True / False
1. The Bureau of Justice Statistics collects data from local law enforcement agencies and publishes them yearly in its
Uniform Crime Report (UCR).
a. True
b. False
2. The “Hierarchy Rule” impacts the validity of the National Crime Victimization Survey.
a. True
b. False
3. The National Crime Victimization Survey addresses the nonreporting of crime issue inherent in the UCR.
a. True
b. False
4. Critics of self-report studies frequently suggest that expecting people to candidly admit illegal acts is unreasonable.
a. True
b. False
5. While people are disturbed by media accounts of violent incidents, in reality media reports simply reflect the
significant increase in violent crimes since 1991.
a. True
b. False
6. Property crime rates have declined in recent years, dropping more than 10 percent during the past decade.
a. True
b. False
7. The age structure of the population has a significant influence on crime trends.
a. True
b. False
8. As the number of guns in the population increases so to do violent crime rates.
a. True
b. False
9. Most reported crimes occur during the months of April and May.
a. True
b. False
10. Those living in poverty engage in disproportionate amounts of expressive crimes, such as rape and assault.
a. True
b. False
11. The weight of recent research suggests that serious crime is more prevalent in socially disorganized lower class
areas.
a. True
b. False
12. Chronic offenders eventually age out of crime.
a. True
b. False
13. Racial threat theory contends that as the percentage of African-Americans in the population increases, so does the
amount of social control that the justice system aims at blacks.
a. True
b. False
14. Racial and ethnic differentials in crime rates are tied to economic and social disparity.
a. True
b. False
15. Wolfgang and associates‘ second cohort study found that 6 percent of female delinquents were chronic offenders.
a. True
b. False
16. According to the research on chronic offenders, arrests and court experiences deter chronic offenders.
a. True
b. False
17. Repeat offenders usually begin their career at a very early age.
a. True
b. False
18. Rehabilitation is the current sentencing approach taken to deal with chronic offenders.
a. True
b. False
19. Most people commit less crime as they mature.
a. True
b. False
20. The elderly are particularly resistant to the temptations of crime.
a. True
b. False
Multiple Choice
21. The Uniform Crime Report is a primary source of crime data collected by the
a. National Institute of Justice.
b. Bureau of Justice Statistics.
c. Federal Bureau of Investigation.
d. Office of Juvenile Justice.
22. The UCR contains data on Part I and Part II crimes. Which of the following is not a Part I crime?
a. hate crime
b. arson
c. forcible rape
d. aggravated assault
23. What shortcoming in the UCR is addressed by the National Crime Victimization survey?
a. the “Sampling Rule”
b. the non-clearance issue
c. the “Hierarchy Rule”
d. the nonreporting issue
24. The UCR expresses data as raw figures, crime rates, and changes in the number and rate over time. How are crime
rates expressed in the UCR?
a. rates per 1,000 total U.S. population b.
rates per 10,000 total U.S. population c.
rates per 100,000 total U.S. population
d. rates per 1,000,000 total U.S. population
25. The NCVS annually samples more than 40,000
a. juveniles
b. households
c. police departments
d. offenders
in order to estimate crime victimization.
26. Survey research involves – the process of selecting for study a limited number of subjects who are
representative of entire groups sharing similar characteristics, called the population.
a. locating
b. measuring
c. sampling
d. sectioning
27. While self-report studies can be used to examine the offense history of prison inmates and drug users, most self-
report studies have focused on
a. adult crime.
b. youth crime.
c. hate crime.
d. school crime.
28. A validity concern associated with the NCVS involves
a. victims overreporting crime.
b. its large sample size.
c. interviewing household members under the age of 12.
d. police officers who fail to disclose crimes in which they are involved.
29. The reporting accuracy of self-report studies is impacted by
a. the “missing cases” phenomenon.
b. the “overreporting” phenomenon
c. the “small cohort” phenomenon
d. the “known group” phenomenon
30. According to the 2011 Monitoring the Future survey
a. the crime problem is the same as indicated by the UCR.
b. the crime problem is the same as indicated by the NCVS.
c. the crime problem is less than the UCR and NCVS indicate.
d. the crime problem is greater than the UCR and NCVS indicate.
31. When evaluating the three primary sources of crime data, the crime patterns and trends
a. are often quite dissimilar.
b. are often quite similar.
c. are incapable of providing an accurate picture of crime.
d. are not consistent over time.
32. How does today‘s violent crime rate compare to the violent crime rate in 1991?
a. Today’s violent crime rate has increased by nearly 20 percent.
b. Today’s violent crime rate has increased by nearly 40 percent.
c. Today’s violent crime rate has decreased by nearly 20 percent.
d. Today’s violent crime rate as decreased by nearly 40 percent.
33. According to UCR data, what is known about today’s property crime rate?
a. The property crime rate has dropped more than 10 percent in the past decade.
b. The property crime rate has increased by nearly 33 percent in the past decade.
c. The property crime rate has significantly fluctuated in the past decade.
d. The property crime rate has remained relatively stable in the past decade.
34. Which of the following factors has been the most stable indicator of criminal likelihood?
a. age
b. income
c. race/ethnicity
d. temperature
35. Franklin Zimring and Gordon Hawkins believe the is the single most significant factor separating the crime
problem in the United States from that of the rest of the developed world.
a. degree of economic opportunity
b. proliferation of handguns
c. abortion rate
d. immigrant population
36. Referring to the ecology of crime, which statement about crime and temperature is accurate?
a. Crime increases as temperature increases.
b. Crime decreases as temperature increases.
c. Crime and temperature are inversely related.
d. Crime and temperature show no relationship.
37. Referring to the ecology of crime, which of the following settings has the highest violent crime rate?
a. an urban area in the northeast
b. a rural area in northeast
c. an urban area in the south
d. a rural area in the south
38. People living in poverty are believed to engage in disproportionate amounts of
assault, as a result of their rage, anger, and frustration against society.
a. deliberate
b. expressive
c. instrumental
d. defensive
crimes, such as rape and
39. UCR data associates social class with crime, indicating higher crime rates in inner-city, high-poverty areas. An
alternative explanation for the association between social class and crime is
patterns.
a. social stereotyping
b. population diversity
c. law enforcement practices
d. unemployment and under–employment
40. What biological process accounts for desistance and aging out?
a. the level of hormone activity in the brain
b. the end of growth spurts
c. better diets
d. balding
, not actual criminal behavior
41. Crime peaks in adolescence and then declines rapidly thereafter. What is the peak age for property crime?
a. 14
b. 16
c. 18
d. 20
42. The view of crime suggesting that the social and economic roles of women in society controls their crime rates is
termed
a. liberation theory.
b. the femininity hypothesis.
c. the masculinity hypothesis.
d. liberal feminist theory.
43. suggests that as the African-American population increases, so does the amount of social control directed at
them. This type of racism could account for the higher rates of minority crime in UCR data.
a. Police control theory
b. Racial threat theory
c. Racial control theory
d. Police threat theory
44. In Wolfgang et al.’s study of male juvenile delinquents, what percentage were chronic offenders?
a. 6 percent
b. 10 percent
c. 16 percent
d. 20 percent
45. Wolfgang et al.’s second cohort study tracked males and females. What percentage of chronic offenders were
female?
a. 1 percent
b. 3 percent
c. 6 percent
d. 9 percent
46. Discovery of the chronic offender has forced criminologists to consider in their explanations of crime.
a. marriage and employment
b. supervision and control
c. persistence and desistence
d. age and gender
47. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a predictive factor for chronicity?
a. beginning lawbreaking at an early age
b. single parent households
c. low intellectual development
d. parental drug involvement
48. Who has become a central focus of crime control policy?
a. chronic offenders
b. elderly offenders
c. mass murderers
d. serial killers
49. According to the research on chronic offenders, punishment was related to chronic offending.
a. conditionally
b. contrapositively
c. conversely
d. inversely
50. What neurotransmitter is known to limit offensive behavior?
a. dopamine
b. histamine
c. octopamine
d. serotonin
51. Which neurotransmitter is shown to facilitate aggressive behavior?
a. dopamine
b. melatonin
c. octopamine
d. serotonin
52. All of the following would be considered an instrumental crime EXCEPT:
a. pawning stolen merchandise
b. rape
c. selling drugs
d. theft
53. Expressive crimes are committed to:
a. attain power
b. make money
c. obtain desired goods
d. vent rage
54. The majority of murderers use to commit their murder.
a. blunt objects
b. firearms
c. ropes
d. knives
55. Which region of the United States has the highest crime rates?
a. Northeast
b. Midwest
c. South
d. West
56. Martha calls many police departments around the country wanting to find information about their crime statistics.
One particular police department recommends that she look at the published UCR reports. What agency is
responsible for publishing these UCR reports?
a. ATF
b. FBI
c. DHS
d. TSA
57. Martha is particularly concerned with drug offenses and vandalism in the community that she will move to. These
types of offenses are part crimes according to the official crime records.
a. I
b. II
c. Violent
d. Juvenile
58. Martha has narrowed her choices to New York in the Northeast, San Francisco in the West, and Miami in the South,
and Ohio in the Midwest. Based on the research on the ecology of crime, which of these cities has the highest
crime rates?
a. New York
b. San Francisco
c. Miami
d. Ohio
59. Martha has decided to move to San Francisco, California. She decides to attend a neighborhood watch meeting
where the local police department is speaking. They are explaining the crime trends over the past 30 years. Which
of the following is accurate information concerning the crime rates?
a. Crime rates peaked in the 1970s and have been in sharp decline ever since.
b. Crime rates peaked in the 1980s and have been in sharp decline ever since.
c. Crime rates peaked in the 1990s and have been in sharp decline ever since.
d. Crime rates peaked in the 2000s and have been in sharp decline ever since.
60. One of Martha’s children is a 15 year old boy. He is starting high school in the fall. She is concerned that he will
start to hang out with the wrong crowd and possibly begin to commit crime. According to the research, the peak age
for property crime is believed to be and thus Martha should be mindful of her son‘s activities.
a. 13
b. 14
c. 15
d. 16
61. At this week’s seminar, one of the participants asked the chief of police to comment on crime rates. Which
statement below would the chief be able to state with certitude?
a. “Speculating about future crime trends is risky because change can occur rapidly.”
b. “Crime rates will continue to decrease because they have been decreasing for the past 20 years and crime
trends move in 40 year cycles.”
c. “Crime rates will most likely increase because the baby boomer population is increasing.”
d. “All U.S. cities will experience a decrease in crime rates next year because international crime rates continue
to decline.”
62. The theory that explains that some women have biological and psychological traits similar to those of men and thus
may be more likely to commit crime is referred to as the:
a. anti-feminine hypothesis
b. femme-fatale hypothesis
c. liberal-feminist hypothesis
d. masculinity hypothesis
63. The police chief explains that there are problems with the UCR crime data. What is the biggest potential problem
with the validity of UCR crime data?
a. Only violent crimes are counted in the UCR data.
b. Only property crimes are counted in the UCR data.
c. Many serious crimes are not reported to police and therefore are not counted in the UCR.
d. The UCR only counts crimes reported by people 18 years of age or older.
64. The community is concerned that the police department is not deploying their manpower effectively. According to
the research, during what months should police staffing be maximized?
a. January and February
b. March and April
c. July and August
d. November and December
65. The police chief recommends to the audience that they should look at other sources to evaluate statistics on
crime. He suggests that the participants review the which is a comprehensive, nationwide
survey of victimization in the United States conducted annually by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Bureau of
Justice Statistics.
a. MTF
b. NCVS
c. NIBRS
d. UCR
Completion
66. is the phrase used to express the fact that people commit less crime as they mature.
67. A
in behavior. is a chemical substance that transmits nerve impulses from one neuron to another and can play a role
68. crimes are offenses designed to improve the financial or social position of the criminal.
69. Police-initiated action directed at a suspect or group of suspects based solely on race is .
70. The
men. is the view that women who commit crimes have biological and psychological traits similar to those of
71. The National Crime Victimization Survey is conducted by the Justice Department and the .
72. A group of individuals with common features and particular characteristics are referred to as a .
73. Selecting a limited number of people for study as of a larger group is referred to as sampling.
74. The
UCR statistics. is a program that collects data on each reported crime incident as an attempt to redesign the
75. The unlawful taking, carrying, leading, or riding away of property from the possession of another is known as
__________.
76. Compare and contrast the Uniform Crime Report and the National Crime Victimization Survey. What are the
differences in the way data are collected for these primary crime data sources?
77. Identify and discuss the problems associated with the validity of crime data collection using victimization surveys and
self-report studies.
78. What do the UCR and NCVS indicate about the recent trends in crime rates? Include violent and property crimes in
your response.
79. Patterns in the crime rate seem to be linked to temporal and ecological factors. Identify and discuss these factors.
80. Explain how the economy, abortion, gun availability, and drug use influence crime patterns and crime rates.
81. Discuss the reasons why crime may be considered a lower-class phenomenon. Why factors contribute to this view?
82. Discuss the age structure of society and the concept of “aging-out.” How do age and aging-out impact crime rates?
83. Several factors explain gender differences in the crime rate. Identify and discuss these factors.
84. Describe Wolfgang, Figlio, and Sellin‘s cohort studies and discuss the findings that emerged from their pioneering
research.
85. Explain the concept of “early onset” and discuss the factors that cause chronicity.