Ch 9. Crime

Question 1

behaviour that violates the criminal law and is punishable by fine, jail term or other negative sanction

Answer 1

Crime

Question 2

Summary Convictions vs Indictable Convictions

Answer 2

Summary Convictions: relatively minor crimes that are punishable by a fine or less than a year in jail.

Indictable Offenses:
serious crimes, such as murder or aggravated assault, that are punishable by more than a year’s imprisonment.

Question 3

reported crime substantiated by police investigation. collects crime/traffic statistics reported by all police agencies in Canada

Only reflects crimes that are reported, the actual crimes committed are substantially higher.

Answer 3

Uniform Crime Report (UCR)

Question 4

Dark Figure of Crime

Answer 4

Unreported/Unknown Category of Crimes

Question 5

Victimization reports (3)

Answer 5

from the General Social Survey indicates more crimes are committed than reported (not official data).

1. Responses may be based on recall
2. Respondents may not be truthful
3. Workplace crimes are not included

Question 6

Media and Crime (2)

Answer 6

Much of what we “know” about crime comes from the media

Media sources often act as claims-makers about crime

Question 7

7 Types of Crime

Answer 7

1. Violent Crime
2. Hate Crime
3. Property Crime
4. Occupational Crime
5. Corporate Crime
6. Organized Crime
7. Youth Crime

Question 8

Moral Panics

Answer 8

are based on perceptions, rather than on the alleged reality of a problem

Question 9

actions involving force or threat of force against others

Answer 9

Violent Crime

Question 10

Homicide: Mass Murder and Serial Murder (under violent crime)

Answer 10

Mass Murder: 4+ people
Serial Murder: 3+ people in a month

Question 11

an act of violence in which sex is used as a weapon against a powerless victim. (3 levels from touching to aggravated assault, including date rape)

Answer 11

Sexual Assault (under violent crime)

Question 12

Sexual Offences 3 levels

Answer 12

Level 1: An assault committed in circumstances of a sexual nature such that the sexual integrity of the victim is violated. Level 1 involves minor physical injuries or no injuries to the victim. (98%)

Level 2: Sexual assault with a weapon, threats, or causing bodily harm.

Level 3: Sexual assault that results in wounding, maiming, disfiguring or endangering the life of the victim.

Question 12

crimes motivated by the offender’s hatred of certain characteristics of the victim (upward trend against black, east Asian, and Southeast Asian people)

(race, ethnicity, national/ethnic origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, mental/physical disability

Answer 12

Hate Crime

Question 13

Taking of money/property from another without force, the threat of force, or the destruction of property.

• theft $5000 & under (most reported)
• Auto theft
• shoplifting ($1 billion losses)
• identity theft (collecting)/identity fraud (using)

Answer 13

Property Crime

Question 14

the taking of money or property from another without force or threat of force has declined, but…

Answer 14

…breaking and entering is serious because of possible confrontation

Question 15

illegal activities committed by people in the course of their employment or normal business activity.

(Fraud, Bribery, money laundering, embezzlement, insider trading)

Answer 15

Occupational (white-collar) Crime

Question 16

illegal acts committed by corporate employees on behalf of the corporation and with its support, e.g., selling defective products, pollution, and obstructing justice

(Pollution, manufacturing defective products, deceptive advertising, copyrights, unlawful labour practices, financial fraud)

Answer 16

Corporate crime

Question 17

business operation that supplies illegal goods and services.

(drug trafficking, prostitution, gambling, loan sharking, money laundering, controlling labour markets, large-scale theft)

Answer 17

Organized crime

Question 18

involves a violation of law or the commission of a status offense by a young person 12-17 years of age.

1. Property crime is the most common type of offense
2. Assaults are rare but do occur
3. Serious offenses are also rare but receive a lot of public attention

Answer 18

Youth Crime

Question 19

Durkheim’s Perspective (functionalist)

Answer 19

Crime is a normal part of society and has it’s functions in society

Question 20

Merton’s Strain Theory (functionalist)

Answer 20

People who do not have legitimate means to an approved goal (e.g., wealth) use illegitimate means (e.g., crime).

Question 21

Social Control Theory (functionalist)

Answer 21

“Why do people not engage in deviant behaviour?” People are constantly pulled/pushed toward deviant behaviour.

Question 22

Reasons that people don’t commit crime (social control theory, functionalist) (4)

Answer 22

Social bonds:

1. Attachment to other people
2. Commitment to conformity
3. Involvement in conventional activities
4. Beliefs in the legitimacy of conventional values/norms

Question 23

Subculture of Violence (functionalist)

Answer 23

violence is part of normative expectations among some young adults in lower classes

Question 24

Lifestyle-routine activity approach (functionalist)

Answer 24

crime occurs when a motivated offender finds a suitable target and no guardianship. (Critics say the emphasis is crimes committed by lower not upper classes)

Question 25

Social Conflict Perspective

Answer 25

Explains criminal behaviour in terms of power differentials and/or economic inequality in society. Conflict approach is useful for pointing out how inequalities of power, class, and racialization can contribute to criminal or delinquent behaviour.

Question 26

Radical Critical Conflict Approach

Answer 26

social institutions create a superstructure that legitimizes the class structure and maintains capitalists’ superior position. Crimes people commit are based on their class position.

Question 27

Differential Association Theory - Edwin Sutherland (interactionalist perspective)

Answer 27

Individuals have a greater tendency to deviate from the social norms wen they frequently associate with people who tend toward deviance

Question 28

Labelling Theory (interactionalist perspective)

Answer 28

delinquents/criminals are people who have bee successfully labelled as such by others. Criminal label becomes a master status

Primary Deviance: initial act of rule-breaking
Secondary Deviance: when a person who has been labeled as deviant accepts that new identity and continues in deviant behaviour.

Question 29

Liberal feminism

Answer 29

crime is a rational response to discrimination

Question 30

Radical feminism

Answer 30

patriarchy contributes to crimes

Question 31

Socialist feminism

Answer 31

crime caused by patriarchy and capitalism

Question 32

Power-control theory (feminist perspective)

Answer 32

relates differing rates of male and female youth crime to socialization

Question 33

two components of dealing with crime in Canada

Answer 33

1. the act (actus reus)
2. intent (mens rea)