SOC 389 Midterm

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question
The rules of evidence, the law of search and seizure, questions of appeal, jury selection, and the right to counsel fall under what category of criminal law?
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procedural law
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The Code of Hammurabi established a system of crime and punishment based on physical retaliation. But, the severity of this physical retaliation depended upon one's:
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class standing
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Changing technology requires modifications of the criminal law. A new defined crime that involves sending out bulk e-mail messages designed to trick consumers into revealing personal information is called:
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phishing
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All criminal law in the United States must conform to the rules and dictates of the U.S. Constitution
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True
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The sub-area of the sociology of law is concerned with the role social forces play in shaping criminal law.
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True
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Common law originated in early England where royal judges would use local rules and custom to decide cases.
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True
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College students who are drunk when they assault other people may claim they were suffering from a mental impairment that prevented them from understanding the harmfulness of their acts. They are using what type of defense?
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excuses
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The perspective that views crime as the reflection of the preferences and opinions of people who hold social power in a particular legal jurisdiction is:
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the interactionist view
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Criminal law is shaped by all but which of the following?
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social control mechanisms
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Criminal law constantly evolve to reflect social and economic conditions.
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True
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The intent to commit the criminal act is known as:
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mens rea
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The consensus view states that criminal laws are acts created to protect the haves from the have-nots.
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False
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Deviant behavior:
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departs from social norms
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Those laws that set out the basic rules of practice in the criminal justice system are procedural criminal laws
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True
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Theories are based on social facts that are observed and can be consistently quantified and measured.
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True
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Duress, self-defense, and entrapment are defenses in which the individual usually admits committing the criminal act but maintains that he or she should not be held criminally liable. These are what type of defense?
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justifications
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Shifting definitions of deviant behavior are closely associated with our concepts of crime.
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True
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Murder, rape and other crimes deemed inherently evil are also referred to as _________________ crimes.
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mala in se
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The interactionist perspective holds that the definition of crime evolves according to the moral standards of those in power.
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True
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Research conducted on the links between different crimes and criminals is known as _____________.
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crime typology
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Under this view, groups able to assert their political power use the law and criminal justice system to advance their economic and social positions. Criminal laws are viewed as acts created to protect the haves from the have-nots.
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conflict
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The branch of the law that defines crimes and their punishment is known as ___________.
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substantive law
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Criminologists use ________ methods to study the nature, extent, cause, and control of criminal behavior.
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scientific
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This type of law is used to resolve, control, and shape such personal interactions as contracts, wills and trusts, property ownership, and involves tort law.
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civil law
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______________ law governs the regulation of city, county, state, and federal government agencies.
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administrative law
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Statutory crimes are referred to as:
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mala prohibitum
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Public welfare offenses, such as traffic offenses, are crimes that do not require mens rea to prove legal guilt because they endanger public welfare or violate safety regulations. They are also referred to as:
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strict liability crimes
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Which of the following is illegal but is not necessarily deviant?
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Drug use
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A battered wife who kills her mate might argue that she acted out of duress - committing her crime to save her own life. She would be using the defense of:
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justification
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Deviant behavior is behavior that departs from social norms.
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True
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Conspiracy, solicitation, and attempted crimes are also known as:
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inchoate offenses
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Studying the correction and control of known criminal offenders is:
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penology
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Criminal justice explains the etiology, extent, and nature of crime in society.
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False
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Mala in se crimes are those crimes that reflect existing social conditions and are enacted through legislation.
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False
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When selecting subjects for research studies, criminologists should ensure they are selected in what manner?
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randomly
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The subarea of criminal statistics involves measuring the amount and trends of criminal activity.
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True
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Trials by ordeal were based on the principle that:
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divine forces would not allow an innocent person to be harmed
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The consensus view of crime links illegal behavior to the concept of:
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social harm
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According to early victimologists, victim behavior is very rarely a key determinant of crime.
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False
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The evolution of criminal law has created and eliminated many laws. Among those currently recognized is __________, which is the "the willful, malicious and repeated following and harassing of another person."
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stalking
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Crime rates may be higher:
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on the first day of the month
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Which of the following statements is not a potential explanation for the marked increase in crimes committed by females?
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Police are more likely to use their discretion to help females.
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Criminologists conduct research to:
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measure the nature and extent of criminal behavior
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When researchers want a survey to focus on a particular group of people or to be representative of all members of society they conduct:
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cross-sectional research
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A research approach that asks participants to describe their recent and lifetime criminal activity is termed:
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a self-report survey
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The "missing cases" phenomenon is a validity concern for which type of crime measurement?
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self-report studies
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Official crime data indicate that minority group members are involved in a disproportionate share of criminal activity. Which of the following does not explain race-based differences in the crime rate?
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Individuals in the US without documentation
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Monitoring the Future (MTF) data indicate that the number of people who break the law is far greater than the number projected by official statistics.
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True
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The Uniform Crime Report reports serious violent crimes and federal crimes.
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False
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Self-report surveys can provide information on the personal characteristics of offenders, such as their attitudes, values, beliefs, and psychological profiles.
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True
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Among the factors that influence crime trends are the availability of legalized abortion, firearms, and quality health care.
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True
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Observing a group of people who share a like characteristic, over time, is termed:
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cohort research
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Instrumental crimes are committed by those who are unable to obtain desired goods and services through conventional means.
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True
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Official arrest records indicate that African Americans are arrested at a higher rate than members of other racial groups. Self-report data:
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suggest arrest rate differences are an artifact of justice system bias
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The relationship between class and crime is an important one for criminological theory. The weight of recent evidence seems to suggest that serious, official crime is more prevalent:
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The relationship between class and crime is an important one for criminological theory. The weight of recent evidence seems to suggest that serious, official crime is more prevalent:
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The "missing cases phenomenon" is a validity concern present within the Uniform Crime Report.
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False
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Which of the following sets of factors would not predict chronic offending?
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parental supervision, average grades, average school attendance
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The true relationship between class and crime is difficult to determine because economic conditions and social opportunities may obscure effects.
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True
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Many times it is difficult to randomly select subjects or manipulate conditions of a study. When this occurs, criminologists must rely on what type of design?
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quasi-experimental
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Most self-report surveys focus on juvenile delinquency and youth crime.
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True
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One of the most important findings from cohort studies is the concept of persistence or the continuity of crime. Who is most likely to persist in a criminal career?
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juveniles who started their delinquent careers early and who committed serious violent crime during adolescence
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Validity issues impact the UCR. Which of the following represents a validity concern/s for this data collection method?
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reporting practices, methodological problems, and law enforcement practices
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The phrase "the ecology of crime" refers to such factors as:
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season and climate
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Official crime data indicate that minority group members are involved in a disproportionate share of serious criminal activity.
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True
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What theory or hypothesis focused attention on the social and economic role of women in society and its relationship to female crime rates?
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the masculinity hypothesis
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According to the NCVS, reported victimizations have:
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declined significantly during the past 30 years
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Self-report data supports the notion that ________________________ may account for the lower-class's overrepresentation in official statistics and the prison population.
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law enforcement practices
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The best known and most important source of official crime data is:
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the Uniform Crime Report
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Longitudinal or cohort research involves observing a group of people, who share like characteristics, over a period of time.
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True
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Most reported crimes occur during the warm summer months of July and August.
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True
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Most criminologists agree that crime peaks when a person reaches middle-age and declines rapidly thereafter.
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False
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All but which of the following explanations might account for the variance between male and female crime rates?
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Females are supervised less by their parents than males.
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While the "emancipation of women" has had relatively little influence on female crime rates, there has been an increase in the number of females arrested. According to Steffensmeier's research, what might account for this increase?
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the greater willingness of police to arrest females
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In the 1970s, liberal feminist theory focused attention on the social and economic role of women in society and its relationship to female crime rates.
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True
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If criminologists want to see the direct effect of one factor on another, they conduct:
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experimental research
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What is known about the trend in property crime rates?
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Like the violent crime rate, the property crime rate has decreased.
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Meta-analysis involves gathering data from:
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previous studies
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The Bureau of Justice Statistics compiles the Uniform Crime Report.
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False
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Violent crimes are more likely to be solved than property crimes because police devote more resources to these more serious acts.
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True
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How is age correlated with crime?
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Age is inversely related to crime - younger people commit more crime
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In routine activities theory, a large number of unemployed teenagers would be an example of:
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motivated offenders
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Criminologists who focus their attention on crime victims refer to themselves as _______________. Answer
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victimologists
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Local programs designed to assist victims and witnesses with medical bills, transportation, loss of wages, counseling, and other needs caused by the crime are called
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victim-witness assistance programs
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Except for the crimes of rape or ____________ , males are more likely than females to be victims of crime.
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sexual assault
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In _________________, three variables which must exist for crime to occur are: the availability of suitable targets, the absence of capable guardians, and the presence of motivated offenders.
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routine activities theory
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___________________is money paid to the victim, usually from a state victim compensation program.
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Victim Compensation
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Research indicates that both boys and girls are more likely to engage in violent behavior if they were targets of physical abuse. This abuse-crime phenomenon is referred to as the
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cycle of violence
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Concerning routine activities theory, police and homeowners would be considered ___________.
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Capable Guardians
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When the victim exhibits some personal characteristic that unknowingly either threatens or encourages the attacker it is known as _______________.
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passive precipitation
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Areas with elevated chances of victimization due to higher concentrations of motivated offenders are known as ___________.
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hot spots
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With regard to crime victims and their offenders, crime tends to be _________________.
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intraracial
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According to ____________, people who drink, use drugs, and engage in crime, have a much greater chance of victimization.
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lifestyle theory
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According to ______________, people are more likely to become victims of crime and violence if they reside in areas where is an increased risk of coming into contact with criminal offenders.
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Deviant Place Theory
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____________ suggests that some people may actually initiate the confrontation that eventually leads to their injury or death.
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Victim precipitation
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The fact that some people's activities and behaviors increase their risk of victimization by increasing their potential to become "opportunities" for criminal offenders is the basis of what theory?
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lifestyle theory
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Some people may actually initiate the confrontation that eventually leads to their injury or death. This is termed ____________.
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victim precipitation theory
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Tallying the societal costs of crime (justice system costs, legal costs, treatment costs, etc.) results in a total loss due to crime of __________________annually.
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$450 billion dollars
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Individuals who have been crime victims have a greater chance of future victimization. This concept is known as ___________________.
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repeat victimization
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The __________ are more likely to be victims of frauds and scams.
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elderly
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When victims act provocatively, use threats or fighting words, or even attack first, it is known as ________.
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active precipitation
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Situational inducements, such as the thrill or relieving stress, which directly precede the commission of a crime, and draw offenders into law violations are called ____________.
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seductions of crime
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Offenders may react selectively to the characteristics of particular offenses. For instance, the decision to commit a burglary may involve evaluating the target's likely cash yield and the presence of dogs and escape routes. This crime would then be considered:
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offense specific
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Beccaria believed that criminals choose to commit crime and that criminal choices could be controlled by:
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fear of punishment
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When deterrence measures convince would be criminals that the risk of committing a particular crime is just too great, offenders adapt in various ways. Of the following, which is not one of those ways?
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The offender commits more serious crimes, assuming if caught, the punishment would be no worse than for somewhat lesser crimes.
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The view that proposes placing offenders behind bars during their prime crime years in order to lessen their opportunity to commit crime is known as:
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incapacitation effect
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Crime persists because most offenders believe all but which of the following?
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They face punishment soon after their apprehension.
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After the famous Minneapolis domestic violence study, other studies and analyses have been conducted. What do these studies indicate regarding the deterrent effect of arrest for domestic abusers?
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These studies indicate arrest was not a greater deterrence than warning or advising the assailant.
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The seductions of crime increase the likelihood of engaging in crime due to neither fearing legal punishment nor losing respect of peers.
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True
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The effect of shaming may vary according to what?
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the cohesiveness of the community structure
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The theory of specific deterrence suggests that the harsher the punishment, the less likely the chances of recidivism. Is this so?
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The majority of offenders are not deterred and reoffend.
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The Minneapolis domestic violence study showed that arresting offenders was an ineffective means of reducing recidivism.
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False
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The view that crime is a matter of rational choice is held by a number of criminologists who believe that the decision to violate any law is made for a variety of personal reasons including greed, revenge, need, anger, lust, jealousy, thrill-seeking, or vanity.
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True
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According to Von Hirsch's view on "just deserts," why is punishment based on deterrence or incapacitation wrong?
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Because punishment based on deterrence or incapacitation involves an offender's future actions.
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When efforts to prevent one crime unintentionally prevent another and when crime control efforts in one locale reduce crime in other non-target areas, this is called:
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diffusion of benefits
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The writings of Beccaria influenced the U.S. Constitution and France's Declaration of the Rights of Man.
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True
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Clearly indicating a rational thought process, people will forego crime if they risk losing the respect of their peers and/or damaging their reputations
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True
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According to rational choice theory, why might a criminal decide not to commit crime?
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The criminal perceives the crime is too risky.
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Well-lit housing projects that maximize surveillance reflect Oscar Newman's concept of _______ that suggests crime can be prevented via the use of residential architectural designs that reduce criminal opportunity.
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defensible space
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Guardians who monitor targets, handlers who monitor potential offenders, and managers who monitor places are ____________ who have varying levels of responsibility and research indicates they impact crime rates.
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crime discouragers
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According to the rational choice approach, law-violating behavior occurs when an offender decides to commit the crime after considering what two types of factors?
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personal and situational factors
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What do immediate impact studies indicate about capital punishment's deterrent effect on murder?
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Impact studies indicated that the overall impact of executions might actually increase the incidence of homicide
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__________ occur when significant others, such as parents, peer, neighbors, and teachers, direct their disapproval toward the offender.
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Informal sanctions
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Discouragement occurs when crime reduction programs may boomerang and increase rather than decrease the potentiality for crime.
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False
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According to __________, crime rates are influenced and controlled by the threat of punishment.
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general deterrence
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Situational crime prevention is not without its problems. When crime reduction programs re-direct offenders to alternative targets, it is termed:
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crime displacement
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Which of the following is not a crime prevention strategy used today?
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reducing the shame for committing crime
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The Kansas City, Missouri police department's study of patrol effectiveness, convinced criminologists that:
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The mere presence of patrol officers on the street did not have a deterrent effect.
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Placing offenders behind bars during their prime crime years should lessen their lifetime opportunity to commit crime.
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True
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The utilitarian calculus, which is a cost-benefit analysis, is associated with Jeremy Bentham.
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True
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Most burglars prefer to commit crime in neighborhoods with a limited number of access streets to ensure a decrease in traffic.
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False
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Crime reduction programs may produce a short-term positive effect, but benefits then dissipate as criminals adjust to new conditions. This phenomenon is known as:
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extinction
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If petty offenses were subject to the same punishment as more serious crimes, offenders would choose the worst crime. This is known as:
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marginal deterrence
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The three components of deterrence theory are severity, certainty, and speed of legal sanctions (punishment). Of these components, deterrence theorists tend to believe that the _________ of punishment seems to have the strongest impact.
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certainty
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Personal factors such as economic opportunity, learning and experience, and knowledge of criminal techniques condition people to choose crime.
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True
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According to deterrence theory, if the probability of arrest, conviction, and sanctioning could be increased, crime rates should:
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Decline
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Most burglars prefer to commit crimes in neighborhoods that contain a greater than usual number of access streets. These neighborhoods are referred to as:
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permeable neighborhoods
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If a crime is offense-specific, offenders have weighed their abilities, resources, needs, and levels of fear.
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False
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The basic elements of classical criminology do not include which of the following ideas?
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Criminal solutions require much effort but hold the promise of a huge payoff
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To deter people from committing more serious offenses, Beccaria believed punishment should be lenient.
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False
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This occurs when crime control efforts targeting a particular locale help reduce crime in surrounding areas and populations.
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discouragement
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Situational crime prevention tactics such as Lojack® tracking systems are an example of what?
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reducing rewards
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"Crackdowns" are sudden changes in police activity designed to lower crime rates through an increase in the communicated threat or actual certainty of punishment. How effective are crackdowns?
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Crackdowns are effective when coupled with problem-solving and community- improvement techniques; crackdowns initially deter crime but the effect soon wears off after the high intensity police activity ends.
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Policies that convince potential criminals to desist from criminal activities, delay their actions, or avoid a particular target are known as:
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situational crime prevention
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The view that criminals evaluate their skills and needs prior to engaging in a crime is:
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offender specific
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Rational choice theory has roots in the Chicago School developed by Cesare Beccaria.
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False
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General deterrence theory holds that threat of punishment should deter lawbreakers through fear. Which statement is inaccurate as to why some offenders are not deterred?
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Chronic offenders are impulsive, but consider the legal consequences of their actions so as to decrease the likelihood of apprehension.
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Informal sanctions are less effective at reducing crime than is fear of formal legal punishment.
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False
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Some law violators describe the adrenaline rush that comes from successfully executing illegal activities in dangerous situations. This integration of danger, risk, and skill, is for some, a seduction of crime and is referred to as:
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edgework
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The philosophy of justice that asserts that those who violate the rights of others deserve to be punished is known as:
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just desert
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Rational choice theory is rooted in the classical school of criminology developed by:
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Cesare Beccaria
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Social learning theorists contribute all but which of the following factors to violent and/or aggressive behavior?
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consistent relationship between painful attacks and aggressive responses
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Explosive rage disorder is considered an important cause of spouse and child abuse, suicide, aggressiveness, and motiveless homicide. This disorder is a type of:
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minimal brain dysfunction
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Social learning theory holds that people learn to be aggressive through their life experiences. Which of these is not a source of this behavior modeling process?
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religious affiliation
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Which of the following biochemical factors has not been linked to criminality?
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Hyperglycemia
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_______________ is defined as a pattern of disregard for, and violation of, the rights of others.
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anti-social personality
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Abnormal levels of these male sex hormones influence the neocortex and have been linked to brain seizures and emotional volatility.
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androgens
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Therapeutic interventions designed to make people better problem solvers do not involve which measure?
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modeling prosocial behavior
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A frequently administered personality test which has been used to distinguish deviants from nondeviant groups is the:
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California Personality Inventory
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The condition at the onset of the menstrual cycle that triggers excessive amounts of hormones affecting antisocial, aggressive behavior is known as:
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premenstrual syndrome
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Conduct disorder is considered a more serious group of behaviors than oppositional defiant disorder. What statement is false regarding the causes of conduct disorder?
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an imbalance between the id, ego and superego
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The theorist associated with the "born criminal" and biological determinism is?
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Lombroso
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The study of the activities of several generations of families believed to have an especially large number of criminal members is the:
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inheritance school
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Recent research on IQ and crime suggests that low IQ increases the likelihood of criminal behavior through its effect on:
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school performance
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Some researches feel it is possible that what appears to be a genetic effect evidenced in twin research is actually the effect of sibling influence pertaining to criminality and referred to as the:
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contagion effect
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According to the moral and intellectual development branch of cognitive theory, what is wrong with criminals?
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low levels of moral reasoning development
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The notion that some individuals may engage in crime due to the attraction of "getting away with it" is known as:
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arousal theory
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______________ argues that intelligence is largely determined genetically, and is linked to criminal behavior.
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nature theory
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Sociobiology differs from earlier theories of behavior in that it stresses that biological and genetic conditions affect:
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how social behaviors are learned and perceived
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__________ cause an excessive reaction in the brain, whereas _________ affect the nervous system. Both are linked to mental, emotional, and behavioral problems.
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Cerebral allergies; neuroallergies
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The psychodynamic model of the criminal offender depicts an aggressive, frustrated person dominated by events that occurred:
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during early childhood
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Which of the following statements pertaining to the link between lead and crime is inaccurate?
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The average blood lead level has increased over the past decade.
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According to William Sheldon, who believed that criminals manifest distinct physiques, which somatotype was most likely to become criminal?
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mesomorph
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What statement is false with regard to ADHD?
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ADHD has been linked to the desistance of a delinquent career.
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With regard to lead and its association to aggressive behaviors, what statement is false?
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Lead poisoning was one of the most significant predictors of female delinquency
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The belief that all humans are born with equal potential to learn and achieve is known as:
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equipotentiality
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_______ is found in youngsters whose personalities require them to seek immediate gratification, to consider their own needs more important than others, and to satisfy instinctive urges without considering right and wrong.
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Latent delinquency
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A condition that occurs when glucose in the blood falls below levels necessary for normal and efficient brain functioning is known as:
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hypoglycemia
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A disorder in which a child shows a developmentally inappropriate lack of attention and an excess of impulsivity is known as:
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attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
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Biosocial theory contends that all humans are born with equal potential to learn and achieve.
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False
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People alter what they do based on learned responses from rewards and punishments is the premise of what group of theories?
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behavioral
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The connection between crime and mental illness is evident given all but which of the following statements?
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Substance abuse among the mentally ill is significantly lower than that of the general population.
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High bone concentrations of this mineral/metal are associated with delinquency.
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lead
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Biocriminologists believe human behavior is not produced by which of the following?
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psychological conditions
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Which finding is false with regard to the studies of MZ and DZ twins?
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If one member of a twin pair was delinquent, the other was not and the effect was seen in both types or twins.
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According to Freud, the superego is the _____ aspect of one's personality.
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moral
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The premise that traits and characteristics have become ingrained and some of these traits make people aggressive and predisposed to commit crime is part of which theory?
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evolutionary theory
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The belief that no serious consideration should be given to biological factors when attempting to understand human nature is known as:
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biophobia
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The concept used to describe people who have feelings of inadequacy and compensate for them with a drive for superiority is:
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inferiority complex
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One of the most widely used psychological tests that is designed to measure many different personality traits, including psychopathic deviation, schizophrenia, and hypomania is known as the:
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Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
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Which theory states that the emotional bond at birth has important lasting psychological implications that follow people across the life span?
answer
attachment theory
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