Question 1

Explain control theory and how attachment and commitment are predictive of crime.

Accepted Answer

Control theory is a sociological theory that suggests that criminal behavior occurs when an individual's bond to society is weakened. This bond is made up of four elements: attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief. Attachment refers to the emotional connections an individual has to others, such as their family, friends, and community. Commitment refers to an individual's investment in conventional societal institutions, such as education, career, and future goals.

Research has shown that attachment and commitment are predictive of crime because individuals who are strongly attached to their family, friends, and community are less likely to engage in criminal behavior. This is because they have strong emotional connections that discourage them from engaging in activities that would harm those relationships. Similarly, individuals who are committed to conventional institutions are less likely to engage in criminal behavior because they have a stake in society and do not want to risk losing their investment.

In contrast, individuals with weak attachments and low commitment are more likely to engage in criminal behavior because they do not have strong emotional connections or investment in conventional institutions to deter them from engaging in criminal activities.

In conclusion, control theory suggests that attachment and commitment are important factors in predicting criminal behavior. Individuals with strong attachments and high commitment to conventional institutions are less likely to engage in criminal behavior, while those with weak attachments and low commitment are more likely to engage in criminal activities.

Question 2

What are the consequences of media crime reporting for the average Canadian?

Accepted Answer

A)  Canadians overestimate the amount of crime in their communities. 
B)  Canadians take drastic measures to be safer. 
C)  Canadians are reassured that the police are effective. 
D)  Canadians underestimate the amount of crime in their neighbourhoods. 
A)  Canadians overestimate the amount of crime in their communities. 
B)  Canadians take drastic measures to be safer. 
C)  Canadians are reassured that the police are effective. 
D)  Canadians underestimate the amount of crime in their neighbourhoods. A

Question 3

What demographic factors could be used to explain a decreasing crime rate in Canada?

Accepted Answer

Young males representing a smaller proportion of the population; an aging population also means a declining crime rate.

Question 4

According to the text, what does the saying, "if it bleeds, it leads" demonstrate about the media's crime coverage?

Accepted Answer

A)  Crime is important to news stories. 
B)  The focus is on other people's tragedies. 
C)  The profit motive has no conscience. 
D)  It shows sensationalizing of private matters. 
A)  Crime is important to news stories. 
B)  The focus is on other people's tragedies. 
C)  The profit motive has no conscience. 
D)  It shows sensationalizing of private matters.

Question 5

Which of the following are overrepresented in our prison populations?

Accepted Answer

A)  Whites are overrepresented in Canadian prisons. 
B)  Women are overrepresented in Canadian prisons. 
C)  Blacks and Aboriginal people are overrepresented in Canadian prisons. 
D)  South Asians are overrepresented in Canadian prisons. 
A)  Whites are overrepresented in Canadian prisons. 
B)  Women are overrepresented in Canadian prisons. 
C)  Blacks and Aboriginal people are overrepresented in Canadian prisons. 
D)  South Asians are overrepresented in Canadian prisons.

Question 6

The general theory of crime argues that all deviance has a common cause in low self-control.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 7

According to John Hagan's typology, which of the following would be charged with committing a conflict crime?

Accepted Answer

A)  Brian, who savagely raped his wife 
B)  Benjamin, who left the pharmacy with oxycodone tablets after threatening the pharmacist with a knife 
C)  Jasmine, who sold "sexual favours" in order to get money to support her drug addiction 
D)  Jolene, who hired a hit man to murder her boyfriend 
A)  Brian, who savagely raped his wife 
B)  Benjamin, who left the pharmacy with oxycodone tablets after threatening the pharmacist with a knife 
C)  Jasmine, who sold "sexual favours" in order to get money to support her drug addiction 
D)  Jolene, who hired a hit man to murder her boyfriend

Question 8

According to research, playing sports increases some male violence, but not female violence.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 9

According to the text, what has become the fastest-growing crime of the twenty-first century?

Accepted Answer

A)  child pornography 
B)  identity theft 
C)  cyber-bullying 
D)  marijuana grow-ops 
A)  child pornography 
B)  identity theft 
C)  cyber-bullying 
D)  marijuana grow-ops

Question 10

Which of the following explains deviance to be the result of a failure to develop positive social bonds in home and at school?

Accepted Answer

A)  strain theory 
B)  differential association theory 
C)  routine activity theory 
D)  control theory 
A)  strain theory 
B)  differential association theory 
C)  routine activity theory 
D)  control theory

Question 11

The act of killing is considered deviant and wrong in all societies throughout history.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

The film The King's Speech is about King George VI and his efforts to remove the stutter from his speech. Why did he go to a speech therapist?

Accepted Answer

A)  Stuttering was linked to low intelligence. 
B)  A stutter is considered mala in se. 
C)  There is a social stigma attached to stuttering. 
D)  Stuttering is a symbolic deviance. 
A)  Stuttering was linked to low intelligence. 
B)  A stutter is considered mala in se. 
C)  There is a social stigma attached to stuttering. 
D)  Stuttering is a symbolic deviance.

Question 13

If a researcher were to say that crime is a young person's game, what would this be about?

Accepted Answer

A)  thrill-seeking adolescents 
B)  a correlate of crime 
C)  professional adult criminals 
D)  sociobiological determinants 
A)  thrill-seeking adolescents 
B)  a correlate of crime 
C)  professional adult criminals 
D)  sociobiological determinants

Question 14

What disturbing trend in Toronto is highlighted by the shooting of Jane Creba?

Accepted Answer

A)  More gang members are being killed. 
B)  More drug dealers are victims of homicide. 
C)  More innocent bystanders are being killed. 
D)  More females are victims of homicide. 
A)  More gang members are being killed. 
B)  More drug dealers are victims of homicide. 
C)  More innocent bystanders are being killed. 
D)  More females are victims of homicide.

Question 15

According to Robert Merton, pioneer of control theory, deviance and crime occurs when young people experience weak ties to the conventional world.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

What is the "dark figure of crime" and how does it affect estimates of criminality?

Accepted Answer

The dark figure of crime is the number o

Question 17

What can we conclude about official crime statistics?

Accepted Answer

A)  They underestimate the actual amount of crime. 
B)  They are generally unreliable numbers. 
C)  They overestimate the actual amount of crime. 
D)  They are an accurate reflection of crime. 
A)  They underestimate the actual amount of crime. 
B)  They are generally unreliable numbers. 
C)  They overestimate the actual amount of crime. 
D)  They are an accurate reflection of crime.

Question 18

Jack was charged with assisting his terminally ill wife to commit suicide. According to John Hagen's typology, what type of illegal behaviour did Jack commit?

Accepted Answer

A)  a crime mala in se 
B)  a consensus crime 
C)  an immoral crime 
D)  a crime mala prohibita 
A)  a crime mala in se 
B)  a consensus crime 
C)  an immoral crime 
D)  a crime mala prohibita

Question 19

Which of the following theories argues that frequent association with those favouring deviance over conformity makes a person more likely to engage in deviant behaviour?

Accepted Answer

A)  differential association theory 
B)  labelling theory 
C)  status-conflict theory 
D)  strain theory 
A)  differential association theory 
B)  labelling theory 
C)  status-conflict theory 
D)  strain theory

Question 20

When Sasha heard that three young boys in her condo complex had been caught vandalizing a number of homes, her reaction was "that doesn't surprise me since their parents are never home to supervise them." Which theory of crime and deviance is Sasha applying?

Accepted Answer

A)  general theory of crime 
B)  differential association theory 
C)  general strain theory 
D)  routine activities theory 
A)  general theory of crime 
B)  differential association theory 
C)  general strain theory 
D)  routine activities theory

Exam 14: Deviance and Crime

Explain control theory and how attachment and commitment are predictive of crime.

What are the consequences of media crime reporting for the average Canadian?

What demographic factors could be used to explain a decreasing crime rate in Canada?

According to the text, what does the saying, "if it bleeds, it leads" demonstrate about the media's crime coverage?

Which of the following are overrepresented in our prison populations?

The general theory of crime argues that all deviance has a common cause in low self-control.

According to John Hagan's typology, which of the following would be charged with committing a conflict crime?

According to research, playing sports increases some male violence, but not female violence.

According to the text, what has become the fastest-growing crime of the twenty-first century?

Which of the following explains deviance to be the result of a failure to develop positive social bonds in home and at school?

The act of killing is considered deviant and wrong in all societies throughout history.

The film The King's Speech is about King George VI and his efforts to remove the stutter from his speech. Why did he go to a speech therapist?

If a researcher were to say that crime is a young person's game, what would this be about?

What disturbing trend in Toronto is highlighted by the shooting of Jane Creba?

According to Robert Merton, pioneer of control theory, deviance and crime occurs when young people experience weak ties to the conventional world.

What is the "dark figure of crime" and how does it affect estimates of criminality?

What can we conclude about official crime statistics?

Jack was charged with assisting his terminally ill wife to commit suicide. According to John Hagen's typology, what type of illegal behaviour did Jack commit?

Which of the following theories argues that frequent association with those favouring deviance over conformity makes a person more likely to engage in deviant behaviour?

When Sasha heard that three young boys in her condo complex had been caught vandalizing a number of homes, her reaction was "that doesn't surprise me since their parents are never home to supervise them." Which theory of crime and deviance is Sasha applying?

Introduction to Sociology

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Socialization

Gender and Sexuality

Communication and Mass Media

Social Stratification

Gender Inequality

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Development and Underdevelopment

Families

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Globalization

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