1. Define criminology and criminal justice.

How do they
differ?
Criminology is the scientific study of the nature, extent, cause
and control of criminal behavior. Criminal justice is a system
made up of the agencies of social control, such as police
departments, the courts, and correctional institutions that
handle criminal offenders. They are quite different as
criminology is a scientific study of what the criminal justice
system deems criminals.
2. What are the four reasons criminologists focus on
creating valid and reliable measures of criminal
behavior?
The four reasons criminologists focus on creating valid and
reliable measures of criminal behavior are to analyze the
activities of police and court agencies, to measure criminal
activity not reported to the police by victims, to identify the
victims of crime and to test theories.
3. Define white-collar crime. Give an example and state
why it is categorized as such.
White-collar crime is an illegal act that capitalizes on a
persons status in the marketplace. An example of such a
crime would be Jordan Belfort (Wolf of Wall Street) as he
embezzled money and defrauded clients of his stock
brokerage.
4. What are mandatory sentences?
Mandatory sentences are a statutory requirement that a
certain penalty shall be carried out in all cases of conviction for
a specified offense or series of offenses.
5. Define Victimology. What are the four main areas of
interest in victimology?
Victimology is the study of the victims role in criminal events.
The four main areas of interest in victimology are using victim
surveys, calculating probabilities of victimization risk, studying
victim culpability and designing services for crime victims.

6. What is the classical school? Describe its main

components. What is the positivist school? describe
its main components
The classical school is the theoretical perspective suggesting
that people have free will to choose criminal or conventional
behavior, people choose to commit crime for reasons of greed
or personal need and crime can be controlled only by the fear
of criminal sanctions. The positivist school is the branch of
social science that uses the scientific method of the natural
sciences and suggests that human behavior is a product of
social, biological or economic forces.
7. Describe in detail the six (6) theories within
contemporary criminology
(I)
Rational choice theory argues that criminals are rational
decision makers and that before choosing to commit a
crime, criminals evaluate the benefits and costs of the
contemplated criminal act.
(II) Trait theory argues that biological and psychological
traits interact with environmental factors to influence all
human behavior including criminality. Examples include
the association between diet and hormonal makeup.
(III) Social structure theory argues that the social
environment directly controls criminal behavior. Those
who cannot achieve success through conventional
means, experience anomie, strain, failure and frustration
so they turn to criminal solutions.
(IV) Social process theory argues that peoples interactions
with various organizations and institutions affects
criminality. For example children learn to commit crime
by interacting with and modeling their behavior after
others whom they admire. Criminal offenders are people
whose life experiences have shattered their social bonds
to society.
(V) Developmental theory argues that criminality is a
dynamic process influenced by social experience as well
as individual characteristics.
(VI) Conflict theory argues that crime is a function of
competition for limited resources and power. Therefore
class conflict produces crime.

8. Describe in detail the views of crime (ex. consensus)

(I)
The consensus view is the belief that the majority of
citizens in a society share common values and agree on
what behaviors should be defined as criminal.
(II) The conflict view is the belief that criminal behavior is
defined by those in power in such a way as to protect and
advance their own self-interest.
(III) The interactionist view is the belief that those with social
power are able to impose their values on society as a
whole and these values then define criminal behavior.
9. What are felonies? Misdemeanors? how do they
differ? give an example of each
A felony is a serious offense that carries a penalty of
imprisonment, usually for one year or more, and may entail
loss of political rights. A misdemeanor is a minor crime usually
punished by a short jail term and/ or a fine. They are different
as a misdemeanor is an offense deemed less serious by law
than a felony, which carries a lengthy jail term. An example of
a felony would be murder and an example of a misdemeanor
would be Larceny in the 6th degree.
10.
List and describe the seven (7) social goals of
criminal law
(I)
Enforcing social control is prohibiting behaviors believed
to threaten societal well being or to challenge their
authority.
(II) Discouraging revenge is so the burden of revenge is on
the state not the individual who was infringed upon.
(III) Expressing public opinion and morality is so that criminal
law can reflect changing public opinions and moral
values.
(IV) Deterring criminal behavior has the goal of controlling,
restraining, and directing human behavior through its
sanctioning power.
(V) Punishing wrongdoing has the goal of authorizing the
state to sanction or punish offenders.
(VI) Creating equality has the goal of negating the unfair
advantage a criminal may gain by committing a crime.
(VII) Maintaining social order has the goal of supporting and
maintaining the boundaries of the social system in use.