where the therapist holds more power than the client.
41
Aversion therapy
A treatment based on operant conditioning that punishes undesirable behaviour to prevent its repetition.
42
Aversive stimulus
Something that has a very unpleasant effect, used in aversion therapy to create an association with deviant arousal.
43
Effectiveness of aversion therapy
Aversion therapy has very limited effects and these effects usually wear off.
44
Zero tolerance
A policing strategy aimed at preventing crime by taking a tough stance towards all crime, even trivial offences.
45
Broken windows theory
The theory that a disorderly neighborhood signals that nobody cares, attracting offenders and increasing serious crime.
46
Environmental improvement strategy
A strategy under zero tolerance that involved promptly addressing signs of disorder, such as graffiti and broken windows.
47
Arguments for zero tolerance policing
Crime fell after zero was introduced in New York in the 1990s, and it is cheap to implement with immediate effects.
48
Arguments against zero tolerance policing
Can cause ongoing issues like labeling theory, lead to targeting of ethnic minorities, and ignores the root causes of crime.
49
Penal populism
A policy trend in the 1990s advocating for tougher penalties to deter crime, leading to rising prison populations.
50
Incapacitation
A function of prison that removes criminals from society to protect the public.
51
Deterrance
The idea that tough punishments will discourage criminals from reoffending.
52
Prison population increase
The rise in the number of inmates from 45,000 in 1993 to 83,000 by 2018 due to penal populism.
53
Arguments for prison effectiveness
Prison removes dangerous individuals, serves as a deterrent, reminds society of right and wrong, and can provide education and reform.
54
Arguments against prison effectiveness
High recidivism rates indicate that prison may not effectively prevent reoffending.
55
Recidivism
Reoffending rates are high.
56
Time in prison
Can lead to increased crime: exposed to criminal elements.
57
Prisons
Are very costly.
58
Rehabilitation attempts
Are flawed.
59
Consequences of prison
Can cause further damage: trauma, exposure to violence, social impact.
60
Prison effectiveness
Does little to tackle the cause of crime.
61
Bias in crime statistics
Bias towards lower socio-economic backgrounds and ethnic minorities.
62
Health complications in prisons
Increased health complications due to overcrowding, nutrition, exercise and fresh air.
63
Surveillance techniques
Involves monitoring members of the public as a way of controlling crime.
64
CCTV
Involves the use of video cameras to monitor activity.
65
CCTV effectiveness
Research has suggested that merely having CCTV cameras present reduces crime by 16%.
66
CCTV in car parks
Cameras reduced crime by 51%.
67
CCTV issues
Quality of the images may not be of use in an investigation.
68
Profiling
Involves using date to predict the characteristics of likely offenders.
69
Profiling techniques
Has been criticized for being discriminatory and can create a self-fulfilling prophecy.
70
David Copeland
London 'nail' bomber who used explosive devices containing nails in busy parts of London.
71
CCTV and David Copeland
CCTV was useful in apprehending him; released with help from the public and led to his arrest.
72
Consequences of CCTV for Copeland
Affected his sentence.
73
Restorative justice
A system which aims to rehabilitate offenders by enabling them to see the impact of their crime and to empower victims.
74
Restorative justice methods
Includes community service and meetings between victims and criminals.
75
Restorative justice focus
Focuses on acceptance of responsibility and positive change of the offender rather than punishment.
76
Restorative justice effectiveness
Evidence suggests it is effective in reducing offending
77
Inappropriate crimes for restorative justice
Victimless crimes like drug crimes, honour crime. sexual offences, white collar crime.
78
Criticism of restorative justice
Some view it as a 'soft option' for a punishment focusing on rehabilitation.

Criminology (8 decks)

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