S/CJ 213 Midterm: Exam 1 Study Guide
13 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Criminology
Spring 2017
Dr. Roberts
Exam 1 Study Guide
Readings & other materials
• AML Book – Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4
• Any class handouts
Key Names & Terminology
Chapter 1
➢ Edwin Sutherland – definition of criminology= body of knowledge regarding
crime as a social phenomenon. (includes making of laws, breaking of laws,
reacting to the breaking of laws)
o Objective= development of a body of “general and verified principles”
(things we know to be true)
o Criminology’s 3 major concerns:
▪ The making of laws
• Consensus view of crime= assume that members of a
society by and large agree on what is right and wrong (laws
created for the general good)
• vs. Conflict view of crime= suggest that the law expresses
the values of the ruling class (CJ system is a means of
controlling the classes that have no power)
▪ The breaking of laws
• Process of breaking laws encompasses a series of events,
starting at birth or even earlier (why are some people prone
to commit crimes and others aren’t? – biological,
psychological, or sociological explanations?)
▪ Society’s reaction to the breaking of laws
• Society’s reactions are often irrational, arbitrary, emotional,
politically motivated and counter-productive (society’s
reaction has influenced policy making and legislation
aimed at crime control)
➢ Criminology vs. criminal justice
o Criminologists= roots in European scholarship; undergone refinements
mostly influenced by American Sociology; focused on scientific studies of
crime and criminality
o Criminal justice specialists= recent American innovation; focused on
scientific study of decision-making process, operations and justice related
concerns
Chapter 2
Conduct
Legality Concurrence Causation Harm Punishment
Mens Rea
Cathy Lyn Muscatella Cooks Crazy Hot Potatoes
➢ 7 basic requirements of a crime (Jerome Hall)
o Legality= Is there a law that prohibits the behavior?
▪ “no crime without law”
▪ Only legislatures can make laws
o Conduct (Act)= Only acts of persons covered by criminal law
▪ Verb ‘act’ implies degree of rationality or voluntariness in
choosing to do something
▪ ‘Inaction’ may amount to action
▪ ‘Involuntary acts’ do not amount to action (gun held to head,
drugged)
▪ Making a ‘status’ or condition of a crime has been ruled to be
unconstitutional (Robinson v. California – being a known drug
dealer, addict, prostitute)
o Harm= Every crime has been created to prevent something bad from
happening
▪ Crime is not complete until harm has been done
▪ If perp tries to bring about harm but doesn’t succeed, he/she can
still be liable for ‘attempt’
o Causation= Bringing about the harm
▪ Drawing a straight line between your action and harm that
occurred
▪ Requires actor to have achieved result
o Mens Rea (guilty mind) = Criminal intent
▪ Knowledge of wrongfulness
▪ Intent to commit crime and do harm
▪ Conduct and mens rea go hand in hand (rational/voluntary +
knowledge of it)
▪ Temporary insanity, schizophrenia – could be means of defense
o Concurrence= Conduct and mens rea must go together (concur) at same
time – for same crime
o Punishment= Illegal harmful act coupled with criminal intent is not crime
unless the law subjects act to punishment
▪ Helps differentiate the grades of crime (felonies, violations and
torts vs, crimes)
➢ Torts vs. crimes
o Torts= ‘civil wrongs’ for which the law does not prescribe punishment
➢ Criminal defenses – excuses vs. justifications
o Excuses= defense claims necessary mens rea and/or voluntary act are
missing (insanity, duress, infancy)
o Justifications= defenses in which the law authorizes the violation of
another within limits of proportionality (public duty, self-defense)
➢ Primary vs. secondary data
o Primary= Facts and observations that researchers gather by conducting
their own studies (advantage: under your control)
o Secondary= Facts and observations that were previously collected for a
different study (bigger source, not collected by you)
➢ Methods of collecting data
o Survey research= Systematic collection of answers to questions in
questionnaires or interviews
▪ Sample= selected subset of a population to be studied
▪ Random sample= determined by random selection
▪ Major Limitation= lying
o Experiments= Research technique in which an investigator introduces a
change into a process and then measures what happens next
▪ Test hypothesis about how 2+ variables relate
• Independent vs Dependent
• ‘Field Experiments’= real world settings
• RCTs= randomized controlled trials
o Observations – participant vs. nonparticipant
▪ Participant= researcher may join in the activities of group being
studied
▪ Non-participant= researcher observes group being studied – does
not join
o Case studies= analysis of all pertinent aspects of one unit of study, such as
an individual, institution, group, or community
▪ ‘Treasure Hunt’
➢ IRB= Institutional Review Board= check all proposals for research projects to
ensure the protection of human subjects
o Confidentiality
o No misleading
o Full report of findings
o Laud Humphry – Tea Room Trade
▪ Studied homosexual relation in public bathrooms – lots of
deception
▪ Reason for review boards
➢ UCR= Uniform Crime Reports
o Who collects? – FBI
o Crimes known to police
o Index crime
▪ Crimes against person= homicide, rape, robbery, agg assault
▪ Crimes against property= burglary, larceny, MVC theft, arson
Document Summary
Readings & other materials: aml book chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, any class handouts. Biological, psychological, or sociological explanations?: society"s reaction to the breaking of laws, society"s reactions are often irrational, arbitrary, emotional, politically motivated and counter-productive (society"s reaction has influenced policy making and legislation aimed at crime control) Torts vs. crimes torts vs, crimes: torts= civil wrongs" for which the law does not prescribe punishment. Fbi: crimes known to police, index crime, crimes against person= homicide, rape, robbery, agg assault, crimes against property= burglary, larceny, mvc theft, arson, limitations= only reveals crimes known/reported", summary based, hierarchy rule. Self-report surveys= determine the amount and types of crime committed by asking people to report their own criminal acts; confidential and anonymous: violence closely related to low education levels, limitations= recall error, telescoping, lying. Characteristics of criminals: crime trends= increases and decreases of crime over time, ageing-out phenomenon vs. life-course perspective.
