Criminology

Midterm Exam

1.In general, what is the age range that criminal behavior tends to peak?Provide (indetail) three explanations for why age is so strongly related to crime.(10pts.)

2. Describethe gender-crime relationship (i.e., the major differencesbetween men and women incriminal involvement,types of crime,andthe nature of crime). Provide (indetail) three explanations for this relationship. (10pts.)

3.What are two characteristics that are protective of criminal behavior, even for those who grow up in noxious social environments? (4 pts.)

4.According to Cohen and Felson's routine activities approach to crime, identify and describe three factors that are required for a predatory crimeto occur? (6 pts.)

5.According to research by William Sheldon and Eleanor and Sheldon Glueck, what body type is most closely associated with criminal behavior? Why? (2 pts)

6.According to the Classical School (Bentham, Becker), what are the key factors that make a potential punishment effective? Identify and describe. (6 pts.)

7. What are the two major sources of crime data used by criminologists and what arethe key differences between them? (4pts.)

8.According tolecture, identifyand explainfour key neighborhoodfactors that allow us to explainwhy African Americans have higher rates of criminal involvement than whites and otherminorities. (8 pts.)

9.The following figure shows the trends inviolent crimeinthe U.S. since 1960. Of particular note is the dramatic declineincrimesince roughly 1992. Identify and explainthreefactorsthatprovide thebestexplanation(according to lecture)forwhy this drop is occurringandwhy it is so dramatic. (10pts.)

Violent Crime Rate by Year, 1960-2015 800.0- poo O 700.0- o oo 600.0- O O 500.0- Violent Crime Rate O 400.0- o 300.0- o 200.0- 100.0- 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 Year