Test Bank and Answer Key
TRUE/FALSE
1. Historically victims represented themselves before judges but in modern Anglo-American law
there is no formal role for victims.
2. Liberals have dominated the victims’ rights movement, but other political groups including
feminists have also been active.
3. By the early 1990s all states had passed victims’ rights laws.
4. A victims’ rights clause has been added to the U.S. Constitution.
5. Victim service programs include domestic violence shelters, financial compensation for victims,
and witness assistance programs.
6. Before the 1970s, domestic violence had not been recognized as a major social problem.
7. Studies have proven that the mandatory arrest of domestic violence offenders results in a
reduction of crime.
8. The incidence of intimate partner violence was not reduced between 1994 and 2010.
9. Offenses against people with disabilities are reported to the police less often than offenses against
non-disabled people.
10. Federal funding for victim compensation programs are derived from fines and forfeitures and
have specific documentation procedures.
11. Among the goals of victims’ voice laws are to give victims a feeling of participation in the justice
system and ensure offenders do not get off too easily.
12. Victims’ rights laws include notification regarding bail, sentencing, and release from prison.
13. The underlying assumption of broad “get tough” laws is that incapacitating offenders will reduce
crime and therefore reduce the number of crime victims and to date this approach has been
successful.
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. The Victims’ Rights Movement emerged in the
a. 1960s c. 1980s
b. 1970s d. 1990s
2. A professional public official handles criminal cases with the important purpose of
a.
removing vengeance from the criminal justice process
b.
ensuring the likelihood of justice due to his/her training and experience
c.
establishing that crime is an offense against society as a whole
d.
all of the above
e.
none of the above
3. By the early 1990s every state had
a.
passed victims’ rights laws
b.
laws permitting victim impact statements
c.
legal challenges against the victim’s rights laws
d.
amended their constitution to include some victims’ rights
4. The impact of crime victims’ laws and programs can be evaluated from three different
perspectives: impact on the crime victims, impact on the CJS, and
a.
psychological effects on the victims
b.
impact on offenders’ sentencing
c.
crime reduction
d.
impact on community-police relationships
5. Examples of victims’ services include
a.
longer prison sentences
b.
financial compensation and counseling
c.
victim impact statements
d.
all of the above
6. The traditional response of the police to domestic violence incidents had been
a.
to attend to the victim, but not to the offender
b.
to attend to the offender, but not to the victim
c.
to refer families to social service agencies
d.
a no-arrest approach
7. Examples of victims’ voice laws include
a.
police/victim recontact programs
b.
victim-offender mediation
c.
statements made at bail and parole hearings
d.
fear reduction programs
8. The most immediate needs for juvenile runaways and throwaways are
a.
treatment for alcohol or drug abuse and food
b.
shelter and food
c.
protection from crime and psychological intervention
d.
family intervention and police protection
9. Elderly people have the lowest violent crime victimization rate among all age groups, likely
because
a.
they are less likely than other populations to report crimes perpetrated against them
b.
they have learned how to avoid victimization
c.
members of our society generally respect their elders
d.
they remain inside at night, due to a fear of crime
10. A major contributor to the problem of crime among the Native American population is
a.
distrust of police
b.
widespread ignorance of laws
c.
discriminatory laws
d.
geographical remoteness
11. Victims’ service programs are partially funded by
a.
the 1987 Booth v. Maryland case
b.
the 1984 Victims of Crime Act
c.
the 1983 Office for Victims of Crime
d.
the 1982 President’s Task Force on Victims of Crime
12. One notable problem with victim notification programs is
a.
the administrative burden it places on police departments
b.
the constitutionality of the programs
c.
they fail to offer concurrent social support to the victims
d.
that they display a racial bias
13. An evaluation of the Houston experiment that involved police officers contacting victims to
express sympathy and offer further assistance or information found
a.
victims who were contacted expressed less fear of crime than those not recontacted
b.
victims who were recontacted expressed greater confidence in police than those not
recontacted
c.
it met none of its goals and made some victims more fearful than those not recontacted
d.
victims reported that they preferred to be left alone
14. A study of protective orders in one state found that
a.
victims who made protective orders perceived a greater likelihood of being stalked and
threatened
b.
they did not lead to reduced fear of violence against those who placed the orders
c.
it reduced reoffending due to surveillance of offenders
d.
as a whole, the subjects experienced lower rates of violence
15. The elderly are particularly vulnerable to certain crimes, such as
a.
sexual assault
c.
burglary
b.
car theft
d.
healthcare fraud
16. The first victims’ compensation law was passed in 1965 by
a.
New York
c.
California
b.
Illinois
d.
Florida
17. As of 2013, compensation programs around the country grant victims of crime almost
a.
$500 million yearly
c.
$5 million yearly
b.
$50 million yearly
d.
$500,000 yearly
18. Evaluations of victim compensation programs
a.
make them the most popular victims’ programs
b.
show that compensated victims have more favorable attitudes toward the CJS
c.
are more favorable for state-sponsored programs than federal programs
d.
have not been favorable as many requests are denied due to insufficient documentation
19. Victims’ voice laws
a.
are required under the Sixth Amendment to the Constitution
b.
seek to expand the victims’ voice in bail, sentencing and parole decisions
c.
were designed for the purposes of getting tough and promoting retribution
d.
were prohibited and ruled unconstitutional in Payne v. Tennessee
e.
all of the above
20. Among the goals of including victims’ voices in the justice system is to
a.
end the isolation of victims in the CJS and provide procedural justice
b.
provide a fair and balanced approach of retribution
c.
ensure procedural justice for the defendant through impact statements
d.
none of the above
21. In Booth v. Maryland the court
a.
reversed a death sentence because of statements read to the jury about the victim
b.
declared the reading of statements to the jury about the victim constitutional
c.
ruled that victim-impact statements were not unconstitutional
d.
ruled that victim-impact statements were constitutional
22. A national study of victim notification and victims’ voice laws found that
a.
a large proportion of victims participate in the bail hearing, but participation decreases
with each subsequent stage of criminal justice case processing
b.
90% of victims were notified about bail and sentencing hearings, but only 20% were
notified about parole hearings
c.
victims who were notified reported greater confidence in the police and less fear of crime
d.
most victims made an impact statement at sentencing but few did so at parole hearings
23. A study of Ohio felony cases in the late 1980s found that victim impact statements were
submitted in __________ of the cases
a.
none
c.
half
b.
few
d.
most
24. A study of parole hearings in Pennsylvania found that victim impact statements
a.
had an insignificant effect on the chances of an offender being paroled
b.
had a very significant effect on the chances of an offender being paroled
c.
slightly increased the chance of a property offender being paroled
d.
had no effect on the chances of a sex offender being paroled
25. A survey of sixty-two victim service programs in North Carolina found that
a.
overall, victims were satisfied with the CJS system
b.
the programs were equally helpful to victims and witnesses
c.
virtually all victims were made aware of their right to make a victim-impact statement
d.
none of the above
26. In a 2000 study of nursing home residents, ____ percent of residents said that they had been
abused.
a.
14
b.
25
c.
30
d.
44
27. The Elderly Victims Emergency Security Fund (EVESF) in Philadelphia succeeded in reducing
incidences of violence against the elderly by
a.
providing doormen to their residences
b.
installing or replacing door locks
c.
educating them about fraud schemes
d.
intervening in cases of familial emotional abuse and neglect
28. Broad, “get tough” policies that have proved ineffective in reducing crime and assisting victims
include
a.
sex offender registration and notification laws
b.
repealing the exclusionary rule
c.
preventive detention
d.
all of the above
e.
none of the above
29. The evidence on victims’ voice laws shows that they have ________ effect on serious crime.
a.
an inverse
b.
no discernible
c.
a direct and strong
d.
a direct but weak
30. Today, how common are written policies on domestic violence in police departments?
a.
they are still quite uncommon
b.
they are common in urban areas, but rare in rural areas
c.
they are nearly universal
d.
they are common in “liberal” states, but rare in “conservative” states
SHORT ANSWER
1. Discuss the reasons why the victim has had no role in modern Anglo-American law.
2. Explain the value of serving special populations of crime victims.
3. Describe victim compensation programs and evaluate how well they impact victim attitudes
toward the criminal justice system.
4. Discuss the various victims’ voice laws and their impact on victims along with issues of
implementation.