Deck 4: Choice Theory: Because They Want to

Question 1

What does the concept of general deterrence suggest?

A)Motivated people will violate the law if left free and unrestricted to do so.
B)The decision to commit crime is affected by the perceived likelihood of punishment.
C)If there are more suitable guardians for adolescents and children, there will be less crime.
D)As people get older, they will commit fewer crimes due to responsibilities and maturity.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

According to rational choice theory, crime is an event. What then is criminality?

A)unavoidable
B)a calculated choice
C)a method of coping
D)an uncontrolled drive

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Fred Desroches conducted research on bank robbery. Which of the following summarizes several of his findings?

A)Offenders may use the Internet to learn about techniques for safecracking and they are more likely to commit robberies in the first hour the bank is open.
B)Bank robberies are most often conducted in winter months when faces are more easily concealed, and the majority of bank robbers tend to have previous criminal histories.
C)They may use sources such as bank security schedules to determine the best times to commit a robbery, and they are most likely to pose as security staff to gain entry.
D)They often use local media to research and plan their crimes and they usually maintain the same modus operandi throughout their careers.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

The fact that a young person in a tightly knit community is less likely to commit crime than a young person who lives in a transient community where few people know her could be partially explained by which factor?

A)a lack of suitable targets
B)the brutalization effect
C)the idea of going to jail and missing out on community activities
D)the perceived threat of informal sanctions

Question 5

Historically, there have been several calls to reinstate capital punishment in Canada. Which research finding is the reason why this has not happened despite support from the public?

A)Research results are mixed and researchers are not able to make any clear statements about its effectiveness.
B)Evidence indicates that the use of capital punishment does not decrease violent crime rates.
C)Research indicates that the use of capital punishment clearly reduces violent crime rates.
D)Capital punishment should only be used for those declared to be dangerous offenders.

Question 6

Which elements are critical to the rational choice perspective of crime?

A)Greed and the need for instant gratification.
B)Degree of poverty and transient population in a region.
C)Mental health of the offender and vulnerability of the victim.
D)Skills possessed by the offender and the rewards of the offence.

Question 7

The local police have increased patrols to a park drug dealers and vandals frequent. It seems as though the problem is solved but it is also possible that the criminals have simply moved to a new park. If this is so, what term is used to describe the effect of the police patrols in this situation?

A)desistence
B)discouragement
C)extinction
D)displacement

Question 8

What does research suggest about whether or not street crimes are rational?

A)Street crimes are irrational in that they generally result in arrest and conviction.
B)Street crimes are rational in that only highly skilled offenders commit serious offences.
C)Street crimes are rational in that the target and method of commission are carefully considered.
D)Street crimes are irrational in that the majority of offenders only gain small rewards.

Question 9

Evidence of rational choice theory indicates that criminals selectively choose which targets to victimize. Which one of the following targets are they most likely to AVOID?

A)high-crime areas already targeted by other offenders
B)well-organized community neighbourhoods
C)streets in urban neighbourhoods
D)areas they have already targeted in the past

Question 10

What term did sociologist Jack Katz use to describe immediate benefits, often a thrill or sense of superiority, which draw offenders into committing crimes?

A)the seductions of crime
B)the hedonistic approach
C)the get-rich-quick scheme
D)the winner-takes-all approach

Question 11

Crime prevention tactics used today generally fall into one of four categories. Which of the following categories would the installation of metal detectors at school entrances fit into?

A)increasing the effort needed to commit crime
B)reducing anticipated rewards for crime
C)increasing the risk of committing crime
D)inducing guilt or shame for committing crime

Question 12

According to research, what type of specific deterrence is most effective in reducing recidivism rates?

A)probation
B)physical punishment
C)incarceration
D)mandatory community service

Question 13

Which of the following defines the term "edgework"?

A)the police investigations that take place in dangerous neighbourhoods as a means of deterring crime
B)the thrill that motivates people to engage in risky behaviours, including committing crimes
C)the guilt or shame induced as a means of decreasing recidivism rates
D)the learning of new techniques for committing crimes by young persons in prisons

Question 14

Which scenario illustrates specific deterrence in action?

A)Bill is curious to know if he could get away with stealing a chocolate bar but fear of shame and embarrassment deters him from trying this.
B)Sam has never committed a crime because he believes that he will be quickly caught and punished and this does not make crime worthwhile for him.
C)John vows never to sell drugs again after he was caught, held in a holding cell, and sentenced to a lengthy period of probation and community service hours.
D)Tom has thought about shoplifting on occasion but the signs in the store warning of penalties have scared him from doing so.

Question 15

The perception of the general public is that the criminal justice system is far too lenient. What does the research evidence suggest about the use of harsher penalties as a method of deterrence?

A)Harsher penalties are only effective for robbery and theft due to the typical age of the offenders.
B)Research findings suggest that for violent crimes, harsher penalties are a clear deterrent.
C)There have not been sufficient studies conducted on this issue to allow conclusions to be drawn.
D)There does not appear to be solid evidence to suggest that harsher penalties lead to decreased crime rates.

Question 16

Which is a difference between stigmatization and reintegrative shaming?

A)Stigmatization involves humiliating the offender; reintegrative shaming involves condemning the offender's actions and reconnecting the offender with the community.
B)Stigmatization involves labelling the offender as evil or bad; reintegrative shaming involves rejection of the offender from the community.
C)Stigmatization involves labelling the offender as evil or bad; reintegrative shaming involves condemning the offender's actions and reconnecting the offender with the community.
D)Stigmatization involves having offenders admit their errors in a public way; reintegrative shaming involves having to help offenders understand that what they did is evil or bad.

Question 17

In what school of criminology does rational choice theory have its roots?

A)Marxist
B)positivist
C)classical
D)sociological

Question 18

At a local high school, increased patrols of the smoking area of the schoolyard have resulted in a significant decrease in drug dealing. There has also been a decrease in incidents of bullying in the schoolyard. What is the term for this impact of the patrols?

A)displacement
B)discouragement
C)extinction
D)diffusion of benefits

Question 19

Which statement summarizes a rational choice theorist's view of crime?

A)Crime occurs when values and beliefs are structured to include a criminal norm.
B)It is a matter of an offender being in the right place at the right time.
C)Crime occurs when an offender decides that the rewards outweigh the risks.
D)Criminals are born with the genetic predisposition toward deviance.

Question 20

What are target reduction strategies designed to do?

A)narrow down the regions in which crime is likely to occur
B)increase the sentences for young persons convicted of crime
C)decrease the potential value of crime for the offender
D)allow police departments to hire more officers

Question 21

The term "definitive space" signifies that crime can be prevented or displaced through the use of residential architectural designs that reduce criminal opportunity.

Question 22

Diffusion of benefits occurs when efforts to prevent one crime unintentionally prevent another.

Question 23

Capital punishment is an effective deterrent for serious, violent crimes such as murder.

Question 24

The theory of specific deterrence holds that criminal sanctions must be equally applied to all offenders.

Question 25

Rational choice theorists view crime as both offender- and offence-specific.

Question 26

The concept behind rational choice theory is to let the "punishment fit the crime."

Question 27

Sociologist Jack Katz argues that there are immediate benefits to criminality, which he labels "the lure of crime."

Question 28

Canadian criminologist Frederick Desroches found that bank robbers often use police scanners to monitor police activity.

Question 29

James is a 60-year-old male who was recently sentenced to 10 years in a federal institution. What is the most important concern with inmates such as James in the Canadian correctional system?

A)Older inmates are growing in numbers and are more likely to stage protests.
B)It costs more than double to house older inmates than younger inmates.
C)Older inmates are more likely to be granted day parole than younger inmates and processing costs are high.
D)Older inmates tend to have more difficulty adjusting to maximum-security settings than younger inmates.

Question 30

Research efforts have established that the threat of informal sanctions upon gender show that it is an equally effective deterrent for men and women because of the fear of public shame connected to it.

Question 31

Situational crime prevention suggests that crime prevention can be achieved by reducing the opportunities people have to commit particular crimes.

Question 32

A good example of the effectiveness of the crackdown strategy is the success of Ontario's RIDE (Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere) program. It has been reported to have a significant impact in reduction of impaired-driving-related accidents and fatalities on Ontario highways.

Question 33

Rational choice theory has roots in the positivist school of criminology.

Question 34

Paul Bernardo and many others have been designated dangerous offenders by criminal courts in Canada. What is the impact of this designation on the offender?

A)the death penalty, should it be reinstated while the offender is incarcerated
B)a 20-year sentence without chance of parole
C)a mandatory life term with possibility of parole
D)an indefinite prison sentence

Question 35

Which does the "just dessert" model suggest?

A)Punishment must be swift, severe, and certain.
B)Incapacitation is not an effective deterrent to criminal behaviour.
C)Punishment must be meaningful and match the severity of the harm done.
D)Community sentences, such as probation, are not severe enough to reduce recidivism.

Question 36

Incarceration is an effective crime deterrent for most offenders.

Question 37

Which term is used to refer to the fact that 38 percent of Canadians serving a life term will be 55 years or older before they become eligible for parole?

A)rehabilitative ageism
B)elder confinement
C)elder lock-up
D)geriatric overload

Question 38

What has research shown about the direct benefits of incapacitation?

A)The research has been inconclusive.
B)Research indicates incapacitation actually increases the chance of reoffending.
C)Research indicates incapacitation is an effective deterrent to criminal behaviour.
D)Research indicates that the benefits of incapacitation have not been studied.

Question 39

Research indicates that the more prior incarceration experiences inmates have, the more likely they are to reoffend (and return to prison) within 12 months of their release.

Question 40

Although prevailing wisdom is that "crime does not pay," a small subset of criminals actually enjoys earnings of close to $50 000 per year.

Question 41

Situational crime prevention may produce unforeseen and unwanted consequences. Discuss what is meant by displacement, extinction, discouragement, and diffusion.

Question 42

Rational choice theorists view crime as both offence- and offender-specific. Explain why this is so.

Question 43

Discuss the possible problems and benefits facing the Canadian justice system as the current generation of baby boomers begins to age. What potential pitfalls may await the general public and what may be some of the consequences and outcomes for the justice system as a whole?

Question 44

The relationship between certainty of punishment and crime rates is far from settled. Discuss this relationship.

Question 45

The theory of specific deterrence holds that criminal sanctions should be so powerful that known criminals will never repeat their criminal acts. Critique this theory. Do you agree with the basic premise of this theory? State why or why not.

Question 46

Discuss drug use from the rational choice perspective.

Question 47

Sociologist Jack Katz argues that there are immediate benefits to criminality. Discuss his argument.

Question 48

Critique the concept of informal sanctions within Canada as an alternative to formal sanctions including incarceration. When is it appropriate to use, and with whom and where are the best outcomes most likely?

Question 49

In his book Crime, Shame, and Reintegration, John Braithwaite helps explain why specific deterrence measures may be doomed to failure. Discuss why Braithwaite makes this argument, and then discuss what he feels should be done to control crime.

Question 50

Since its abolition in 1976, the concept of capital punishment has prompted recurring calls from various Canadian groups, such as members of the public and politicians, to bring back the death penalty. Address the issues concerning the death penalty and what the text says about deterrence and criminality. Should Canada engage in capital punishment? Explain using the perspective of a criminologist.