Criminology Test 1

30 cards   |   Total Attempts: 184
  

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Criminology
Focuses on lawbreaking, the nature, extent, and causes of crime.
Actus Reas and Mens Rea
Actus: guilty act
Mens: guilty mind
Mala in Se and Mala Prohibita
Mala in se: Crimes that are wrong in themselves
Mala prohibita: Crimes that are wrong cause they are prohibitted
Micro and Macro level theories

Micro: why some individuals engage in crime and others do not
Macro: attemps to explain differences in groups
Sources/types of law
Statutory law, Case law, and constitutional law
Two persepectives on the criminal law
Classical and Positivist School of Crime.
Experimental vs Nonexperimental designs
Experimental: show cause and effect and exclude spuriousness, key is random assignment of the subjects.
Nonexperimental: Most used, consists of mostly surveys and questionares.
Classical and Positivist schools of crime
C: crime is a result of a rational decision based on calculation of costs and benefits. Punishment should be swift, certain, and severe.

P: criminal behavior is based on biology, social, or psychological factors. Criminals should be treated, punishment should fit the crime.
Bentham's hedonistic calculus
Humans seek pleasure in a rational, calculating manner.
UCR vs NCVS
UCR: annual report by FBI cosisting of crimes reported to and uncovered by the police.
NCVS: survey conducted by the US Bureau of Justice Statistics that attempts to discover unreported crime.
Hierarchy Rule
Only the highest crime will be counted into UCR
Just deserts, retribution, and incapacitation
JD: justification of punishment that emphasizes the pain caused and thus earned by the criminal.
R: justification of punishment that suggests taht criminals deserve punishment.
I: Use of Prison and death penalty to remove criminals from society to prevent future crime.
General and Specific deterrence
General: deter the public
Specific: deter specific person
Rational Choice theory and its criticisms
Criminals will choose crime when the benefits outweigh the risks
Not all crimes are rational, little evidence
Routine activities theory
For a crime to occur three things must converge, a suitable target, a motivated offender, absence of a capable guardian