l5: correlates of crime

Question 1

correlates of crime

Answer 1

variables that are connected with crime

Question 2

what is a correlate?

Answer 2

phenomenon that accompanies another phenomenon and is related in some way

Question 3

2 measures of correlates

Answer 3

positive: both increase
negative: one increase, other decrease

Question 4

what is needed for causal relationship?

Answer 4

1. correlation between A+B

2. theory linking the variables : reasonable explanation, not just coincidence

Question 5

third variable problem

Answer 5

when external third variable causes the correlation in the variables

Question 6

how many causes of crime?

Answer 6

no singular cause. so many factors/correlates affect crime

Question 7

age as a correlate of criminal behaviour

Answer 7

• young ppl disproportionately involved in crime, specifically violent crime.
• maturational reform

Question 8

what is maturational reform?

Answer 8

criminal activity intensifies in adolescence and young adulthood + declines thereafter

Question 9

peak age of criminal behaviour

• age that commits most homicides

Answer 9

17-19 yoa

homicide: ages 12-24
- but most youth crime is minor/petty.

sex and age makes a difference too M>F

Question 10

young man’s game

Answer 10

disproportionately large # of youth committing crime.

• but doesn’t tell us what crimes young ppl commit
• crime of choice chnges with age

Question 11

ambiguity of adolescence + criminality

Answer 11

period of transition between childhood/adulthood.
- not fully committed to societal values
- little money
- lower paying job
= conducive to criminal behaviour.
- little to lose, so little incentive to conform
- impressionable
- crime is exciting, profitable.
– adults have greater incentive to conform

Question 12

maturational reform + life course theory

Answer 12

linked because role of age-graded transitions (life events tend to happen at certain ages) + social controls

Question 13

what are the social bonds/ major life events that tend to influence disistence from criminal behaviour?

Answer 13

• aging
• marriage
• education
• children
• legal, stable work

Question 14

hershey perspective

john lock perspective

Answer 14

H: people age out of crim

JL: social bonds + life events age you out of crime

• debated, maybe person-dependent

Question 15

gender as correlate of crime

Answer 15

males overrepresented among offenders

Question 16

males as

• defendants in criminal court
• accused in sex assaults
• robbery cases
• major assault cases

Answer 16

• cc: 80%
• sa: 98% (maybe not full truth bc male victims dont come forward)
• rc: 89%
• ma: 77%

Question 17

distribution of accused of homicide by gender

Answer 17

males over-represented. more likely to be accused of murder.

• violence by women isnt as violent or is against intimate partner in self defense

Question 18

victims of homicide by gender

Answer 18

75% men.
- media vilifies men as perpetrators, but forgets victims are males too.

toxic masculinity effects both M+W

Question 19

gender gap in charges of diff criminal offenses

Answer 19

not consistent. w 1/2 men in fraud, theft. sex assault is ~1% of males that commit

Question 20

youth custody and community services - by age and gender

Answer 20

f in total have fewer admission than m.

age 12 : f admission is greater. declines with age. m increases with age.

Question 21

role convergence hypothesis

Answer 21

as work roles of women become similar to those of men, so will their involvement in crime

Question 22

gender gap in violent crime result of?

Answer 22

structural positions + cultural processes, including social learning

Question 23

gender as correlate of crime

Answer 23

altho rn theres over-rep of males, gender gap is decreasing. so hard biology may not effect effect as previously thought.

• more F criminals because in workforce, or bc police more likely to charge nowadays than in past. maybe fewer men committing crimes.

Question 24

SES and criminal behaviour

Answer 24

• historically, lower classes were seen as responsible for crime. “dangerous classes”
• overrepresented in police-reported statistics
• relationship btw class + crime is class specific + crime specific. = diff classes have diff crimes

Question 25

race and crime

Answer 25

not as strongly related to crime as age + gender. * Can doesnt relaly have stats on minorities* - some minority groups overrepresented in reported crime statistic in Canada

Question 26

overrepresentation by location in canada

Answer 26

prairies: aboriginals over-rep toronto + Nova Scotia: African canadians ocer-rep - asians under-rep.

Question 27

debate of collecting minority crime info in canada

Answer 27

against: will be racist policy, self-fulfilling prophecy. hard to measure race. police-reported are limited = misinterpreted by un-educated could be bad pro: need to know if there is bias in system - challenge ideas that some races are more prone

Question 28

two explanations of overrep of minorities in CJS

Answer 28

1. differential offending hypothesis - difference between racial groups in incidence, seriousness, persistent offending 2. differential treatment hypothesis - structural inequality in administration of justice is responsible for over-rep

Question 29

3 elements of differential treatment hypothesis

Answer 29

1. police pay closer attention to ppl of certain criteria 2. certain social spaces have greater police surveillance 3. police may be influenced by race or ethnicity - implicit racial bias

Question 30

indigenous ppl + CanCJS

Answer 30

- overrep. - 3% of popln, 1/3 of males + females in federal corrections are indigenous. - about the same for youth - large increase in incarceration of aboriginal F both adult + youth

Question 31

3 types of theories explaining indigenous over-rep in CJS

Answer 31

cultural theories: traits characteristic, way of life increases involvement in crime (code of the street) structural theories: situate criminality in broader historical context. crime is consequence of what society is built around. -- fail to realize many correlates affect certain groups. biological theories: biological explanation, genetics - that lead them to crime

Question 32

3 models/theories within structural theory

Answer 32

1. colonial model 2. trauma transmission model 3. critical race theory

Question 33

cultural theory on indigenous + crime

Answer 33

- inherently violent - different from dominant euro-canadian culture = pre-disposes them to conflict with law

Question 34

why are cultural theories problematic + simplistic

Answer 34

1. presuppose a monolithic, static indigenous culture 2. assume there is a kind of behaviour that constitutes "indigenous behaviour" 3. pathologize indigenous culture *doesnt ID discrepancies in opportunity that may relate to crime*

Question 35

colonial model of indigenous over-rep

Answer 35

colonization had devestation psychological + social consequences, manifesting as crime + violence - alienated from euro, but lost connection to indigenous = toward crime

Question 36

historic trauma transmission model of indigenous over-rep

Answer 36

acculturation produces "learned helplessness" = trauma passed thru generations, dealt with by inaction. (belief that no action will change the course of your life) - alcoholism, drug addiction assoc. - decreased sense of self

Question 37

what is critical race theory of indigenous over-rep in CJS

Answer 37

rampant racism in CJS, over-rep due to exlcusion of mainstream society, overpolicing, harsh sentences - values norms of dominant group. - minority groups dont get say = victims of the system

Question 38

racial profiling of cops

Answer 38

- wont admit it. - is it conscious? or due to other factors (location, suspicion) connected to racial bias - is over-rep because of higher crime, or overpolicing? consequneces?

Question 39

african canadians | - likelihood of crime outcomes

Answer 39

- more likely to be stopped + searched by police. - more likely to receive tougher sentences from courts - disproportionally rep'd in correctional institutions

Question 40

study on "usual suspects"

Answer 40

1: 3 black have been stopped in 2 years, 28% White, 22% chinese 1: 4 black stopped more than 3 times in police. 8% white, 6% chinese 12% black were searched in 2 years. 3% of white+chinese black were 6 times more likely to report that they had friend/family that were victim of racial profiling *perception, how this differs from reality*

Question 41

1966 - racial profiling

Answer 41

black males = symbolic assailants. stop + question them to "prevent crime"

Question 42

maturational reform encompasses 3 factors that may cause crime to decline

Answer 42

1. physiological limitation 2. social bond 3. social responsibility

Question 43

what is desistance

Answer 43

life course theory; suggests marriage + other things reduce or end involvement in criminal activity.

Question 44

why do women receive more lenient treatment in courts (2)?

Answer 44

1. males commit more serious crimes (esp. violent) | 2. female offenders' responsibility for young children

Question 45

7 structural positions and cultural processes that may have role in gender gap in violent crime

Answer 45

1. social learning => violent delinquence 2. gender differences in learning violence. direct effects males, indirect effects girls 3. supervision of boy friendships reduces violence in boys but not in girls 4. girls who accept traditional gender definitions are less violent 5. position on social structure 6. higher rates of violence in boys because learn more, more assoc with gender, greater experience 7. boys learn more about violent definitions than girls.

Question 46

5 ways women tend to be involved in crime

Answer 46

1. harmed + harming women 2. battered women 3. street women 4. drug-connected women 5. other women