Question 1

Index crimes data for the United States shows that
A) index crimes have significantly increased.
B) the level of index crime has remained steady.
C) index crimes decreased between 1998 and 2011.
D) the forcible rape rate has increased, while the other three categories have declined.

Accepted Answer

Index crimes, which include violent crimes and property crimes, have generally seen a decrease between 1998 and 2011 according to data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Question 2

The peak age for property crime arrests is ___________, and the peak age for violent crime arrests is ___________.
A) 20-24 years; 25-29 years
B) 25-29 years; 20-24 years
C) 13-14 years; 18-19 years
D) 18-19 years; 20-24 years

Accepted Answer

The answer of The peak age for property crime arrests...

Question 3

Are we more likely to be victims of street crime or of corporate crime?
A) Corporate crime
B) Street crime
C) The probability of being victimized is the same for both types of crime
D) There is almost no chance of being victimized by either type of crime

Accepted Answer

Individuals are more likely to be victims of corporate crime, which encompasses illegal activities committed by businesses or their employees for financial gain. These crimes, such as fraud, embezzlement, and environmental violations, often have a broader impact on society, affecting a larger number of people compared to street crimes, which are typically more visible but affect fewer individuals directly.

Question 4

William Chambliss' study of two teenage gangs - the Saints and the Roughnecks - illustrates
A) the labeling perspective.
B) differential association theory.
C) the functionalist perspective.
D) the cultural transmission perspective.

Accepted Answer

Chambliss' study of the Saints and the Roughnecks is a classic example of the labeling perspective in sociology, which suggests that individuals become deviant as a result of the labels that are applied to them by society.

Question 5

Crime most commonly committed by relatively affluent persons, often in the course of business activities, is labeled
A) organized crime.
B) white-collar crime and corporate crime.
C) violent crime.
D) victimless crime.

Accepted Answer

White-collar crime and corporate crime refer to crimes committed by individuals, businesses, or government officials in the course of their professional lives. These crimes are typically financially motivated and non-violent, involving deceit, fraud, or breach of trust. They are often associated with relatively affluent persons and are distinct from organized crime, violent crime, and victimless crime.

Question 6

Gambling, drug use, and prostitution are considered
A) corporate crimes.
B) victimless crimes.
C) white-collar crimes.
D) violent crimes.

Accepted Answer

Gambling, drug use, and prostitution are often categorized as victimless crimes because they primarily involve the consent of the individuals directly involved, rather than directly harming others.

Question 7

In more than 40 percent of all murders,
A) the assailant used a "sharp instrument."
B) the attack was precipitated by an argument.
C) the victims knew their assailants.
D) the victims were women.

Accepted Answer

In a significant number of murder cases, the victims knew their assailants, indicating a personal connection between the victim and the perpetrator. This statistic highlights the prevalence of violence within personal relationships or acquaintanceships, rather than between strangers.

Question 8

If we could prevent all crimes committed by persons __________, this would eliminate most conventional crimes from society.
A) between 25 and 35 years of age
B) between 35 and 45 years of age
C) below 25 years of age
D) with mental illnesses

Accepted Answer

Most conventional crimes are committed by individuals who are below 25 years of age. This demographic is statistically more likely to engage in criminal behavior due to factors such as lack of maturity, higher impulsivity, and socio-economic circumstances.

Question 9

Index crimes are those that are
A) appear in the index of the criminal justice textbook.
B) not nearly as serious as predatory crimes.
C) reported on by the FBI in its Uniform Crime Reports.
D) related to corporations and government.

Accepted Answer

Index crimes are those crimes that are reported by the FBI in its Uniform Crime Reports (UCR). These include serious crimes such as murder, rape, robbery, and burglary, which are used to gauge the overall crime rate.

Question 10

Which of the following is not among the criticisms of control theory?
A) Factors other than those emphasized in control theory are involved in deviant behavior around 50 percent of the time.
B) Control theory has too strong a focus on why people engage in deviant behavior.
C) When someone makes an attachment to delinquent peers, this social bond is associated with more delinquency.
D) The theory cannot explain deviance among those who are fully integrated into mainstream society.

Accepted Answer

Control theory primarily focuses on why people conform rather than why they engage in deviant behavior. It suggests that strong bonds to society encourage conformity and prevent deviance, which is the opposite of having too strong a focus on why people engage in deviant behavior.

Question 11

The criminal justice system includes
A) families, schools, and churches.
B) neighborhoods, communities, and cities.
C) prisons, probation, and treatment centers.
D) police, courts, and prisons.

Accepted Answer

The criminal justice system is primarily composed of law enforcement (police), the court system (courts), and correctional facilities (prisons), which work together to enforce the laws, adjudicate crimes, and administer penalties or rehabilitation.

Question 12

________ is the large-scale provision of illegal goods and services.
A) Organized crime
B) White-collar crime
C) Corporate crime
D) Business-related crime

Accepted Answer

Organized crime refers to the large-scale provision of illegal goods and services, typically involving groups or operations that are highly structured and operate across regions or even countries.

Question 13

Labeling theory does not explain
A) why an act may or may not be defined as deviant.
B) how situations may affect the definition of deviance.
C) what initially contributed to the occurrence of the deviant behavior.
D) the impact of social inequities on the definition of deviance.

Accepted Answer

Labeling theory focuses on how the labels applied to individuals by society can influence their self-identity and behavior, particularly in terms of deviance. It does not primarily address the initial causes of deviant behavior itself.

Question 14

Studies of crime committed by government
A) have been emphasized by conflict theorists.
B) show that presidential power is not used to victimize personal enemies.
C) show that it is relatively rare.
D) show that it does not occur in democracies.

Accepted Answer

Conflict theorists emphasize the study of crimes committed by the government, focusing on how power dynamics and inequality contribute to such crimes.

Question 15

Control theory, as developed by Travis Hirschi, argues that young people are much more likely to conform to society's rules under certain sets of conditions. Which of the following is not among those conditions?
A) Their attachment level to friends and family is high.
B) Their involvement level in conventional activities such as athletics is high.
C) Their belief in conventional values and ideas about morality is strong.
D) They have never done anything deviant that would result in them being labeled deviant.

Accepted Answer

Travis Hirschi's control theory posits that conformity to societal norms is influenced by factors such as attachment to others, involvement in conventional activities, and belief in societal values. The theory does not specify that never having done anything deviant is a condition for conformity, making option D the correct answer as it is not among the conditions Hirschi described.

Question 16

The difference between "control theory" and other theories written about in the text is that
A) control theory is decidedly psychological in nature.
B) control theory focuses more on hereditary factors.
C) while the other theories focus on the "why" of deviance, control theory focuses on why some people do not deviate.
D) the other theories tend to concentrate on environmental factors, while control theory does not.

Accepted Answer

Control theory is distinct because it inquires why individuals conform to norms and laws instead of why they deviate, contrasting with other theories that often seek to explain the reasons behind deviant behavior.

Question 17

Hirschi's research showed that
A) religion is ineffective in getting people to believe in morality.
B) having an intact family seems to be irrelevant to the reduction of juvenile delinquency.
C) attachment to school and having positive attachments to teachers reduces the chances of becoming delinquent.
D) attachment to school has no bearing on rates of delinquency.

Accepted Answer

Hirschi's social control theory suggests that strong social bonds, including attachment to school and positive relationships with teachers, can reduce the likelihood of delinquency. This is because such attachments encourage conformity to societal norms and discourage deviant behavior.

Question 18

For an act to be considered criminal,
A) it must also be considered immoral.
B) the state must undertake the process of criminalizing it.
C) it must be proven to create a significant monetary cost to society.
D) it must be proven to create a significant social cost to society.

Accepted Answer

For an act to be considered criminal, it must be defined as such by law, which means the state must undertake the process of criminalizing it. Morality, monetary cost, and social cost are not legal requirements for an act to be defined as criminal.

Question 19

Hate crimes are defined by Congress as
A) crimes motivated by the personal hatred the offender feels for the victim.
B) crimes that members of the general public loathe.
C) crimes that are motivated by the offender's bias against a race, religion, disability, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.
D) crimes that law enforcement officers hate to hear about because they are so difficult to solve.

Accepted Answer

Hate crimes are specifically defined by their motivation, where the perpetrator's bias against a particular race, religion, disability, ethnicity, or sexual orientation plays a central role in their actions against the victim.

Question 20

Unlike such informal norms as folkways and mores, laws are
A) rules enforced by the state.
B) written descriptions of immoral behavior.
C) universal.
D) rules agreed to by a majority of the population.

Accepted Answer

Laws are formal norms that are enforced by the state, distinguishing them from informal norms like folkways and mores which are not enforced by the state.

Quiz 5: Deviance and Crime

Index crimes data for the United States shows that

The peak age for property crime arrests is _, and the peak age for violent crime arrests is _.

Are we more likely to be victims of street crime or of corporate crime?

William Chambliss' study of two teenage gangs - the Saints and the Roughnecks - illustrates

Crime most commonly committed by relatively affluent persons, often in the course of business activities, is labeled

Gambling, drug use, and prostitution are considered

In more than 40 percent of all murders,

If we could prevent all crimes committed by persons __________, this would eliminate most conventional crimes from society.

Index crimes are those that are

Which of the following is not among the criticisms of control theory?

The criminal justice system includes

________ is the large-scale provision of illegal goods and services.

Labeling theory does not explain

Studies of crime committed by government

Control theory, as developed by Travis Hirschi, argues that young people are much more likely to conform to society's rules under certain sets of conditions. Which of the following is not among those conditions?

The difference between "control theory" and other theories written about in the text is that

Hirschi's research showed that

For an act to be considered criminal,

Hate crimes are defined by Congress as

Unlike such informal norms as folkways and mores, laws are