Ch.8 Test Bank Docx Theoretical Perspectives On Youth Crime

CHAPTER 8

Theoretical Perspectives on Youth Crime

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Of the following theories, ________ was used to explain how youth crime was developed prior to the 1970s.
   1. strain
   2. social control
   3. coercion
   4. All of the above
   5. Both a and b
2. Recent theories used to explain youth crime ________.
   1. build on past perspectives
   2. integrate a number of previously examined perspectives
   3. introduce new causal concepts
   4. All of the above
   5. Both b and c
3. ________ is related to low self-control.
   1. Obsessiveness
   2. Racial intolerance
   3. Short-sightedness
   4. All of the above
   5. Both b and c
4. The general theory of crime was first outlined by ________.
   1. Sutherland
   2. Gottfredson and Hirschi
   3. Agnew
   4. Sampson and Laub
   5. Baron
5. According to the general theory of crime, ________ comes naturally and is therefore something to be control.
   1. risk-taking
   2. impulsivity
   3. crime
   4. aggression
   5. greed
6. ________ is indicative of a deficiency in self-control.
   1. Cheating on exams
   2. Lack of diligence
   3. Lack of remorse
   4. Both a and b
   5. Both b and c
7. ________ is an example of risk-taking in which people with low self-control engage.
   1. Stealing a car
   2. Getting into a fight
   3. Breaking into a house
   4. All of the above
   5. Both a and c
8. Gottfredson and Hirschi argue that, by the age of ________, the trait of low self-control becomes relatively stable and will influence a person’s behaviour across the life course.
   1. Six
   2. 10
   3. 16
   4. 18
   5. 21
9. Genera strain theory (GST) was originally developed by ________.
   1. Farrington
   2. Agnew
   3. Cohen
   4. Colvin
   5. Quinney
10. General strain theory focuses on ________.
    1. economic strains
    2. family-related strains
    3. negative situations
    4. Both a and c
    5. Both b and c
11. In the context of general strain theory, the failure to achieve goals refers to ________.
    1. the disjunction between aspira­tions and expected achievements
    2. the disjunction between expected achievements and actual achievements
    3. the disjunction between just or fair outcomes and actual outcomes
    4. All of the above
    5. Both a and b
12. The type of strain a person feels when they get a poorer grade than a classmate who puts in less effort is referred to in general strain theory as ________.
    1. the disjunction between aspira­tions and expected achievements
    2. the disjunction between expected achievements and actual achievements
    3. the disjunction between just or fair outcomes and actual outcomes
    4. the disjunction between effort and achievement
    5. None of the above
13. In the context of general strain theory, ________ is an example of the presentation of negative stimuli.
    1. criminal victimization
    2. child abuse
    3. negative school environment
    4. All of the above
    5. None of the above
14. The age-graded theory of informal social control was originally developed by ________.
    1. Sutherland and Cressey
    2. Gottfredson and Hirschi
    3. Sampson and Laub
    4. Cullen and Agnew
    5. Platt
15. The age-graded theory of informal social control attempts to explain ________.
    1. the onset of offending
    2. continuing in offending
    3. desistance from offending
    4. All of the above
    5. Both a and b
16. According to Tittle’s control balance theory, a predisposition to commit crime will only transform into a motivation for deviance when a person experiences a ________.
    1. stressor
    2. provocation
    3. opportunity
    4. control imbalance
    5. need
17. ________ was not part of Tittle’s original control balance theory.
    1. Control ratio
    2. Control surplus
    3. Constraint
    4. Control balance desirability
    5. All of the above
18. A key proposition of differential coercion theory is that erratic coercion can lead to ________.
    1. submission
    2. retaliation
    3. learning deficits
    4. social-psychological deficits
    5. motivation for deviance
19. According to differential coercion theory, an individual who interprets the world as an environment enveloped in coercion is exhibiting ________.
    1. erratic coercion
    2. coercive ideation
    3. coercive social modeling
    4. low self-efficacy
    5. low social control
20. To date, empirical research aimed at testing Colvin’s differential coercion theory has been ________.
    1. inconclusive
    2. mixed
    3. generally supportive
    4. partially supportive
    5. useless
21. ­­­________ can be described as the degree to which individuals, through socialization, have connections to people and institutions in a society and believe in the rules of the society.
    1. Social bonds
    2. Normalized bonds
    3. Normalization
    4. Techniques of normalization
    5. None of the above
22. According to Gottfredson and Hirschi, ________ are characteristics of low self-control.
    1. impulsivity, short-sightedness, and risk-taking
    2. physicality, insensitivity, and low frustration tolerance
    3. hostility, insensitivity, and persistence
    4. Both a and b
    5. Both a and c
23. Within the context of General Strain theory which of the following below would be considered a criminogenic factor?
    1. Homelessness
    2. Unemployment
    3. Parental rejection
    4. Physical abuse
    5. All of the above
24. According to Sampson and Laub’s age-graded theory, which of the following is not one of the three informal social control mechanisms within the family context?
    1. Attachment
    2. Monitoring
    3. Consistent discipline
    4. Commitment
    5. All of the above are mechanisms
25. Which of the following below would be considered a life-course turning point?
    1. Employment
    2. Marriage
    3. Enrollment in school
    4. None of the above
    5. a, b and c are correct
26. A Life Course Persistent Offender is one who ________.
    1. begins their offending in early childhood, and continues to engage in offending through adolescence and adulthood.
    2. begins their offending early in life but then exits out in their early teen years
    3. begins their offending later in young adulthood
    4. begins their offending in their middle ages
    5. None of the above
27. Which of the following is not one of the main themes of Peacemaking Criminology?
28. Non-violence
29. Social justice
30. Inclusion
31. Ascertainable criteria
32. All of the above are main themes

True or False Questions

1. Low self-control is made up of three different characteristics.
2. People who develop self-control are said to be less likely to engage in criminal activities.
3. People who lack diligence will choose the quickest path to satisfy their desires, even if the long-term consequences are negative.
4. Criminal acts involve elements of excitement and risk.
5. Most crimes require skill or training and entail elaborate planning.
6. The general theory of crime has little empirical research support.
7. General strain theory focuses on how a broad number of positive situations can reduce the tendency for youth to engage in criminal behaviour.
8. According to general strain theory, aspirations are synonymous with expected achievements.
9. Depression is the critical negative emotion on which general strain theory is focused.
10. Low socio-economic status is one of the social structural factors pointed to in the age-graded theory of informal social control.
11. Excessive monitoring of children is one of the family-related factors pointed to in the age-graded theory of informal social control.
12. Disrupted social control refers to events or life circumstances that weaken or destroy personal relationships, attachments, and activities.
13. The amount of control that a person experiences relative to the amount of control a person can exercise is referred to as a control ratio.
14. According to control balance theory, young people can potentially suffer from extreme control deficits.
15. According to control balance theory, acts involving direct contact with victims and that allow for short-term changes in control balance ratios have the greatest control balance desirability.
16. Empirical tests of control balance theory have found that both control balance deficits and control balance surpluses are related to a range of deviant behaviours.
17. According to Colvin’s differential coercion theory, people who experience an erratic, non-coercive environment will show an inclination toward pro-social behaviours.
18. According to Colvin’s differential coercion theory, consistent coercive control tends to be highly punitive and lacking in emotional support.
19. Coercive ideation occurs when the individual comes to interpret the world as an environment enveloped in coercion.
20. According to Moon and Jang, Agnew’s general strain theory fails to explain why children bully other children.
21. Low self-control is made up of six features.
22. Sampson and Laub suggest that adult crime can be understood in terms of cumulative continuity, where behaviour is sustained by the process of its consequences.
23. Abstainers are youth who do not offend because of negative personality characteristics, social and biological maturation consistent with each other, and a lack of exposure to criminal peers.
24. Early starters are youth who begin offending in adolescence with transient rather than chronic patterns of criminal behaviour that dissipate upon entry into adulthood.

Short Answer Questions

1. What do Gottfredson and Hirschi argue about the six elements of self-control?
2. How can criminal activities serve to satisfy various personal desires for people who are impulsive? Provide an example of how impulsiveness may be linked to crime.
3. In general, how are impulsive people different from non-impulsive people?
4. How is lack of diligence linked to criminal behaviour?
5. According to Gottfredson and Hirschi, why is crime an attractive pursuit for those who do not wish to be challenged cognitively?
6. How is low self-control linked to opportunity in the general theory of crime?
7. According to Gottfredson and Hirschi, how does someone end up with low self-control? What child-rearing approaches do they suggest for avoiding low self-control?
8. What is the primary focus of general strain theory (GST)?
9. What are the three broad areas of strain outlined by Agnew in his general strain theory? Provide an example of each of these.
10. In the context of general strain theory, what is the difference between aspirations and expected achievements?
11. In the context of general strain theory, what is meant by the removal of positive stimuli?
12. What are objective strains and subjective strains? According to Agnew, why is it important to distinguish between the two?
13. Why is anger viewed as a critical negative emotion linked causally to crime in general strain theory?
14. What is the main focus of the age-graded theory of social control?
15. What social structural factors are taken into account in the age-graded theory of informal social control that have the potential to undermine social bonds?
16. What is cumulative continuity?
17. What are control deficits? Provide an example.
18. How is provocation linked to motivation for deviance in Tittle’s control balance theory?
19. According to Colvin, coercion can be either direct or indirect. Define and provide an example of each type.
20. What is coercive ideation?
21. What are moral actions?
22. Low self-control is made up of six different features. Briefly list and describe these features.
23. Discuss what is meant by a Life-Course Turning Point.

Essay Questions

1. While Gottfredson and Hirschi propose that lack of self-control is the main cause of crime, they also suggest that it is linked to a range of other behaviours and life outcomes. What are the analogous behaviours, which are also often viewed as deviant, in which people with low self-control are more likely to engage? What are some of the broader “social consequences” of this lack of self-control?
2. What are the three types of strain that are the focus of general strain theory? How can these types of strain be seen to be overlapping?
3. Outline Sampson and Laub’s age-graded theory of informal social control. What are the major recognized strengths and weaknesses of this theory?
4. How can Tittle’s control balance theory be applied in explaining youth crime? In your discussion, take into account the concepts of control ratio, control surplus, control deficits, and control balance desirability.
5. How can Colvin’s differential coercion theory be applied in explaining chronic predatory offending? In your discussion, take into account the concepts of coercion, social-psychological deficits, and coercive ideation.
6. Describe how Agnew’s strain theory can be applied to understand why some children bully other children. Could the theories discussed in the reading also be applied to understand bullying? Explain why or why not.
7. Discuss the main point of General Strain Theory.
8. Discuss Farrington’s Integrated Cognitive Antisocial Potential Theory