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SOC 215: Sociology of Criminology > midterm > Flashcards

midterm Flashcards

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1
Q

what are lay definitions?

A

inclusion vs exclusion - where criminal behaviour is based on common belief and values, excluding behaviours that ware not seen as very harmful

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2
Q

definitions made by agents of the criminal justice system?

A

laws that are created by law enforcement, judges, based on legal statutes and precedents

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3
Q

sociological definition of crime

A

focuses on behaviours that violate social norms and subject to social control, societal reactions and labelling

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4
Q

legal definition of crime

A

acts that are forbidden by law and punishable by the state, federal or provincial legislation

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5
Q

difference between conflict and consensus definitions of crime

A

consensus: crime arises from commonly agreed-upon norms and values
conflict: ruling class to protect its interests, laws serve the powerful

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6
Q

politicality in characteristics of criminal law

A

refers to laws being legislated by state, mala in se and mala prohibita

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7
Q

mala in se

A

acts are bad in themselves, like murder

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8
Q

mala prohibita

A

acts are bad because they are prohibited, like speeding

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9
Q

specificity in criminal law

A

the distinction between substantive law (what counts as crime + punishment) and procedural law (rules for providing guilt)

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10
Q

uniformity in criminal law

A

criminal law is applied equally, without bias

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11
Q

penal sanctions in criminal law

A

severity of punishment, which reflects the seriousness of the crime

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12
Q

criminal law?

A

involves prosecution by state for acts forbidden by law, and usually ends in imprisonment

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13
Q

civil law?

A

disputes between individuals or organizations, usually ends with compensation to one party

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14
Q

crime vs deviance

A

crime - act that violates criminal law
deviance - behaviour that violates social norms but not illegal

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15
Q

john hagan’s classifications of crime/deviance

A
  1. consensus crimes - acts widely agreed as wrong
  2. conflict crimes - acts criminalized to protect the interests of the powerful
  3. social deviations - behaviours that violate norms but not crimes
  4. social diversions - minor norm violations, often tolerated
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16
Q

elements of criminal law

A

actus reus - the act of committing a crime
mens rea - intent or guilty mind behind crime

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17
Q

types of criminal acts

A

commission - actively committing a crime
omission - failing to act when there is a legal duty to do so (not filing taxes)

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18
Q

classical and positivist criminology

A

classical: free will, rationality, legal structure
positivist: scientific methods, biological, psychological factors of criminal behaviour

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19
Q

cesare beccaria

A

founder of classical criminology, fair and proportional punishments, codified laws, presumption of innocence until proven guilty

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20
Q

lomobroso’s typologies of criminal

A

atavists, insane, criminaloid, habitual, passionate

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21
Q

atavist

A

criminals with animal like traits

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22
Q

insane

A

criminals with mental disorders

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23
Q

criminaloid

A

occasional criminals influences by social factors

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24
Q

habitual

A

criminals who use crime as their way of life

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25
passionate
criminals who commit crimes in a fit of emotions
26
sheldon's body types
endomorphic, ectomorphic, mesomorphic
27
sheldon's body types and traits
endo - soft and round; socialable and relaxed ecto - thin and fragile; introverted and restrained meso - muscular and strong; aggressive and adventurous
28
burgess' model of urban development
divides cities into zones 1. central downtown 2. slum area (transition) 3. working-class homes 4. middle-class homes 5. commuter suburbs
29
social disorganization
refers to communities with low economic status, ethnic diversity, high mobility, and disrupted families – higher crime rates
30
sutherland's theory of differential association
criminal behaviour learned through interactions with others who transmit criminal values, techniques, and motived
31
sellin's culture conflict theory
crime happens when norms from one culture conflict with those of the larger society, especially in multi-ethnic societies
32
merton's theory of anomie
there is a discrepancy between societal goals, and the means to achieve them, forces one to commit a crime
33
social control theory
hirschi argues that strong social bonds, prevent crime
34
labelling theory
suggests that individuals become criminals because they are labeled as such by society or those around them, leading to secondary deviance
35
general theory of crime (goffredson and hirschi)
emphasizes self-control, with low self-control leading to impulsive and risky actions
36
crime funnel (samuel walker)
illustrates how not all crimes are detected, reported, recorded, leading to a dark figure of unreported crime
37
the crime severity index (csi)
assigns weight based on their severity, providing standardized measure of crime trends over time
38
concrete fear vs formless fear
concrete - fear of specific crimes (robbery) formless - general sense of vulnerability or unease about crime
39
determinants of reporting crime (skogan)
1. seriousness of crime 2. insurance requirements 3. obligations/efficacy 4. attitudes toward police 5. culpability 6. demographics 7. victim-offender relationship 8. third parties 9. self-help
40
revised ucr survey
improved the way crime data is collected and reported in Canada, focusing on more detailed incident-based reporting rather than summary stats
41
2019 gss victimization survey
found 77% of Canadians felt safe, issues like sexual assault, robbery, and physical assault were reported. crimes go unreported due to apathy, fear of retaliation, or lack of trust in police
42
community policing
stragety where police closely work with community members to solve problems related to crime, fear of crime, and neighbourhood conditions. emphasizes partnership, problem-solving, decentralization of power
43
types of offenders in b&e
novice: young, inexperienced, opportunistic journeyman: seasoned, seeks, vulnerable locations professional: highly skilled, organized, rational
44
Felson's Rational Choice Perspective, 3 considerations
surveilability: are there people around to witness occupancy: are there signs that the property is occupied accessibility: can the offender easily enter and exit the location
45
misconceptions about community policing
not just a public relations tool it is not a one-size-fits-all strategy does not give extra-judicial powers to the community not appropriate for all criminal scenarios not the ultimate solution to all problems
46
challenges of community policing
resistance to change within police leadership police education still focuses on reactive policing (arrests) lack of public trust in police resource allocation issues (balancing community policing and other needs)
47
effective socialization in preventing crime
effective socialization occurs when parents: 1. have strong attachments to their children 2. provide close supervision 3. actively punish rule-breaking behaviour
48
ineffective child rearing
leads to low self-control, making them more likely to engage in impulsive criminal behaviour
49
recidivism rate in canada
approximately 40%, meaning offenders are
50
what is the Canadian Centre for Justice Studies (ccjs)
a government agency that collects, analyzes and publishes data on crime and justice in Canada, including the UCR survey
51
crude crime rate
calculated as number of crime recorded by police in a year/ total population multiplied by 100k, basic measure of crime but not crime severity
52
key findings in 2019 gss
78% of Canadians felt safe sexual assault, robbery, and physical assault were common violent crimes many crimes go unreported
53
core principles of community policing
partnership: collaboration between police and community members problem-solving: addressing root causes of crime, not just symptoms decentralization: shifting power from centralized police structures to local communities
54
key players in community policing
community interest groups: citizens, schools, nonprofits private security police and peace officers elected officials: federal provincial municipal
55
merits of community policing
community inclusion: part of the conversation increased police transparency and accountability improved community satisfaction and trust in police neighbourhood-specific strategies advancement of social justice
56
what is b&e
act of forcibly entering a private or commercial dwelling, vehicle, or trailer with intend to commit another crime (theft etc). an indictable offence with potential life sentence if committed in a private dwelling
57
what is telescoping
when individuals report crimes as happening more recently than they did, often due to traumatic nature of the event
58
what is defensible space
urban design concept that aims to reduce crime by creating environments where residents can naturally monitor and control their surroundings, like play areas, lighting
59
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SOC 215: Sociology of Criminology (2 decks)

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