Deck 6: Police and Juvenile Offenders

Question 1

Which of the following describes the sanction given when a police officer takes a youth into custody and to the station, records the alleged minor offense and actions taken, gives the youth an official reprimand and releases the youth to the parents:

A) Questioning, warning, and release in the community
B) Station Adjustment
C) Referral to a Diversion Agency
D) Issuing a Citation and Referring to Juvenile Court

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which of the following is not a way to improve police-juvenile relations:

A) Cultural training for police
B) Police ignoring youths unless they commit serious crimes
C) D.A.R.E.
D) School Resource Officers

Answer 2

B

Question 3

In regards to children, police are expected to:

A) Protect children
B) Prevent delinquency
C) Both A and B
D) Neither A or B

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which function of policing do police and the public view as the primary task of police?

A) Law Enforcement
B) Order Maintenance
C) Service Function
D) None of the above

Question 5

Police make an arrest and take juveniles into custody in ____ cases.

A) Most
B) A small percent of
C) A few
D) A large percent of

Question 6

Which of the following is not part of the law enforcement function of police:

A) Crime investigation
B) Presentation of evidence in court
C) Crowd control
D) Suspect interrogation

Question 7

Which of the following is not an example of the service function of police:

A) Delivering a baby
B) Calling a tow truck
C) Transporting abandoned or neglected children
D) Suspect interrogation

Question 8

Juvenile offenders are involved in a _________ number of crimes.

A) disproportionately small
B) disproportionately large
C) proportionate
D) representative

Question 9

In 2005, African American youth accounted for ____of the juvenile arrests for aggravated assault.

A) 50%
B) 10%
C) 67%
D) 42%

Question 10

Which of the following is the least severe sanction that a police officer can issue to a juvenile:

A) Questioning, warning, and release in the community
B) Station Adjustment
C) Referral to a Diversion Agency
D) Issuing a Citation and Referring to Juvenile Court

Question 11

Non-criminal matters handled by the police that include running away, curfew violations, and truancy are referred to as:

A) Juvenile Offenses
B) Delinquent Acts
C) Juvenile Crimes
D) Status Offenses

Question 12

The ability of police officers to choose between different courses of action depending on their particular assignment is called:

A) Police discretion
B) Police decision making
C) Service function
D) Law enforcement

Question 13

Juveniles accounted for about ____ of violent crimes arrests and ____ of all property crimes arrests in 2005.

A) 26% and 16%
B) 5% and 50%
C) 16% and 20%
D) 50% and 5%

Question 14

African American youth are _____in juvenile arrests when compared to their proportion of the population.

A) Underrepresented
B) Proportionately represented
C) Overrepresented
D) Equal

Question 15

Which of the following is not emphasized in community policing:

A) Police-community relations
B) Citizen input
C) Crime prevention
D) Police solving crimes alone

Question 16

Which of the following are reasons why dealing with juveniles is a special problem for police?

A) The immaturity of youth
B) Limited parental supervision
C) Negative peer influence
D) All of the above

Question 17

In 2005, law enforcement agencies made an estimated___________ arrests of persons under age 18.

A) 2.1 million
B) 2.1 billion
C) 2100
D) 21,000

Question 18

Crimes such as drug dealing, gambling, and prostitution are referred to as:

A) "victimless" crimes
B) "nonvictim" crimes
C) "victimful" crimes
D) "no victim" crimes

Question 19

Many youth view police officers on patrol as:

A) a deterrent to delinquent behavior
B) a challenge to avoid detection and confrontation
C) both A and B
D) Neither A or B

Question 20

The majority of police encounters with juveniles are in response to _____that involve a _____function of law enforcement.

A) major offenses, order maintenance
B) minor offenses, service
C) minor offenses; order maintenance
D) major offenses, service

Question 21

Traditional police patrol does a lot to prevent crime.

Question 22

The reasons for juveniles' negative attitudes toward police are likely the inevitable result of police officers' fair but unpopular restrictions on young peoples' behaviors.

Question 23

Police have no alternatives to arresting and placing juveniles into custody.

Question 24

Discretionary authority among police is greater at the highest levels of the organization.

Question 25

Juvenile offenders are involved in a disproportionately large number of crimes.

Question 26

Which of the following describes the sanction given when an intake officer at a detention center accepts a referral and then decides whether to hold the juvenile or release him/her to the parents:

A) Station Adjustment
B) Referral to a Diversion Agency
C) Issuing a Citation and Referring to Juvenile Court
D) Taking to a Detention Center or Shelter Home

Question 27

Curfews have been shown to greatly reduce juvenile crime.

Question 28

Which of the following describes the sanction given when the intake probation officer accepts a referral from the police, contacts parents, and releases the youth to the parents on the condition that they will report to court when ordered to do so:

A) Questioning, warning, and release in the community
B) Station Adjustment
C) Referral to a Diversion Agency
D) Issuing a Citation and Referring to Juvenile Court

Question 29

The first contact that a young juvenile offender has with the juvenile justice system is with a police officer.

Question 30

Police are the most visible officials in the criminal justice system.

Question 31

When are juveniles detained in a detention facility?

A) When they are considered dangerous
B) When there is a lack of parental supervision
C) When there is a high probability that they will not report to court
D) All of the above

Question 32

Police officers hold varying opinions of the importance of each of the roles, and they do not undertake these three functions with equal degrees of enthusiasm.

Question 33

Which of the following sanctions is considered preferable for many first-time offenders and troubled youth:

A) Questioning, warning, and release in the community
B) Referral to a Diversion Agency
C) Station Adjustment
D) Taking to a Detention Center or Shelter Home

Question 34

In 2005, juveniles accounted for a higher percentage of violent crime arrests than property crime arrests.

Question 35

Police role is especially important because a youth's views and attitudes toward law enforcement are shaped by his/her first encounter with a police officer.

Question 36

Police discretion is necessary and the juvenile justice system could not function without some use of discretion.

Question 37

Which of the following describes the sanction given when police release and refer a juvenile to a youth service bureauYSB), Big Brother/Big Sister program, runaway center, or a mental health agency:

A) Questioning, warning, and release in the community
B) Station Adjustment
C) Referral to a Diversion Agency
D) Taking to a Detention Center or Shelter Home

Question 38

Research studies are mixed as to whether disproportionate representation is a result of racial bias in police arrest, prosecutors' decisions, and judicial sentencing.

Question 39

The nature and circumstances of police contact are not likely to be significant and have a lasting impression on a young person.

Question 40

Curfew violation is a status offense because it is only illegal for those of juvenile age.

Question 41

Summarize the arguments given for re-evaluating the negative attitude toward the service function of police.

Question 42

Why might curfew laws have little effect on juvenile crime?

Question 43

Why is the order maintenance function of police less clear than the law enforcement function?

Question 44

Describe the alternatives that police have to arresting and custody.

Question 45

Describe the three functions of police officers and give examples of each.

Question 46

Explain police discretion and the problems with discretion and race.

Question 47

What are the three roles that police fulfill?

Question 48

Describe the effect that community policing has had on law enforcement.

Question 49

Describe ways in which schools and police departments can improve the relationships between police and juveniles.