chapter 1 - psyc39

may believe that the burglar deserved a severe penalty and that the victims did not protect their property sufficiently

in any scientific theory must be precise as possible, their meaning and usage clear and unambiguous, so that it ca be meaningfully tested by observations and analysis

when the theory is not verified

a graphic representation of a theory or a concept, designed to enhance its understanding

basically if they input severe punishments towards those who do illegal acts, people would stop doing those illegal acts ( no matter what race, class, or how privileged they are) due to the fact that its based off of free will

idea of determinism - result of social, psychological, and even biological influences

• strain theory
• social control theory
• general theory of crime

argued that humans are fundamentally conforming beings, who are strongly influenced by the values and attitudes of the society in which they live in

contends that crime and delinquency occur when an individual's ties to the conventional order or normative standards are weak or largely nonexistent

• suggests that a deficit or self-control or self-regulation is the key factor in explaining crime and delinquency
• self-control is a stable trait that is fully in place in childhood, around the age of 8, but many researchers have tested that it can be developed in later ages

views humans as creatures of onformity who want to do the 'right thing'

• assumes that human beings are basically undisciplined creatures who, without the constraints of the rules and regulations of a given society 
• unruly or deviants
• does not blame people for their deviance

sees humans as beings as born neutral and subject to developmental changes throughout their life course

emphasizes such concepts as initiation of models and reinforcements one gains from one's behavior

criminal behaviour is learned, through social interactions

is the multidisciplinary study of crime

• rich tradition in examining the relationship of demographic and group variables to crime
• ex:// age, race, gender, class

• they look at the underlying foundation of society
• ex:// lack of employment and educational activities etc

views the values and patterns of living within the given group of people

the science of the behaviour and mental processes of the person who commits the crime

refers to the attitudes, beliefs, values and thoughts that people hold about the social environment, interrelations, human nature, and themselves

the legal designations deliquency and criminal behaviour, and the actios that violate standards of society but are not necessarily defined as crimes

an offense cleared when at least one person is arrested, charged with the commission of the offense, and remanded to the court for prosecution

the percentage of crime known to police per 100 000 population

the overall number of criminal offenses that go undetected or are unknown by law enforcement agencies

examines the changes and influences (risk factors) across a person's lifetime that contribute to the formation of antisocial and criminal behaviour or, alternately, that protect individuals with many risk factors in their lives

stipulates that when a number of offenses have been committed during a  series, only the most serious offense is included in the UCR data

is committed primarily against women

are forbidden only to juveniles bc of their age

relatively stable and enduring tendency to behave in a particular way, and it distinguishes one person from another